Power & Politics

Latest Episodes:

September 25th, 2026, New NY Prediction Market lawsuit, new Siena Poll, Waymo, AI Regulation with Guests: Anthony Aguirre and Tush Nikkolaj Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

This week, Tom Eschen sits down with Anthony Aguirre, President & CEO of the Future of Life Institute and Tush Nikkolaj President and CEO at Logical Net Corporation, talking AI regulation and innovation

Producer Olivia Holloway's Headlines: New NY Prediction Market lawsuit, new Siena Poll, White House Media Ban/unBan, Waymo movement, AI Regulation

00:00 Intro & Show Preview

01:19 NY Sues Polymarket

03:39 Siena Poll: Hochul vs. Blakeman & Data Centers

08:40 White House Press Access Fight

12:51 Waymo's Push Into New York

18:33 State AGs Call for Federal AI Rules

23:04 Interview: Anthony Aguirre, Future of Life Institute

39:51 Interview: Tush Nikkolaj Logical Net 55:50 Power & Pop Culture

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Campaign 2026: Martha McHugh discusses her campaign for New York's 46th Senate District Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Republican Martha McHugh is running for New York's 46th Senate District, discussing her campaign with CBS6's Tom Eschen. She talks about job creation, solar complexes and local control, data centers and public safety. 00:14 Why she's running 00:58 District's diversity in population, density 03:40 Solar and home rule 05:20 Data centers 07:54 Utilities/Public Service Commission 10:44 Raise the Age 12:22 Minority-party strategy McHugh is opposing incumbent NYS Senator Pat Fahy (D)

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Campaign 2026: NYS Senator Pat Fahy discusses campaign for Senate District 46, September 24th, 2026 Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

NYS Senator Pat Fahy (D-Albany), is running for reelection in New York's 46th Senate District. The interview spans from public safety to utility prices, economic investment and the City of Albany's Budget. Fahy is facing Republican nominee Martha McHugh. 0:00 Introduction: Senator Pat Fay, SD-46 0:19 Albany Violence & Downtown Revitalization 3:06 Juvenile Crime, Absenteeism & Raise the Age 7:37 Solar Panels, Farmland & ORES 10:16 Utility Affordability & Data Centers 14:24 Albany's Finances & $200M Downtown Fund

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287g lawsuit update, data center regulation, controversial ads, with guests: PSC Chair Rory Christian and Historian Andrew Morris, Sunday August 20th, 2026 Sep 20, 2026

Show notes

Episode recorded 9/18/2026

Host Tom Eschen speaks with PSC Chair Rory Christian and Historian Andrew Morris.

Tom and Power & Politics producer Olivia Holloway go through this week's Holloway Headlines: 287g lawsuit update, data center regulation at federal and state level, and more. Tom and Olivia discuss controversial advertisements (Novig, Good Good) in this week's Power & Pop Culture segment.

New York is launching the Energy Affordability Index, a tool Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian says will help the commission guide decisions about rate increase proposals from companies. Christian talks about how those decisions will impact New Yorkers energy bills, and how those companies are using artificial intelligence.

Andrew Morris, the Chair of the Union College Department of History, looks back 100 years at the City of Schenectady's Election of the first Socialist mayor in New York State, George Lunn. He discusses Lunn's politics, policies, and a look at how he compares with NYC Mayor and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani

⁠00:00⁠ — Intro & Episode Preview

⁠01:18⁠ — Holloway's Headlines: Sheriffs Sue Over Immigration Law

⁠06:58⁠ —Holloway's Headline: Data Centers, State & Federal Regulation Proposals

⁠15:50⁠ — Rory Christian on Energy Affordability & AI at Utilities

⁠30:25⁠ — Andrew Morris on Schenectady's Socialist Mayor & Mamdani

⁠54:19⁠ — Power & Pop Culture: Outrage Ads and AI

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PSC Chair Rory Christian and Andrew Morris, Chair of Union College Department of History, September 18th, 2026 Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

00:00 Intro: What's on This Week's Episode 01:17 PSC Chair Rory Christian on the Energy Affordability Index 11:52 AI at New York's Utilities — and Grid Cybersecurity 15:09 Schenectady's Socialist Mayor: Who Was George Lunn? 26:28 Lunn and Mamdani: Parallels a Century Apart

Abridged version due to technical difficulties, this podcast will be updated with Holloway's Headlines and Power & Pop Culture on Friday afternoon.

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9/11 Air Quality, Flock Misuse, Neighborhood Street Teams, AI Warning with Guests: Andrew Carboy, George Pataki excerpt, Rep. Laura Gillen Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

This week, Power & Politics provides multiple perspectives on the release of thousands of documents regarding air quality in the days and weeks following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. Guests include Andrew Carboy, Attorney for 9/11 Health Watch, Congresswoman Laura Gillen and an excerpt of Tom Eschen's conversation with former Governor George Pataki.

Power & Politics producer Olivia Holloway provides this week's Holloway Headlines:

-Albany Sheriff investigator Flock misuse allegations

-Neighborhood Street Teams legislation introduced

-Artificial Intelligence as existential threat?

