The Brian Lehrer Show

Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, talks about Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani's announcement on their proposed universal 2-Care program which would provide free child care for New York City's 2-year-olds, and her work advocating for child care in New York.

Governor Hochul is backing new legislation aimed at protecting children and teens online. Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children & Screens, unpacks the impact of technology and social media on young people and discuss various legislative efforts to protect kids on the internet.

Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at The New Yorker covering books and culture, discusses her latest reporting on how prenuptial agreements are being embraced by millennials — including many who don’t have all that much personal wealth to divvy up.

Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, talks about how Minneapolis is "on edge" after the fatal shooting of a civilian by an ICE agent, which came after weeks of tension between the Somali community and the Trump administration, and Republicans' spotlight of fraud at child care centers in the state.

Burgess Everett, congressional bureau chief for Semafor, breaks down the responses from Capitol Hill as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle respond to the Trump administration's moves in Venezuela and public musings about purchasing the country of Greenland.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, talks about the latest transportation news including the results of the first year of congestion pricing, mayor Mamdani's announcement on the McGuinness Boulevard redesign, and more.

How do you know when something you're seeing online is real or fake? Craig Silverman, co-founder of the Indicator, a publication that exposes digital deception, offers insight into the proliferation of AI-generated content on the internet and tips on how to identify it.

Annie Joy Williams, assistant editor at The Atlantic, talks about how and why the southern drawl seems to be fading away, and what it means to lose a whole regional accent.

→ The Last Days of the Southern Drawl | The Atlantic

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about the latest news from Mayor Mamdani's first week in office, including his controversial decision to rescind two executive orders from Mayor Adams on Israel and antisemitism, his relationship with the business community and more.

While the Trump administration has declared its intent of revitalizing the Venezuelan oil industry, Rebecca F. Elliott, energy reporter for The New York Times, reports on who stands to benefit from more drilling in the country.

The MTA has phased out MetroCards in favor of tapping and OMNY cards. Listeners call in to offer their tributes to the iconic yellow cards, which date back to the 1990s. 

Gisela Salim-Peyer, associate editor at The Atlantic, reports on the scenes from the courtroom where Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro was arraigned this week after the Trump administration's military actions in the South American country—and the range of responses from New York's Venezuelan community.

Suleika Jaouad, author of a bestselling memoir about her battle with cancer, and most recently, The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life (Penguin Random House, 2025), discusses her latest Substack essay on how New Year's resolutions almost never stick, and how she engages in the pleasures of small rituals instead. Listeners call in to share about the resolutions they made that they've actually stuck with... which may be more like smaller, daily rituals instead of lofty, life-changing goals.

Under Health Secretary RFK Jr's guidance, the CDC has made changes to recommendations for the childhood vaccine schedule. Jessica Malaty Rivera, infectious disease epidemiologist and member of the group Defend Public Health, explains what the changes are and why they are such a big deal for public health.

On the day of his inauguration, mayor Zohran Mamdani began his tenure with a press conference in a Flatbush building lobby. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps all of the latest housing news coming out of the Mamdani administration including his executive orders, latest appointees, and more.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Topics this month include the Trump administration's military actions in Venezuela, the lasting ramifications of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and more.

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, reviews a slew of bills signed by Governor Hochul at the end of 2025 and previews the State Assembly's upcoming legislative session.

Juan Manuel Benitez, professor of local journalism at Columbia Journalism School and member of the New York Editorial Board, and Elizabeth Glazer, founder of the journal Vital City and former director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, talk about the news from the new mayor's first few days in office.

William Neuman, former New York Times bureau chief in Caracas and the author of Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela (St. Martin's Press, 2022), offers context to the US invasion of Venezuela and capture of its leader Maduro. Plus, he talks about what might come next, as President Trump has said the US will "run" the country, and how oil figures into the story.

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:

Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and the co-author of Freakonomics (Harper Collins, 2025), now in a new 20th anniversary edition, reflects on 20 years of "Freakonomics," its impact and use of data, and talks about what's next.

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health emerita at NYU and the author of many books, including her latest, What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters (North Point Press, 2025), t...

Brian Lehrer hosts special coverage of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inaugural speech, with analysis from Dr. Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams (Cambridge University Press, 2024), and Harry Siegel, FAQ NYC co-host, editor at The City and Moynihan Public Scholar at City College. Plus, listeners call in to share their hopes and concerns for the future of NYC. 

Click here to watch the full event, including the inaugurations NYC Comptroller Mark...

On this New Year's Day:

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in to answer trivia questions about the past year in politics, culture, and more.

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in for some trivia about the past year in politics, culture, and more.

