Up Close with Bill Ritter

With measles cases on the rise - and new infections reported in New York City and on Long Island - our communities are once again confronting a preventable public health risk. ABC 7 New York brought trusted medical experts together for an Eyewitness News Town Hall to answer your questions about measles: how it spreads, who's at risk, and how to stay protected. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney joins us on Up Close this week following the guilty plea of Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, who admitted to murdering eight women. The case, which haunted Long Island and captured national attention, took years to solve despite spanning nearly two decades. The killing spree stretched over 17 years, with investigators and families alike left sea...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the latest on the race for New York governor. New polls show the race for governor of New York narrowing a bit. Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul still has a big lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman is the current Nassau County Executive and a staunch backer of President Donald Trump. We speak with him about the race and what h...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the deadly crash between a plane and fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. An Air Canada plane last Sunday slammed into a Port Authority fire truck at around 100 mph. The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crushed cockpit. Meanwhile, 41 others were also injured. So, how did this happen and how do we keep it from happening again? We talk to ABC News Aviation Ex...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the latest on the war with Iran and its impact on the U.S. The Pentagon is now asking for $200 billion to fund the war in Iran, that's in addition to all the money that was spent already. As the deadly bombing and missile attacks continue, the price of oil keeps soaring. There's also worry that it could fuel inflation on other items, from flights, to groceri...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the ongoing local and national security concerns amid the war with Iran. Last weekend, the NYPD says two men tried to set off homemade bombs during a protest near Gracie Mansion, the place that houses the city's mayor. New York City and the country have been on heightened terror alert since the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran. On Thursday, a vehicle ra...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the escalating tensions in the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran. The U.S. and Israel continue with a war they launched against Iran. It's a war that President Donald Trump says could go on for weeks. The reasons for going to war in the first place, and the goals the president is trying to achieve, both are still not entirely clear. The...

On this edition of Up Close, one local politician gives his reaction to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Amid mixed approval ratings and a fight to keep Republicans in control of Congress, President Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech in U.S. history on Tuesday night. During the nearly two-hour talk, Trump claimed the U.S. now has a roaring economy. The president a...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the latest defeat for President Donald Trump's economic agenda by the U.S. Supreme Court following its ruling over his administration's imposed tariffs. The high court struck down most of the tariffs that Trump has been imposing on countries around the world. The president using it as a big foreign policy tool and as a lever against big business and countrie...

Analilia Mejia sent political shockwaves everywhere after winning the Democratic nomination for New Jersey's 11th Congressional district. It was the seat held by Mikie Sherrill before she became governor of the Garden State. Mejia co-founded the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and worked on Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign back in 2020. Her win marks another big victory for progressives...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss the latest on President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown on undocumented immigrants across the U.S. "We Need to Wake Up After Minneapolis." These words aren't from a Democrat, nor are they from someone who never voted for Trump either. Those words are from Republican New York Congressman Mike Lawler. It came after weeks of protests over the deadly ICE sh...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss a legal ruling with big political implications for New York and perhaps the country. A judge ruled that New York's 11th congressional seat, held by Republican Nicole Malliotakis, must now be redrawn. The ruling would make it harder for New York City's only Republican to win reelection. Congresswoman Malliotakis, who says the fight against this is not over, j...

It's been just over two weeks since Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office and became New York City's 112th mayor. He's grabbed national attention for his policy proposals and his outspoken stance on contentious issues like immigration. In a sit-down interview with Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter, the mayor drew a line in the sand, maintaining that New York will remain a sanctuary city. Mamdani...

The new year started with no shortage of political controversies. President Trump ordered a U.S. military operation in Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The Trump administration calling it a law enforcement action and insisting it's not an invasion. Meanwhile, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department froze $10 billion in child care funds to New York and four other Democrat-led...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss reaction to the inauguration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the road that lies ahead for him. It is the start of a new era in New York City politics. Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic socialist, became the 112th mayor of New York on Thursday. Mamdani's promises include making the city more affordable, free buses and universal child care, ju...

On this edition of Up Close, we speak with outgoing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker in our latest series of exit interviews. As we get ready to bid adieu to 2025, Up Close has interviews with two prominent newsmakers who are leaving their jobs. Up first is our interview New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The Garden State governor opens up about his successes and challenge...

On this edition of Up Close, we take a closer look at Alzheimer's disease after one local politician from New Jersey recently opened up about his father's diagnosis. U.S. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey is talking deeply from his heart about his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis and the journey his family is now on. Kim's father immigrated from South Korea as a young man, came here and earned a doctor...

"It's Jersey baby!" Governor Phil Murphy talked with Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter about his tenure running the state of New Jersey, the incoming governor and his next chapter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An optimistic and defiant Mayor Eric Adams sat down with Bill Ritter at Gracie Mansion on Friday, reflecting on his tenure, legacy and future endeavors as he prepares to leave office come January 1, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special podcast produced by the WABC-TV Community Affairs Department, we present "Dementia: The Caregivers' Journey." Host Nina Pineda examines the challenges that caregivers face as they help a loved one with dementia. She discusses her experience taking the "Virtual Dementia Tour, " an experience created by the Act Now Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit that helps caregivers of those with t...

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will come to office with high hopes and an ambitious agenda that includes free buses and universal childcare. Can he accomplish those campaign promises, and how will he do it? And how will he deal with the New Yorkers who didn't vote for him? On this edition of Up Close, we talk to former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is the executive committee chair...

On this edition of Up Close, we discuss what lies ahead for Americans following the end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The longest shutdown in the history of the federal government ended Wednesday night after 43 days. In order to shut down the shutdown, eight Democrats in the Senate agreed to join Republicans and allow a measure for funding to go through. What Democrats did no...

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani joined Bill Ritter for an exclusive interview on Up Close on Sunday following his historic win in the November general election. The 34-year-old state assemblyman will become the youngest New York mayor in more than a century. He will also be the first Muslim mayor of New York City. It will be a lot of firsts for the mayor-elect, who enters Gracie Mansion w...

On this edition of Up Close, we sit down and talk with Mikie Sherrill, the Governor-elect of New Jersey, following her historic win in the November general election. Sherrill became only the second woman ever and first female Democrat to be elected governor of New Jersey. It was a hard-fought battle and one of the most expensive in the Garden State's history. In the end, Sherrill won big and is no...

New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill sat down with Bill Ritter for Up Close, discussing her resounding victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli on Election night, and what she would do on day one as governor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices