The Capitol Pressroom

Nov. 13, 2026- State Senator-elect Chris Murray, a Long Island Democrat, talks about his plans for office, including addressing backlogs in the courts, strengthening the state's environmental protections and supporting services for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Nov. 13, 2026- Guest host Michael Gormley discuses the dire state of the news industry with Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association. They talk about the intersection of AI and news production and consumption, a state tax credit to grow newsrooms, and access to encrypted police chatter.

Nov. 13, 2026- Guest host Michael Gormley highlights opposition to a bill awaiting the governor's signature that would change how vaping products are taxed. He spoke with Kevin O’Flaherty, associate vice president of state and local advocacy for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Nov. 12, 2026 - We discuss an effort to promote school safety with a preemptive approach to detecting threats that is being utilized in Cayuga County. We spoke with Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck and John McNelis, senior director of risk management at CLPS.

Nov. 12, 2026 - Assemblymember-elect Joey Saban, a Southern Brooklyn Democrat, talks about his ability to deliver for his constituents as a majority member and reflects on the growing contingent of Orthodox state lawmakers.

Nov. 12, 2026 - Assemblymember-elect Chloe Pierce, a Capital Region Democrat, discusses her plans to challenge the status quo at the Capitol and makes the case that her lobbying background will make her an effective legislator.

Nov. 11, 2026 - New York Focus education reporter Melissa Manno discusses the lack of standardized rules and regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence for students and teachers in public schools.

Nov. 11, 2026 - Legislation overwhelmingly approved by state lawmakers would impose new testing and disclosure requirements for the makers of baby food sold in New York. Our guest is Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports.

Nov. 11, 2026 - New York Focus senior reporter Sam Mellins explains how Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has been able to enjoy luxury seats and insider access to sporting events as the result of political donations and campaign spending.

Nov. 10, 2026- New York State Budget Director Blake Washington talks about New York's budget surplus, considers the funding needs of municipalities, and responds to the progressive push for higher taxes on wealthy individuals.

Nov. 10, 2026- Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, an Albany Democrat, recaps her trip to Puerto Rico for the SOMOS Conference and explains why it's an important networking event.

Nov. 9, 2026- State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, is looking to build on state guardrails for leading AI developers with a new law imposing additional monitoring and disclosure requirements.

Nov. 9, 2026- In a Dispatches from Planet Albany excerpt, we discuss the numbers behind Gov. Kathy Hochul's big re-election win with Michael Lange, a political analyst and author of The Narrative Wars Substack.

Nov. 9, 2026 - Katy Zielinski, senior vice president of public affairs at Moxie Strategies, reflects on her time working on Governor Kathy Hochul's communications team and explains the differences between some of the jobs in the press shop.

Nov. 6, 2026 - Guest host Michael Gormley explores a campaign to curb the use of surveillance cameras on New York streets to track the movements of drivers. He spoke with Corinne Worthington, advocacy and community engagement manager for the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.

Nov. 5, 2026- In a Dispatches from Planet Albany excerpt, we talk with Assemblyman-elect Marc Molinaro, a Hudson Valley Republican, who discusses how the GOP should rebound after their broad rebuke by voters.

Nov. 5, 2026- We recap the election results in New York and consider why things shook out the way they did and what it all means with the help of Politico New York Capitol reporter Bill Mahoney.

Nov. 5, 2026- We get to know Assemblyman-elect Maurice Brown, a Syracuse Democrat, who knocked off a long-time incumbent in the June primary. We discuss his plans for Albany and being a voice for upstate.

Nov. 4, 2026- We talk with Oded Oren, founder and executive director of Scrutinize, about a new tool analyzing the voting from the judges on the state's top court and shine a light on the decisions from one member who may get replaced next year.

Nov. 4, 2026- Times Union Investigative Reporter Ezra Bitterman talks about battery storage in New York, including how these projects ensure energy reliability, the local opposition to new developments and how state policymakers are responding.

National Association Against iGaming Government Relations Director  Oliver Barie makes the case for the continued prohibition of online casino gambling in New York. (Originally aired August 11)

We explore legislation giving school districts and government institutions more flexibility when procuring food, so they don't just have to focus on cost when choosing suppliers. Our guests are Monti Lawson, founder and lead land steward with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, and Jessica Gilbert-Overland, director and co-founder of the Good Food Buffalo Coalition. (Originally aired September 16)

Assemblymember Steve Otis, a Westchester County Democrat, makes the case for legislation intended to speed up the timeliness of power restoration by utilities after major storms. (Originally aired August 21)

Oct. 29, 2026- Greg Anderson, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, sheds light on his time working for Governor Kathy Hochul as Deputy Director of State Operations and how it prepared him for his current role leading "New York's Strongest."

Oct. 29, 2026- Public polls show Gov. Kathy Hochul with a commanding lead in her bid for another term in office, but should the results be trusted or could an upset be brewing? We talk with Siena Research Institute pollster Steve Greenberg about Siena’s latest survey of likely voters, how they model election turnout, and why trailing candidates typically attack pollsters.