Max Politics is a New York politics podcast hosted by journalist Ben Max featuring in-depth interviews with elected and appointed officials, candidates, advocates, and others about New York City and State politics and policy. Produced at New York Law School and its Center for New York Law. Get in touch: benmax25@gmail.com -------- Intro/outro music is Live-It by Ketsa. source (Free Music Archive) and license type (CC BY-NC-ND)
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Personal stories and creative solutions from the next generation of public policy leaders.
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Previewing The 2025 Mayoral Race, With Jason Ortiz & Jon Paul Lupo
1:12:19
1:12:19
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1:12:19
Political strategists Jason Ortiz and Jon Paul Lupo, veterans of many New York political campaigns, joined the show to reset the 2025 mayoral race with under 11 months until the all-important June 2025 Democratic primary. Ortiz is a co-founder and CEO of Moonshot Strategies and Lupo is Founder and President of Arete Public Affairs. (Episode 457)…
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Errol Louis On The Presidential Race & How The Mayor Is Doing
49:34
49:34
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49:34
Errol Louis — Spectrum News NY1 Political Anchor and host of Inside City Hall, The Big Deal with Errol Louis, and the You Decide podcast — joined the show to discuss shake-ups in the presidential race, national and New York political trends, and how the mayor is doing. (Episode 456)By Max Politics
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Mara Gay On National And New York Politics
1:01:27
1:01:27
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1:01:27
Mara Gay, a member of the New York Times Editorial Board, returned to the show to discuss key themes in national and New York politics, including President Biden's status and the presidential election, leadership from Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, and more. (Episode 455)By Max Politics
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Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar on Policy Priorities, a Possible Comptroller Run, & More
1:11:22
1:11:22
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1:11:22
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss her top accomplishments and priorities, close alliance with Mayor Eric Adams, exploration of a run for NYC Comptroller, and more. (Episode 454)By Max Politics
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Bradley Tusk On Lessons In Politics And Policy
50:54
50:54
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50:54
Bradley Tusk — a political strategist, venture capitalist, and philanthropist — joined the show to discuss lessons in how politics works, how Mayor Adams is doing, past and upcoming mayoral races, his push for mobile voting, and more. Tusk has been, among other roles, a communications director for Senator Chuck Schumer, 2009 campaign manager for Ma…
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Senator Liz Krueger On Congestion Pricing, MTA Finances, & More
47:42
47:42
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47:42
State Senator Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat and chair of the Senate finance committee, joined the show to discuss her opposition to Governor Hochul's pause on congestion pricing implementation, what could become of MTA finances, and more. (Episode 452)By Max Politics
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Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat representing New York's 10th congressional district covering parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, joined the show to discuss issues facing his district and New York, divided government in Washington, opposing Trumpism, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and more. (Ep 451)By Max Politics
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'Back Roads & Better Angels' - Frank Barry On American Democracy
56:10
56:10
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56:10
From a live event at New York Law School, hear author and columnist Frank Barry talk with host Ben Max about Barry's new book Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey Into the Heart of American Democracy, including reflections on New York's role in our national identity, challenges, and fundamental values. (Ep 450)…
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Public Advocate Jumaane Williams On 'The State Of The People'
59:18
59:18
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59:18
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams returned to the show to discuss his 2024 'State of the People' address, his policy agenda and a variety of challenges facing the city, his latest assessment of Mayor Eric Adams' job performance, and more. (Ep 449)By Max Politics
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The Push For Funding NYC Parks, With Shekar Krishnan & Adam Ganser
1:08:07
1:08:07
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1:08:07
New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the Council's Parks Committee, and Adam Ganser, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks, joined the show to discuss the push for more funding for city parks, pools, beaches, playgrounds, and other public recreational places. (Ep 448)By Max Politics
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LinkNYC, 5G, And Public Information Technology, With Margaux Knee
1:08:50
1:08:50
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1:08:50
Margaux Knee, Chief Administrative Officer for LinkNYC, joined the show to discuss the LinkNYC network of public wi-fi kiosks that replaced payphones around the city and the newer "5G smartpoles," public information technology, closing the 'digital divide,' public-private partnerships, and more. (Ep 447)…
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Andrew Kimball on NYC's 'Harbor of the Future' & Other Economic Development Efforts
1:01:54
1:01:54
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1:01:54
Andrew Kimball, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, joined the show to discuss how the Adams Administration and NYC EDC are advancing economic development initiatives, especially the 'harbor of the future' plan, the city's overall economic health, and more. (Ep 446)…
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Senator Julia Salazar On New York's Good Cause Eviction Compromise & What Comes Next
