New York NOW

Lawmakers Return to Albany, Assembly GOP Leader Will Barclay, NY's Justice System

On this week's edition of New York NOW: The state Legislature returns to Albany for the start of this year's legislative session. We'll have details and analysis.
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay joins us with reaction to this week's events in Washington, D.C., his thoughts on the state's budget deficit, and more.
Kate Lisa from Johnson Newspaper Corp. and Anna Gronewold from POLITICO New York have the latest on the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and a preview of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address Monday.
Tom Stebbins from the Lawsuit Reform Alliance tells us why New York City is being labeled a "Judicial Hellhole" and provides analysis on the state's justice system.
 
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What's Ahead for NY in 2021? COVID-19, NY's Deficit, & More

On this week's edition of New York NOW: What's ahead for New York in 2021? The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, and the state's budget deficit is expected to be the controlling factor of all decisions for the foreseeable future.
We're joined this week by two panels of the state's top political insiders:
- Steve Greenberg is the former press secretary for two assembly speakers and former State Comptroller Carl McCall. He now runs Greenberg Public Relations.
- Bob Bellafiore was the first press secretary to Gov. George Pataki. He's a founder of Stanhope Partners.
- Liz Benjamin was the long-time host of Capital Tonight. She's now a managing director at Marathon Strategies.
- Morgan Hook is a managing director at SKDK. He previously did communications for SUNY and former Gov. David Paterson.
We'll also share some stories from people around the Capital Region as part of American Portrait on PBS. #NewYorkNOW #AmericanPortrait

Potential Special Session, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, NY's Opioid Crisis

On this week's edition of New York NOW: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins joins us to discuss the state's budget deficit and priorities facing Democrats in the Senate heading into next year's legislative session.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says state lawmakers in New York are considering a return to Albany in the next two weeks to enact new taxes on the rich.
Amanda Fries from the Albany Times Union and Bernadette Hogan from the New York Post joins us to discuss that and new allegations of sexual harassment made against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Plus, the state's opioid epidemic has gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll tell you how lawmakers and advocates want the state to respond.
 
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Marijuana Legalization Debate & NY's Climate Change Shift

On this week's edition of New York NOW: marijuana could be legalized next year in New York and the chances of that happening are higher than ever. We take a deep dive into the debate on the issue and speak with they key players.
Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt joins us to discuss his party's strategy for making their voice heard in the minority next year, and shares his thoughts on what happened in this year's elections.
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli rolled out a new plan to transition the state's massive public pension fund to a net zero carbon strategy by 2040 - the most ambitious plan in the country. POLITICO's Marie French has details.
And the COVID-19 vaccine is coming to New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state is ready.
 
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COVID-19 Surge Continues, Vaccines Coming to NY

On this week's edition of New York NOW: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York will receive its first round of COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks while the state continues to experience a rise in the virus.
Casey Seiler from the Albany Times Union hosts this week's edition. He's joined by Karen DeWitt from New York State Public Radio and Jon Campbell from the USA Today Network.
We'll discuss the latest COVID-19 trends in the state, New York's plans for distributing a vaccine, and the rest of the week's news.
 
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Post-Thanksgiving Spike, Sen. Deputy Leader Gianaris, Stock Transfer Tax

On this week's edition of New York NOW: Gov. Andrew Cuomo is predicting a surge of COVID-19 after the Thanksgiving holiday. We'll discuss the latest numbers and what they mean with Anna Gronewold from POLITICO New York.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, D-Queens, joins us to talk about what's ahead for next year's legislative session after Democrats retained control over the entire state Legislature in this year's elections.
New York has a $14 billion budget hole to fill, and some want to do it by taxing stock transactions. Fred Kowal from United University Professions joins us to discuss the Stock Transfer Tax.
And is there an appetite for lawmakers who seek to find common ground with others? Erik Olsen from the Common Ground Committee has the answer.
 
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New COVID Wave, Post-Election Analysis, Student Experiences

On this week's edition of New York NOW: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19, and new restrictions are now in effect.
We'll discuss this latest stage of the pandemic and the results of this year's elections in New York with Jimmy Vielkind from the Wall Street Journal and Marina Villeneuve from the Associated Press.
This year's elections have some calling for changes to local boards of elections. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone gives us his pitch, and chats about party control over the state's judiciary.
Plus, it's been more than two months since schools reopened in New York, both in-person and virtually. We'll check in on how it's going, and what the long-term impact could look like.
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Unpacking New York's Election Results (So Far)

On this week's edition of New York NOW: We'll unpack this week's election results in New York, where several close races remain undecided. The future of the state's Congressional delegation and the State Senate hang in the balance.
Karen DeWitt from New York State Public Radio and Bill Mahoney from POLITICO New York join us with the latest updates and analysis on what happened at the polls Tuesday, and what that means for next year in New York.
Political analysts Steve Greenberg and Bob Bellafiore are with us to break down how each major party performed at the polls, what worked, and what didn't.
Plus,we were out at the polls Tuesday to ask voters what was on their mind when they cast their ballot. We'll show you what they said.
 
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New York Election Day Preview, Future of Minor Parties

On this week's edition of New York NOW: We'll get a preview of what to watch on Election Day from Karen DeWitt from New York State Public Radio and Joe Spector from the USA Today Network.
Then, the future of minor parties in New York hangs in the balance in this year's elections. Parties will now have to get more than double the votes they had to before to automatically qualify for the ballot in the next election cycle.
Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar says he's not worried about his party meeting the new threshold, partly because of new energy for the party from President Donald Trump.
But The Working Families Party could have a tougher time meeting the new requirement. Sochie Nnaemeka from the state Working Families Party joins us to discuss the party's future and what they're doing to turn out the vote.
 
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Special Episode: The Time for Reckoning Preview

On this week's edition of New York NOW: The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis this year renewed discussions on how police and communities of color interact, including here in New York.
This week, we'll bring you a preview of a special conversation between people in power and people in the community on where things stand and how things could change.
It's called The Time for Reckoning. It's a special project produced by WMHT in partnership with the Albany Times Union, the Center for Law and Justice, the New York State Writers Institute, and All of Us.
Join us this week for part of the program, and then catch the whole symposium next week on WMHT or stream it online.