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A Murrow Award winning podcast that brings you inside the issues impacting our communities. Every week, Tom Eschen sits down with local leaders and power brokers for a frank, sometimes blunt, conversation about the current political environment and how their decisions and stances shape and alter all of our lives. Whether it’s your tax bill, public safety, schools, immigration, or healthcare – politics affects every day and every aspect of your life. From the corridors of power to the heart of the debate, this podcast aims to ask the tough questions you want answered – to hold leaders accountable, to cut through the rhetoric and the canned responses. It’s a conversation that really matters.
153 Episodes
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Governor Kathy Hochul has until Friday, December 19, to sign or veto a package of 10 bills aimed at creating more oversight and transparency within New York State's corrections system.
The omnibus package was created in the wake of the deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi while in custody, and on Wednesday, Senate sponsor Julia Salazar (D–18th Senate District) expressed optimism the Governor would sign the legislation into law, with some changes.
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NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez discusses the LOADing Act extension she hopes the Governor signs by Friday, her legislation regarding data center accountability, cybersecurity in elections, and Zohran Mamdani
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With the New York State FY2027 Executive Budget due in a little more than a month, New York State Budget Director Blake Washington joined Power & Politics this week.
Right now, the Division of Budget is hearing budget recommendations for the next year, while also assessing the State's current fiscal status in FY2026. He says economics have changed since they adopted the FY2026 budget in late Spring.
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Albany Mayor Elect/Chief City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs and Tom Dworetsky of Camoin Associates break down the release of the City of Albany Housing Audit.
The audit detailed the issues being faced by residents, organizations, developers and elected officials, and provides a tool for Applyrs, as Mayor-Elect, to utilize when she takes office in January.
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Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician, discusses the CDC's revised vaccine safety statement
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Tom Eschen speaks with Jason Palmer, a venture capitalist and impact investor in this space, who says he has invested in eight companies where AI is a key part of their work.
"The biggest reason is because AI is going to transform our economy," he says. "It's going to be more important than electricity, more important than oil and gas. It's actually going to really transform our society. And this is the very beginning of it, and it's the right time to get involved, when there's a new technology and there's so much potential."
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Dylan Hewitt, a South Glens Falls native who is running for New York's 21st Congressional District seat joined Power & Politics on Thursday.
The conversation ranged from his stance on the Government shutdown, the Epstein files, tariffs and trade, immigration, agriculture, Elise Stefanik, and winning as a Democrat in a district dominated by the Republican party for the last decade.
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In a comprehensive exclusive interview, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman sat down with CBS6, discussing his potential run for New York Governor, which would include a primary of Elise Stefanik in order to potentially take on incumbent Kathy Hochul
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Ken Girardin of the Manhattan Institute talks about Zohran Mamdani's proposals, and if they can be implemented in the midst of the State's current financial situation. He also provides his perspective on the calls to "Tax the Rich".
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Colin Seeberger, Senior Adviser at the Center for American Progress, joined Power & Politics on Thursday to discuss the 2025 General Election.
The Center for American Progress is a progressive think tank based in Washington, D.C.
Seeberger also discussed:-Wins for Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey-Impact of Government Shutdown/Donald Trump-Democrats not emulating Mamdani-Face of the Democratic Party-Redistricting Impact on 2026 Midterms-Impact on 2026 Midterms in general
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Brett Eby, Republican Candidate for Saratoga County District Attorney, sat down with CBS6's Tom Eschen for a comprehensive conversation as Election Day approaches.
Interview conducted 10/24/2025
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Bobby Logan, Democratic Candidate for Saratoga County District Attorney, sat down with CBS6's Tom Eschen for a comprehensive conversation as Election Day gets closer.
Interview conducted 10/24/2025
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Since the government shutdown began, the U.S. Travel Association website has featured an increasing "Travel Spending Lost Since the Government Shutdown" counter. As of Thursday's conversation, the number had breached $3 billion.
Hansen says hotels, small businesses, and a variety of other industries have been impacted.