1:14:24
1:14:24
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1:14:24
New York State Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat and lead sponsor of 'Good Cause Eviction' legislation, joined the show to discuss the 'good cause' compromise passed in the new state budget, how the deal got done and how it fits into the larger housing policy package, and what comes next in terms of implementing and assessing the policy. (…
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State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas On The Big Budget Deal
1:02:01
1:02:01
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1:02:01
New York State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas joined the show to discuss the major housing policy deal reached in the new state budget, what it means for New York City and State, and what comes next. (Episode 444)By Max Politics
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NYC Deputy Mayor Maria Torres - Springer On The Adams Administration's Housing Agenda
1:02:41
1:02:41
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1:02:41
New York City Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer joined host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School's Center for New York City Law to discuss the Adams Administration's housing agenda, particularly the policies the City wants from the State. (Episode 443)By Max Politics
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Senator Gustavo Rivera On State Budget Negotiations
59:52
59:52
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59:52
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat and chair of the Senate health committee, joined the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations, including around major health issues, housing policy, and more. (Ep 442)By Max Politics
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Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt On State Budget Negotiations
52:37
52:37
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52:37
New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, an Upstate Republican, joined the show to discuss state budget negotiations, the GOP's priorities and warning, housing policy, and more. (Episode 441)By Max Politics
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'Empire AI' & What's Next in Artificial Intelligence Policy In New York, with Julie Samuels
1:01:04
1:01:04
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1:01:04
Julie Samuels, President and CEO of Tech:NYC, joined the show to discuss Governor Hochul's 'Empire AI' proposal to create a new artificial intelligence hub in Buffalo and related policies.By Max Politics
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Congestion Pricing Gets Final MTA Approval, With Gersh Kuntzman
1:16:45
1:16:45
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1:16:45
Gersh Kuntzman, editor in chief of Streetsblog NYC and longtime city journalist, joined the show to discuss the long arc of congestion pricing approval, the 3/27/24 final MTA Board passage of the program, its planned June implementation, potential benefits, pitfalls, and unknowns — and more. (Episode 439)…
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Assembly Members Catalina Cruz & Brian Cunningham On Top Priorities & State Budget Negotiations
1:21:26
1:21:26
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1:21:26
Assembly Members Catalina Cruz of Queens and Brian Cunningham of Brooklyn joined the show to discuss their top legislative and budget priorities and the status of state budget negotiations with a deal due by April 1, including on the major issue of housing policy. Cruz also discussed her focus on immigrant communities and the asylum-seeker crisis, …
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The Speaker's State Of The City & The State Housing Plans, With Jeff Coltin & Emma Whitford
1:07:03
1:07:03
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1:07:03
News of the Week: Jeff Coltin of Politico joins the show to discuss City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' 2024 State of the City address and policy agenda, and the relationship between the Speaker and Mayor Eric Adams; then Emma Whitford of City Limits joins to discuss the three housing policy plans at the state level from Governor Kathy Hochul and …
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Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris On Redistricting, State Budget Negotiations, & More
56:24
56:24
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56:24
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss what comes next in New York's redistricting saga, the development of the Senate Democratic majority's one-house state budget resolution, housing policy negotiations, and more. (Ep 436)By Max Politics
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Making Child Care Policy Work, with Grace Rauh
1:09:36
1:09:36
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1:09:36
Grace Rauh, executive director of the 5Boro Institute, joined the show to discuss the think tank's new child care policy report and key steps to ensure affordable child care for all New Yorkers, as well as other issues the Institute has been working on including city government staffing challenges, and more. (Ep 435)…
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Inspector General Lucy Lang On Fighting Corruption And Increasing Integrity In NY State Government
54:03
54:03
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54:03
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang joined the show to discuss her approach to the office and efforts to root out corruption, fraud, and waste in state government. She discussed other priorities and focus areas including prison oversight, covid fraud, gambling integrity, and more. (Ep 434)By Max Politics
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Senator John Liu On Education Issues And The 2024 State Legislative Session
52:39
52:39
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52:39
State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat and chair of the Senate's New York City education committee, joined the show to discuss the major education issues on the table in the 2024 state legislative session, his other top priorities, housing policy, and more. (Ep 433)By Max Politics
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NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan On Social Media Threats, Long Covid, & More
