Episodes

  • L. Joy Williams on what’s next for Black New Yorkers

    L. Joy Williams on what’s next for Black New Yorkers
    Jun 26 2025
    There’s new opposition to movements grounded in the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s politics and that presents a new challenge for advocates like L. Joy Williams, the president of the NAACP New York State Conference. The NAACP was first founded in New York more than a century ago and, while a lot has changed, the fight for equity remains strong. We sat down with Williams to chat about her vision in New York and her plan for achieving it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • New York’s cost of living problem with Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt

    New York’s cost of living problem with Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt
    Jun 12 2025
    The big buzzword at the state Capitol this year was “affordability,” with lawmakers trying to find ways to lower New York’s cost of living. Whether you think they made headway there depends on which side of the aisle you’re on. We never get to just sit and talk about affordability. So, this week, we sat down with Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt for an open-ended conversation about what he sees as the easiest solutions to New York’s cost of living problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • AI in New York: The good, the bad and the future

    AI in New York: The good, the bad and the future
    May 29 2025
    Artificial intelligence is evolving at a pace that’s been hard for regulators to match. Some systems can now generate videos, images and sound that mirrors what you would expect in the real world. That kind of power comes with a lot of risk. So what can New York do to prevent artificial intelligence from being used in nefarious or problematic ways? We talk about that this week with Assemblyman Alex Bores, a Democrats who’s been focused on A.I. since he joined the Legislature in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • What’s wrong with New York’s state budget process

    What’s wrong with New York’s state budget process
    May 15 2025
    New York just approved the latest state budget in 15 years, prompting criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over how the spending plan comes together each year. Sen. James Skoufis is one of those lawmakers and joins us with his thoughts. Physician-assisted death, also called medical aid in dying by supporters and physician-assisted suicide by opponents, is a top end-of-session bill that’s prompted a lot of questions. We answer them with Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, its sponsor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • High-speed rail in New York and post-budget priorities

    High-speed rail in New York and post-budget priorities
    May 1 2025
    New York has considered building high-speed rail for decades. Gov. George Pataki made a push for it when he was in office but it lost steam. Senate Transportation Chair Jeremy Cooney talks about how New York could get on track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • A CapCon Pod Relaunch with State Budget Director Blake Washington

    A CapCon Pod Relaunch with State Budget Director Blake Washington
    Apr 15 2025
    It’s been a while but we’re back. You’ll now start seeing new content from the CapCon podcast in your feeds, starting with this episode. State Budget Director Blake Washington joins us to talk through ongoing negotiations on the state budget, what’s happening behind the scenes and what potential cuts from the federal government will mean down the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • A Fireside Chat with Gov. Kathy Hochul

    A Fireside Chat with Gov. Kathy Hochul
    Jul 19 2024
    New York’s top executive sat down with Times Union Capitol Correspondent Dan Clark this week for an exclusive interview at Hearst Tower. They talked about the 2024 elections, her support for President Biden, climate change, congestion pricing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Broken Bolts

    Broken Bolts
    Mar 8 2021
    The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is a 3-mile span over the Hudson river that connects Rockland and Westchester counties, just 25 miles north of New York City. It's a major commuter route, and bears hundreds of thousands of vehicle crossings each day. It replaced the long-ailing Tappan Zee Bridge in 2017, amid much fanfare from state and local officials. Now a comprehensive report from Brendan Lyons, the Times Union's managing editor for investigations, details a whistleblower’s account of the alleged coverup of potential structural flaws in the construction of the bridge — a dispute at the heart of a court case that remains under seal.  On this episode of the Capitol Confidential podcast, Times Union Editor Casey Seiler speaks to Lyons about the story, and its implications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins