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$3.20 A GALLON  FOR REGULAR FOR CASH

WPCNR MOVING ON. NEWS & COMMENT By John F. Bailey. September 15, 2025:

I drove out to fill up for the coming week Saturday and had a deja’ vu moment as I pulled in to my regular gas stop.

The price of unleaded regular had gone up from a very manageable $2.99 to $3.20.

Is this just the seasonable change over to winter gas?

Is this Middle East manipulation of their production?

Is it oil companies trying to beef up quarterly earnings?

Is this the beginning of steady increases in tariffs? Or all of the above?

Funny did any media even recognize this as a story? It is.

The Newsmobile took its usual 8 gallons but it cost $25.49  not the usual $23.92. All summer long I’ve been paying $2.99 ($36) to fill my 12 gallon tank, now that fill up costs $38.40. I get good mileage but do not do a lot of driving.

The average person commutes by car 50 60 miles if you commute to the city. After the over summer gas prices to encourage vacations, we get spoiled.

(Long paragraph ahead to give you the big picture)

If you earn under a $100,000 A YEAR, and have to commute by car this ominous upturn in the face of inflation which supposedly is now going to go up with the tariff policies the nation is imposing at the same time, the money people in Washington want to lower interest rates (which seems like a sure thing right now, because real estate and the banks and the stock industries have to keep us going, coupled with industries continuing to raise prices which will mean windfall profits  for them, you have a real squeeze on those families on everything they need to buy to live and work and eat and take care of their health.

Look what is going up: Food, gas, health care, car prices, clothing, child care, airfare,house prices, layoffs, electricity

Look what is going down: jobs, purchasing power, benefits, aid, clean power

Looking at that new price of gas took me back to 1976 to 1980 when OPEC nations in the Middle East imposed the oil embargo in 1973 when Egypt and Syria crossed into the Sinai and attempted to seize the Sinai lands..this spiked gas prices up overnight. Gas lines around the block, arguments at the pump leading to fist fights. Trains were jammed.

Gas Shortage Sign in Connecticut During Energy Crisis

The gaslines  cost President Carter a second term. Why?  Here is how Encyclopedia Britannica explains it:

The Jimmy Carter administration began a phased deregulation of oil prices on April 5, 1979, when the average price of crude oil was US$15.85 per barrel ($100/m³). Starting with the Iranian revolution, the price of crude oil rose to $39.50 per barrel ($248/m³) over the next 12 months (its all-time highest real price until March 3, 2008).^[11] Deregulating domestic oil price controls allowed U.S. oil output to rise sharply from the large Prudhoe Bay fields, while oil imports fell sharply.

Although not directly related, the near-disaster at Three Mile Island on March 28, 1979, also increased anxiety about energy policy and availability.^[12] Due to memories of the oil shortage in 1973, motorists soon began panic buying, and long lines appeared at gas stations, as they had six years earlier.^[13] The average vehicle of the time consumed between two and three liters (about 0.5–0.8 gallons) of gasoline an hour while idling, and it was estimated that Americans wasted up to 150,000 barrels (24,000 m³) of oil per day idling their engines in the lines at gas stations.^[14]

When the Reagan administration came in, we continued to do business as usual with OPEC

We have learned nothing in 40 years.

We practice the comfortable art of wishful thinking.

Denying reality.

Dumb ideas in the 1930s made the depression worse.

Those same Dumb ideas were used in the 1990s (eliminating the Glass-Seagal Act comes to mind)

Now the 40 years between 1976 and 2025  has apparently taught us nothing.

The country is still partners with the Middle East oil producers they are holding us hostage again in a nice way of course.

(Another long long paragraph to round up the maverick cattle in the congressional herd:)

We are throwing out environmental protections. The oil industry  now essentially the Standard Oil Trust recreated has had their way with the new administrations,  all of the  and restrictions on how they make oil how they pollute and deplete the ozone to the point where climate change has turned weather into something unpredictable and dangerous to the point where the planet is warming to destructive status. However, our “leaders” in congress continue to twiddle their thumbs  and do nothing, empowering our arch enemies. And thinking everything will work out and “Happy Days a booming economy, and it is just a bad winter will come back” The more the leaders in Washington think that in both houses and in positions of power say that the more they believe it.

As Governor Hochul said this weekend “You have to govern in reality.”

.

