Power & Politics

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several voices in the data center conversation joined Power & Politics this week: Empire AI Director of Research Computing Kiran Keshav, NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens) and David Flynn, leader of Phillips Lytle’s Environmental Law Practice Team.

EmpireAI is one of the exceptions to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's Executive Order implementing a one-year moratorium on new data center development above 50MW. Keshav speaks to their work and growth since implemented in 2024 (now EmpireAI Beta), and why it's exempt.

This week, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez announced a statewide tour, visiting 13 communities across New York where data centers, or data center proposals are happening. That includes Albany's Kenwood Commons proposal. Gonzalez is the Senate sponsor of the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which passed the State legislature in bipartisan fashion during this year's legislative session. She's pushing the Governor to sign it into law as a part of the data center omnibus.

David Flynn, leader of Phillips Lytle’s Environmental Law Practice Team, works with clients who have considered data center construction in New York, saying Governor Hochul's Executive Order of a One-year Moratorium has a "bit of a chilling effect" across the industry. He speaks to the challenges developers would face in complying with a potential framework set forth when the Moratorium is lifted in July 2027...something he's concerned won't happen by then.

0:00-17:27

Introduction and Headlines

17:32-32:36

Empire AI Director of Research Computing Kiran Keshav

32:37-44:24

NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens)

44:45-1:00:54

David Flynn, leader of Phillips Lytle’s Environmental Law Practice Team

1:00:55-1:09:07

Closing Thoughts, Power & Politics & Pop Culture
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former New York State Governor George Pataki appeared on Power & Politics this week, speaking with Tom Eschen on the heels of the dedication of the "Governor George E. Pataki Center" on Spring Street in Albany.

The conversation, taking place in a room adorned with photos of Pataki from his tenure as Governor, covered portions of his time in the State Legislature, as Governor, discussing the dynamic of politics and government at play then, and now too. They also discussed 9/11, and what he believes has changed since then.

New York State Acting Chief Cyber Officer Michaela Lee also joins the show, discussing $9 million will be awarded to 153 local water projects on the heels of cyber attacks in other States.

00:00 – Pataki Building & Public Service

01:45 – Governing vs. Partisan Politics

05:10 – Silver v. Pataki & Governor Power

06:40 – 9/11, Unity & Division Today

09:25 – Lock One & Reviving Downtown Albany

10:20 – Cyber Grants for NY Water Systems

15:10 – Nation-State Threats & Critical Infrastructure

17:55 – Outro & Subscribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ray Brescia, who helped pen a recent commentary piece in SCOTUSBlog, discusses the impact of the most recent Supreme Court term, and what he believes it means for the balance of power in the Federal Government.

Intro & Setup – [0:00–0:42]

Roberts Court & Power Shift – [0:42–6:23]

Partisanship & Conservative Supermajority – [6:23–12:36]

History & Birthright Citizenship – [12:36–19:05]

Tariffs, Learning Resources & Executive Power – [19:05–27:26]

Court Reform, Term Limits & Wrap – [27:26–end]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices