Ben Smith has been at the vanguard of digital journalism for two decades. In a candid conversation, Semafor's co-founder and editor-in-chief discusses his mission to fix the chaos of information overload, how Semafor's unique format tackles trust and transparency, and the surprisingly "boring" ways AI is already changing newsrooms. Plus, he weighs in on the political spectacle of Donald Trump, the rise of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and whether New York is on the path to becoming a "gilded museum" of the 20th century.

• Ben Smith, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Semafor.

  Member of The New York Editorial Board

• Mixed Signals from Semafor Media. (Ben Smith and Max Tani pull back the curtain on the media industry.)
  • Find the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Semafor's website.

• The Emergency: A Novel by George Packer
  • (Smith describes it as a novel about the collapse of an empire and grappling with the challenges facing the United States today.)

• Ben Smith highlighted a thriving "ecosystem" of New York City-focused podcasts, including:
  • FAQ NYC (Mentioned in the search results as a great interview-heavy political podcast.)
  • Max Politics with Ben Max (Features in-depth interviews on NYC and State politics.)
  • The Bigger Apple Podcast, with Liena Zagare and Nicole Gelinas

  Also mentioned:

• The Interview, from the New York Times

Antonio Delgado isn’t just New York’s lieutenant governor — he’s now Kathy Hochul’s biggest political headache. In this episode, Delgado tells Juan Manuel Benítez why he’s taking on his own boss in next year’s Democratic primary, why he thinks New York’s leadership is “broken,” and how he plans to fix it. He talks power, loyalty, and political retribution — and then drops the politics to open up about hip-hop, fatherhood, and why Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo fill his current music playlist.

Show Notes:

• Host: Juan Manuel Benítez
• Guest: Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado
• Topics covered:
  • Why Delgado is running against Governor Kathy Hochul
  • The state’s affordability crisis and his plan to “tax the rich”
  • Political retribution and independence inside the Hochul administration
  • Lessons from his time in Congress representing the Hudson Valley
  • What Trump’s 2024 win means for Democrats in New York
  • Music, fatherhood, and finding balance beyond politics

Delgado's picks:

Book

White Poverty, by William J. Barber

Music

Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar and Black Messiah

New York place to visit

Hudson Valley

Follow:

🎧 Subscribe to Juan Manuel Benítez Wants to Know on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack.

On the eve of Election Day in New York City, Juan Manuel Benítez convenes three sharp minds from the New York Editorial Board—Christina Greer (FAQ NYC), Josh Greenman (Vital City), and Nicole Gelinas (Manhattan Institute)—to dissect what’s driving this race: Zohran Mamdani’s momentum, Andrew Cuomo’s bet on negativity, Curtis Sliwa’s recalibration, and whether the city is voting for policy or for an idea. We get honest about polling blind spots, youth and Muslim/ South Asian mobilization, public safety as the make-or-break metric, and how a disciplined campaign meets the hard math of governing. Plus: fast takes on Ballot Proposal 6 and three book picks to keep your New York brain fed.

Guests

• Christina Greer — Political scientist; co-host, FAQ NYC
• Josh Greenman — Managing Editor, Vital City
• Nicole Gelinas — Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute

Book Recommendations

• Vincent J. Cannato, The Ungovernable City (Greer)
• Nicole Gelinas, Movement (Greenman’s pick)
• Jonathan Mahler, The Gods of New York and Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning (Gelinas)

Links

• New York Editorial Board breakfast interviews: nyeditorialboard.substack.com
• Columbia Journalism School's election coverage: cjspolitics.substack.com

Credits
Host: Juan Manuel Benítez • Recorded at Columbia University in New York City

Before you step into the booth, hear from someone who’s seen NYC power from both sides. Grace Rauh —former NY1 City Hall reporter and now executive director at Citizens Union and the 5BORO Institute— joins Juan Manuel Benítez to break down what’s actually on your ballot and why turnout keeps sinking. They get into the even-year election fight, the housing/zoning package, digital mapping, and the Adirondacks measure; Zohran Mamdani’s rise (and the de Blasio echoes), Andrew Cuomo’s comeback attempt, and how local journalism looks from the outside. Plus: a personal lightning round —books, landmarks, and what still gives her hope about New York. Then go vote.

