New Congress, New Opportunities?
Boosting Economic Security, Policing Big Tech, and Ending the Wars
A 2026 Post-Election Media Roundtable sponsored by City Works
Wednesday, November 11
1:00pm - 2:30pm (E.T. / New York)
Virtual-only via Zoom. Free and open to all.
Closed captions and live transcript available on Zoom livestream.
Please register to access virtual event info and reminders.
(slucuny.swoogo.com/11November2026/register)
Guest Speakers:
Ariana Baio - Politics Breaking News Reporter, The Guardian
Astead Herndon - Host and Editorial Director, Vox Media
Lisa Lerer - National Political Correspondent, The New York Times
Moderator:
Laura Flanders - Host, Laura Flanders & Friends; Host, City Works
Tune in for a live City Works post-election media roundtable to discuss the aftermath of the 2026 midterm elections. The roundtable will be moderated by award-winning journalist Laura Flanders.
Our panel of veteran journalists will discuss their reporting on the election and provide insights on the voting results, overall turnout, demographic and geographic trends that emerged in the electorate, and the impact that labor and social movements had on the election. They will also discuss the prospects that the newly-elected Congress take meaningful action towards addressing voter concerns such as economic security, A.I., and the wars abroad and at home.
Following the roundtable discussion, we will select questions from the live virtual audience to present to the panel for their comments.
Sponsored by the Murphy Institute at CUNY SLU and CUNY TV.
Ariana Baio
The Guardian
Astead Herndon
Vox Media
Lisa Lerer
The New York Times
Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders & Friends /
City Works
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES:
Guest Speakers:
Ariana Baio (she/her)
Ariana Baio is a politics breaking news reporter at The Guardian, covering the latest developments in elections, Congress, the Supreme Court and executive branch. She previously covered politics at The Independent. Ariana graduated from Columbia Journalism School in 2021.
Learn more: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/ariana-baio
Astead Herndon (he/him)
As a host and editorial director at Vox Media, Astead Herndon helps lead politics coverage across text, video, audio, and social media platforms. Herndon comes to Vox from The New York Times, where he distinguished himself as a sharp, accessible voice on American politics. Herndon has been named the 2025 Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, and he also won the Distinguished Journalist Award from DePaul University in 2025.
Learn more: https://www.vox.com/authors/astead-herndon
Lisa Lerer (she/her)
Lisa Lerer is a national political correspondent for The New York Times. She covers the intersection of campaigns, elections and political power, and examines the big personalities, ideas and emotions that drive American politics. She has covered national politics for nearly two decades, including five presidential campaigns, the White House, Congress and countless congressional races.
Learn more: https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-lerer
Moderator:
Laura Flanders (she/her)
Laura Flanders is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and the host of Laura Flanders & Friends, a public affairs program airing nationwide on PBS, community radio and released as a weekly podcast. With a career rooted in independent journalism, Laura has dedicated herself to covering stories of resilience, activism, and innovation. Her work brings underreported voices and transformative ideas to the forefront, encouraging viewers to think critically about today’s pressing issues and possibilities for social change. In recognition of her contributions, Laura has received the Izzy Award, a Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation, and the Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Media Center.
Learn more: lauraflanders.org
