CUNY TV's Bob Herbert's Op-Ed.TV
215 episodes - English - Latest episode: 30 days ago - ★★★ - 1 ratingA weekly half-hour program featuring interviews with significant men and women from a variety of fields: officeholders and activists, economists, labor leaders, writers and artists.
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Episodes
Drop Dead City: New York on the Brink
March 20, 2024 19:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBOne of the most significant and traumatic developments in New York City's history was the fiscal crisis that erupted in the mid-1970's, and made unforgettable - by the Daily News' headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead." Co-directors of a documentary of the era, Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn, discusses the crisis leading to the nation's movement away from social and deficit spending.
Veselka: the Rainbow on the Corner
March 04, 2024 22:04 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB"Veselka" rainbow in Ukrainian is the name of a beloved restaurant in New York's East Village. Opened in 1954, as a newsstand, its current owners, Tom and his son Jason Birchard, tell us how Veselka evolved into a cornerstone of its community and, has now become a beacon of hope for staff and customers tragically affected by the war.
Scott Richman: ADL Fights Antisemitism and Bias
February 22, 2024 22:52 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBScott Richman, ADL's Regional Director, discusses the dramatic surge of antisemitism. especially in New York and in New Jersey, following horrific events in Israel, including unprovoked physical attacks and killings at religious institutions, students threatened, bomb scares, and at public demonstrations - hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric. Richman says criticizing Israel or the US is OK - until it rises to levels of antisemitism.
Christina Greer: Your Vote in 2024
January 17, 2024 19:49 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBPolitics! weird politics, a fractured political process, the concern that committed voters may be reconsidering their crucial vote in 2024, court's "chipping away" at the Voting Rights Act effecting civil liberties and American democracy - are issues discussed with Fordham University Professor and Moynihan Public Scholar at City College, Christina Greer.
Samuel Freedman: "Into the Bright Sunshine"
December 18, 2023 21:50 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB"Into the Bright Sunshine," Samuel Freedman's cultural biography of Hubert Humphrey, a "ruthless foe of anti-semitism and champion of civil rights," reminds us of lynchings, racism, segregation and more that existed in this country prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and of one of the "true acts of courage in American politics..." Humphrey's speech in support of civil rights at the Democratic National Convention, in 1947!
80 is the NEW 60
November 16, 2023 01:25 - 25 minutes - 24 MBBarry LePatner commends research, advances in science, medicine, technology that allow 80 year olds to be the NEW 60's and in the United States - almost 90,000 centenarians to celebrate their birthdays. Mr. LePatner highlights the need for exercise and for social relationships - friends, family - to enjoy our "golden" years.
Jeffrey Toobin, Homegrown and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism
September 26, 2023 17:23 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBJeffrey Toobin discusses Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who in 1995 bombed the Murrah Federal Building, in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children. Toobin sites historic events: the government’s assault on Waco, racism, the Assault Weapons Ban as dynamics leading to the heinous crime. Linking the 90’s right-wing ideology to today, Toobin notes the ongoing fixation with guns, a belief that violence is justified, and an obsession with the Founding Fathers. "Homegrown: Timot...
The Life and Legacy of Jim Brown, Part 2/2
July 05, 2023 17:22 - 26 minutes - 280 MB VideoIn Part 2, Bob Herbert and guest, Dave Zirin, author of “Jim Brown: Last Man Standing,” sports editor of The Nation, and podcast host focus on Jim Brown’s incredible nine-year career as a fullback with the Cleveland Browns, his long, remarkable career after football and his sometimes troubled life.
The Life and Legacy of Jim Brown, Part 1
June 20, 2023 18:44 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBMany agree that Jim Brown was one of the greatest players to ever step onto a field. A lacrosse hall of famer, a star in numerous sports, the reality behind this legendary hero is complicated. In this two-part conversation, Bob Herbert and author, sports editor Dave Zirin, explore the extraordinary life and career of Jim Brown.
Eric Alterman: Living in a "New" Country?
