Podcast Summary: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush — Kathy Hochul

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Governor Kathy Hochul (New York)
Podcast: Work in Progress (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This episode features a compelling and candid conversation between Sophia Bush and New York Governor Kathy Hochul at a pivotal moment for the state and nation. As New York faces deepening political, social, and economic challenges—with newly elected city leadership and mounting federal pressures—Hochul discusses her personal roots, leadership philosophy, and urgent policy battles. The episode's focal points are SNAP (food assistance), affordability, the fight against corporate abuse, universal childcare, and landmark state initiatives, all viewed through the lens of Hochul’s lived experience and commitment to social justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kathy Hochul’s Personal Story and Values

Timestamps: 05:29–10:19

• Childhood & Family Background:
  Hochul shares her upbringing in a working-class family in Buffalo, NY, detailing her parents’ financial struggles and eventual progress. She highlights the early lessons of social justice and community responsibility that shaped her future.

  "My parents instilled in us a really strong sense of responsibility to others, even though they didn't have much... They took us marching in the anti war demonstrations. We were at the marches for civil rights when we were early young children."
  — Kathy Hochul (07:20)

• Early Ambitions:
  Hochul describes growing up during a time when women’s aspirations were narrowly defined and how her initial dream was to be a Senate staffer, never imagining she’d hold public office.

2. Direct Impact of Struggle: Shaping Policy Empathy

Timestamps: 12:30–14:52

• Linking Personal Hardship to Governance:
  Hochul recounts experiences with food insecurity, laying away clothes, and family reliance on day-old bread and government assistance—stories that now inform her fierce advocacy for SNAP and anti-poverty policies.

  "I'm always aware I need to do more to help people that are struggling."
  — Kathy Hochul (10:15)

  "[On her mother] She'd try to stretch a can of Spam... pancakes for dinner because you could feed a family of eight with a lot of pancakes. I'm thinking about that when I'm thinking about how are families today..."
  — Kathy Hochul (13:24)

3. SNAP, Corporate Abuse, and State vs Federal Policy Fights

Timestamps: 14:52–21:19

• Political Context:
  The conversation dives deeply into the GOP’s legal battles to suspend SNAP benefits, how “affordability” is weaponized, and the disconnect between rhetoric and reality for struggling families.

  • Corporate Profiteering:
    Sophia and Hochul critique corporations (notably big box retailers) for underpaying workers and manipulating hours to avoid healthcare benefits, pushing costs onto taxpayers.

    "So many of those workers at the big box stores... they're only having them work 30 or 35 hours a week so they don't have to pay them full time healthcare. So guess who's paying for that? Many of them are on Medicaid paid for by state taxpayers."
    — Kathy Hochul (17:01)

• State Resistance: Hochul explains using legal action, public messaging, and state resources (e.g., $100 million for food banks) to offset federal cuts and lead the fight for social safety nets.

  "A lot of it goes right to the courts... I had to put $100 million into food banks around the state to fortify them... But part of it is also just doing the press conferences and calling out so it's in the public's mind of who did this to them..."
  — Kathy Hochul (18:51)

4. The Messaging Battle in US Politics

Timestamps: 24:50–29:54

• Communication Challenges: Hochul laments Democrats’ tendency for lengthy explanations versus Republicans’ simple, effective slogans, and highlights the critical social media gap.

  "Why is their messaging... fit on a bumper sticker and we feel like we have to explain a 20 point plan... It's viewed as condescending to people... that's part of our problem..."
  — Kathy Hochul (26:05)

• Engagement Strategies:
  Emphasizes the importance of speaking directly with constituents, building bench strength within the party, and expanding successful campaign energy from urban to rural and suburban areas.

5. Party Discipline and Legislative Frustrations

Timestamps: 29:54–32:54

• On Democratic Party Fractures: Discusses the perennial tension between purity and pragmatism in Democratic politics, and the danger of internal divisions allowing Republican victories.

