What's Up With America?

Chuck Park's Fight To Take Back Congress

Most Americans feel the system is rigged against them. Chuck Park is running for Congess to fight that, challenging a long-standing Democratic incumbent in Queens, NYC in the upcoming June primary. As a former US diplomat who resigned in protest of Trump’s foreign policy, Chuck is on a mission to reclaim American democracy from what he perceives as the grip of big money and corporate interests. In this episode, we delve into the critical issues threatening the democratic foundations of America: the overpowering influence of corporate donors, systemic corruption, and the urgent battles for healthcare, child care, and immigrant rights. As the son of Korean immigrants, Chuck proclaims an unrelenting belief in the American Dream and is determined to revive it by disrupting the status quo he believes is dominated by billionaires and special interests.

Undocumented Irish Migrants in Trump's America

This week, I speak with Dan Dennehy, Immigration Chairman for New York State's Ancient Order of Hibernians, as we delve into the complexities of immigration in Trump's America, focusing on the Irish-American experience and how that fits into the mosaic of US immigration in general.

The MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Movement

This week, I am joined by Diane Pagen, a friend of mine from my days in the Universal Basic Income (UBI) movement and Aimee from First Hand Media. Diane is a social worker who worked for the New York City Department of Education but who ultimately lost her job because she refused to take the covid vaccine. Aimee is a freelance journalist who has reported extensively on the MAHA movement. We discuss the highs and lows of the movement, how it is interacting with the broader political climate at present and where this period of political turmoil and polarization is leading us.

Live NYC Mayoral Election Reactions

I report on the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York's 111th mayor, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly nine percentage points. The episode captures the reactions of residents of people in Jackson Heights, Queens at a neighborhood bar. Locals reflect on the implications of electing a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist mayor and looks ahead at the hopes for New York under Mamdani's leadership as well as the challenges posed by the Trump administraiton and the broader political landscape in the United States.

Zohran Mamdani -V- Andrew Cuomo: NYC Elects a New Mayor This Week

New York City goes to the polls this week to elect a new Mayor. This week, David delves into the landscape of New York City politics with good friend, Jason Clinkscales, a freelance sports writer and lifelong New Yorker. Together, they chart the meteoric rise of Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist vying to become NYC's next Mayor who is pitted against former New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo. David and Jason explore the implications of this pivotal election, the city's affordability crisis, and the broader effects this election will have on the Trump administration and the direction of the Democrats nationally.