Alan Chartock

The day after an intraparty war of words between Syracuse mayor Stephanie Miner — co-chair of the state Democratic party — and New York Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy about Governor Cuomo’s budget and how it handles floundering localities, Duffy says he sticks by comments. Duffy spoke on WAMC’s Capitol Connection program.

  The country came together for a rare moment of political unity on Monday. In today’s Congressional Corner, Union College political science professor Brad Hays tells WAMC’s Alan Chartock that President Obama’s inaugural address focused on equality.

  Massachusetts Senator John Kerry’s confirmation hearings are scheduled for tomorrow. In today’s Congressional Corner, Union College political science professor Brad Hays tells WAMC’s Alan Chartock that he expects Kerry to head to Foggy Bottom without issue.

Yesterday in his second inaugural address, President Obama emphasized some of his priorities.

What are your hopes for President Obama's second term?

Host Alan Chartock is joined by New York state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat who has held office since 2007 after two decades in the Assembly. They discuss firearm investments in the state pension fund, political spending by corporations, and the Tappan Zee project.

In this week’s “Classical Music According to Yehuda,” Alan Chartock and Yehuda Hanani discuss what makes some art offensive to certain groups.

Alan is joined by Dr. Stephen Bergman, who writes under the pen name Samuel Shem. A novelist, playwright, and essayist, Bergman is a graduate of Harvard and Harvard Medical School and was a Rhodes Scholar. The launch of his paperback The Spirit of the Place will be held at the Hudson Opera House on January 26. 

  In today’s Congressional Corner, New York Representative Bill Owens — a Democrat from the 21st district — tells WAMC’s Alan Chartock about his upcoming work on a new committee, Appropriations.

Alan is joined by Anne Banks and Ted Dobson, whose daughter, Moira Banks-Dobson of Sheffield, Mass., was killed by a drunk driver who had six previous convictions in February of 2012. Her death has led her parents to push for various reforms in the months since. There's more information about their efforts and their daughter's life at moiramemorial.org.

Just two days after New York legislators passed first-in-the-nation gun law reforms in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the state’s chief financial officer says pension fund investments in firearm companies have been frozen. Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli spoke on WAMC’s Capitol Connection program.