May 23, 2023 19:06 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBReviewing events: January 7, "hang Pence," book burning, mass shootings, white supremacy, Eric Alterman, distinguished professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College, and Bob Herbert comment that we're living in a "new" country, with a radical and sometimes fascist major party. Naming forms of fascism in recent history, Alterman comments that this country is experiencing an ideology of anger, hatred and fear.
Miles Rapoport-100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting
May 03, 2023 15:42 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMiles Rapoport, co-author with E.J. Dionne of "100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting" discusses compulsory voting in Australia where 91.9% of the electorate voted in 2019 compared with the 60.1% turn out in America's presidential election in 2016. Bob Herbert asks - is compulsory voting possible in the U.S. and would it be good for America?
Sam Roberts: Author, The New Yorkers
April 11, 2023 14:25 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBSam Roberts writes, "people profiled in this book are among the most remarkable and noteworthy New Yorkers you've every heard of." Except, you may never have heard about them except in his book "The New Yorkers." Consider Andrew H. Green, the Father of Greater New York, who, consolidating the five boroughs, created greater New York, or, Philip A Payton, Jr. whose reverse "block busting" turned white, middle class Harlem into Black Harlem, by renting to Blacks. Unknown heroes and and some scou...
Linda Villarosa: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
March 14, 2023 16:07 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBIn her compelling new book, Linda Villarosa notes "African Americans live sicker and die quicker" than other Americans. Educator, journalist and author of "Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation," weaves the lives of real people - among them - the Relf sisters, and the medical profession's policy that Blacks should not have more babies.
Getting to the Bottom of Gun Violence with David M. Kennedy
February 01, 2023 19:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBBob delves into the motives behind most mass shootings in this country, and the work that is being done to prevent such violence, with guest David M. Kennedy, one of America’s most knowledgeable experts on crime and violence, and violence prevention. He’s a professor of criminal justice at CUNY's John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the director of John Jay’s National Network for Safe Communities.
Prof. Gail Buffalo on 2022 National Education Assessments
January 17, 2023 19:24 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWe are now learning that one of the longest-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is its impact on education. The latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation’s report card, showed that math scores for fourth and eighth graders plunged, and reading scores weren’t much better. Gail Buffalo, an assistant professor and expert on early childhood education at CUNY's City College of New York, discusses the decline in these national results and some posit...
Scott Richman on the Fight Against Antisemitism
December 29, 2022 07:14 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBThe Anti-Defamation League began tracking reports of harassment, vandalism and violence against Jews in 1979. The number of reports last year were the highest on record. Joining Bob to talk about all of this, and what can be done about, it is Scott Richman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey.
Jonathan D. Cohen on America’s Lottery Obsession
December 05, 2022 18:04 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBAmericans spend more money on lottery tickets every year than they spend on streaming services, concert tickets, books and movie tickets combined. But what’s the truth about lotteries? Are the odds of winning a Powerball or Mega-Millions jackpot so big that you have basically no chance at all? Do the lotteries raise the huge sums for education or other public services that they claim? Bob puts these questions and more to his guest, the historian Jonathan D. Cohen, who has written a timely and...
Jennifer Weiss-Wolf on Abortion and Democracy
November 22, 2022 21:57 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBIt’s no secret that abortion rights are under attack across America. Bob talks about this crisis, and what can be done about it, with guest Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, the executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network at the NYU School of Law.
James Parrott on NYC’s Economic Challenges
November 07, 2022 17:13 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MB“Fiscal crisis” is a term that can send chills through New Yorkers' spines. As the city faces some enormous economic challenges, Bob talks about them, and what the city can do about them, with guest James Parrott, the director of economic and fiscal policies at the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs.
Lynne Weikart on The Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg
October 24, 2022 18:34 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBAfter a period of relative prosperity, declining crime, and a real boost in the city’s spirits, New York is once again struggling. The mayor during most of that prior, more or less benign, period was Michael Bloomberg. Bob takes a look back at his administration – the highs, the lows and the in-betweens – with Lynne Weikart, a retired associate professor from Baruch College and the author of a compelling new book titled “MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: The Limits of Power.”