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:

Listeners share the best gifts they've ever received and what made them so special.

Listeners offer their picks of what they loved and hated this year in the world of film, literature, podcasting, performance, and more. 

Christians call in to share the religious meaning of the holiday for them and what "Christian politics" mean as they come into the spotlight under the Trump administration. Then, listeners tell stories of moments that defined their common humanity with people from different backgrounds.

Listeners share which of their favorite businesses closed in 2025, and shoutout new spots where they plan on becoming regulars.

Derek Kravitz, reporter and deputy editor for Consumer Reports, discusses an investigation into third-party grocery delivery service Instacart's algorithmic pricing experiment.

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out the "experience" holiday gifts they sell.

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about how in the ten years since the Paris Agreement, as he says the "climate story is the China story" now. Plus, Jael Holzman, senior reporter at Heatmap, reports on how the Republican Party has turned fully against renewable energy sources, including offshore wind projects.

Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State, talks about Mayor-elect Mamdani's latest deputy mayor appointments, and the inauguration plans.

The flu season has hit and cases are still rising. Michelle Morse, M.D., interim commissioner of health at the NYC Department of Health and an internal medicine and public health doctor, talks about how to stay healthy this holiday season.

As he awaits a court ruling on the Trump administration's attempt to deport him, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist, co-founder of the Columbia Palestinian Student Union and former president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association, and his attorney, Nate Wessler, deputy director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, talk about his studies, the state of the pro-Palestinian movement and the prospects of a peaceful solution in the region and worldwide.

Every year, The Brian Lehrer Show asks you to submit the best photo you took that is sitting on your phone – and every year, you deliver with some breathtaking shots.

This year, you submitted over 700 photos! Our partners at Photoville, along with a special guest judge, journalist, photographer and co-founder of the photo collective Seis del Sur David Gonzalez, picked out their favorites—and then Brian and the team joined in to help select three winners.

Brian speaks with David and Dave Shelley, co-founder and creative producer of Photoville, about the three winning photos. Plus, two...

Philip Bump, MSNOW contributor, author of the How to Read this Chart newsletter and the author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America (Viking, 2023), talks about the latest national political news, including the release of the Epstein files, divisions in the GOP and more.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Meet the Likely New City Council Speaker  (First) | IRC on the Countries at Risk in 2026 (Starts at 28:40) | Remembering Rob Reiner (Starts at 1:07:21)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Pope Leo announced that Ronald Hicks, a Midwesterner, will replace Cardinal Timothy Dolan as the leader of the Archdiocese of New York. Daniel Rober, associate professor and department chair of the Catholic Studies department at Sacred Heart University, talks about the new archbishop, whom observers have said has a style more akin to the new pope than the outgoing cardinal, and what it will mean for the 2.5 million Catholics he will lead.

Yesterday, out-going mayor Eric Adams appointed four members to the Rent Guidelines Board, creating a major obstacle to mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's key campaign promise to freeze the rent for rent stabilized tenants. David Brand, housing reporter at WNYC and Gothamist, discusses the Adams appointees, Mamdani's appointment of Leila Bozorg as his housing czar, and reports back on the outcome of several housing bills voted on by the City Council yesterday. 

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic talks about the national political news of the week, including Vanity Fair's extensive piece about President Trump's closest aides, the administration's blockade on Venezuela and more.

Erik Maza, editor-at-large at New York Magazine discusses some of the reasons to love New York right now, and listeners call in to share their own reasons.

Listeners call in to share what makes a fun office holiday party, and share stories from parties, either from this year or in the past. 

James Solomon, mayor-elect of Jersey City, talks about his plans and priorities for when he takes office as mayor of Jersey City this January. 

Errol Louis, political anchor of Spectrum NY1 News, host of Inside City Hall and The Big Deal with Errol Louis, New York Magazine columnist and host of the podcast You Decide, talks about his new podcast where he explores the impact of the former Congresswoman Bella Abzug, locally and nationally, and why she's not more well known. Plus, the latest local political news.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of the forthcoming book The Queen and Her Presidents (Harper/Collins April 2026), talks about the latest national political news, including President Trump's primetime address, the ongoing fight over ACA subsidies and the Vanity Fair profile of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles that is ruffling MAGA feathers. Then, U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) talks about the vote on ACA subsidies pushed through by four Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Lawler.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from City Hall and Mayor-elect Mamdani's transition plans.

Eli Dvorkin, editorial and policy director at the Center for an Urban Future, discusses his organization's new report documenting the importance of the creative sector to New York City's economy, the affordability challenges the city's artists are facing, and solutions that would revive the community.

Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion, offers analysis of anecdotal and survey data that show a generational divide on antisemitism.

