Up Close with Bill Ritter

Another week of anti-war and pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, from New York to California, and a lot of colleges and universities across the country. Now the House of Representatives has passed a bill broadening the definition of antisemitism, but there are some, who very much fight hate at every turn, who ask if this bill goes too far?    We talk to two of the sponsors of the measure...

A divided New York – that's what the growing number of protests have created. In this edition of Up Close, we go one-on-one with Mayor Eric Adams, who talks about the demonstrations that started at Columbia University and spread across the city. The NYPD was called into action by the colleges themselves. The division in the city has grown larger for so many reasons, from antisemitism, the linkage...

"We have a jury" - those words from the judge in former President Trump's historic criminal trial in Manhattan.  What do we know about the jurors and what we can expect as testimony gets underway? We talked to a former prosecutor about the case and also to our political team about the trial's impact on the presidential race. But first a major development in an Eyewitness News investigation. Crimin...

The recent murder of now NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller is stirring controversy over bail reform. Diller was killed during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens.  Between the accused gunman and the driver of the car who was charged with gun violations, they had nearly three dozen arrests before being charged in this case. Another recent case involved eight migrants found squatting in the Bronx and fac...

After about 17 years of controversy, the MTA approved its congestion-pricing plan, a toll to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan, the first of its kind for any city in the country.  Many drivers are not happy in the slightest to pay to drive on public streets.  It's set to start in June, unless the state of New Jersey and several groups can get a court to derail a plan that would bring the MTA ab...

Squatting – it's a growing problem in New York City, and it's not simple. On this episode of Up Close, we dive into the issue and the long process that can take close to two years to result in an eviction of the alleged squatters. Investigative reporter Dan Krauth joins the show with details on his coverage of a property owner who confronted a group of people she said moved into her million-dollar...

Four years ago this weekend, New York City shut down, all to try to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. Restaurants and bars were closed, along with schools and so many businesses. The nation's biggest city soon looked like a ghost town.    So what lessons did we learn from the pandemic, and exactly how is the economic recovery going? We talk to New York Mayor Eric Adams and ABC's Dr. Je...

President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union message and tried to make his case for a second term. Biden and former president Donald Trump have entered the longest general-election campaign since the presidential race of 2000, George W. Bush versus Al Gore. Polls show many voters did not want a Biden-Trump rematch, but that's the race the country has. We talk to Republican Congressman Mike...

In this episode of Up Close, we talk to newly sworn-in Congressman Tom Suozzi about the issues he will face in his second go-around in the House of Representatives, plus we take a look at New York City's finances as it deals with the migrant crisis. The democrats won back a crucial congressional seat previously held by embattled former Congressman George Santos, with Suozzi's victory over Mazi Pil...

On “Up Close,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman discusses his controversial executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports at county-run facilities. Blakeman, a Republican, sits down with Sandra Bookman, defending the ban, explaining why he issued it, and more. *** We explore the U.S. Senate race in New Jersey. Andy Kim represents the 3rd Congressional District...

UP CLOSE SPECIAL EDITION You're about to see and hear civil rights activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, in a way you maybe haven't seen or heard him before. Sharpton, 69, is perhaps looking at his life in a way that he didn't before. Trust me, that happens to people of a certain age. It's a healthy exercise, and after decades of being in the spotlight of the fight for civil rights, Alfred Charles Sharp...

Fires from replacement and otherwise unapproved lithium-ion batteries are becoming an epidemic in New York City. They're now one of the leading cause of fires and fire deaths. Just last week, the FDNY busted an operation makes and sells the cheaper, dangerous batteries. We talk to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. *** As many as 70 workers at the New York City Housing Authority – NYCHA – are accus...

It's the biggest battle to date between the mayor and the City Council - and it has led to a division among many New Yorkers.   A total of 42 of the 51 council members voted to override the mayor's veto of the How Many Stops Act, despite powerful warnings from the mayor.  Adams says more paperwork for NYPD officers means less time to fight crime. So what impact will the new law have on efforts to...

Both Democrats and Republicans have spent millions of dollars to try to win the special election in the Third Congressional District of New York, once held by the ousted, scandal-ridden George Santos. Most of the district is in Nassau County on Long Island.  In a House of Representatives with a bare Republican majority, it's a crucial contest.  Our guest today, former Congressman Tom Suozzi, a Dem...

The migrant crisis in New York City, and the immigration crisis in the country.  Why hasn't there been a solution for an immigration situation that is - to put it mildly - out of control, and lacking in both common sense and humanity.  It’s been years without consensus. Bill Ritter talked to U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman about that, and the latest vote to stop the government from shutting down. Also, we d...

A migrant crisis in New York City was the farthest thing from anyone's mind when Eric Adams was elected the 110th mayor of New York City more than 2 years ago.  Oh what we didn't know back then.  More than 168,000 migrants have come to this sanctuary city since spring of 2022, and thousands more arrive every month. It is a crisis, a costly one. Where to house them? How to provide the services they...

A closely divided Congress returns to Washington this week to tackle a list of difficult hot-button issues. What to do about the migrant crisis at the southern border, and the impact it’s having on New York and several other cities. The battle over more funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia, and military aid, Israel following the October terror attack and how to pay for all that. If that w...

“Up Close” is a politics podcast from the No. 1 TV station in the United States, WABC-TV. Hosted by Eyewitness News veteran anchor Bill Ritter, Up Close gets to the heart of the matter, whether it’s about how things are working in government - or how they’re not working. It shows you how public-policy decisions are made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices