You Decide with Errol Louis

By Spectrum News NY1

NY1's Errol Louis has been interviewing powerful politicians and cultural icons for years, but it's when the TV cameras are turned off that things really get interesting. From career highlights, to pe... more

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The podcast currently has 406 episodes available.

Best of You Decide with Errol Louis

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Number 1: Why young Americans are giving up on the American dream
Spectrum News 1 North Carolina political anchor Tim Boyum and NY1's Errol Louis have a combined 50 years of experience covering politics and have witnessed countless changes in the political landscape. One recent movement that has caught their attention is the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America. Boyum joined Louis to discuss why the DSA has gained popularity, particularly among younger voters, and whether its influence can spread beyond New York City. They also compared notes on how political journalism and campaigns have changed over the course of their careers, including the evolving role of debates in the election process.
August 27, 202635min
Number 2: They covered 9/11, and what they saw will never leave them
It's been 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. NY1 is marking the anniversary in a variety of ways, including a special episode of "You Decide" in which Errol Louis was joined by two longtime NY1 journalists who covered the attacks that day: Pat Kiernan and Cheryl Wills. Kiernan recalled learning that the first plane had struck the World Trade Center during his "In the Papers" segment and quickly switching to live pictures from Lower Manhattan. What followed was continuous, wall-to-wall coverage with no commercials for days. He described the initial confusion over what had happened, efforts to get NY1 crews downtown, and CNN carrying NY1's feed, which included the first live interview with then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Wills, then a health reporter, recalled seeing smoke from the World Trade Center while riding the LIRR, arriving at NY1, and racing downtown by motorcycle. She also discussed repeatedly working amid the smoke without a mask, later joining the World Trade Center Health Program, and reporting in the years that followed on the lasting health effects of 9/11 and the sensitive issues surrounding how the attacks are memorialized.
September 03, 202647min
Number 3: Why you've never heard of the judges on your ballot
Hundreds of judges sit on the bench in New York City, deciding the fate of criminal defendants. But how did they get their jobs in the first place? It's a surprisingly complicated question that NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross explores in her special series, "Building the Bench." She examined how local political parties control the process and select favored judicial candidates, often leaving voters with no real choice. Courtney joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis to discuss why she pursued the series and what she learned along the way. They explored whether the current system is truly the best way to select judges for state Supreme Court, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani's upcoming judicial appointments for Family Court and Criminal Court. They also discussed allegations of patronage and nepotism, concerns about lawyers who help "make" judges, oversight by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. They also looked at how the system has also helped diversify the bench, leading to historic firsts in Brooklyn and Queens.
September 17, 202639min
Number 4: Why state politicians could be the tail that wags the dog
Former N.Y. state Sen. Daniel Squadron believes that state legislatures are becoming successful laboratories for smart politics and good policy. Since leaving Albany, Squadron helped found The States Project, an organization that works to strengthen state legislatures by helping build better-funded, more effective state legislative campaigns. Squadron joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss his new book, "The Fourth Branch," which is part history, part handbook and part personal narrative. The book argued that while state legislatures are often overlooked, they are among the most powerful forces shaping public policy, passing tens of thousands of laws each year and serving as the focus of intense lobbying and influence from special interests.
August 06, 202638min
Number 5: Why Bruce Blakeman thinks New York needs a Republican governor
Republican candidate for governor Bruce Blakeman joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss why he believes New Yorkers are "miserable" under Gov. Kathy Hochul, pointing to high taxes, rising electric bills, the state's economic outlook, the loss of residents and businesses and billions of dollars spent on asylum seekers. The Nassau County executive talked about how he differs from past Republican gubernatorial candidates, his 9/11 experience as a Port Authority commissioner, and even how he feels about his ex-wife marrying Paul McCartney.
September 10, 202632min