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View in browser School shootings, brace for vaccine headlines this week, Covid-19 vaccine access CHAOS AHEAD, another measles death, and more. The Dose (September 15) Katelyn Jetelina Sep 15 ∙ Paid Reprinted with permission READ IN APP Last week was my first grader’s back-to-school night. I found myself sitting in those tiny chairs, scanning the classroom. As I admired the adorable drawings on the walls and watched my daughter try to spell “bestie” in her notebook, I was calculating risk: where her desk was, how close it sat to the door, and what that might mean if a mass shooter walked onto campus. I hate that my mind went there, but it did. And as a parent, I know I’m not alone. The very next day, news broke of another school shooting—the 100th this year— overshadowed by the separate campus shooting that killed Charlie Kirk. This week’s Dose covers not only the waves of disease and vaccine news (and there’s a lot!), but also another public health crisis: the reality that gun violence is a public health problem in the United States, and guns are the number one killer of children. Public health is about protecting health and safety in every sense. The reality is stark, but change is possible. Infectious disease “weather report” Covid-19: Wastewater levels, a key indicator of community spread, are now “high.” Encouragingly, infections appear to be slowing in Florida and Hawaii, the leaders of this wave, suggesting the national peak may be near. Other metrics, like emergency department visits for Covid-19 and the number of positive tests, have already started decreasing. The common cold (gray line) is also experiencing a significant spike. Everything else is quiet still: Flu: Outpatient visits for flu-like illness are climbing, especially among kids. We haven’t crossed the 3% threshold that defines flu season yet, but the South is seeing early growth, as it often does. RSV: Still quiet—nothing notable so far. What does this mean for you? If you’re sick, it’s most likely the cold or Covid-19. It’s safest to continue to mask in indoor crowded areas. If you start to feel sick, stay home. To get ahead of the flu and RSV, plan for your vaccine (and other fall vaccines) with our 2025 guide to fall vaccines. Another measles death: A sobering reminder Los Angeles County reported the tragic death of a school-aged child from a complication of measles. The child was infected years ago, before they were eligible for vaccination. They later developed subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare but fatal brain disease that appears years after initial infection. About 1 in 600 infants infected with measles will develop SSPE. SSPE causes progressive neurologic decline; most victims die within 1–3 years of symptom onset. There is no cure. The CDC still lists three measles deaths this year. It’s unclear whether they will add this delayed case to official counts. Ultimately, this is a heartbreaking reminder of one reason we vaccinate: to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This type of story will be increasingly important to elevate to neighbors and communities if (and when) more states drop vaccination requirements for schools. See more from CA YLE Matt Willis here. And, if you’re a grandparent, consider joining Grandparents for Vaccines grassroots effort. Learn more here! Covid vaccine access: States to the rescue (mostly) As of Friday, 16 states have acted to preserve Covid-19 vaccine access by ensuring pharmacists can keep administering shots. This matters: over 90% of Americans get vaccinated at pharmacies. States are improvising because many laws tie access to federal guidance, and this year federal decisions are not following the best science. Some states are now exclusively relying on professional organizations, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, who continue to use transparent, evidence-informed practices. So far, we’ve seen: Expanding pharmacists’ scope (CA, CO, MD) Executive orders or emergency declarations (MA, NY) Standing orders (WA, NY, DE, NC) Pharmacy board directives (PA, NV, KY) What we’re hearing from you: Confusion is everywhere. More than 200 of you shared stories, from all 50 states. Many are incredibly frustrating to read: “I’m 33 weeks pregnant and want to give my baby as much coverage going into ‘sick season’ as possible .… My provider said I couldn’t get any fall vaccines at my visit or even make a plan because they aren’t ‘in season’ and my local hospital (part of a national health care system) hasn’t stocked them yet in my small community given the confusion. What’s the point in having the power to make an informed choice if the system isn’t set up to give us access?” With permission, we compiled these stories into a congressional brief sent to senators and professional societies last week. Keep sharing your stories here. Expect even more vaccine headlines this week There will be two key developments in the vaccine policy space this week: The HELP committee hearing. Former CDC director Susan Monarez—removed by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.