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

Catching Up on Project 2025

David Graham , staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), looks at where the initial actions of the Trump administration align with the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and what's still to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 25, 202534 minEp. 1246

Friday Morning Politics: Rep. Lawler

Mike Lawler , U.S. Representative (R, NY-17), talks about the issues facing his district and the country and his role as part of the Republican majority in Congress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 25, 202519 minEp. 1245

An Autism Advocate's Take on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Autism Registry'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent comments on autistic Americans sparked massive backlash from the community last week. Now, there's news that the National Institute of Health's new autism study is collecting private medical records from Americans. Colin Killick , executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, provides his perspective on the impact RFK Jr.'s rhetoric and latest actions are having on the autistic community during Autism Acceptance Month. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz c...

Apr 25, 202532 minEp. 1248

Albany Budget Update

Nick Reisman , Politico New York reporter covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, talks about the issues holding up the New York State budget negotiations, due April 1. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 25, 202514 minEp. 1244

What Direction Will a New Pope Take the Catholic Church?

Daniel Rober , associate professor and department chair of the Catholic Studies department at Sacred Heart University, talks about the leading contenders to be the next pope, the fraught process in the Vatican and the different directions the next leader of the world's Catholics might take the church. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 24, 202535 minEp. 1242

New in Central Park

Betsy Smith , president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, talks about Saturday's opening of the revamped Harlem Meer area of the park, plus other news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 24, 202516 minEp. 1241

The 'Paper Ceiling' For Skilled Workers

Layla O'Kane , a senior director at Opportunity@Work, and Cole Napper , vice president of People Analytics at Lightcast, a labor market analytics company, talk about the latest data on career and career advancement opportunities for skilled workers without a college degree. → State of the Paper Ceiling | Opportunity@Work Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 24, 202519 minEp. 1243

MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Congestion Pricing, Penn Station and More

John "Janno" Lieber , chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the MTA's fight with the federal government over congestion pricing, how the tolling program is going, the Trump administration's takeover of the Penn Station revamp and more transit news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 24, 202538 minEp. 1240

Will Anyone Check the President?

Anne Applebaum , staff writer at The Atlantic , historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), argues the checks on presidential power, put in place by the founders, have so far failed in the second Trump administration, and talks about what causes authoritarian governments to fail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 23, 202543 minEp. 1239

City Politics: Who Will Win Progressives' Votes?

Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about how both state assembly member Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander are vying to be the top progressive candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary, and more news from City Hall and the campaign trail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 23, 202548 minEp. 1237

The Upwardly Mobile Jobs Employers Can't Staff

Lauren Weber , reporter at The Wall Street Journal , talks about why certain high-demand, upwardly mobile jobs remain hard to fill as we continue our series about workers skilled through alternative routes. → They Are Hot, Upwardly Mobile Jobs. Here’s Why They Are So Hard to Fill. | Wall Street Journal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 23, 202518 minEp. 1238

100 Years of 100 Things: Street Photography

As our centennial series continues, Sam Barzilay , creative director & co-founder of Photoville, looks at the history of street photography, from the invention of the Leica hand-held 35mm camera which made capturing "the decisive moment" possible, to the challenges presented by AI and smartphone technology of today. =>" Women Street Photographers " exhibit through April 28 => Photoville Festival coming in June. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...

Apr 22, 202516 minEp. 1235

The Health Impacts of Defunding Climate Change Research

As the National Institute of Health is set to cut funding for climate research, Maggie Astor , New York Times reporter covering the intersection between health and politics, explains the broader impact these cuts may have on our public health. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 22, 202535 minEp. 1233

Goodbye to Federal Regulations

Coral Davenport , New York Times reporter covering the de-regulation of the federal government, talks about the hundreds of rules and regulations the Trump administration plans to do away with. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 22, 202525 minEp. 1234

The State of New York's Casino Bidding Process

New York State will award three coveted casino licenses by the end of this year. Nick Garber , politics reporter at Crain's New York Business , reports on where the process stands, including news on environmental reviews, a big player dropping out and where the Mets owner Steve Cohen's bid stands. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 22, 202534 minEp. 1236