Richard Aborn on New Gun Laws for New York
October 06, 2022 21:05 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBBob talks with Richard Aborn, a lawyer, and the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City. The discussion centers on how a recent Supreme Court ruling, which struck down part of New York’s 109-year-old concealed carry law, is forcing some big changes in NYC, and what that will mean for the safety of the everyday New Yorker.
Kostya Kennedy on the Incomparable Jackie Robinson, Part 2
September 27, 2022 17:01 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBBob is joined once again by veteran sports chronicler, Kostya Kennedy, for part two of their discussion about Kennedy's book “TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson.” They pick up the story in the mid-1950s, when the lights are already dimming on Robinson’s amazing career.
Kostya Kennedy on the Incomparable Jackie Robinson, Part 1
September 09, 2022 18:29 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBAward-winning sports chronicler, Kostya Kennedy, joins Bob Herbert to discuss his new book “TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson." TRUE touches on four transformative years of the baseball great and civil rights trailblazer's life. In part 1 of this two part interview, we learn about Jackie Robinson's time playing for the Montreal Royals, a farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, as well as his 1949 season with the Dodgers during which he won the Most Valuable Player award.
Eric Alterman on the State of Our Democracy
February 14, 2022 18:01 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBWhat kind of democracy, or more accurately, a democratic republic, are we living in when presidents get elected without winning the popular vote, or when voters favor stronger gun control measures, easier access to legal abortions, and a higher minimum wage, but they have been unable to achieve these measures no matter how often they go to the polls and cast a ballot? Bob talks about all of this with his guest, Eric Alterman, a historian, author, distinguished professor of English and Journal...
Erica Atwood on Curbing Gun Violence in Major Cities
February 02, 2022 14:03 - 24 minutes - 23.1 MBWith gun violence in America only going up during the pandemic, more than fifteen hundred boys and girls below the age of 18 were killed in homicides, suicides and accidental shootings in 2021. Bob talks with guest Erica Atwood, senior director of Philadelphia’s Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice and Public Safety, about some of the root causes of gun violence, and the steps that are being taken to prevent it.
David Wallace-Wells on Those Most Impacted by Climate Change
January 19, 2022 14:20 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBBob talks with David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine editor-at-large, about his recent cover story, "The Guilty and the Damned." The piece explains how the countries least responsible for climate change are being impacted the most.
Sam Roberts on the Evolution of Newspaper Reporting
January 03, 2022 16:42 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBBob talks about the good, the bad, and the troubles he’s seen over his half century in the news business with an old friend and colleague – Sam Roberts – once the city editor of the Daily News, where Bob spent 17 years, and now the urban affairs correspondent at The New York Times, where Bob spent 18 years. Sam is also the host of The New York Times Close-Up, which airs on CUNY TV.
Commissioner Steven Banks on Homelessness in NYC
December 21, 2021 15:51 - 24 minutes - 23.2 MBIf ever a problem seemed intractable, it’s homelessness. After many decades of trying to find solutions, there are still tens of thousands of homeless men, women and children here in New York City. But there are also many dedicated people who work day and night to bring shelter and badly-needed services to many thousands of homeless people who otherwise would have nowhere to turn. One of those dedicated individuals is Bob’s guest, Steven Banks, who has been leading, simultaneously, the city’s...
Vincent Southerland on Critical Race Theory
November 18, 2021 21:56 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBCritical race theory, a respected intellectual framework that has been around since the 1970s and is taught mostly in law schools, is freaking out a lot of people. Bob tries to bring some clarity and honesty to this situation by speaking with Vincent Southerland, an assistant professor of clinical law at the NYU School of Law, and the co-editor of the book "Race, Rights and Redemption: The Derrick Bell Lectures on the Law and Critical Race Theory."