—will testify about political interference in vaccine policy. She is expected to describe the pressure she faced to “rubber-stamp” recommendations not grounded in science. This could prompt pushback from senators, including Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician who cast the deciding vote for RFK Jr.’s confirmation. That said, this is an oversight hearing—more investigation than action—so it won’t directly affect you. The September ACIP meeting. On Thursday and Friday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—the external body that sets vaccine policy—will hold a special session, its second under RFK Jr.’s leadership. This committee already has a record of disregarding scientific evidence. On the agenda: three vaccines—MMRV (measles, mumps, varicella, rubella), hepatitis B for infants, and Covid-19. There’s a real possibility this group could vote against recommending some—or even all—of them. If that happens, these vaccines may be removed from many state programs or forced off-market. The consequences could be deeply disruptive for families trying to access routine, life-saving immunizations. Why this meeting will spark confusion Beyond the decisions themselves (and implications for access), expect a wave of rumors and falsehoods online and in conversations with your family and friends. Last time, this ACIP committee—hand-picked by RFK Jr.—flat out ignored scientific evidence or consensus. There’s little reason to think this meeting will be any different, so scientists, policymakers, and communicators are bracing for chaos. We already have a preview. On Friday, The Washington Post reported that ACIP plans to discuss reports of 25 pediatric Covid-19 deaths using VAERS (the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). VAERS is an important tool for spotting early safety signals, but it has significant limitations: Anyone can file a report, not just healthcare providers. It runs on an honor system, which means reports can be incomplete, inaccurate, or even intentionally misleading. Most critically: VAERS data cannot establish causality. CDC conducts investigations after reports come in, but the raw data alone does not prove that a vaccine caused an event. This is why VAERS is often misused by vaccine skeptics to cast doubt on safe vaccines. I would not be surprised if this committee leans on VAERS in the same way—to justify pulling Covid-19 vaccines off the market for pediatric patients. What this means for you: Until the votes are final, the exact impact is hard to predict. But you can expect a flood of headlines and social media chatter this week—much of it a mix of rumors and falsehoods, amplified by misuse of data like VAERS. I’ll be back as quickly as possible to help sort through what’s fact, what’s spin, and what it means for your health and your family. School shootings: 100 in 2025 so far Last week, Evergreen High School near Denver became the 100th school shooting this year. It wasn’t labeled a mass shooting (fewer than 4 injuries/deaths), but the trauma is no less real. On the same day, Charlie Kirk was shot to death on a college campus. Figure Source: Everytown Research Gun violence is clearly a public health problem in the United States. And, like infectious diseases, it spreads in patterns: School shootings cluster around transitions in the school calendar (start of year, winter break, year-end). The timing of a Sept/Oct shooting follows this pattern. Whether it’s a mass shooting or firearm injury, these have outsized impacts on mental health and perceptions of safety. Firearm injuries are the number one cause of death for U.S. children. This is a distinction no other high-income country shares. Source: Everytown Research Since there are patterns in public health, it indicates that the issue’s not random but preventable. There are some things you, as an individual, can do right now to address gun violence. I’ve written about them extensively before: Practice gun safety. Hear something, say something. Among school shootings, more than 78% of shooters leaked their plans. Be cognizant of media. But in the end, the thing that makes the most impact is policy. We’ve been here before with other massive challenges, like smoking and car crashes, and we’ve been able to do unimaginable things and save millions of lives when we approach problems with a public health lens. There is bipartisan support for many common-sense gun policies, including background checks and red flag laws. And policy change works. For example, states with the strictest gun laws have fewer deaths than states with more permissive gun laws, as shown in a recent JAMA Pediatrics study. This was after controlling for several other factors. My friend and colleague was one of the principal authors and wrote more commentary on this in detail here. Faust et al., JAMA Pediatrics. While policy proposals tend to fall short, they make progress and inch us forward to a safer world. Change is possible, and we need to fight for it. Bottom line Stay safe and brace for a noisy week of vaccine headlines. I’ll be back with more and what it means for your health and your family. And if you find yourself at a back-to-school night, I hope your thoughts linger more on joy than mine did—on the art taped to the walls, the messy handwriting, the little sparks of hope sitting in those tiny chairs, and ultimately the future of our nation. Love, YLE Upcoming YLE webinar on fall vaccines This week will be chaotic on the vaccine front (see more below). To help cut through the noise, join me and Chelsea Cipriano of the Common Health Coalition next Monday for a live webinar on fall vaccines: the who, what, when, where, and why of fall vaccination. Paid subscribers can register below. Register here! Look forward to seeing you there! Like Comment Restack