Richard Rushfield, chief columnist at The Ankler, discusses the legacies of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, who were found dead in their Hollywood home on Monday, and listeners offer their tributes.

David Miliband, president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, shares the countries on the IRC's "watchlist," or the countries they determine are most at risk for humanitarian emergencies, and what the IRC is doing to prepare.

Andrew Chow, technology correspondent at TIME, talks about the choice of the people behind AI for their annual "Person of the Year" selection.

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out the children's holiday gifts they sell for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.

==> Submit your information for our Shop Listener online guide at wnyc.org/shoplistener and check out all the entries!

Peggy Shepard, co-founder & executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Paul Onyx Lozito, deputy executive director of the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice,  talk about the city's report on environmental justice issues, which covers the disparate exposure to pollution and the effects of climate change, and explain the type of community input they are seeking as they begin work on an Environmental Justice NYC Plan.

Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent at KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, discusses the latest over the battle in Congress over the fate of the Affordable Care Act

City Councilmember Julie Menin,  (D-5, Manhattan's Lenox Hill, Yorkville, Carnegie Hill and Roosevelt Island) talks about her priorities for City Council, as she is about to take over as speaker, and how she foresees her relationship with the incoming Mamdani administration will be.

"Rage bait." "Parasocial." "6-7." Ben Zimmer, linguist, language columnist, and chair of the New Words Committee of the American Dialect Society, discusses what the words of the year chosen by various dictionaries like Oxford and Dictionary.com, and what the choices say about our language and culture. To submit your nomination for word of the year to the American Dialect Society, go to https://americandialect.org.

Franklin Schneider, writer based in New York City, discusses his recent piece in The Atlantic, "When Did the Job Market Get So Rude?"

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

City Politics: Mamdani's Emerging Opposition; Lander's Congressional Bid (First) | Trump's Effort to Ban State AI Laws (Starts at 40:34) | Shop Listener 2025: Under $50 (Starts at 1:00:24)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Tess Bridgeman, co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, former Special Assistant to the President, Associate Counsel to the President and Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC) during the Obama administration, and William LeoGrande , professor of government at American University and specialist in U.S.-Latin America relations, discuss the latest Trump administration escalation in Venezuela, where the United States seized several additional oil tankers, and analyze the legality of those moves and the boat strikes against alleged drug cartels.

After years of stalled plans and unfulfilled promises of affordable housing near the Barclays Center, David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on a new plan for housing at Atlantic Yards.

Gilbert Cruz, editor at The New York Times Book Review shares the five fiction and five non-fiction books from this year that made it into The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2024. 

Jessica Grose, opinion writer at The New York Times, reflects on her family's interfaith holiday traditions, and listeners offer their own.

Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), discusses recent Trump administration moves to define The United States' relationship with The European Union and why the U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday.

Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation and the author of The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last (Crown Currency, 2025), talks about how Wikipedia was able to rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" even as distrust climbed in the larger culture.

Nancy Solomon, host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

If you put down your phone, will you grasp for a book? Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for The New Yorker, where he writes a weekly column called Fault Lines, discusses his latest story, "If You Quit Social Media, Will You Read More Books?"

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from Mayor-elect Mamdani's transition plans, including a new emerging opposition from influential business leaders and Brad Lander's announcement to run for Congress.

Valerie Trapp, assistant editor at The Atlantic, discusses how grocery self-checkout lines are now often longer than the staffed ones, and listeners call in on when and why they have chosen the self-checkout option.

Tina Nguyen, senior reporter for The Verge and author of the Regulator newsletter, discusses Trump's latest efforts to stop states from regulating AI.

The conservative Supreme Court majority seems poised to allow President Trump to fire the top official on the Federal Trade Commission, expanding presidential power. Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation magazine and bestselling author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, 2025), discusses this and other legal news.

Rohan Goswami, business reporter at Semafor, discusses the recent merger talks for Paramount and Netflix to buy up parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, including news of Paramount’s "hostile" bid of $108 billion — one of the largest ever.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced that he will end targeted sweeps of homeless encampments and tents as mayor. Dan Rivoli, politics reporter at Spectrum News NY1, discusses the polarized response to this announcement, and what alternative to these sweeps Mamdani has planned instead.

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health emerita at NYU and the author of many books, including her latest, What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters (North Point Press, 2025), talks about her newly revised classic and how to navigate the food landscape today.

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out the holiday gifts they sell that are under fifty dollars, for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.

David Bier, director of immigration studies and the Selz Foundation chair in immigration policy at the Cato Institute, shares data from the Department of Homeland Security that shows almost three-quarters of people detained by ICE since October do not have any criminal convictions, despite claims from the Trump Administration that they are prioritizing detaining people with violent criminal histories.

Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass and editor of The New Conservatives: Restoring America’s Commitment to Family, Community, and Industry (Simon & Schuster, 2025), argues for a new approach to global trade, one based on balance.

Gwynne Hogan, senior reporter for The City, discusses her latest story on how ICE arrested and separated Chinese father from his 6-year-old son during a check-in in late November, plus other local immigration enforcement news.

Do you give only handmade or consumable gifts? Or do you follow the popular strategy of giving kids something they want, need, wear, read, and share? As the holiday season is now in full swing, listeners call in to share their gift-giving strategies.

Two of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Are 'Porch Pirates' Stealing Your Packages? (First) | Mayor Adams' Legacy (Starts 12 minutes in)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Brian Vines, Marketplace Equity Reporter and co-host of the Talking Carts podcast at Consumer Reports, discusses holiday tipping etiquette, and callers weigh in on who to tip and how much.

Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent at KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, and NPR reporter Jude Joffe-Block discuss the latest in health-related news, including potential changes to SNAP, the vote changing the hepatitis vaccine recommendation and the latest fight in Washington over extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Chris Bragg, Albany bureau chief at New York Focus, talk about their investigation into foreclosure cases.

Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, former Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019, professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and the author of several poetry collections and her latest, Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times (Norton, 2025), talks about her new book, making the case for reading poetry and sharing her own writing process.

As the holiday season kicks into full gear, writer Julia Besonen, freelance writer and contributor to the New York Times, joins us to discuss her article on how package theft made her building band together. Plus, we hear from callers about their own disappearing deliveries.

On Monday, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders joined striking Starbucks workers outside a store in Brooklyn. Claudia Irizarry Aponte, senior reporter at THE CITY, shares her reporting on the labor dispute between Starbucks and New York City employees, the mayor-elect's involvement in the strike, and Rae Shao, a union barista at Starbucks, shares their point of view on the issues at their workplace.

 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ) talks about the health care subsidies fight in Congress, the leadership of Sec. Hegseth, and compares his "baby bonds" proposal to Pres. Trump's version.

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news then is joined by: Marshall Curry, documentary filmmaker (including Street Fight, If a Tree Falls, A Night at the Garden), to talk about "The New Yorker at 100," premiering Friday on Netflix.

Anna Kodé, reporter covering design and culture for the Real Estate section of The New York Times joins listeners to talk about the people left behind by our current "Tap-to-Pay society," and why they might still prefer to carry cash while out and about in New York City.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, Ben Max, host of the "Max Politics" podcast and program director at New York Law School’s Center for New York City Law, and Jeffery Mays, New York Times metro politics reporter, weigh in on Mayor Adams' term in office  — what he accomplished, where he fell short of his goals, and how history might view his mayoralty.

Diane Ravitch, education historian, former research professor of education at New York University, blogger at dianeravitch.net and author of the recent book An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else (Columbia University Press, 2025), talks about how she went from being an influential advocate for school choice and standardized testing to a promoter of public schools. 

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out their in-person holiday shopping opportunities (craft fairs, pop-ups, brick & mortar stores) for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.

==> Submit your information for our Shop Listener online guide at wnyc.org/shoplistener and check out all the entries!

With Pres. Trump sending mixed signals on extending ACA subsidies, and Republicans split over the issue, Jonathan Cohn, writer at The Bulwark and the author of The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage (St. Martin's Press, 2021), talks about the negotiations and where the conflicts lie.

Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics, professor at Bennington College, former EPA Region 2 administrator, and author of the new book The Problem with Plastics: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late (The New Press, 2025), discusses her new book which takes a look at how plastic went from being a "marvel of modern science" to a toxic industry that pollutes the environment and impacts health, plus tips on how to reduce everyday exposure to plastics.

Senator Mark Kelly appeared in a video alongside other veterans now serving in Congress, telling service members, “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.” The Pentagon has since opened an investigation and even raised the possibility of recalling him to active duty for potential discipline. Zachary Cohen, senior reporter on the national security beat for CNN, talks about what Kelly said, why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the probe, and how this all fits into other Pentagon headlines this week, including reports of U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats.

Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of a weekly column on life in Washington, host of the Political Scene podcast, talks about the latest national political news.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called for a return to the way we used to fly, in terms of dress and decorum. Listeners compare air travel today to when they first flew.

Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist reporter covering covering the New Jersey governor's race and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), rounds up some of the latest political news in New Jersey, including the mayoral run-off election in Jersey City, and governor-elect Mikie Sherrill's transition.