Ashley Owen on Problem Gambling
November 10, 2021 13:32 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBAds for websites like Draft Kings and FanDuel are seemingly everywhere. What does this inundation of gambling opportunities mean for the problem gambler? Are there ways to protect those who are vulnerable to this dangerous, sometimes heart-breaking addiction? Bob explores this subject with Ashley Owen, a team leader with the New York City Problem Gambling Resource Center.
Jocelyn McCalla on Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis
October 07, 2021 20:38 - 24 minutes - 23 MBHaiti can seem like a country that is cursed. It’s the poorest nation in our hemisphere and has long been beset by political instability, natural disasters, and stunning outbreaks of violence. Haitians fleeing their home country for one reason or another have contributed to a surge of migration into the United States, and that has created a political crisis for the Biden administration. Bob talks about all of this with guest Jocelyn McCalla, a longtime human rights activist with a special foc...
Dr. Robert Kopp on Climate Change and Our Future
September 28, 2021 13:20 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThe latest news on the climate front has been ominous indeed. In addition to wildfires, historic flooding and life-threatening heat waves here and in other parts of the world, recent scientific reports are pointing to worse catastrophes to come. Lives are being lost and colossal levels of destruction are already under way. What can we do to mitigate future outcomes? Bob asks this of his guest, Dr. Robert Kopp, director of the Institute of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at Rutgers Unive...
Zachary W. Carter on Crime and Policing
July 06, 2021 13:08 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBNew York City experienced a crimewave in the 1970s, and again during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and early 90s. Now violent crime – specifically, homicide – is surging again. Why? And what do we need to do to avoid a repeat of the terrible, tragic days of the past? Bob asks this of his guest, Zachary W. Carter, a former U.S. attorney and former judge, who has also served as New York City’s Corporation Counsel.
Jacob Hacker on Threats to U.S. Democracy
June 22, 2021 12:43 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBOver one hundred eminent scholars recently signed a statement of concern that asserts, clearly and unequivocally, that “our entire democracy is now at risk.” One of these scholars joins Bob to explain this threat to the future of our nation. He is Jacob Hacker, a political science professor at Yale University and co-author of the book “LET THEM EAT TWEETS: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality.”
AnnMaura Connolly on the Benefits of National Service
June 08, 2021 00:30 - 24 minutes - 23.3 MBBelieve it or not, there’s one area of national policy on which Democrats and Republicans seem to agree, and that’s voluntary national service programs. These are programs in which men and women of all ages, but often young people, engage in activities that provide an endless variety of benefits to local communities.
Arva Rice on Vaccine Hesitancy and Access
May 25, 2021 16:55 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a tragically disproportionate effect on America’s black communities, and yet, some members of the African-American and other communities of color, have been among those initially reluctant to take the vaccines that have been developed to combat the pandemic. Why is that? And what’s being done to reverse that reluctance? Bob talks about this with guest Arva Rice, president and CEO of the New York Urban League and a member of a task force that was formed in New Yor...
Andrea Williams on Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues
May 11, 2021 14:31 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBThe general, almost universal feeling now, is that it was a good thing when Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier in 1947. However, there were unintended consequences, which have been mostly lost in the unforgiving haze of history. Bob talks about those consequences with guest Andrea Williams, author of the new book, “Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues.”
DNA Test Kits and Family Secrets with Libby Copeland
April 27, 2021 13:52 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBGenetic testing kits for the ordinary consumer are becoming more and more popular. People love learning about their family histories and their ethnic and genetic makeup. But there’s a cautionary tale here, as well. A venture through the mysteries of your DNA can turn up lots of surprises, and some may not be welcome. Bob talks about the highs and lows, and the pros and cons of widespread genetic testing with guest Libby Copeland, an award-winning journalist and the author of “The Lost Family:...
NYC’s Racial Justice Commission with Jennifer Jones Austin
April 13, 2021 14:02 - 27 minutes - 26.4 MBIn a potentially historic move, the city of New York has created a Racial Justice Commission. It will examine the systemic race-based injustices and inequities embedded in the operations of city government, and it will recommend remedies. The commission’s chair, Jennifer Jones Austin, joins Bob to discuss this major undertaking.