Your Pope Francis Reflections

James Martin , SJ, a Jesuit priest, founder of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic resource, editor at large for America Media, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of Come Forth (HarperOne, 2023) and Learning to Pray (HarperOne, 2021), reflects on the life and leadership of Pope Francis, who died earlier today at 88, as listeners share their thoughts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

Apr 21, 202530 minEp. 1232

Trump vs Law Firms

Harold Hongju Koh , professor of international law and former dean at Yale Law School and former legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State, talks about President Trump's actions against big law firms that were involved in cases against the president or his businesses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 21, 202516 minEp. 1231

Trump Takes Over Penn Station Reconstruction

The Trump administration has seized control over the Penn Station reconstruction project and kicked the MTA out of the process. Stephen Nessen , transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, explains why Trump is so interested in Penn Station and more details about this major building project transfer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 21, 202522 minEp. 1230

The President and the Supreme Court's Temporary Deportation Rebuke

Quinta Jurecic , contributing writer at The Atlantic, fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and senior editor at Lawfare, offers legal analysis of the Supreme Court's rulings on deportation and the Trump administration's response so far. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 21, 202541 minEp. 1229

Trump vs. Harvard

Rick Seltzer , reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education , talks about the latest news in the escalating fight between Harvard University and the Trump administration, including what the frozen government funds pay for at the wealthy institution, why it matters that Harvard is standing up to the government's demands and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 18, 202544 minEp. 1226

The Many Mushrooms of New York City

Ethan Crenson , president of the New York Mycological Society, talks about the many underappreciated mushrooms dotted on the sticks and branches of 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.

Apr 18, 20259 minEp. 1228

What's the Holdup in the NYS Budget?

The New York State budget is now almost three weeks late. Jon Campbell , Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on the disagreements that are holding it up, including changes to the state's criminal discovery laws. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 18, 202524 minEp. 1227

100 Years of 100 Things: Public Education

As our centennial series continues, Jonathan Zimmerman , professor of history of education at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of several books, including a new edition of Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools (University of Chicago Press, 2022), looks at the past 100 years of American publicly financed education. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 18, 202533 minEp. 1225

Preserving the Internet

Mark Graham , director of the Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive, explains his work preserving digital history in the face of fewer companies preserving their web content and the White House directives to take down government web pages. Plus, Annie Rauwerda , who runs the Depths of Wikipedia social media accounts, weighs in. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 17, 202526 minEp. 1224

Grandparents as Childcare

Faith Hill , staff writer at The Atlantic , talks about the reliance of working parents on grandparents for childcare and when it gets to be too much. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 17, 202514 minEp. 1223

Meet the Mayoral Candidates: Adrienne Adams

Adrienne Adams , New York City Council speaker, talks about her campaign to be the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor and the issues facing the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 17, 202531 minEp. 1222

Thursday Morning Politics: Trump and the Courts

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), talks about the latest developments in the stand-off between a federal judge and the Trump administration over deportations, and other national news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See p...

Apr 17, 202539 minEp. 1221

Spring Allergies 101

Jennifer Toh , MD, practicing allergist and immunologist at ENT and Allergy Associates, and member of the executive committee of the New York Allergy & Asthma Society, answers questions about diagnosing and coping with spring allergies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 16, 202514 minEp. 1219

How IVF Challenges Our Understanding of Embryos

Anna Louie Sussman , freelance journalist covering gender, economics, health, and reproduction, discusses her three-part series for The New York Times about human embryos, which explores the legal and ethical considerations people have to manage when they create embryos as part of the IVF process. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Apr 16, 202524 minEp. 1218

City Politics: Cuomo's Campaign Faces Ups and Downs

Andrew Cuomo's campaign has hit some road bumps this week, but recent polls still have the former governor in strong first place. Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Brigid Bergin , WNYC's senior political correspondent, explain why Cuomo's campaign didn't receive any matching funds from the New York City Campaign Finance Board this week, who gave him a big check instead, and more of the latest news from the mayoral race. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

Apr 16, 202535 minEp. 1217
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