Podcast
Dispatches from Planet Albany
Hosted by WCNY · ENGLISH
Dispatches from Planet Albany is brought to you by David Lombardo, host of WCNY's The Capitol Pressroom. The weekly conversations are a smart and funny encapsulation of the discussions reporters and sources have off the microphone at the Capitol in Albany.
This inside baseball is for listeners who know the acronym ELFA, anxiously await the legislative calendar drop each December, or fondly recall the Poozer Politics podcast.
173episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Inside the strategy of Gov. Kathy Hochul
2d ago00:25:19Tap to summarizePolitico New York Albany Bureau Chief Nick Reisman joins host David Lombardo to discuss insights and observations he gained from an extended one-on-one interview with Gov. Kathy Hochul. They discuss how to prepare for this type of conversation, the governor's relationship with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Hochul's approach to negotiating immigration reforms that made it into the state budget. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →2026 legislative session superlative awards
6d ago00:37:34Tap to summarizeCapitol Confidential author Dan Clark, Bloomberg Government reporter Raga Justin and host David Lombardo hand out superlative awards for the 2026 legislative session. Tune in to find out who won class couple, least popular, most memorable and other major recognitions for their work in Planet Albany. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →End-of-session vibes with Shontell
1w ago00:37:57Tap to summarizeTusk Strategies Partner Shontell Plummer joins host David Lombardo to reflect on the final days of the legislative session, including what the Democratic majorities prioritized and how the calendar got squeezed by the late budget. They discuss surveillance pricing protections, grade the session "vibes," and reflect on the right-wing kerfuffle over the "gestating parent" legislation. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →Capitol odds and ends with Josh and Raga
1w ago00:19:35Tap to summarizeSometimes you record a 52-minute podcast and you end up cutting it down by 60 percent. That's what happened in this lean episode with Assemblymember Josh Jensen and Bloomberg Government's Raga Justin, which touches on the governor's LCA Show rebuttal and fallout from the "cool kids" discussion earlier this year. What got cut out? Who can say. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →Answering the prayers of underdog primary candidates
2w ago00:37:01Tap to summarizeWith primary elections less than a month away, trailing candidates have limited means of shaking up their races. But what if they had a magic wand that could deliver a coveted endorsement, a key issue to run on, or the support of an important voting bloc? We play out this hypothetical experiment for some of the state and federal candidates with uphill battles between now and June 23. Our guests are state Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, and Alex Elmasri, a vice president with The Parkside Group. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →Confirmapalooza
3w ago00:28:57Tap to summarizeWhile state lawmakers are expected to be bogged down with hundreds of bills during the final days of the legislative session, state senators will likely also have to contend with dozens of confirmations from Gov. Kathy Hochul. It's not clear whether the process will look any different than past years, given the lateness of the budget, but the safe bet in Planet Albany is that history will repeat itself. Given the likelihood of running back the traditional confirmation process next week, we're checking in with Beth Garvey, a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, who has experience navigating confirmations from the second and third floors of the Capitol. We discuss why confirmations are handled so late in the session, what the hectic process is like for senators and senate staff, and the one time she got nominees mixed up. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →Mark Poloncarz hits the road to support local Democrats
3w ago00:30:44Tap to summarizeErie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is looking to make waves outside of Western New York. The Buffalo Democrat launched a political action committee this year to support candidates running for local offices around the country, which he believes is key to rebuilding the Democratic bench for higher offices in the future. He joins the show to talk about his influence in local elections outside of New York, address the Mayor Pete comparisons, consider how Democrats can win in purple areas and weigh in on whether the next majority leader in the Assembly should come from upstate. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →NY WFP on comptroller's race, legislative primaries, and the senate's number two
4w ago00:31:43Tap to summarizeWe're diving back into the world of New York's liberal third party. New York Working Families Party Director Jasmine Gripper joins the show to explain why they're sitting out the Democratic primary for state comptroller, highlights efforts to reshape the state senate in June, and reflects on potential next deputies for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →The (LCA) show must go on!
May 1500:24:13Tap to summarizeWith the 124th Legislative Correspondents' Association Show fast approaching, host David Lombardo and recovering journalist Liz Benjamin discusss whether the event should exist, review highlights from past performances and talk about the key to good jokes. They touch on Liz's famous cameo in a video from then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, reflect on the past use of drag, and reveal how little practice goes into the production. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
Transcribe →Friends, frenemies and enemies in New York politics
May 1200:33:00Tap to summarizeNew York politics is littered with marriages of convenience. Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have enjoyed an unlikely - but mutually beneficial - alliance for nearly a year, despite their ideological and stylistic differences. And those types of collaborations, which might not seem obvious at first glance, are critical to successfully wielding power in Planet Albany. We discuss the relationship between elected officials, staff and lobbyists with Shontell Plummer, a partner with Tusk Strategies. We also explore how Democrats should approach mid-decade redistricting in New York and whether a profile in New York Focus could spark jealousy at the Capitol. And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money). Subscribe to our newsletter / https://www.publicmediasubscriptions.org/WCNY/subscription/pressroom Follow the show on Twitter / https://twitter.com/CapPressRoom Follow the show on Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/capitolpressroom/ Follow the show on Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/thecapitolpressroom
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