Eliza Sweren-Becker on Securing Voting Rights
March 30, 2021 14:50 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBBob talks with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel to the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, about the attempts that the Republican Party is making to undermine the voting rights of millions of Americans – and especially black Americans, and what can be done to stop them.
Barry B. LePatner on the Return of New York City
March 16, 2021 13:10 - 23 minutes - 22.3 MBBarry LePatner, a lawyer and nationally-recognized authority on real estate and construction, joins Bob to discuss New York City’s path forward. How will the transportation and commercial real estate sectors fare?
The Looming Mortgage Crisis with Dr. Samuel Stein
March 02, 2021 15:19 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBAs we emerge, hopefully, from this COVID-19 pandemic, New York is heading straight into a housing crisis. At some point the moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures will be lifted, and an awful lot of New Yorkers will not have the money to pay their back rent, or their mortgage arrears. What will this mean – not just for tenants, homeowners and landlords – but for New Yorkers at large? Bob talks about this with Dr. Samuel Stein, a housing policy analyst at the Community Service Society, and ...
Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings on the Fight for Our Democracy
February 16, 2021 01:23 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBBob talks with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a woman who has worn many hats - consultant, writer, politician – you name it. She was the wife of the extraordinary congressman, Elijah Cummings, who died in October of 2019. The two discuss Rep. Cummings’s book, “We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy,” which was released posthumously. They also talk about the roots of the deep racial and economic divides our country continues to face.
The Life and Career of Governor David A. Paterson
February 02, 2021 18:31 - 23 minutes - 22.4 MBBob Herbert talks with former Governor of New York, David A. Paterson, about his moving and very funny memoir, “Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."
Gov. David A. Paterson on the Life of Mayor David Dinkins
January 05, 2021 15:00 - 24 minutes - 23 MBFormer New York Governor David Paterson joins Bob to discuss the life and legacy of David Dinkins, New York City's first black mayor, and member of the incredibly influential "Gang of 4."
Eliza Sweren-Becker on the Future of Voting Rights
December 23, 2020 20:13 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBThe United States has just been through a traumatic presidential election, but dangerous threats to our system of elections – and thus to democracy itself – preceded the outlandish behavior of Donald Trump, and they are still abound. Bob talks about this with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, at NYU’s School of Law.
Dr. Lee Miringoff on How Election Polls Actually Fared
November 24, 2020 14:05 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBAfter two tumultuous presidential elections, public opinion pollsters have been left battered and bruised. So what did the polls get right? And what did they get wrong? Bob talks about this with an old friend and one of the best pollsters in the country, Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
Jason Haber on the Future of New York City
November 10, 2020 15:02 - 26 minutes - 24.8 MBBecause of the COVID-19 pandemic, conventional wisdom says New Yorkers are abandoning the city in droves, setting up households in the suburbs, upstate, in the Hamptons – anywhere but here. Is that true? And if it’s true, is it permanent? And if it’s permanent, what are the implications? Bob asks these questions of his guest, Jason Haber, a writer and lecturer whose primary focus has been real estate and urban development.
Dave Zirin on Sports and Society
October 27, 2020 14:04 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBBob is joined by sports writer Dave Zirin, whose work brings extraordinary insight, and a deep understanding of the ways in which sports are linked to culture, politics and the economy. The two discuss how the politicalization of professional sports has evolved, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on both the youth and professional sports worlds. Dave Zirin is the sports editor of The Nation magazine, and is the host of the podcast, “The Edge of Sports.”
Richard Alba on the Demographic Future of America
October 14, 2020 14:18 - 25 minutes - 24.4 MBRichard Alba, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at The CUNY Graduate Center, discusses his new book, "The Great Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, and the Expanding American Mainstream,” sharing with Bob Herbert how the supposed near future majority-minority narrative is misleading.