Ben Max

NEW interview: @EBottcher & @KeithPowersNYC on Joining the State Legislature, Budget Negotiations, Policy Priorities, & More Listen at Max Politics wherever you get podcasts /1

Interesting profile of Mamdani's chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem - via @emmabgo @nytimes nytimes.com/2026/05/21/nyr…

The New York State Assembly continues to be the place where good housing policy goes to die politico.com/news/2026/05/2…

Due to Trump administration policies, "New York [State] lost approximately 8,500 federal government jobs between January and December 2025, a decline of 7.3 percent." -@NYSComptroller osc.ny.gov/reports/budget…

Albany Strikes Deal on Immigrant Protections - via @IsabelleTaft @nysfocus nysfocus.com/2026/05/22/hoc…

How a video outside a billionaire’s house led to the mayor’s first real mini-scandal - via @freedlander @NYMag nymag.com/intelligencer/…

“The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the Capitol.” More here: apnews.com/article/justic…

@nycDSA @justicedems @ZohranKMamdani @AOC 4/ -(52:54 mins) Hakeem Jeffries for House Speaker? -(54:25) Donald Trump's increased vote share in NY-13 (& beyond) from 2016 to 2024, & more on Mamdani's 2025 showing in NY-13 Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dar…

@nycDSA @justicedems 3/ -(33:20 mins) NYCHA $ & potential solutions for NYCHA capital needs, Green New Deal for Public Housing -(42:25) Broader housing policy, gentrification & housing supply, NY-13 demographic change & DSA voters -(49:28) @ZohranKMamdani & @AOC endorsements? State of the race...

1/ Rundown of my conversation w/ @DarializaforNY on her campaign for Congress in NY-13: -Intro on the district -(7:07 mins) Her background & path to running for Congress, reasons to challenge Rep. Espaillat -(13:20) Investigative work for public defenders & sociology studies...

"potholes to not-holes" walked so "pothole politics" could run (cc @poozer87)

@ebottcher @KeithPowersNYC 3/ Episode rundown in this thread: x.com/TweetBenMax/st…

2/ Covered a lot of interesting ground w/ @ebottcher & @KeithPowersNYC on differences b/w the City Council & State Legislature, Mayor Mamdani's agenda, & much more. Listen via: -SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/gotham-gazette… -Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6PbRLl… -Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eri…

NEW interview: @EBottcher & @KeithPowersNYC on Joining the State Legislature, Budget Negotiations, Policy Priorities, & More Listen at Max Politics wherever you get podcasts /1

Great moderating job by @errollouis & @sarbetter.

It is (again) striking how few things DiNapoli wants to take a position on, but he may also be making a somewhat convincing case that his opponents sound like they really want to be governor or a legislator.

Big debate tonight in the Democratic primary for New York State Comptroller Candidates: @TomDiNapoli, @RajGoyle, @drewforny Moderators: @errollouis, @sarbetter How to watch: ny1.com/nyc/all-boroug…

3/ -(39:22 mins) @ebottcher-@KeithPowersNYC joint legislative efforts (artist housing, gun control), & rooming together in Albany -(46:32 mins) Endorsements & the NY-12 Democratic primary (Lasher, Bores, Schlossberg, Conway, et al) Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eri…

2/ -(23:04 mins) State $ aid to NYC & the city's finances, Mamdani's first budget as @NYCMayor -(30:58) Getting voices heard in large legislative majorities, other issue priorities in budget negotiations (Stop Super-Speeders Act, etc) -(36:15) Mamdani's state budget lobbying...

1/ Rundown of my conversation w/ new state legislators @ebottcher & @KeithPowersNYC: -(4:45 mins) State budget negotiations & learning curve moving from the City Council -(11:35) Shifting state fiscal year -(17:35) Good & Bad of developing state budget deal (SEQRA, CLCPA)...