Hello everybody. I'm Mark Cowpern. Welcome to Next Up. I am your guide to Gotham City and the world and also the editor-in-chief of the two-way platform.

Very glad you're here back with us. We had an election here in New York this week for the Democratic nomination for mayor, and it's a big deal.

And I'm going to tell you why I think it's a big deal and tell you why

the likely next mayor of New York City is a lot like Donald Trump. Also today, very happy to be

joined by my two-way colleague, Megan McCain, who had an extraordinary exclusive interview with

the second lady, Usha Vance, this week. Usher Vance has not sat for an interview like this. She is a

fascinating person. And Megan's conversation with her, we will break it down,

is one that I think you will find extremely compelling, whether you know about Ushavans

at all or not.

This is really the most significant interview she's done on camera, and it is something

to behold, incredibly revealing.

We're also still searching for the right name for this community.

We want you all to feel part of something larger than yourself, part of people who like

the program next up, whether you watch on YouTube or listen to it as a podcast.

I had started to settle on Nexters, and the backlash was fierce.

The backlash was fierce when I floated Nexterers, so we're still searching for the name.

I want to start, though, talking about New York.

In my career, I have laughed.

I've lived my whole life pretty much in Boston, Washington, and New York, but I'm extremely sensitive to the perception and the reality.

The people in New York, including people in the media and Washington, focus too much on those places.

New York is a great city, it's my home, but it's not the beginning and end of the whole world.

Usually stories here are overcovered. I think the story of this election here for mayor of New York that has positioned a previously unknown gentleman

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