  "We are the circular firing squad among other Democrats. And guess what? That's how Republicans win. Because they don't do that. They're more disciplined than that."
  — Kathy Hochul (31:05)

6. Tackling Affordability, Equity, and the Role of New Leadership

Timestamps: 36:22–41:53

• Wealth Gaps, Healthcare, & the NYC Mayoral Shift: Sophia and Hochul remark on the return of economic anxiety, the legacy of ‘90s New York, and why Mayor-elect Mamdani’s message resonates.

  "They're always looking for an enemy... for someone to demonize, someone to get people to turn on... what he touched was a nerve that was so real and so visceral to people."
  — Kathy Hochul (38:59)

• Notable Policies:

  • Free breakfast and lunch for all NY students ($3,200 per two-child family)
  • Middle-class tax rate cuts and $1,000 infant aid checks
  • Inflation rebates and housing support for vulnerable New Yorkers

7. Childcare, Community, and Building Long-Term Investments

Timestamps: 48:13–52:51

• Universal Childcare as Top Goal: Hochul discusses the challenge and necessity of expanding affordable childcare—rooted in her personal experience of leaving work due to childcare costs—and the ongoing $7 billion state investment.

  "My work in progress is truly childcare. That is something that I had to leave a job I loved on Capitol Hill because there was no childcare I could afford when I was a young mom."
  — Kathy Hochul (48:13)

• Private Sector Partnership: Highlights mandates for major companies, like Micron in Syracuse, to provide on-site childcare as part of economic development deals.

  "They had to build a childcare center as a condition of getting our money."
  — Kathy Hochul (52:28)

8. Wins and Milestones: Banning Phones in Schools

Timestamps: 41:07–44:33

• Banning Cell Phones:
  Hochul touts the impact—nonpartisan, zero cost, and quickly improving student well-being by encouraging real-life socialization and reducing distractions and anxiety.

  "We just did this in September, and I'm gonna say this is one of the most nonpartisan, you know, initiatives we ever launched... And the kids are making friends again... bringing cards and games to lunch together."
  — Kathy Hochul (41:58)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "I can't leave those stories behind me when I'm out there fighting in Harlem or the Bronx, as I was last week, to have SNAP benefits restored." — Kathy Hochul (12:30)
• "You know, sometimes I think people look at women who are politically engaged and are like, oh, you're so angry. I'm like, no, I'm sacredly angry." — Sophia Bush (17:37)
• "We have to give them the story, the narrative to tell..." — Kathy Hochul (31:43)
• "I will work with [Mayor-elect Mamdani] to help him be successful, because no one who's smart is ever going to root against New York City." — Kathy Hochul (44:33)
• "Universal childcare...it's capitalism with a good ROI. Because parents who have childcare go and make more money and then their companies make more money." — Kamala Harris, paraphrased by Sophia Bush (51:07)

Notable Timestamps

• Kathy Hochul’s Story & Values: 05:29–10:19
• Connecting Policy to Personal Struggle: 12:30–14:52
• Corporate Abuse & Medicaid Loopholes: 17:01–17:37
• State Response to SNAP Cuts: 18:51–21:19
• Messaging and Why Democrats Struggle: 26:05–29:54
• Party Discipline & “Circular Firing Squad”: 31:05
• Fear and Hope around NYC’s New Leadership: 36:22–41:53
• Banning Phones in Schools & Mental Health: 41:07–44:33
• The Push for Universal Childcare: 48:13–52:51

Tone & Language

The conversation is frank, passionate, and often informal, blending sharp political critique with humor, empathy, and personal storytelling. Hochul is both resolute and warm, often referring to herself as New York’s “mom” or “therapist in chief,” while Sophia provides data-driven advocacy and palpable emotional energy.

For Listeners

This episode is essential for anyone seeking a nuanced look at how personal history shapes public leadership, the ongoing battles for social and economic equity, and the strategies that may determine the near-future direction of New York and the US. Both heartbreaking and galvanizing, the insights on messaging, party unity, universal childcare, and grassroots advocacy are especially valuable for those invested in politics and progressive change.