LIVE: MEIDAS AND COURIER DEM DEBATE with COURIC AND LEMON!!!!

Courier was founded seven years ago to build a new model for local and national media, focusing on factual, values-driven news to empower civic involvement. This debate marks their first primary debate, focusing on the nationally significant NY-12 district, which is seen as a bellwether for the Democratic Party's future.

I started Courier seven years ago to be able to build a new model for local and national media that met Americans who had been left behind by legacy media with factual valuesdriven news and information that would inform and empower them to be more civically involved. That is why we are so excited to be hosting our first ever primary debate tonight in the great state of New York, in the great city of New York for the dis for the 12th district.

George Conway states his number one priority, if elected, is holding Donald Trump and his administration accountable through investigations, impeachment, conviction, and removal. He argues that Trump exacerbates all other issues, making his removal a prerequisite for progress on any policy.

holding Donald Trump and his administration accountable through investigations and ultimately through impeachment, conviction, and removal of the president and members of his cabinet. And I say this without, you know, I say this bec that it it's not a separate question from all of the other issues that we're going to be talking about tonight like affordability, housing, healthcare, because Donald Trump has made all of these things worse.

Nina Schwelby, a public health expert, identifies catastrophic healthcare debt as the leading cause of poverty in the United States. She advocates for specific policies including lowering drug prices, ensuring universal access to family doctors, and protecting and expanding Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act towards a single-payer system.

poverty, the leading cause of poverty in the United States is catastrophic healthc care debt. Right now in New York City, 42,000 people are losing their SNAP benefits and 700,000 at risk of losing their Medicaid benefits. ...My first action is healthy people, healthy democracy. lower the price of drugs, make sure everybody has a family doctor, and protect and expand Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act towards a singlepayer system so that everyone in the US has health. Health care is a right. Health care is not a commodity.

Micah Lasher proposes a comprehensive economic plan called a 'new deal for a new generation.' This plan includes a first job guarantee for young Americans, assistance for first-time home buyers, and dramatically increased investment in childcare assistance and a federal paid family leave program to alleviate financial burdens on new parents.

I'm running on a campaign plan that I call a new deal for a new generation. I'm very proud that the New Deal was the creation of New Yorkers like FDR and Francis Perkins. I think we've got to get back to those ideas. So, my plan is a first job guarantee for young Americans, help getting your first home, and dramatically increase investment in child care assistance and a program of paid family leave at the federal level to make sure you can get through your first year of parenting without getting crushed by the costs.

Alex Bores, who claims to be a target of a pro-AI super PAC, vows to overturn Citizens United and fight for disclosure on all super PACs. He frames the NY-12 race as a critical test case for AI regulation against powerful industry money, asserting that the AI industry is trying to make an example of him to deter future regulation.

I am more motivated than anyone in the country to shut off super PACs and this outside spending. They were the ones who led this race by coming in and trying to send a message that no one should regulate AI or you will become a huge target and you will they will spend whatever it takes to quote make an example out of you. ...In Congress I will fight to overturn Citizens United. I will fight for disclosure on every super PAC. I will be the strongest fighter of getting rid of money and politics.

Multiple candidates, including Jack Slober, George Conway, Nina Schwelby, Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, and Laura Dunn, advocate for abolishing ICE and replacing it with a humane agency. They call for comprehensive immigration reform, increased diplomatic efforts, and ending contracts with private detention facilities, particularly for children.

So, abolish ICE, we all agree. ...In Congress, we've got to do everything we can to investigate and prosecute to to to replace ICE with a agency that is bound by constitutional practices and civil rights and not get lost in the fact that comprehensive immigration reform is the real goal that we need to set for ourselves.

Candidates universally agree on the need for a full federal investigation, complete release of the Epstein files, and prosecution of all who aided and enabled Jeffrey Epstein. They view the scandal as a symptom of deep-seated corruption spanning multiple administrations and parties. Laura Dunn specifically proposes Truth and Reconciliation Commissions to expose violations and compensate victims.

We should have a full federal investigation, full release of the Epstein files, full prosecutions of everyone who aided and emedded what Jeffrey Epstein was doing. ...I have proposed truth and reconciliation commissions to unmask agents to name these violations to find these survivors to compensate for these crimes against humanity.

Jack Slober and George Conway express significant concern over media consolidation, particularly the influence of 'oligarchs' and 'big tech' on news outlets and algorithms. They advocate for breaking up mega-mergers, providing tax breaks for independent media, and increasing transparency into algorithms to combat misinformation and ensure free expression.

I think this is one of the most dangerous things that's facing our country. ...One of those things is to is to uh repeal section 230 to allow us to hold um uh uh uh uh social media companies accountable for the user generated content. Another thing we have to do is make sure that we break up and do not allow these mega mergers uh to go through on on the media side. The other thing is we need to give tax breaks and incentives to businesses like Courier to make sure that they're able to compete.