Grace’s picks:

Book

• Gods of New York, by Jonathan Mahler

Podcasts

• FAQ NYC
• The Daily
• Juan Manuel Benítez Wants to Know

New NYC Landmark

• Katz’s Deli

Resources

• Vote info & sample ballot: vote.nyc

Citizens Union & 5BORO Institute (voter guides, reform agenda)

In late January, I participated in a breakfast interview with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, hosted by the New York Editorial Board, of which I'm a member.

Back then, Mamdani was a progressive underdog in the race - a state assemblymember with ambitious ideas but long odds. A lot has changed since that breakfast. Mamdani won the Democratic nomination and today, he's become something of a national political superstar. As we head toward the November general election, he's leading in the polls with a healthy margin.

For this episode, I've stripped away all the questions and edited Mamdani's responses to flow as a standalone narrative. What you're about to hear is "Zohran Mamdani's Vision in the Candidate's Own Words" - his policy proposals, his governing philosophy, and his vision for New York City, presented in the same order as our conversation but allowing his answers to speak for themselves.

You can listen to the unedited version in the New York Editorial Board substack page.

Follow me and the podcast on social media

Instagram: JMBenitezNYC

TikTok: JMBenitezNYC

Facebook: JMBenitezNYC

Twitter: JuanMaBenitez

Bluesky: JuanMaBenitez

and subscribe to my Substack.

Brian Lehrer has hosted WNYC's flagship morning show since 1989, and has interviewed every New York mayor since David Dinkins. In this rare in-depth conversation, the notoriously private broadcaster opens up about his life, his craft, and the state of journalism and democracy in 2025. Plus, will he vote in this mayoral election?

Brian's picks:

Book: "The Bee Sting" by Paul Murray 

Park: Inwood Hill Park in Upper Manhattan 

Podcasts:

Regular listening:

• WNYC's own podcasts (The New Yorker Radio Hour, On the Media, Radiolab)
• Slate Political Gabfest
• Various New York Times podcasts

For professional monitoring:

• Charlie Kirk 
• Hasan Piker

In this episode:

Guest: Brian Lehrer, journalist and host, WNYC Radio

On the 2025 NYC Mayoral Race:

• Why voters respond more to emotion than policy — and what that means for democracy
• His impressions of Curtis Sliwa, Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo as people, not just politicians
• Whether New Yorkers should fear socialism, and how to cover this topic responsibly
• What New York voters are really yearning for

On Journalism in Crisis:

• Why he tells young journalists to "fall in love with local news"
• How WNYC is weathering the loss of 100% of federal funding
• The existential crisis facing small public radio stations nationwide
• Navigating the tension between "multiple-sides-ism" and calling out misinformation

Personal Journey:

• Growing up in Queens with parents who rose from poverty in the South Bronx
• His first political memory: watching the Kennedy-Nixon debate at age 8
• Why he chose to live in Inwood and finds sanctuary in Inwood Hill Park
• How the show has helped him cope during difficult personal times

The Art of Live Radio:

• The "artful improv" of juggling guests, callers, texts, and breaking news simultaneously
• Why he moved audience engagement from comment sections to Twitter to text messages
• What he hopes listeners will discover when they revisit his archives in 50 years

Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos sits down for an candid conversation about one of the most controversial decisions of her political career: endorsing former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor after years of publicly criticizing him and calling for his resignation.

