Friend –

Perhaps no dynamic defines politics in New York State and New York City in 2026 more than the relationship between Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Mayor needs the Governor's help to accomplish many of the key pillars of his agenda, and the two have already signaled clear areas of agreement and key points of friction.

On the season five premiere of our podcast, Rights This Way, we discuss the promise and potential pitfalls of this relationship with Christina Greer, who understands New York politics as well as anyone. She is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University and the co-host of the popular podcast FAQ NYC. She's joined by NYCLU Assistant Director of Policy Michael Sisitzky who explains some of the top civil rights issues that Hochul and Mamdani must reckon with.

Then, in our second episode, we delve into an issue that affects thousands of young New Yorkers, but gets too little attention: lead poisoning. Lead is in the walls and water of an untold number of places New Yorkers live, go to school, work, and visit. Its life-altering impacts pose a potential danger to everyone in our state, but lead poisoning disproportionately affects Black and Brown New Yorkers. Thousands of people's lives are impacted by lead poisoning, but our state and local governments aren't doing nearly enough to combat it.

On this episode, we speak with Shannon Burkett, an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and nurse who created the podcast "Lead: How This Story Ends is Up to Us," which tells the true story of her family's harrowing experience with lead poisoning.

These episodes provide a chance for supporters like you to take a deep dive into some of the most pressing issues facing New Yorkers. We hope you'll take a listen and keep your eyes and ears open for more episodes coming soon.

Thank you for listening.

NYCLU Team