As state budget negotiations continue ahead of the April 1 deadline, Carmen Fariña , former NYC Schools Chancellor, argues for a four-year extension of mayoral control of NYC's public schools. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani visits a public school classroom in March 2026. (Credit: Office of the Mayor) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 30, 2026•29 min•Ep. 2189
U.S. Senator Cory Booker , D-NJ, author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), weaves history, personal stories and current politics into a defense of principles as a way of facing crises. Photo: The cover art for Cory Booker's new book, Stand. (Credit: St. Martin's Press/MacMillan Publishers) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 30, 2026•32 min•Ep. 2190
On Saturday, 'No Kings' demonstrations nationwide served as a statement in rebuke of President Donald Trump's policies. Leah Greenberg , co-founder and co-executive director of the progressive organization Indivisible and an organizer of the 'No Kings' protest, talks about Saturday's protests and takes calls from listeners. Photo: Protesters hold signs as they participate in a 'No Kings' protest in Manhattan on March 28, 2026 in New York City. This is the third nationwide "No Kings" protest held...
Mar 30, 2026•39 min•Ep. 2188
Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The Great Replacement Theory (First) | AI in Novels (Starts at 28:20) | Baseball & Life (Starts at 56:00) 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....
Mar 28, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 2191
Christina Fallon , owner of Dream It Done Organizing, offers advice for cleaning and de-cluttering for the new season. Photo: Clothing items hang in a closet. (Credit: James Cambridge/Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Mar 27, 2026•15 min•Ep. 2186
Jessica Gould , education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, rounds up the latest big stories in education, including new AI guidelines for New York City public schools, digital hall bathroom passes that are collecting data and the mayor's push for mayoral control to be extended for four more years. Photo: A group of students uses laptops in school. (Credit: Matylda Czarnecka/Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...
Mar 27, 2026•29 min•Ep. 2184
Juries in both New Mexico and California found social media giants to be liable for harm to children. Bobby Allyn , NPR technology correspondent, explains what each trial was about, and what it could signal for the future of companies like Meta and Google. Photo: A young woman uses a cell phone. (Credit: Conexões Globais/ Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 27, 2026•26 min•Ep. 2185
The Senate voted overnight to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA. Evan McMorris-Santoro , national politics reporter at NOTUS and co-author of the NOTUS daily newsletter, and Mary Clare Jalonick , congressional reporter for The Associated Press and the author of Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th (PublicAffairs, 2026), talk about what has to happen next to end the crisis at the airports, the status of the SAVE Act and more. Photo: Former Secret...
Mar 27, 2026•40 min•Ep. 2187
Gov. Hochul wants to revise the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to exempt smaller housing development projects from the review. Annemarie Gray , executive director of Open New York, a group advocating more housing construction, talks about why housing advocates, and even some environmental groups, support the reforms. Photo: Views of the Gowanus neighborhood, where dozens of large housing construction projects along the Gowanus Canal on December 24, 2024 in the borough of Brooklyn...
Mar 26, 2026•25 min•Ep. 2180
Last week, book publisher Hachette canceled the forthcoming U.S. publication of the horror novel “Shy Girl” after it was flagged for sounding like the author used artificial intelligence. Andrea Bartz , novelist, author of The Last Ferry Out (Ballantine Books, 2025), discusses her latest guest op-ed in The New York Times on the controversy and what its like being a writer in the A.I. age. Photo: Barnes And Noble bookstore in Manhattan, New York, United States of America, on July 5th, 2024. (Phot...
Mar 26, 2026•28 min•Ep. 2181
The St. John's University Red Storm men's basketball team are into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the 10th time in the program's history. Jason Gay , sports columnist at the Wall Street Journal , talks about the long career of St. John's coach Rick Pitino, and Katie Honan, senior reporter at The City, co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC and massive St. John's basketball fan, claims her bragging rights about the team's great season so far. Photo: Bryce Hopkins #23 of the St. John's Red Storm ...
Mar 26, 2026•11 min•Ep. 2182
Kian Tajbakhsh , Iranian-American scholar, visiting professor of international relations at New York University, fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University and former political prisoner, and William Christou , Middle East reporter for The Guardian, break down the latest on U.S.-Iran negotiation efforts, and offer analysis and insight into the state of the war. Photo: A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke as it rises from a site targeted...
Mar 26, 2026•47 min•Ep. 2183
Lev Facher , addiction reporter at STAT News, reports on how opioid overdose deaths began to fall in mid-2023 and have continued to decline. Photo: An emergency opioid overdose kit at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. (Credit: Chris Woodrich via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 25, 2026•25 min•Ep. 2177
Christine Quinn, president & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families in New York City, talks about the mayor's seeming turnabout on a campaign promise to expand the CityFHEPS rental assistance program and offers her take on City Hall's approach to addressing homelessness. Photo: A for-rent sign displayed outside. (Credit: Photos Public Domain/Dipankan001 via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for ...
