Claim OwnershipYou Decide with Errol Louis
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NY1's Errol Louis has been interviewing powerful politicians and cultural icons for years, but it's when the TV cameras are turned off that things really get interesting. From career highlights, to personal moments, to stories that have never been told, join Errol each week for intimate conversations with the people who are shaping the future of New York and beyond. Listen to "You Decide with Errol Louis" every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.
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This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her fifth State of the State address, highlighting her accomplishments and laying out her plans for this election year. Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was on hand for her address as he begins working to fulfill his campaign promises, many of which will require support from Albany. Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal, joined NY1's Errol Louis to analyze Hochul's address and assess Mamdani's first few weeks in office. They also discussed what to expect from both elected officials in 2026, the political position Hochul occupies as she tries to get reelected and where Mamdani's focus should be in the year ahead.
One of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first appointments after being sworn in was Cea Weaver, the director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants. Weaver is a longtime tenant organizer and the executive director of Housing Justice for All, an organization that works to strengthen tenant organizing, advance pro-tenant legislation, and elect tenants and their allies to public office. She also served as a policy adviser to Mamdani's mayoral campaign and is a frequent spokesperson in local, state and national media. But the appointment has drawn criticism after past tweets by Weaver about homeownership and white supremacy resurfaced. Weaver joined Errol Louis to discuss her new role and her plans to advocate for renters amid what the administration has declared a housing emergency. She outlined two early priorities for the office: intervening in court proceedings to protect rent-stabilized tenants affected by the bankrupt landlord Pinnacle Realty Group, and addressing non-rent fees that she says place an additional financial burden on tenants. She also responded to the backlash over her past remarks describing homeownership as "a weapon of white supremacy."
In a day of firsts at City Hall, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor in front of a large crowd of supporters. Now officially holding what's often called "the second toughest job in America," Mamdani faces a daunting set of challenges. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and political anchor Errol Louis look back on a monumental New Year's Day and what this new era could mean for New York City. Editor's note: We misattributed Eric Adams' elevator comments to a lightning-round question from a mayoral debate. It actually came from Nayeema Raza's "Smart Girl Dumb Questions" podcast episode featuring Adams.
Almost 55 years ago, Bella Abzug entered Congress, quickly emerging as a fierce champion of women's and minority rights and forging powerful alliances with fellow New York trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm and Elizabeth Holtzman. In part two of this Spectrum News NY1 series, Errol Louis examines Abzug's relentless work ethic and major legislative achievements, including the Child Care Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, as well as her early and outspoken support for gay rights. The episode also explores her toughest political battles—from her failed U.S. Senate run and mayoral campaign to her central role in the movement to impeach President Richard Nixon. Finally, the series traces Abzug's enduring influence on modern progressive politics and her global advocacy for women's rights.
From Mississippi to Beijing to the halls of Congress, Bella Abzug battled injustice her entire life. Known for her trademark hats and fearless style, Abzug helped reshape New York politics and the national women's movement. In part one of this two-part podcast series from Spectrum News NY1, Errol Louis traces Abzug's early life from her path to Columbia Law School to her work as a civil rights attorney and anti-war activist. The episode explores her role in defending African American civil rights, her leadership in a leading women's peace group and the frustrations that ultimately pushed her to run for Congress in 1970 — when she was 50 years old and ready to upend the political establishment.
The race for governor is already stealing the political spotlight in New York with competitive primaries looming for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Running for reelection, Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. Republicans will also have a primary on their hands with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announcing this week that he's entering the governor's race, setting up a GOP primary challenge against Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents an upstate district in Congress. So, as we look ahead to 2026, what should we expect? NY1 statehouse reporter Bernadette Hogan and Politico Albany Bureau Chief Nick Reisman joined NY1's Errol Louis to break down the current landscape of New York state politics, revisiting Hochul's 2022 victory, her standing heading into the next election and the potential challenges she faces. The conversation also explored the dynamics shaping Hochul's relationship with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, along with the legislative pressures and political crosscurrents that could complicate her path to reelection.
With antisemitism on the rise, NY1's Errol Louis sat down with Yair Rosenberg, a journalist at The Atlantic who is the author of its newsletter "Deep Shtetl," which explores the intersection of politics, culture and religion. Rosenberg has written extensively about antisemitism in America, the historical context behind it and its troubling resurgence today. In the conversation, Rosenberg also examined the role social media platforms play in spreading extremist views, as well as the generational divides in attitudes toward Jewish people. Finally, they discussed the challenges facing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as he navigates issues related to Israel and Judaism.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined NY1's Errol Louis for an exclusive one-on-one interview, discussing last week's surprisingly cordial meeting between President Donald Trump and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, as well as the recent news that a federal judge dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York state Attorney General Letitia James. Jeffries also talked about the future of the Democratic Party, the city's affordability crisis and how he's crafting a plan for Democrats to retake the House next year.
While Zohran Mamdani will be the youngest mayor in more than 125 years, his top strategist is even younger — 26-year-old Morris Katz. Katz joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss Mamdani's historic win, reflecting on the campaign's digital strategy to meet younger voters in one of their favorite hangouts: social media. He also spoke about the tactics used by Andrew Cuomo's campaign and their impact on the Jewish community. And finally, Katz offered a critique of the broader political consulting industry, saying it lacks authenticity and accountability.
New Yorker editor and the host of "The New Yorker Radio Hour" David Remnick joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the big mayoral win of Zohran Mamdani and look at why he strongly resonated with younger voters. Remnick also reflected on the challenges of covering President Donald Trump, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and his own remarkable tenure at The New Yorker and Netflix's upcoming documentary, "The New Yorker at 100."
