The Brian Lehrer Show - podcast cover

The Brian Lehrer Show

WNYCwnyc.org
Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.
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Episodes

CUNY Funding, Interrupted

CUNY recently lost federal funding for more than 70 research grants. Denis Nash , professor of epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and executive director of CUNY’s Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, talks about the funding he recently lost on research related to COVID vaccine uptake, plus comments on the changes coming to how the COVID vaccine is rolled out for the next season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswi...

May 27, 202528 minEp. 1335

100 Years of 100 Things: Women in the Military; New Yorker Magazine; Catskills Hotels; Street Photography

As we observe Memorial Day, enjoy some of our favorite recent conversations from the centennial series: Katherine Sharp Landdeck , professor of history and director of Pioneers Oral History Project at Texas Woman's University and the author of The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II (Crown, 2020), talks about American women in the military over the last century. David Remnick , editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yor...

May 26, 20251 hr 50 minEp. 1319

Brian Lehrer Weekend: 100 Years of Best Sellers, 100 Years of NYC Films, Summer Culture Calendar: Classical Music

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. 100 Years of 100 Things: New York Films (First) | 100 Years of 100 Things: Best Sellers (Starts at 17:31) | Summer Culture Calendar: Classical Music (Starts at 31:42) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 24, 202542 minEp. 1337

100 Years of 100 Things: US Population & Mortality Shifts; The ERA; New Yorker Cartoons; Roller Coasters

Enjoy some of our favorite recent conversations from the centennial series: Mark Mather , demographer and associate vice president for U.S. Programs at the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) walks us through the shifts over the past 100 years in U.S. birth rates, followed by changes in U.S. mortality statistics. Julie Suk , a law professor at Fordham University and the author of We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment (Skyhorse Publishing, 2020), reviews the history of...

May 23, 20251 hr 40 minEp. 1318

10-Question Quiz: Name That Tune

Listeners listen to a short clip of music that was, at one time, at the top of the Billboard charts, and try to "name that tune." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 22, 202515 minEp. 1333

Call Your Senator: Sen Gillibrand on Trump's Big Bill

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) talks about her work in Washington, particularly her initial response to Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill', which just passed the House. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 22, 202518 minEp. 1332

What We Risk Losing Without Federally-Funded Scientific Research

Latif Nasser , co-host of Radiolab from WNYC, tells the story of the huge impacts one small discovery made, brought to us by federally-funded scientific research -- and what we might lose as so much of the funding has been cut by DOGE. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 22, 202511 minEp. 1332

Summer Culture Calendar: New Books

Catch up with the summer cultural calendar with this pledge-drive miniseries. Today, Jordan Lauf , producer for All Of It and its book club, Get Lit with All Of It , recommends some of the books coming out this summer. Some of the books on Jordan's list: Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen (out now) The Antidote by Karen Russell (out now) Flashlight by Susan Choi (out June 3rd) King of Ashes by SA Cosby (June 10th) The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (June 3rd) A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst (July ...

May 22, 20258 minEp. 1332

How the Republican Budget Bill Could Affect NYC

Greg David , contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, offers his analysis of how the House budget bill that Republicans passed early this morning may affect NYC - in both good and bad ways. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 22, 202519 minEp. 1331

Summer Culture Calendar: Summer Movies

Dana Stevens , film critic at Slate.com and a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast and the author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century (Atria Books, 2022), previews the summer movie season, including the blockbusters everyone will be talking about, and other films she recommends you check out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 21, 20259 minEp. 1330

City Politics: Debate Questions

Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, as well as the questions listeners would like Brian to ask at the upcoming mayoral primary debate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 21, 202518 minEp. 1327

What's Going On with Trump's Budget Bill?

In the wake of Trump's attempts to get the House's new budget bill to pass, Marianna Sotomayor , congressional reporter for The Washington Post where she covers lawmakers and debates on Capitol Hill, offers commentary on the bill's status. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 21, 202517 minEp. 1326

100 Years of 100 Things: Best Sellers

As our centennial series continues, Tina Jordan , deputy editor of The New York Times Book Review , and a co-editor of The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History (Clarkson Potter, 2021), looks at the history of best-selling books and what that says out the past century of American culture. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 21, 202517 minEp. 1329

10-Question Quiz: City Critters

Listeners try their hand at a quiz about the critters that live in the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 21, 202510 minEp. 1328

Summer Culture Calendar: Classical Music

Catch up with the summer cultural calendar with this pledge-drive miniseries. Today, Elliott Forrest , midday host of WQXR, reviews some of the classical music highlights of the summer season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 20259 minEp. 1325

