CUNY TV's Bob Herbert's Op-Ed.TV

If ever a problem seemed intractable, it’s homelessness. After many decades of trying to find solutions, there are still tens of thousands of homeless men, women and children here in New York City. But there are also many dedicated people who work day and night to bring shelter and badly-needed services to many thousands of homeless people who otherwise would have nowhere to turn. One of those ded...

Critical race theory, a respected intellectual framework that has been around since the 1970s and is taught mostly in law schools, is freaking out a lot of people. Bob tries to bring some clarity and honesty to this situation by speaking with Vincent Southerland, an assistant professor of clinical law at the NYU School of Law, and the co-editor of the book "Race, Rights and Redemption: The Derrick...

Ads for websites like Draft Kings and FanDuel are seemingly everywhere. What does this inundation of gambling opportunities mean for the problem gambler? Are there ways to protect those who are vulnerable to this dangerous, sometimes heart-breaking addiction? Bob explores this subject with Ashley Owen, a team leader with the New York City Problem Gambling Resource Center.

Haiti can seem like a country that is cursed. It’s the poorest nation in our hemisphere and has long been beset by political instability, natural disasters, and stunning outbreaks of violence. Haitians fleeing their home country for one reason or another have contributed to a surge of migration into the United States, and that has created a political crisis for the Biden administration. Bob talks...

The latest news on the climate front has been ominous indeed. In addition to wildfires, historic flooding and life-threatening heat waves here and in other parts of the world, recent scientific reports are pointing to worse catastrophes to come. Lives are being lost and colossal levels of destruction are already under way. What can we do to mitigate future outcomes? Bob asks this of his guest, Dr....

New York City experienced a crimewave in the 1970s, and again during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and early 90s. Now violent crime – specifically, homicide – is surging again. Why? And what do we need to do to avoid a repeat of the terrible, tragic days of the past? Bob asks this of his guest, Zachary W. Carter, a former U.S. attorney and former judge, who has also served as New York City’s Cor...

Over one hundred eminent scholars recently signed a statement of concern that asserts, clearly and unequivocally, that “our entire democracy is now at risk.” One of these scholars joins Bob to explain this threat to the future of our nation. He is Jacob Hacker, a political science professor at Yale University and co-author of the book “LET THEM EAT TWEETS: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme...

Believe it or not, there’s one area of national policy on which Democrats and Republicans seem to agree, and that’s voluntary national service programs. These are programs in which men and women of all ages, but often young people, engage in activities that provide an endless variety of benefits to local communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tragically disproportionate effect on America’s black communities, and yet, some members of the African-American and other communities of color, have been among those initially reluctant to take the vaccines that have been developed to combat the pandemic. Why is that? And what’s being done to reverse that reluctance? Bob talks about this with guest Arva Rice, presi...

The general, almost universal feeling now, is that it was a good thing when Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier in 1947. However, there were unintended consequences, which have been mostly lost in the unforgiving haze of history. Bob talks about those consequences with guest Andrea Williams, author of the new book, “Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the...

Genetic testing kits for the ordinary consumer are becoming more and more popular. People love learning about their family histories and their ethnic and genetic makeup. But there’s a cautionary tale here, as well. A venture through the mysteries of your DNA can turn up lots of surprises, and some may not be welcome. Bob talks about the highs and lows, and the pros and cons of widespread genetic t...

In a potentially historic move, the city of New York has created a Racial Justice Commission. It will examine the systemic race-based injustices and inequities embedded in the operations of city government, and it will recommend remedies. The commission’s chair, Jennifer Jones Austin, joins Bob to discuss this major undertaking.

Bob talks with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel to the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, about the attempts that the Republican Party is making to undermine the voting rights of millions of Americans – and especially black Americans, and what can be done to stop them.

Barry LePatner, a lawyer and nationally-recognized authority on real estate and construction, joins Bob to discuss New York City’s path forward. How will the transportation and commercial real estate sectors fare?

As we emerge, hopefully, from this COVID-19 pandemic, New York is heading straight into a housing crisis. At some point the moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures will be lifted, and an awful lot of New Yorkers will not have the money to pay their back rent, or their mortgage arrears. What will this mean – not just for tenants, homeowners and landlords – but for New Yorkers at large? Bob talks...

Bob talks with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a woman who has worn many hats - consultant, writer, politician – you name it. She was the wife of the extraordinary congressman, Elijah Cummings, who died in October of 2019. The two discuss Rep. Cummings’s book, “We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy,” which was released posthumously. They also talk about the roots of the d...

Bob Herbert talks with former Governor of New York, David A. Paterson, about his moving and very funny memoir, “Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."

Former New York Governor David Paterson joins Bob to discuss the life and legacy of David Dinkins, New York City's first black mayor, and member of the incredibly influential "Gang of 4."

The United States has just been through a traumatic presidential election, but dangerous threats to our system of elections – and thus to democracy itself – preceded the outlandish behavior of Donald Trump, and they are still abound. Bob talks about this with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, at NYU’s School of Law.

After two tumultuous presidential elections, public opinion pollsters have been left battered and bruised. So what did the polls get right? And what did they get wrong? Bob talks about this with an old friend and one of the best pollsters in the country, Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, conventional wisdom says New Yorkers are abandoning the city in droves, setting up households in the suburbs, upstate, in the Hamptons – anywhere but here. Is that true? And if it’s true, is it permanent? And if it’s permanent, what are the implications? Bob asks these questions of his guest, Jason Haber, a writer and lecturer whose primary focus has been real est...

Bob is joined by sports writer Dave Zirin, whose work brings extraordinary insight, and a deep understanding of the ways in which sports are linked to culture, politics and the economy. The two discuss how the politicalization of professional sports has evolved, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on both the youth and professional sports worlds. Dave Zirin is the sports editor of The Nation magazi...

Richard Alba, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at The CUNY Graduate Center, discusses his new book, "The Great Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, and the Expanding American Mainstream,” sharing with Bob Herbert how the supposed near future majority-minority narrative is misleading.

Most, if not all, of our presidents have lied to the public at one time or another. But we’ve never had one who lies like Donald Trump lies. Bob talks about that with guest, Eric Alterman, a distinguished professor of English at Brooklyn College, who is also the Nation magazine’s media columnist, and the author of the new book, “LYING IN STATE: Why Presidents Lie -- And Why Trump Is Worse.”

Bob talks with longtime poverty correspondent, Greg Kaufmann, about the impact of COVID-19 on the poorest communities in this country. Set against the backdrop of an economic crisis and a bitter presidential election, there is a need to focus on those who are being left behind.