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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. September 24, 2025

ICYMI: GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S OP-ED IN EMPIRE REPORT:

Today, Empire Report published an op-ed by Governor Kathy Hochul about the alarming rise of political violence in America—and the responsibility we all have to to stop it. Text of the op-ed can be viewed online and is available below:

An assassination attempt on President Trump.

The assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the shooting of State Senator John Hoffman.

A plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a firebombing at the home of Governor Josh Shapiro.

The violent attack on our Capitol on January 6.

And now, the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing and increasingly common pattern of political violence. And unless we take action, it won’t stop here.

Over the course of the past few days we’ve rightfully seen leaders from both sides of the aisle forcefully condemn the horrific violence that bore out in Utah on Wednesday. But we’ve also watched voices declare war on their fellow Americans and fan the flames of anger, no doubt contributing to the ensuing rise in swatting threats across the country at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and political offices.

All of us as Americans, but especially those in positions of leadership, must grapple with the fact that we allowed ourselves to reach a place where a growing number of people believe that using violence against those we disagree with is acceptable.

In an age defined by viral rhetoric and algorithmic amplification, the line between speech and violence has become increasingly blurred. Social media algorithms reward provocative, emotionally charged content. And as a result, extremist narratives are shared, liked, and recommended — not because they are truthful, but because they drive engagement.

And then here we are — in a feedback loop, where extreme language spreads, often unchecked, and someone eventually pulls the trigger.

What makes this pattern especially insidious is its built-in deniability.

Because we often describe the perpetrators of these heinous acts as “lone wolves,” those whose rhetoric radicalized or mobilized them to violence can claim they can’t be blamed for actions they did not directly command.

This shields the radicalizer from responsibility, even as the violence catalyzed by their language becomes more and more frequent.

Some will argue that this is an attack on free speech.

I call B.S. The First Amendment protects citizens from government censorship, but it does not shield those of us in the public spotlight from accountability.

Freedom of expression should not become a smokescreen for promoting hate or encouraging violence.

We must move beyond the fiction that speech exists in a vacuum.

When influential voices frame opponents as less than human, they create the conditions in which violence becomes justifiable.

At this point however, identifying the pattern is not enough.

First, leaders must commit to toning down their rhetoric, and everyday Americans must hold us all accountable. There should be consequences at the ballot box and in the court of public opinion when we don’t.

Second, we must take real steps to try to help those who may be on the path towards violence, to turn around and walk the opposite direction.

During my first year in office, my hometown of Buffalo was rocked by the racially motivated murder of 10 Black New Yorkers who were targeted simply because of the color of their skin.

In the wake of that tragedy, I knew that the only way we could possibly stop these horrors was to reduce the chances an unstable violent individual could possess a weapon by increasing our red flag laws, ensure law enforcement had the tools they need to monitor online threats, and embrace a prevention model that leverages comprehensive, multidisciplinary interventions to stop violence.

In New York, this approach is embodied by the creation of local Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) teams.

They can include law enforcement, mental health professionals, school officials, large employers, the public safety net, and health care systems. Together, they assemble the puzzle pieces to identify behaviors that can ultimately lead to violence.

52 counties plus New York City now field TAM teams and have collectively intervened in more than 2,000 cases. Considering the rage and vitriol that is flooding the internet and airwaves, our objective is to prevent violence before it occurs — responding after the fact isn’t enough.

This week I stood on sacred ground to honor the lives of those lost 24 years ago on 9/11. I thought about what happened on September 12, 2001, when — in the face of unspeakable horror — our nation’s greatest strength was its unity.

I urge New Yorkers and Americans to harken back to that same sense of unifying purpose. Political violence has no place in America. A democracy thrives on debate, not bloodshed.

As broken as our nation can feel at times like this, I still believe to my core that the ties that bind us are much stronger than the forces that seek to tear us apart.

Most of us, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, have the same dreams: a safe place for our kids, our work, to have fun, and to live with a sense of purpose and dignity.

That’s the America I hold in my heart, and I believe it should exist in everyone’s heart.

So in this moment, let us come together and resolve to forge a safer, more tolerant world, not just for today, for our children and our grandchildren. We have work to do, but as always, New Yorkers and Americans are up for the challenge.

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JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS 93RD DISTRICT ASSEMBLYMAN CHRIS BURDICK ON THE ALBANY AHEAD

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Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: Thank you, Scarlet. And I can’t think of a better person to be sitting down with about how AI is embraced by this state, by this city. Governor Hochul, thank you for being with us today.

Governor Hochul: Thank you.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: And I think of 2024, when you first announced Empire AI — when you think about being at the forefront of transformational change that AI is going to bring, what is your answer for what New York’s competitive edge is?

