You Decide with Errol Louis

Is labor union influence in New York shifting? Recent elections have raised new questions about the political value of a major labor union endorsement. Andrew Cuomo secured backing from many prominent unions in the 2025 mayoral primary but lost to Zohran Mamdani, while Antonio Reynoso fell to Claire Valdez in a congressional race despite broad labor support. NY1 statehouse reporter Bernadette Hoga...

In 1995, Allen Porter was convicted of a double murder in Queens. He spent nearly 34 years in prison, maintaining his innocence every step of the way. On Jan. 30 of this year, a Queens judge vacated his conviction, but the case is far from over. Porter, who is out on bond and wearing an ankle monitor, and his attorney, Charles Linehan, joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss why Porter remains in lega...

Steve Kornacki is the chief data analyst at NBC News and a familiar face to anyone who watches election night coverage. He joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss this week's surprising New York Democratic primary, where multiple democratic socialist candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani won, including Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, while several incumbents suffered unexpected defeat...

Patrick Gaspard has worn an array of political hats — from U.S. Ambassador to South Africa to President Barack Obama's political director to special assistant to New York City Mayor David Dinkins. An adviser to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gaspard was recently appointed the chairman of the Mamdani administration's Commission on Government Efficiency, also known as COGE, which began holding public hearing...

The five leading candidates in the Democratic primary for New York's 12th Congressional District in Manhattan squared off this week in a spirited debate hosted by NY1, seeking to draw sharp contrasts ahead of Election Day. The debate was moderated by NY1's Errol Louis, WNYC host Brian Lehrer and WNYC senior political reporter Brigid Bergin. Bergin joined "You Decide" to discuss the behind-the-scen...

The Democratic primary in New York's 13th Congressional District has become one of the more intriguing races of this election season, with longtime incumbent Adriano Espaillat facing a serious challenge from Darializa Avila Chevalier, who has secured endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The contest has emerged as a test of generatio...

A.M. Gittlitz is an organizer and writer whose work focuses on the counterculture and radical politics. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller "Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team," a love letter to the New York Mets and a sweeping study of New York City through the electric and often calamitous history of the franchise. Gittlitz joined NY1 polit...

Steve Fulop is the president and CEO of Partnership for New York City, an invitation-only organization of about 350 of the city's leading business executives and major employers. He recently succeeded longtime Partnership President and CEO Kathryn Wylde. Before joining the Partnership, Fulop served as mayor of Jersey City for 12 years and was a candidate for governor of New Jersey in 2025. Fulop j...

Technology expert Kashmir Hill joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and how it's already affecting all our lives. They talked about the massive investment in AI, including the construction of data centers, which is quickly becoming a flashpoint. They also discussed the technology's limitations, including AI "hallucinations." The conversation also explored AI ro...

Technology expert Kashmir Hill joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and how it's already affecting all our lives. They talked about the massive investment in AI, including the construction of data centers, which is quickly becoming a flashpoint. They also discussed the technology's limitations, including AI "hallucinations." The conversation also explored AI ro...

In an exclusive, in-depth interview, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sat down with NY1's Errol Louis to give her assessment of Zohran Mamdani's mayoralty and where national politics stands going into this year's midterm elections. Ocasio-Cortez also gave a tough critique of a casino that's being built in her district while raising questions about the environmental impact of congestion pricing on the...

Fab 5 Freddy is a New York City legend who emerged in the early 1980s as a defining figure in the rise of hip-hop and graffiti culture. In his new memoir, "Everybody's Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture," he shares a firsthand account of helping shape a cultural movement that changed the world. Freddy joined NY1's Errol Louis to talk about growing up in Bedford-Stuyvesant surround...

Jennifer Welch is the co-host of the popular political commentary podcast "I've Had It." A former reality TV star and interior decorator, Welch recently left her longtime home in Oklahoma City for New York, seeking a more multicultural and progressive environment. Welch joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss her move, as well as what inspired her to launch "I've Had It" and the podcast's unexpected s...

For once, veteran journalist Amy Goodman is answering the questions instead of asking them. The longtime host of the daily news program "Democracy Now!" is the subject of a riveting documentary, "Steal This Story, Please." The film goes behind the scenes with Goodman, the sharp-witted granddaughter of an Orthodox rabbi, as she navigates a media landscape reshaped by rapid technological change, cor...

Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week will mark his 100th day since he became the mayor of New York City. At 34 years old, Mamdani is the first Muslim and the first person of South Asian descent to serve in the position. So far, the mayor has already navigated two separate snowstorms that left major impacts on the city. The city is also facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. Mamdani joined NY1's Er...

Kenny Burgos and Zohran Mamdani have a lot in common. They are both former state assemblymen and both graduates of the Bronx High School of Science. As assemblymen in Albany, they became good friends and often were confused for one another. But now they find themselves on opposite sides of a major issue affecting New Yorkers, with Burgos being the CEO of the New York Apartment Association, an orga...

Following the success of its acclaimed podcast documentary, NY1 co-hosted a special live panel honoring the life and enduring impact of congresswoman and feminist trailblazer Bella Abzug. In partnership with Hunter College's Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, the in-depth conversation explored Abzug's legacy through the voices of those who knew her best and continue her work today. Moderated...

Facing a competitive reelection race this fall, Rep. Mike Lawler joined NY1's Errol Louis for an exclusive one-on-one conversation in the nation's capital. Lawler discussed how he splits time between Washington, D.C. and his Hudson Valley district, and defended the president's decision to bomb Iran without getting full congressional approval.

House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sat down with NY1's Errol Louis in Washington, D.C. this week for an exclusive one-on-one interview. Jeffries highlighted his new leadership office and outlined the party's strategy for the 2026 midterms, aiming to capture 40–45 seats. He also criticized President Donald Trump's family dealmaking, while praising New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani fo...

They're not just a New York power couple. Former New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks and former First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright have launched a new podcast, focusing on their decades in public service. "The Beacon and Blueprint" aims to "inspire, educate, and activate" listeners toward civic engagement. Banks and Wright joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss their new project and their curr...

Novelist and critic Emily Gould joined NY1's Errol Louis to talk about building a writing career and sustaining a creative life in New York City. Gould recounted moving to New York in 2001 at 19 years old, starting in book publishing and being recruited as editor for the Gawker blog. She also discussed the economics of book advances and how child care and market rent make savings difficult despite...

Renowned legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the politics of presidential pardons and how he thinks that Gerald Ford's pardoning of Richard Nixon created a dangerous precedent that reverberates in politics today. Their wide-ranging conversation also tackled ICE's national crackdown and upcoming Supreme Court cases on birthright citizenship and a Louisiana Congressional...

According to the latest census figures, there are approximately 3.87 million people of Hispanic or Latino origin living in New York state. They constitute about 19 to 20% of the state's total population, and the majority of this population, which is about 2.5 million, live in New York City, making up 28 or 29% of the city's population. And yet, New York has never elected a Latino to a statewide of...

Editor's Note: This episode of "You Decide with Errol Louis" originally aired in 2019. We are re-releasing it after Jesse Jackson's death Tuesday at the age of 84. Jesse Jackson joins Errol to look back on how he got his start in the civil rights movement, his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. and his time in the ministry. He also shares his experiences of running for the White House, couns...

On Dec. 22, 1984, a loner named Bernhard Goetz shot four Black teenagers on a New York City subway, saying they were trying to mug him. The incident sparked an international debate about crime, fear, race and justice, which persists to this day. This year, two new books about the shootings and its impact on America are getting a lot of attention: "Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Get...