Mar 25, 2026•21 min•Ep. 2178
On MLB's opening day, Ken Davidoff , sports journalist and former New York Post baseball columnist, and Harley Rotbart , MD, pediatrician, former Parents Magazine columnist and little league coach, talk about baseball's lessons for success in life beyond the game. Rotbart and Davidoff are co-authors of the new book 101 Lessons from the Dugout: What Baseball and Softball Can Teach Us About the Game of Life (Bloomsbury, 2026). Photo: Cover art for 101 Lessons from the Dugout . (Credit: Bloomsbury)...
Mar 25, 2026•12 min•Ep. 2176
Lindsay Ellis , Wall Street Journal reporter, talks about the tough job market for new college graduates, and how much AI is responsible for it. Photo: Graduation hats being tossed in air by business school graduates. (Credit: Artessa via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 25, 2026•49 min•Ep. 2179
David Gelles , a reporter on the New York Times climate team who leads the Climate Forward newsletter and events series, discusses his latest reporting on why scientists are saying several of the Earth’s systems are changing faster than predicted as global temperatures rise. Photo: A temperature device measures heat from the asphalt on a summer day. (Credit: Danielteolijr via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collect...
Mar 24, 2026•42 min•Ep. 2173
Washington Post travel reporter Andrea Sachs advice on navigating the airport amidst long delays and TSA staffing shortages due to the DHS shutdown. Plus, Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, reports live from the airport. Photo: Airplanes await departure from a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport. (Credit: Angelo DeSantis via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
Mar 24, 2026•11 min•Ep. 2175
Ibram X. Kendi , professor of history and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, and the author of Stamped from the Beginning and his latest, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age (One World, 2026), talks about his new book charting the history of the idea that motivates many white nationalists, and how to counter it. cover image courtesy of the publisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...
Mar 24, 2026•28 min•Ep. 2171
The Supreme Court appears likely to overhaul the way many states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day but are postmarked before the deadline. Carrie Levine , editor-in-chief of Votebeat, talks about what could change. Photo: A ballot dropbox in Arlington, Va. on Dec. 6, 2024. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 24, 2026•28 min•Ep. 2174
Andrew Weissmann , professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), draws on his experience working with Robert Mueller to reflect on his legacy after his death this past weekend at age 81. Photo: Displayed on a television screen in Times Square, Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation, May 29, 2...
Mar 23, 2026•20 min•Ep. 2172
Listeners call in to talk about how their relationships have been impacted by pets -- either when one person in the relationship doesn't get along with a pet, or what happens to pets after a split. Photo: Young child and an old person are petting grey cute cat (Nenad Stojkovic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 23, 2026•7 min•Ep. 2170
Alexander Bolton , senior staff writer at The Hill, discusses the major takeaways from the Senate's rare weekend session, including Republicans' push to pass the SAVE America Act, ongoing controversy over DHS funding, and more. Photo: The United States Capitol on May 4, 2004. (Photo by Kevin McCoy via Wikimedia Commons/C.C. 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Mar 23, 2026•26 min•Ep. 2169
Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order last week to establish an Office of Community Safety. Ben Feuerherd , WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering public safety and policing, talks about this new office and other public safety news, including Commissioner Jessica Tisch's move to change the way the NYPD publicly reports hate crimes. Photo: Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois appears with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Credit: Michael Appleton/Office of the Mayor. Hosted by Simplecast,...
Mar 23, 2026•24 min•Ep. 2167
Nate Swanson , former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025, current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council and writer for Foreign Affairs , offers analysis of the war with Iran, and why he thinks Tehran may dictate the terms of the end of the war. Photo: The aftermath of a March 3, 2026 airstrike on Tehran. (Photo: محمدعلی برنو / Avash Media via Wikimedia Commons/CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for ...
Mar 23, 2026•29 min•Ep. 2166
Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Gov. Hochul Hopes to Delay Implementing Climate Law (First) | The Growth of DHS Detention Camps (Starts at :40) | Opera and Democracy (Starts at 1:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here . Image: An original poster for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro (not stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.c...
Mar 21, 2026•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 2168
Actors Jesse Eisenberg , Rosie Perez , and David Patrick Kelly performed a reading of “ Cash and Carry ,” a personal essay written by David Sedaris for The New Yorker , to kick off a conversation with listeners about the challenges and joys of being neighbors, our duty to strangers, and the unique possibility of connection and disconnection in New York City. Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works o...
Mar 20, 2026•57 min•Ep. 2165
Joshua Keating , senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news, breaks down his latest reporting on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefitting from the United States' war in Iran, including how Russia is now earning an extra $150 million per day in oil sales due to the price surge since the start of the war and much more. Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
Mar 20, 2026•45 min•Ep. 2161
McKay Coppins , staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), discusses his year-long foray into the world of sports betting, and his observation of how gambling has permeated "every nook and cranny" of American life in a very short amount of time. Photo: The fantasy sports website DraftKings is shown on October 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. DraftKings and its rival FanDuel have been under scrutiny after accusations surfaced of employees partic...
Mar 20, 2026•32 min•Ep. 2163
Stephen Nessen , transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about the latest MTA news, including its lawsuit over federal funds for the Second Avenue subway construction and the transit union's lawsuit over staffing at booths. Plus, the MTA's plans for new subway cars for the numbered lines. Photo: MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, and MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessie Lazarus announce the release of an RFP for the R262 subway car...
Mar 20, 2026•20 min•Ep. 2162