-9/11 Ground Zero air quality documents released

Here are suggested podcast chapters based on this episode:

00:00 – Opening & 25th Anniversary Setup
Tom introduces the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the focus on health impacts, and this week’s guests.
00:58 – Flock Cameras: Misuse, Privacy, and Public Safety
Olivia’s headlines on an Albany investigator’s alleged misuse of Flock data and the broader surveillance vs. safety debate.
05:11 – Senator Bottcher’s Neighborhood Street Teams
Discussion of Bottcher’s bill to coordinate services for New Yorkers in crisis and balance information-sharing with privacy.
08:15 – AI Doom, Whistleblowers, and Election-Year Politics
Jacob Coxon’s warnings about AI risk, industry responsibility, and whether AI safety becomes a midterm campaign issue.
12:57 – New 9/11 Documents on Toxic Air in Lower Manhattan
Tom sets up the release of 170,000 NYC records on post-9/11 air quality and the focus on long-term health impacts.
14:47 – Inside the 9/11 Records Fight (Andrew Carboy)
Attorney Andrew Carboy details the multi-decade legal battle to obtain NYC’s 9/11 air-quality archive and what it reveals.
33:36 – Governor George Pataki on 9/11 Illnesses & National Unity
Pataki reflects on toxic exposure at Ground Zero, caring for responders, how to teach 9/11, and the loss of post-9/11 unity.
40:41 – Rep. Laura Gillen on the WTC Health Program & Justice
Congresswoman Gillen discusses reappointing Dr. John Howard, expanding health coverage, and pushing Iran to pay 9/11 judgments.
48:57 – How We Remember: Generational Reflections on 9/11
Tom and Olivia compare lived and inherited memories of 9/11, media’s evolution, fear, and what “never forget” means today.

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Bonus: Former Governor George Pataki on if NYS Mayor Zohran Mamdani, President Donald Trump, should attend 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at Ground Zero Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

As mentioned on this week's Power & Politics podcast, Tom Eschen spoke with former NYS Governor George Pataki about the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The full conversation will be available on the Anniversary, but this is the excerpt Tom was talking about in regards to the attendance for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump at this year's 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.

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Gov. Pataki on Mayor Mamdani, Paying for Extreme Weather, and Hochul's FEMA and Counterterrorism funding questions, Guests: Professor Kevin Reed, Professor Andrew Morris, Business Council of NYS's Ken Pokalsky, Sen. Liz Krueger, September 4th, 2026 Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Host Tom Eschen speaks to a variety of stakeholders in the world of climate science and policy, discussing attribution science, FEMA funding, and the New York Climate Change Superfund Act.

Power & Politics producer Olivia Holloway provides Holloway's Headlines: Pataki and Mamdani, Hochul and federal funding, Climate Superfund Act struck down.

Tom breaks down former NYS Governor George Pataki's comments to him about NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and attending this year's 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.

Following the interviews, Tom and Olivia discuss the impact of Gloria Steinem

00:01:18 – Holloway’s Headlines: 25th 9/11 Anniversary Politics
00:07:42 – Counterterrorism & Disaster Aid Funding Fights
00:12:16 – Climate Superfund Act, Extreme Weather & UN Warning
00:18:35 – Andrew Morris: Disaster Relief, Partisanship & Climate Blame
00:32:23 – Kevin Reed: Attribution Science & Extreme Weather
00:58:50 – Business Council vs. NY Climate Superfund: Ken Pokalsky
01:12:11 – Sen. Liz Krueger Defends the Climate Superfund & Next Steps
01:20:36 – Remembering Gloria Steinem & Women’s Place in Media

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Meta's Settlement, 287g agreement ban, congestion pricing, and Lake America Guests: Sec. Sean Duffy, Stephen Creamer Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Tom Eschen speaks with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and President & CEO of the Air Traffic Control Association Stephen Creamer.

Tom and producer Olivia Holloway discuss the top stories of the week via Holloway's Headlines.

00:00 – Intro and Show Rundown
01:16 – Meta Kids Settlement and New York’s Safe for Kids Act
06:29 – Hochul’s ICE Policy, 287(g) and Local Control Fight
12:34 – Previewing Sec. Sean Duffy Interview, Congestion pricing
17:42 – Trump Renames Lake Ontario, Canada Tensions and Upstate Reaction
21:46 – Interview: Sec. Sean Duffy on Air Traffic Control, AI and Delays
35:00 – Interview: ATCA President Stephen Creamer on Modernization and Staffing
51:46 – Power and Pop Culture: Dolly Parton’s Legacy and Dream Concerts

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Threat at NYS Capitol, data center NDAs, Albany's Budget and Where's Upstate? Guests: NYS Asm. John McDonald, Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs and Financial Advisor Bob Ward, August 21st, 2026 Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

00:00:00 Intro to Power and Politics; preview of Capitol threat, data centers, Albany deficit, and the “upstate NY” debate.

00:01:00 Thwarted Capitol Plot – FBI complaint against Jessica Bowie, alleged ISIS support, and targets from the NYS Capitol to Times Square and beyond.

00:04:34 Data Centers, NDAs, and Public Pushback – Pennsylvania’s executive order on data centers, local approval power, NDA ban, and parallels to New York’s data center and transparency debates.

00:08:21 Albany’s $22 Million Budget Hole – How the deficit went from 22 million to 7 and back again, driven by healthcare under-projections, higher pensions, and a revenue shortfall.

00:11:40 Capitol Security with John McDonald – McDonald on tightened security at the Capitol, active-threat training, home protection for lawmakers, and coordination across law enforcement.

00:20:08 Mayor Applyrs and Bob Ward on Fixing Albany’s Finances – Multi-year plan to stabilize Albany: realistic numbers, state aid, bond rating hit, rising debt costs, and what’s on the table for taxes and cuts.

00:46:25 Power and Pop Culture: Where Is Upstate New York? – Tom and Olivia debate where “Upstate” starts—Rockland, Albany, Syracuse—and how Long Island and city perspectives shape the map.

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