NYC's first female chief lifeguard fought waves… and the system

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.

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.

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.

Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The New York Times. The New York City native is the author of "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America." She is also the co-author, with Jonathan Swan, of a new book, "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump," which lays out the first year of President Trump's second presidency.  Haberman joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss her new book. She explained how she and Swan began the project in 2023 as a "last act" Trump story but instead witnessed a dramatic shift that they came to see as a form of domestic "regime change, " marked by court-style politics, expanded executive power and the erosion of independence at the Department of Justice. Haberman also described an administration divided into fiefdoms controlled by powerful figures, including Stephen Miller, Elon Musk through DOGE and USAID and others.

In a plan that's now being echoed by the Trump administration, New York City has helped close to 400,000 public school students and their families pay for college by creating savings accounts, which include start-up seed money. Joining NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the program was City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who helped launch NYC Kids RISE in 2015 when she was the city's Consumer Affairs Commissioner. In their conversation, Menin also reflected on her career and her path into politics, including her work rebuilding Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 attacks and her push to release long-withheld 9/11 files. She also outlined her responsibilities as council speaker and her current priorities, including an oversight hearing on Legionnaires' disease; a proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages; and the creation of an office dedicated to insurance accountability.

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.

Journalist David Roth left the popular sports and culture website Deadspin during the staff's 2019 mass resignation after its new owners pushed for less political commentary and a greater focus on sports. Roth and many of his former colleagues went on to launch Defector Media, a worker-owned, subscription-based publication. Roth joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss the split from Deadspin, building a worker-owned newsroom, and the story behind the name "Defector." They also talked about his political writings on Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump, why he's reluctant to write more about Trump, his view that prediction markets are a scam and his thoughts on political corruption in New York, former Mayor Eric Adams and political organizing.

In 1988, Janet Fash made history as New York City's first female chief lifeguard. She recounted her journey in a new memoir, "Lifeguard: A Love Story," which is making waves across the city. Fash joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss her working-class upbringing in Park Slope, how she discovered Rockaway's ocean-beach culture, the demands and dangers of lifeguarding and the safety protocols she helped implement. Much of the conversation centered on Fash's clashes with Peter Stein, who was dubbed the "Boss of the Beach" for his powerful role in the city's lifeguard union.

This year, New York City under Mayor Zohran Mamdani has looked like a different city after Eric Adams' turbulent term. The contrast is stark: Adams-era crises have given way to a wildly popular first six months for Mamdani, which includes excitement around the World Cup and a long-awaited New York Knicks championship. Katie Honan, who covers City Hall for newsoutlet The City Reporter and co-hosts the "FAQ NYC" podcast, joined NY1's Errol Louis to discuss Mamdani's first year in office and recent budget negotiations, including a new housing voucher program. They also dug into City Hall's growing use of influencers for messaging and the misinformation risks that come with it. Honan also outlined some of Mamdani's stalled campaign promises amid fiscal constraints and shared her reporting on sports books losing $48 million after the Knicks' victory. 

Is labor union influence in New York shifting? Recent elections have raised new questions about the political value of a major labor union endorsement. Andrew Cuomo secured backing from many prominent unions in the 2025 mayoral primary but lost to Zohran Mamdani, while Antonio Reynoso fell to Claire Valdez in a congressional race despite broad labor support. NY1 statehouse reporter Bernadette Hogan joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis to examine what a union endorsement means for candidates in 2026. They discussed how an endorsement's value depends on more than a logo: unions must invest money, mobilize members, and build a real turnout operation for their support to matter. The conversation also explored the union-backed Working Families Party, its tensions with the Democratic Socialists of America, and its challenge of maintaining ballot status while deciding whether to align with Gov. Kathy Hochul in this November's election. They also considered Mamdani's high popularity as he approaches consequential contract negotiations with powerful public-sector unions.