59:15
59:15
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59:15
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan joined the show to discuss how the Adams Administration is taking on the threats of social media on youth, studying long covid, working to increase life expectancy, and more. (Ep 432)By Max Politics
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Analyzing Mayor Adams' 2024 State Of The City, With Christina Greer & Harry Siegel
57:56
57:56
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57:56
Dr. Christina Greer and Harry Siegel, co-hosts of the FAQ NYC podcast, joined the show to discuss Mayor Adams' 2024 State of the City address, Adams' broader agenda, performance, and standing, the developing 2025 race for mayor, and other New York political dynamics. (Episode 431)By Max Politics
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Assemblymember Alex Bores on AI Opportunity, Court Reform, Housing Policy, & More
53:57
53:57
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53:57
Assemblymember Alex Bores, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss his efforts legislating artificial intelligence opportunities and challenges, judicial reform to ensure better functioning courts, housing policy, and more. As a computer scientist and data engineer, he also discussed how government can better use data to inform decision-ma…
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Analyzing Governor Hochul's 2024 Agenda & Albany Dynamics, With Shontell Smith & Liz Benjamin
1:02:37
1:02:37
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1:02:37
Political consultants and longtime Albany experts Shontell Smith and Liz Benjamin joined the show to analyze Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State address, the governor's policy agenda, state government dynamics, and more. Smith, a former top official for the State Senate Democratic Conference, and Benjamin, a longtime journalist, dissect the g…
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Senator Zellnor Myrie On The Start Of The 2024 State Legislative Session
51:45
51:45
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51:45
State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Senate elections committee, joined the show to preview the 2024 legislative session in Albany and discuss his top priorities, whether the Legislature will do anything significant on housing policy, and much more. He also touched on questions about whether he might run for Mayor in 20…
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Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal Previews The 2024 State Legislative Session
42:08
42:08
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42:08
New York State Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to preview the 2024 budget and legislative session in Albany, especially what may happen around housing policy negotiations. She also discussed her other top priorities and major areas of concern that the state will deal with. (Episode 427)…
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New York's Congressional Redistricting Enters Another Chapter, With Jeff Wice
53:31
53:31
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53:31
Professor Jeff Wice, director of the Census and Redistricting Institute at New York Law School, joined the show to discuss the latest in the ongoing saga of congressional redistricting in New York. In mid-December, New York's highest court ordered a new round of map-making from the Independent Redistricting Commission, likely to lead to another new…
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Finance Chair Justin Brannan On City Council Pushback Against The Mayor's Budget Cuts
50:31
50:31
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50:31
New York City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan returned to the show to discuss how the Council is pushing back against Mayor Eric Adams' budget cuts and other fiscal choices. Brannan spoke with Max Politics the day after chairing an oversight hearing on the Mayor's November budget modification to the city budget, which included $1.7 billion in …
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Understanding The NYC Budget & Debates Over Saving, Cutting, & Spending
1:21:29
1:21:29
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1:21:29
Citizens Budget Commission leaders Andrew Rein and Ana Champeny joined the show to help break down what New Yorkers need to know about the New York City budget, the city's fiscal health as of December 2023, and debates over saving, cutting, and spending. They help illuminate challenges facing Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council as they determine …
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Crisis Comms And Governing While Under Investigation, With Matt Wing
1:12:08
1:12:08
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Matt Wing, former communications director under Governor Andrew Cuomo, joined the show to discuss crisis communications, governing while under investigation, and more. In light of the federal investigation involving Mayor Eric Adams' campaign and administration, Wing discussed his experience in the governor's office amid a federal investigation int…
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Looking Ahead To The 2024 Elections In New York, With Basil Smikle
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43:14
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43:14
Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. — a political strategist, Director of the Public Policy Program at Hunter College, and former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party – joined the show to discuss the upcoming 2024 elections, particularly how Democrats should approach key House races in New York and the presidential contest, as well as other p…
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Addressing NYC's Housing Crisis: Zoning is Essential But Not Enough, with Howard Slatkin
1:14:36
1:14:36
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1:14:36
Howard Slatkin, executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council and a longtime official at the NYC Department of City Planning, joined the show to explain zoning's role in how New York City got into its current housing crisis and how zoning reform is essential - but not enough - to get the city out, as well as other key pieces of housin…