Zohran Mamdani will become the 111th mayor of New York City after soundly defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. At 34, he's the youngest mayor in more than a century, the first Muslim ever to lead the city and the first candidate to earn more than 1 million votes since John Lindsay in 1969. Mamdani's meteoric rise marks a fascinating new chapter in New York's political history. Spectrum News NY1 political director Bob Hardt joined Errol to break down this historic race — from Mamdani's commanding victory speech to the challenges awaiting him at City Hall. They also discussed why his campaign succeeded where others fell short, and who the real winners and losers of this election were beyond the mayoral candidates.
This year's mayor's race has been full of surprises, but none more significant than the rise of Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo entered the race as the heavy favorite yet lost the Democratic primary badly and now trails in the polls as an independent candidate. Despite his high unfavorable ratings, Cuomo isn't out of the running just yet. How did a 34-year-old Queens assemblyman make such a huge splash in such a short time? And does Cuomo have the ability to close Mamdani's lead and cross the finish line first on Tuesday? Susan Kang, an associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and a member, like Mamdani, of the Democratic Socialists of America, joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the twists and turns of the mayor's race, early voting numbers, and how the DSA helped elevate Mamdani into a national figure. She also spoke about how she first got involved in politics and what she hopes the next administration will bring to New York City.
In October 1984, an NYPD officer fatally shot 66-year-old Eleanor Bumpurs during an eviction at her Bronx apartment. Bumpurs, a disabled mother and grandmother, became the face of a national outcry that helped spark one of the first anti–police brutality movements centered on a Black woman. Historian LaShawn Harris, who was 10 years old and living across the street at the time, revisits the tragedy in her new book, "Tell Her Story." Harris joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss her decade of research and dozens of interviews, the intersection of police violence and mental health crises, and her effort to humanize Bumpurs while illuminating the lasting toll such events take on families and communities.
Like many New York City mayors, it's no secret that Eric Adams has had a challenging relationship with the press. And even though he's no longer in the race for mayor, Adams continues to spar with the City Hall press corps. Two people who know a thing or two about covering Adams, New York Times Metro reporter Dana Rubinstein and NY1 political reporter Kelly Mena, joined NY1's Errol Louis to talk about their years at City Hall, when and why Adams' relationship with the press began to deteriorate, how they approached covering him, why a now-dismissed federal corruption indictment was too much for him to recover from, and what his legacy will be.
Christine Quinn is a familiar name to anyone who follows New York City politics. A former Speaker of the City Council and 2013 mayoral candidate, she now serves as the president and CEO of WIN (Women In Need), the city's largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families. Quinn joined Errol to discuss the impact of the federal government shutdown, Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" and what the city's next mayor must do to address the housing crisis. She highlighted WIN's work in providing both emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing, and underscored the challenges facing families, from eviction and low-wage jobs to domestic violence, that continue to drive homelessness in the city.
This week, NY1 presented a special podcast event "New York Decides: Live from Chelsea," featuring a crossover episode of its political podcasts "Off Topic/On Politics" and "You Decide." Hosted by NY1's Errol Louis, Courtney Gross and Bobby Cuza, the discussion centered on the latest developments in the New York City mayoral campaign, including the stunning announcement by Mayor Eric Adams that he's dropping out of the race. The program also featured interviews with Emmy Award–winning actress and activist Cynthia Nixon and J.C. Polanco, professor of law and former president of the New York City Board of Elections — who had very different takes on Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. Rounding out the evening, Spectrum News political director Bob Hardt joined the panel to provide historical perspective on this year's race.
This week, NY1's Errol Louis joined Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for a walking tour of Astoria, Queens. Their conversation focused on the city's affordability crisis, while also touching on topics ranging from property tax reform and rent stabilization to the challenges facing small businesses. Mamdani outlined his multi-pronged strategy: freezing rents, reducing insurance costs, overhauling the property tax system and expanding city support for local businesses. This marks the second in a series of neighborhood tours with leading mayoral candidates. Errol previously walked with Andrew Cuomo in his native Holliswood neighborhood in Queens, and NY1 is hoping to have similar conversations with Curtis Sliwa and Mayor Eric Adams.
Steve Kornacki, chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports, has been a household name — and an unintentional fashion icon — when it comes to election nights, particularly during the 2020 presidential election, when his round-the-clock analysis at the big board became must-see TV. He is a regular on "Meet the Press" and "NBC Nightly News," while also bringing his signature data-driven approach to NBC Sports' coverage of the National Football League, March Madness, the Kentucky Derby and the Olympics. He joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss his career and the intricacies of working with polling data, including concerns over accuracy. He also weighed in on the mayoral race in New York City, the differences in polling data between national and local elections and how the word socialism means something different today than it did decades ago.
Kathy Wylde, the outgoing president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, has been a central figure in the city's business community and the city's political scene for decades. Wylde has served as an advocate for the city's business sector, and she joined Errol Louis to discuss her nonprofit's mission, New York's fiscal outlook and the policies shaping the heated mayoral race. That includes property taxes, immigration and the need for affordable child care. Wylde also made the case for why the business community is imperative in addressing the issues that New Yorkers care about.
This week, independent candidate Jim Walden announced he was dropping out of the race for mayor. He said his decision was necessary because he does not want Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani to win the general election. Walden had entered the race as an attorney with experience as a federal prosecutor and a white-collar defense lawyer. He focused on policies such as increasing the police force and constructing affordable housing. He joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the decision to end his candidacy and why he feels Mamdani is a significant threat to New York City. Walden expressed strong concerns about Mamdani's anti-police stance, socialist/communist leanings, and what he perceives as antisemitic policies. The discussion also touched on rumors of political maneuvering, including the possibility of the White House offering positions to other candidates to influence the race.
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