The Colombian-American legislator opens up about the political calculations behind that stunning move, her fractured relationships with fellow progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, and why she believes her campaign for mayor never gained traction. Ramos also reflects on growing up in Jackson Heights during the cartel wars of the 1980s, her father's influence on her public service career, and whether her independent streak will cost her politically as she faces a primary challenge from Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas next year. It's a raw, revealing portrait of an elected official who refuses to play it safe — even when it might be the smarter move.

Ramos' picks:

• A NYC park: Flushing Meadows Corona Park
• Books: "Black Edge" by Sheelah Kolhatkar, "Invisible Child" by Andrea Elliott
• A NYC place for landmark status: Casa Amadeo record store
• An AI tool: ChatGPT

Mentioned:

• New York Editorial Board
• Max Politics, by Ben Max
• Manuel de Dios Unanue
• El Diario La Prensa

• Roosevelt Avenue's history

Show notes

Guest: Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator (Queens), Chair of the Labor Committee

Topics Discussed:

• The Cuomo endorsement
• Campaign struggles
• Fractured progressive relationships:
• Zohran Mamdani's meteoric rise
• Growing up in Jackson Heights

Key Moments:

• [01:55] Ramos explains her Cuomo endorsement
• [07:42] Refuses to say whether she'll vote for Mamdani or Cuomo in the general election
• [12:27] Her assessment of Mamdani's campaign success
• [19:25] Reveals she hasn't spoken meaningfully to AOC in years
• [22:42] Shares a previously untold story about Assemblywoman Cruz

Recorded at: Pulitzer Hall, Columbia Journalism School, New York City

Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and Republican candidate for mayor of New York City, sits down to discuss his unconventional campaign in a race led by democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Despite being the GOP nominee, Sliwa has no support from President Trump, who backs Andrew Cuomo instead—and he says he doesn't care.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Sliwa reveals how billionaires tried to pressure him to drop out of the race, why he believes Eric Adams "had a price" when he withdrew, and his vision for tackling homelessness, mental health crises, and housing affordability in NYC. He also opens up about patrolling the subways with the Guardian Angels, his wife's cat rescue work, his love of electronic dance music, and why he's not afraid of socialists.

Sliwa’s picks:

Book: The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

Parks: Central Park and Elizabeth Street Garden

Music: Electronic Dance Music, including Bunt

Mayor Eric Adams is still in the race to get reelected — and he wants you to know it. In this candid interview, Adams takes aim at his political rival Andrew Cuomo, pushes back on persistent media narratives, and blames campaign finance setbacks on what he calls “lawfare” and rumor-fueled media coverage. Adams insists he's not dropping out — and that the public hasn’t been told the full story.

We talk about the federal indictment that was later dropped by the Trump administration, the toll of constant speculation, and the uphill battle of running for reelection while navigating both policy crises and personal scrutiny. Plus: thoughts on Trump and Biden, Israel and Gaza, immigration, ChatGPT, and why he still loves Prospect Park. It’s Eric Adams — defensive, defiant, and determined to change the narrative. Will it work?

ERIC ADAMS' PICKS

• A book: The Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes

• A museum: Brooklyn Museum

• Parks: Prospect Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park

• An AI tool: ChatGPT

In this conversation, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine discusses his journey in New York City politics, focusing on his recent campaign for comptroller, the challenges of housing affordability, and the importance of progressive policies. He reflects on his experiences running for office, the role of the comptroller, and his commitment to using technology to improve city governance. Levine also shares insights on investment strategies, the significance of endorsements, and his personal growth throughout his political career.

Levine's picks

Books

• "Abundance" by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

Podcast

• Dwarkesh Patel's podcast

Places & Transit

• Fort Tryon Park
• The Cloisters
• A Subway Train
• 1 Subway Train

Preservation

• Presbyterian Church on the West Side

Keywords

Mark Levine, New York City, Comptroller, housing affordability, politics, Juan Manuel Benítez, Democratic nominee, personal journey, political views, languages, Trump, Zohran Mamdani, Ezra Klein, Dwarkesh Patel