10-Question Quiz: New York Movies

Listeners try their hand at quiz questions about iconic movies set in New York City. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 202510 minEp. 1323

SCOTUS Takes on Birthright Citizenship and More

Nina Totenberg , NPR legal affairs correspondent, offers her analysis of the arguments the Supreme Court justices heard last week on birthright citizenship, and nationwide injunctions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 202519 minEp. 1324

GOP Bill Seeks to Roll Back Clean Energy

The Republican House spending bill seeks to cut some of the clean energy tax incentives in the former Biden administration’s 2022 climate law. Kelsey Brugger , reporter covering energy and climate politics on Capitol Hill for Politico's E&E News, breaks down her reporting and explains why some Republicans lawmakers are urging leaders to spare credits that benefit clean energy projects in red states. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle...

May 20, 202517 minEp. 1322

GOP Bill Goes After Medicaid

On Sunday, House Republicans released their package of proposals that would cut federal spending on Medicaid and Obamacare. Frank Pallone , U.S. Representative (D NJ 6th), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, discusses what's in the bill, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says would cause 8.6 million Americans to lose their health insurance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

May 20, 202518 minEp. 1321

100 Years of 100 Things: New York Films

As our centennial series continues, James Sanders , architect, author, filmmaker, and co-writer with Ric Burns of the PBS series "New York: A Documentary Film" and its companion volume, New York: An Illustrated History (Knopf, 2021) and the author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies (Knopf, 2001), talks about the New York seen in films since the beginning of movie-making. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of perso...

May 19, 202514 minEp. 1320

10-Question Quiz: Who Said That?

Listeners listen to an iconic or otherwise interesting quote by a famous person in politics or from history and try to guess "who said that?" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 19, 202513 minEp. 1317

WNYC and Gothamist Get Pulitzer Recognition for Rikers Report

New York State's Adult Survivors Act brought a flood of lawsuits against the city by women who say they were abused at Rosie's (the women's jail) on Rikers Island. Jessy Edwards , writer and editor for Hell Gate, and Christopher Werth , senior editor at WNYC and Gothamist focusing on investigations, talk about their reporting on serial sexual abuse at the jail, which was recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...

May 19, 202512 minEp. 1316

Supreme Court on Alien Enemies Act and More

Emily Bazelon , staff writer for The New York Times Magazine , co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019), offers legal analysis of the Supreme Court decision to continue to prohibit the Trump Administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, and shares her take on...

May 19, 202521 minEp. 1315

Summer Culture Calendar: Outdoor Theater

Catch up with the summer cultural calendar with this pledge-drive miniseries. Today, Adam Feldman, national theater and dance editor and chief theater critic at Time Out New York, talks about the reopening of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park and other summer theater coming up this summer. " Free outdoor theater this summer in New York " (TONY, 5/19/25) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 19, 20257 minEp. 1314

Citizenship Quiz: American History and Geography

In order to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, applicants must pass an oral civics exam. Listeners call in to try their hand at some of the questions on the test, related to American history and geography and symbols. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 16, 20257 minEp. 1311

Gary Cohen Previews the Subway Series

The Mets and the Yankees -- who both sit at the top of their respective divisions -- will meet for a subway series this week. Gary Cohen , Mets announcer, previews the games, and talks about what it's like calling games for the Mets, currently one of the best teams in baseball. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 16, 202518 minEp. 1312

Summer Culture Calendar: Art All Around

Catch up with the summer cultural calendar with this pledge-drive miniseries. Today, Ryan Kailath , WNYC/Gothamist arts and culture reporter, talks about some of the art on view this summer in local museums, galleries and public spaces. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 16, 20258 minEp. 1313

Jonathan Capehart's Self Discovery

Jonathan Capehart , associate editor at The Washington Post , co-host of the morning edition of The Weekend on MSNBC, contributor, PBS NewsHour and author of Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home (Grand Central Publishing, 2025), talks about his personal new book, which includes stories from his upbringing and his early career at WNYC, plus the latest national political news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...

May 16, 202522 minEp. 1310

Impacts of NEA Grant Cuts

Brian Boucher , contributor for Artnet News and journalist covering the New York art world, talks about how arts organizations are reacting to the Trump administration starting to cut their grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 16, 202517 minEp. 1309

Ask Governor Murphy: May 2025 Recap

Nancy Solomon , WNYC reporter and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, including the recent setbacks at Newark Airport, a potential NJ Transit engineers strike and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's ICE arrest. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 15, 202516 minEp. 1305
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