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City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams On Major Challenges Facing The City
39:09
39:09
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39:09
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined the show to discuss several major challenges facing the city, her top legislative priorities, her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams, and more (Episode #420)By Max Politics
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Comptroller Brad Lander On City Contracting, The Migrant Crisis, & More
1:03:56
1:03:56
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1:03:56
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined the show for a wide-ranging conversation on the work of his office, city contracting and oversight, the migrant crisis, budget challenges, the affordable housing crisis, and much more. (Ep #419)By Max Politics
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A Debate Between City Council Members Justin Brannan & Ari Kagan In Brooklyn's New 47th District
1:01:52
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The most-watched City Council race in the 2023 general election is between two sitting City Council Members, Democrat Justin Brannan and Republican Ari Kagan, who are facing each other in the new 47th Council District of Southern Brooklyn after fallout from the redistricting process. The district includes Coney Island, Bay Ridge, and Bath Beach. Co…
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There's a push for "rails and trails" in Queens via the QueensLink proposal to reactivate a portion of an old rail line to connect the M and A trains for additional mass transit while also adding new park space. Two leaders of the QueensLink, Andrew Lynch and Mike Scala, joined the show to discuss the proposal and its competitor, QueensWay, which w…
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Borough President Antonio Reynoso Releases His Comprehensive Plan For Brooklyn
39:14
39:14
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39:14
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss the release of his Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, which covers a lot of ground on health, housing, transit, climate, and more. Reynoso explained his enthusiasm for doing comprehensive planning and what he hopes will come from the release of this document. The conve…
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Dan Garodnick On The Adams Administration's Plan For More Housing Everywhere
1:12:41
1:12:41
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1:12:41
Dan Garodnick, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning, joined the show to discuss the Adams Administration's plan to rezone the city and pursue more housing everywhere. It's the "City of Yes" zoning proposal for "housing opportunity" and will ultimately need City Council approval at the end of the lengthy public review process se…
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New York City's Streets Plan Is Stuck In Traffic
1:26:00
1:26:00
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1:26:00
Checking in on the halting progress on NYC's ambitious Streets Plan law, which mandates a major buildout of bus lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian space. Guests: New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, chair of the transportation and infrastructure committee, and leading advocates Danny Harris of Transportation Alternatives and Danny Pea…
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City Council Education Chair Rita Joseph On The New School Year
55:32
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55:32
City Council Member Rita Joseph, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's Education Committee, joined the show to discuss what she's most focused on ahead of the start of the 2023-2024 school year, a variety of pressing education-related issues, and more.By Max Politics
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More With City Council GOP Leader Joe Borelli: Fall Elections & Pressing NYC Issues
1:09:36
1:09:36
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1:09:36
Part 2 with City Council Republican Leader Joe Borelli of Staten Island, discussing the most competitive fall general elections for City Council and several pressing New York City issues. (Ep 412)By Max Politics
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City Council GOP Leader Joe Borelli On Government Failure, Mayor Adams' Performance, & More
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47:50
In part one of a two-part interview, City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, a Staten Island Republican, joined the show to discuss major issues facing the city, how Mayor Adams is doing, and more. (And stay tuned for part two on races to watch in the fall City Council general election and more.) (Ep 411)…
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NYCHA Leadership On The Future Of Public Housing In New York City
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57:09
The new leaders of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) - CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Board Chair Jamie Rubin - joined the show to discuss the present and future of public housing in New York City. Home to more than 500,000 New Yorkers, many NYCHA properties are in deep disrepair, but there are a number of efforts in motion to address at least s…
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City Council Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca On Housing, Zoning, & More
1:05:28
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City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr., a Bronx Democrat who chairs the Council's powerful land use committee, joined the show to discuss how he approaches committee leadership, the push for more housing in New York City, zoning changes afoot, public safety and the new NYPD commissioner, the new city budget, and more. (Ep 409)…
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City Council Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Shahana Hanif & Lincoln Restler
1:04:17
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City Council Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Shahana Hanif & Lincoln Restler, both Brooklyn Democrats, joined the show to discuss the Caucus' top priorities, their votes against the new city budget, their criticisms of Mayor Adams, and more. (Ep 408)By Max Politics
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