"A billion dollars a week every hour the shutdown goes on," Hansen told CBS6. "It comes from a number of different things, delays, cancelations that we've seen historically during the shutdown, modeling what it's costing us. It's due to government and federal workers not traveling, contractors not traveling, and historically, the largest purchaser of travel services anywhere in the country is the federal government, national parks, which have a huge economic cost as well. And these are just piling up all across the country."
The conversation also touched on:-Air traffic controllers-current technology in the airline industry-international travel-Visa Process improvements-major events in next year (2026 World Cup, 250th Anniversary, 2028 Olympics)
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With Election Day less than two weeks away, Rensselaer County Executive Democratic candidate Tiffani Silverman joined CBS6 for a Town Hall on Wednesday evening.
Rensselaer County Executive Republican Steve McLaughlin, who is running for reelection, was invited, but did not participate. CBS6 has opened the invitation for him to field questions from voters up until Election Day.
Silverman addressed questions regarding:-Her priorities if elected-County budgeting and taxes-Her financial history-Dunn Landfill-Route 7 traffic solutions-Child Care-And more
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Trent Griffin-Braaf, a Capital Region business leader and entrepreneur, joined Power & Politics on Thursday.
Griffin-Braaf shared his journey of incarceration to his escalation in the business world, founding several successful initiatives along the way. He discussed ventures like the Tech Valley Shuttle and Success Map Initiative, which includes his work with justice-impacted individuals.
He also touched on the business climate in Albany, New York State, and impact of policies like the Clean Slate Act.
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Saratoga Springs Incumbent Mayor John Safford (R) and challenger Saratoga County Supervisor Michele Madigan (D) debate inside the CBS6 Studios on Thursday, October 9th, 2025
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A day after proposing the final budget of her 12-year tenure as the Mayor of the City of Albany, Kathy Sheehan joined Power & Politics this week.
At the same time, the Mayor is also advocating for the Common Council to go back to the pre-2023 inclusionary zoning ordinance, writing a letter to the Council to reconsider their veto override in 2023. Then, the Council approved a measure expanding inclusionary zoning requirements.
The discussion also included:-Mayor Sheehan's reaction to the confession, and arrest, of Lorenz Kraus-$500,000 proposed for a Youth Support Hub Pilot Program-Crisis Caseworker Police Officer positions, and new "Director of Wellness" Police Department position-Proposed increases to city official salaries, and positions ahead of new administration in January
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The Federal Government is on the verge of a shutdown, as Congressional leaders will need to agree on a stopgap funding plan by midnight on Tuesday.
CBS6 spoke with NY-17 Congressman Mike Lawler (R) on Monday: "What's a non negotiable for you at this point that you think you need to hold the line?"
"We have passed Continuing Resolutions to keep the government funded year after year after year when Republicans and Democrats have been in charge. This is a straightforward, clean CR to keep the government funded through November 21 so that Congress can finish its appropriations negotiations between the House and the Senate and the White House to pass a final Fiscal Year 26 appropriations package. What has changed here is that Democrats in Washington, and in particular Senate [Minority] Leader Chuck Schumer, have changed their position. They no longer believe in clean CRs. They want to demand a pound of flesh in exchange for their votes, and that's just not the way that government should function. We have a responsibility, as my Democratic colleagues have said, time and again, to keep the government funded to ensure there are no disruptions to things like Social Security or veterans benefits or border security or our military, and to make sure that we are doing the work of the American people. We do not want to have a government shutdown which will create chaos in the marketplace and in our economy, which is totally unwarranted and unnecessary. There is a clean CR on the table that already passed the house. All the Senate has to do is follow their own rules. You need 60 votes to break the filibuster and pass a clean CR, which the Democrats did every time during Joe Biden's presidency. The only difference now is that Donald Trump is president, and Chuck Schumer seemingly is worried about a primary from his left."
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As the 2026 legislative session approaches, Tom Tatun, Executive Director of the Retired Public Employees Association discusses their legislative priorities. Those include enhanced pension and healthcare benefits, along with COLA increases.
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Natasha Pernicka discusses the rising service levels at food pantries in the Capital Region, up five percent this year from already record levels last year. She discusses the impact of rising food costs, inflation, and the impending SNAP benefit changes.
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