Governor Hochul: This has taken us to a whole new level. This was important to me. I’m a New Yorker, I’m competitive, I want to be number one. And so, we saw the great potential from friends that I’ve had in the industry. Tom Secunda and others brought an idea to me that we could have this incredible, first-in-the-nation partnership between academia, state government and the private sector.

So literally, the idea was talked about over breakfast in October. I had it in my State of the State three months later, and was able to secure $400 million from the Legislature.

We had to persuade them that this was in the public interest. And I will tell you, we now added another $90 million — we’re over almost $500 million invested, and it has exceeded all expectations.

And so, I put together an Emerging Technologies Task Force that is co-chaired by the CEO of IBM, as well as the CEO of Girls Who Code because I want to make sure that we’re diversifying the workforce. I want to see more women, I want to see people of color, and that’s why New York is such an attractive place all across the world.

But in our AI space, I wanted these to be the researchers, the thinkers, the innovators solving some of society’s greatest problems. I literally spent a day out this weekend up in Buffalo, my hometown — saw what they’re doing there, and the part that made me so proud was that we’re about to announce, in a few months, our AI beta, which is 11 times more powerful than what I already have now with our alpha — we just launched.

We’re already going to next level opportunities in a very short time, but they’re also bringing in more people to our state — and this was important to me. More of the brilliant people, the professors we’re attracting from other universities. They have so many students who want to become part of this — not just UB, because this is for all of our universities across the state. They all want a piece of this because they can do their research and their PhD work with power that no other student in the country will have.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: You’re talking about talent there and you have lent, in particular, to the labor that’s needed. Energy’s needed.

Governor Hochul: Yes.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: How do we have to embrace fossil fuels and nuclear if we’re going to have the resources for this?

Governor Hochul: I have an all-of-the-above approach, but first of all, one of the reasons Empire AI is housed up at the University of Buffalo is that I have an enormous amount of supply of hydroelectric power from the Niagara plant there — that powers about 25 percent of our energy.

Another part of 25 percent of our Upstate energy is nuclear already. I want to add more nuclear. I’ll be the first Governor in a generation and a very rare Democratic Governor who says, “I can’t assume that we’re going to have the power available now. I need sustainability, reliability and affordability, and I’m going to do that.” And we’re also looking at natural gas and other areas, but we have wind and solar–

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: You fought for wind.

Governor Hochul: I saved wind.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: How?

Governor Hochul: Yeah, I saved wind.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: How? What did you say to President Trump to keep wind?

Governor Hochul: I said that you have 1,500 people who just lost their jobs when you shut it down. This will power 500,000 homes of clean energy in Brooklyn. But, back to those people who lost their jobs, “Mr. President, a lot of them are from Long Island. I think a lot of them voted for you. So why don’t you tell them that we’ll lift the stop work order. Stop this poor company from aging $15 million a week, get them back going again,” and we were successful.”

But I also said, “I’m looking at an all-of-the-above approach to energy, so work with me. Find a faster way to get me nuclear too, Mr. President, because seven of the 10 years that it takes to get nuclear approvals is at the federal government level.” I said, “I’ll look at my streamline processes, you streamline yours — let’s get this done sooner.”

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: What’s interesting is you’re putting people first and you’ve been very vocal about the safety element of AI. I want to go back to what’s on your desk at the moment — the RAISE Act. Are you going to sign it off? Because this is about protecting foundational models and ensuring that they’re secure in their security.

Governor Hochul: Right, right. I’m looking at — I have to be honest, our policy is when there’s a bill on my desk, we don’t talk about it until I’m ready to sign. I have over 900 bills that are on my desk. They have to be signed or vetoed by the end of the year. Obviously we’re looking at that seriously, but we have been leaders in protecting our children, in particular, from AI chatbots and making sure that when someone starts to talk about suicidal thoughts, that the platform will provide them resources and support.

And just trying to find different ways because this is the whole new frontier, right? It’s hard to know what the challenges and the problems are going to be when you’re just starting out. But we have to be that forward thinking. I have to protect New Yorkers as well as our businesses, but let the tech industry know this is the place you want to be. We’re innovative. We’re smart. We have the talent. And I’ll make sure we break down barriers to your success.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: Is there a worry from those foundational LLM creators — the likes of OpenAI — about that regulation?

