

You Decide with Errol Louis
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 personal moments, to stories that have never been told, join Errol each week for intimate conversations with the people who are shaping the future of New York and beyond. Listen to "You Decide with Errol Louis" every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 6, 2025 • 51min
Richard Haass: Charting foreign policy in Trump's second term
Just weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump is sending shockwaves around the world. From proposing resettling the population of Gaza to saying he wants the United States to regain control of the Panama Canal, the president is making it clear that he's not following the traditional set of rules that have guided American foreign policy for decades. Looking at Trump's plans abroad, NY1's Errol Louis recently held an in-depth discussion with veteran diplomat Richard Haass, the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relation. The conversation at Temple Emanuel of Great Neck, Long Island, tackled a wide range of international topics from Greenland to Ukraine to the Middle East. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Jan 30, 2025 • 27min
Peter Beinart: Being Jewish as Gaza crumbles
After 15 months, the Israel-Hamas war has reached a ceasefire deal. Israeli troops have pulled back to the edges of Gaza and some hostages have been released by their Hamas captors. Many Palestinians are returning to what remains of their homes with humanitarian aid flowing into the region. As Palestinians begin rebuilding, Peter Beinart is exploring the defense of Israel by some of his fellow Jews in a new book, "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning." Beinart, a professor at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York, joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the war, as well as his childhood in South Africa and anti-Semitism on college campuses. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Jan 23, 2025 • 25min
One-on-one with Gov. Hochul
One day after unveiling her $252 billion state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined NY1's Errol Louis for an exclusive one-on-one interview. The conversation covered many aspects of her new budget proposal: congestion pricing, the proposed cellphone ban in schools, and the challenges she is facing already since President Donald Trump took office. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Jan 16, 2025 • 27min
Reuven Blau: Why are disgraced doctors practicing in N.Y. prisons?
Several doctors who have been judged guilty of medical misconduct, negligence, incompetence and even felonies are still finding a place to practice — New York state prisons. The shocking practice was uncovered by Reuven Blau, a criminal justice reporter for The City, an online news outlet. Blau joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the shocking story of physicians who have found work in the prison system despite being sanctioned for horrific mistakes and other professional abuses. They also talked about the need for a major overhaul in the state's prisons and the brutal death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Jan 9, 2025 • 24min
New York finally takes its traffic decongestant
Almost 100 years after New York City officials first considered putting tolls on the East River bridges, drivers are finally being charged to enter Midtown and Lower Manhattan. With a new policy chapter being written, it will likely take time to determine how successful the program is and whether it will need modifications. This week, NY1's Errol Louis was joined by two people who figured heavily in congestion pricing's implementation: MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber and Sam Schwartz, popularly known as "Gridlock Sam," whose work combatting traffic in Manhattan dates back more than 50 years. The two men highlighted different goals. Lieber discussed how the program is expected to pay for much-needed infrastructure improvements within the city's subway system, while Schwartz is hoping for less traffic and shorter emergency response times. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Jan 2, 2025 • 34min
Crisis and Accomplishment : The Rise and Fall of John Lindsay - Part 3 – The moon, the Mets and Meir
In 1969, John Lindsay's first term as mayor of New York City was coming to a close. After a series of labor disputes and a botched snowstorm recovery that shut down the city, his poll numbers were at an all-time low. Somehow, even after losing the Republican primary, he found a road to reelection. In the final installment of this three-part podcast series by Spectrum News NY1, Errol Louis explores Lindsay's unlikely path to victory, his second term as mayor and his ill-advised presidential run. The episode also looks at Lindsay's enduring legacy and his innovative yet controversial ideas for urban development. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Dec 19, 2024 • 39min
Crisis and Accomplishment: The Rise and Fall of John Lindsay Part 2 — A Livable City
From the moment he became mayor of New York City in 1966, John Lindsay faced a city in turmoil when subway workers walked off the job and went on strike for 12 days. In many ways, it never got any easier for Lindsay, who ran the city in a time of national upheaval. In part two of a three-part podcast series by Spectrum News NY1, Errol Louis explores John Lindsay's chaotic first term, in which the mayor tried to continue pushing forward, combating a string of labor disputes while attempting to create a more livable city. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide, give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message, or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Dec 12, 2024 • 35min
Crisis and Accomplishment: The Rise and Fall of John Lindsay - Part 1 - The Flamboyant Idealist
In 1965, New York City was teetering on the edge of an uncertain future, but a Republican congressman from the Upper East Side was determined to save it. Fighting traditional power brokers and machine politicians, John Lindsay improbably was elected mayor that year; his eight years in office became one of the most tumultuous and transformative times in New York's recent history. In part one of a three-part podcast series by Spectrum News NY1, Errol Louis explores John Lindsay's turbulent New York, focusing on his early years in Congress and building up to being elected mayor in a dramatic three-way race in November of 1965. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Dec 5, 2024 • 26min
Zellnor Myrie: A mayoral candidate with an ambitious housing proposal
This week, Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie officially launched his campaign to challenge Eric Adams in next June's Democratic mayoral primary. The senator also unveiled an ambitious housing proposal that looks to build one million new homes across the five boroughs, or 70,000 homes per year. Sen. Myrie joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss his bid to unseat Adams. They also talked about the dire situation surrounding the city's prisons complex on Rikers Island, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right team and treating nonprofit organizations fairly. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.

Nov 27, 2024 • 31min
Nicole Gelinas: Drawing New York's road map after 'The Power Broker'
A fierce New York intellect, Nicole Gelinas has closely followed the trials and errors of urban public policy in her columns for the New York Post and her work for the Manhattan Institute. In a new book, Gelinas looks at what has happened with New York's transportation system in the wake of Robert Moses, whose legacy was painstakingly dissected in Robert Caro's "The Power Broker." Gelinas picks up where Caro left off in "Movement: New York's Long War to Take Back Its Streets from the Car." Speaking with NY1's Errol Louis, Gelinas discusses why she felt compelled to write her book, also tackling its relationship to Caro's biography, what Mayor Eric Adams should be focusing on, why New York City often continues to make the same mistakes regarding mass transit and how the messaging behind congestion pricing could be better. Join the conversation, weigh in on Twitter using the hashtag #NY1YouDecide or give us a call at 212-379-3440 and leave a message. Or send an email to YourStoryNY1@charter.com.


