Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

On today's show: Russell Contreras , Justice and Race reporter at Axios, discusses President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order revoking decades of diversity and affirmative action practices in the federal government and how it might impact the private sector. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advert...

On today's show: Jason Marczak , vice president and senior director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, and Peter Bergen , CNN's national security analyst, vice president for Global Studies and Fellows at New America and host of the Audible/Fresh Produce Media podcast "In the Room with Peter Bergen," offer analysis of President Trump's statements in his inaugural ad...

Yesterday's inauguration of President Trump began a whirlwind day of executive orders, unofficial speeches and attention grabbing gestures.  On Today's Show: Jon Favreau , host of Pod Save America, Offline with Jon Favreau, and co-founder of Crooked Media, and Jon Lovett , host of Pod Save America and co-founder of Crooked Media, round up the latest news from Washington. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we present a live event exploring King's legacy, and what the lessons of his activism can offer us today.  On Today's Show: For the centennial series "100 Years of 100 Things," Rev. Jacqueline Lewis , senior minister and public theologian at the Middle Collegiate Church, and author of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that...

The popular social media app TikTok could be banned for U.S. users starting this Sunday, when a new law goes into effect.   On Today's Show: Social media reporter for The Information, Sylvia Varnham O'Regan discusses the latest news, including how President-elect Donald Trump may react to the ban, and Emily Bazelon , staff writer for The New York Times Magazine , co-host of Slate's "Political Gabf...

The US Surgeon General has been raising the alarm about the health risks of alcohol, as well as what he calls the 'loneliness epidemic.'  On Today's Show: U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the recent report highlighting the cancer risk of even moderate alcohol consumption, and other public health issues as he prepares to leave his post at the end of the Biden administration. Hosted by...

Political pundits frequently express concerns about the intense partisanship in our political culture. But could our divisions be productive and useful? On Today's Show: Julian Zelizer , professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, CNN political analyst, NPR contributor, and author of several books, including his latest, In Defense of Partisanship (Columbia Global Reports, 2025...

On Tuesday, the Republican-led Senate will hold confirmation hearings for confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary.  On Today's Show: Hear lines of questioning from Sen. Cotton and Sen. Gillibrand at the hearings, plus analysis afterward from Karen Greenberg , director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law and the author of sever...

Another big political week gets underway, as the Senate prepares a number of confirmation hearings for Trump's incoming cabinet. On Today's Show: Ron Wyden , U.S. Senator (D OR) and the author of It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change (Grand Central, 2025), talks about his new book and how he'll work with the new Republican majority in the Senate. Hosted by Simplecast, a...

Many Americans are spending more alone time than ever before. How is that impacting out political lives, and the structures of society? On Today's Show: Derek Thompson , staff writer at The Atlantic , author of the "Work in Progress" newsletter and host of the podcast Plain English, and the author, with Ezra Klein, of Abundance (Simon & Schuster, forthcoming 2025), talks about his latest reporting...

With political polarization at an all-time high, what does it look like for two well-informed people with opposing views to have dialog across different ideas? On Today's Show: Ryan Grim , co-founder of Drop Site News, co-host of the podcast Counter Points, and author of several books including The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution (Henry Holt and Co., 2023), and Emily Jashinsky ,...

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that its social media platforms -- Facebook, Instagram and Threads -- will stop using third-party fact-checkers and rely solely on its users to flag misinformation. On Today's Show: Mike Isaac , New York Times reporter covering tech companies and Silicon Valley, explains why the company is repositioning its policy and how that may favor President-elect D...

What could the future look like for climate change and public health policy? On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ 6th) kicks off the new weekly series with a discussion of the work of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Homelessness in the United States hit record highs in 2024. On today's show: Jennifer Ludden , NPR national correspondent covering housing and homelessness, and Peter Hepburn , associate director of Eviction Lab and an assistant professor of Sociology at Rutgers University-Newark, explain some of the factors of why the rates increased by double digits. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

On the opening day of Congress, where one swing-state  Democrat stands on cooperating with Republicans. On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D NY3) talks about working across the aisle in the Republican-controlled House as a Democrat in a district that went for Donald Trump in 2024 and where he thinks Democrats need to  cooperate with the majority and where to unite in resistance. Host...

It's a big week for Congress, as the GOP's congressional majorities vote for new congressional leadership On Today's Show: Molly Ball , senior political correspondent at The Wall Street Journal , discusses the latest in national political news. NOTE: The fatal vehicle attack in New Orleans and the Tesla explosion in Las Vegas are developing stories. Authorities might provide updates that are not r...

President-elect Donald Trump's brand of "America First" foreign policy seems at odds with his recent statements about the US's posture toward Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. On Today's Show: Jacqueline Alemany, congressional investigations reporter for The Washington Post , talks about the latest political news out of Washington. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

This year, the Lehrer Prize for Community Well-Being will honor people whose work supports transgender children and their families. On Today's Show: Listeners call in to nominate the people and organizations making a difference in the lives of trans minors and their parents—medically, socially or in any other way. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

President-elect Trump has indicated that under his administration, the federal government would only recognize "male"  and "female" genders.  On Today's Show: Jonathan Lemire , co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, breaks down the latest news from Washington, D.C., including updates from over the weekend as House Republican leadership proposes a third spending bill to avert shutdown. Hosted by Simplecas...

Katie Fallow , deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, offers legal analysis of the settlement between ABC and President-elect Trump, after the latter filed a defamation lawsuit against the news outlet and its anchor George Stephanopoulos, and what effect this and other threats and lawsuits by the president elect might have on the media.     Hoste...

On today's show: New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand takes some questions about the week's news, including the looming government shutdown, the Equal Rights Amendment, and the drone situation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A series of unidentified drones have been reportedly flying over the tri-state area, leading to confusion, concern, conspiracy theories.  On Today's Show: Andrew Tangel , enterprise reporter covering aviation safety and regulation for The Wall Street Journal , breaks down the latest news, and what the federal response has been so far. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com f...

 The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive has led to public outcry against the health insurance industry. On Today's Show: Rachel Cohrs Zhang , chief Washington correspondent for STAT News, examines what Congress is trying to do to fix a system that many Americans think is broken.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

President Biden has issued pardons and commuted the sentences of hundreds of people, on the heels of his controversial pardon of his son, Hunter. On Today's Show: Meryl Kornfield , politics reporter for The Washington Post , reports on the latest pardons, plus the pressure on the president to issue preemptive pardons ahead of Trump taking office, and President-elect Trump's pledge to pardon people...

As president-elect Donald Trump considers his pick to replace Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, a look at the role of the FTC in the economy. On Today's Show: Leah Nylen , antitrust reporter for Bloomberg News, breaks down the latest news surrounding a failed merger of two major supermarket chains and what the future of antitrust enforcement might look like Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...