Governor Hochul: Well, I think people prefer to have a federal regulation. I mean, think about the responsibility of the federal government. These companies don’t know boundaries. They’re all over the planet, so it’s hard when one state has a set of rules, another state does, another state. I don’t think that’s a model for inspiring innovation, but a lot of companies should be adopting these internal controls themselves — that’s always one step they can take to assure people in government that they’ve done what is necessary.

But in the absence of that, the federal government needs to be looking at these policies as well.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: These startups, these foundational LLM model creators and big business also really care, not just about regulation, but about taxation. And with the new bill coming from President Trump, there might be a hole coming in the next year or so. How are you thinking about that landscape for the people who you want to come here and build AI for the Empire State?

Governor Hochul: Right, right. I am very sensitive to competitiveness with other states. I’ve said I don’t want to raise income taxes on high-net-worth people. I want them to know that New York is a place where we want to foster innovation — be open to your success, because your success means you’re hiring more people. You’re putting more people to work, and to the extent that you’re willing to seek out future employees in some of the neighborhoods that have been underserved.

This is what Micron is doing as part of our deal to get the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility investment in American history. $100 million–

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: That’s out in Syracuse, right?

Governor Hochul: Out in Syracuse. I landed that in my early days as Governor. I said, “I’m not losing this one,” but part of it is they had to have a green energy policy, sustainability — and they’re also looking for talent and changing curriculums in the schools around Syracuse, some of the neighborhoods where kids would never have a chance to have these jobs. And Micron — because they have a strong sense of social responsibility, they’re partnering with us to help that. So companies that show that kind of enlightenment to me, we’ll open a lot of doors for them.

You take care of my people, we’ll take care of you.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: And you are thinking about that from a whole state perspective, but some of the founders and CEOs I speak to here in the city, well they’re worried about the next leader of the city. They’re thinking about the mayoral candidate, they’re thinking about Mamdani in particular, and he’s got high tax ideas. How are you convincing them to stay here in the state?

Governor Hochul: Well, they need to know one thing, is that the City of New York — as powerful and mighty as it is — it’s still a subdivision of the State. So any tax increase has to come across my desk first. So I will work with whomever the mayor is as long as they want to help foster my policies, which is pro-growth, pro-business.

And if it’s Mamdani, I will work closely with him to help him understand that when we want to solve society’s problems — and there are many — that we also have the resources to do it. And so, that means letting people know that we appreciate you being here. You’re building companies, you’re creating wealth, you’re hiring people, you’re supporting our cultures and our philanthropies, and that we welcome you to be here and know that this is your home.

So I’ll continue on that effort, but we do have a lot of challenges on affordability. I think he hit a nerve. He hit a real nerve, which is why people want this. At this point in the polls, they are showing an inclination toward supporting him because he’s talking about what I’ve been talking about for a long time — is that people feel like they’re just not getting ahead.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: Yeah. A sensitive question, and I know you say time and time again you don’t want to influence the vote, but would you lend him your endorsement?

Governor Hochul: I’m having conversations about all kinds of issues. There are a lot of very strong philosophical differences. I am a staunch capitalist. And so, I need to know that people can have a certain philosophy, but you got to govern in reality.

And the reality is that this is the financial center of the world. We want to make sure that this is known as the tech center of the world, the innovation capital, and I want to make sure we inspire people to come here. Where I do have fear is that the policies out of Washington with Donald Trump is going to stymie that because 47 percent of new startups in the tech space are founded by people who are foreign born.

So if those students stop coming to our universities and we stop attracting people who are the most brilliant in the world, they don’t feel that there’s an open door for them to be here in the State of New York.

Well they’re here, welcome here, but not in our country, and there’s barriers to that.

That’s something we have to overcome. And I’m really fearful about the long-term effect of that on our ability to remain competitive with the rest of the world when these people are being recruited — people who are already here to go to other countries upon graduation or not come here in the first place, how do we overcome that? And that’s what troubles me greatly.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: Very briefly, a way you could drive revenue — casinos. Could you have one in Manhattan?

Governor Hochul: I’m not allowed to have my thumb on the scale on that. The way it’s set up, there’s all sorts of prohibitions, but it will drive money. I think it’s going to be a real boost for tourism as well in the right place. So there’ll be three of them. And so, I’m looking forward very much to welcoming those dollars.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: It’s about tourism, it’s about talent, it’s about Empire AI. It’s been wonderful having you.

Governor Hochul: Thank you very much, I appreciate that.

Caroline Hyde, Bloomberg TV: Thank you very much, Governor Hochul.