Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

A COVID-era food security expansion of SNAP benefits has expired, returning to pre-pandemic levels. On Today's Show: Janet Poppendieck , professor emerita of sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York, a co-founder of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College and a senior fellow at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy...

A federal judge in Texas could rule soon on the FDA's approval of an abortion drugs that could impact access around the country. On Today's Show: Sarah McCammon , national correspondent for NPR, reports on the hearing and what's at stake for reproductive rights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisi...

Balancing work and family is often seen as a choice that primarily affects women. But many countries have policies that mean that women don't have to choose one over the other.  On Today's Show: The Economist has released its annual Glass Ceiling Index, a report on the role and influence of women in the workforce across developed nations. Lizzy Peet , lead data researcher for The Economist's Glass...

The latest economic news includes proposed government spending in Biden's federal budget proposal, and a run on a Big Tech bank that some argue needs government intervention.  On Today's Show: Molly Ball , national political correspondent for TIME and the author of Pelosi (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), talks about the deal to protect banking in the fallout of Silicon Valley Bank's failure, plus Pres....

A look at some recent economic data and headlines, including February's jobs report, and Biden's proposed federal budget. On Today's Show: Felix Salmon , chief financial correspondent for Axios, host of the Slate Money Podcast, and author of the forthcoming The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal (‎Harper Business, 2023), talks about today's February jobs report and what i...

China's geopolitical military posturing has some international observers, and some members of congress, concerned about the future of China-US relations.  On Today's Show: Susan Shirk , research professor and chair of the 21st Century China Center at UC San Diego and the author of Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise (Oxford University Press, 2022), shares her analysis of what some are...

A lot has changed about our political discourse over the past decade.  On Today's Show: Mehdi Hasan , journalist and host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and Peacock and the author of Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking (Henry Holt and Co., 2023), offers pointers for persuading people with winning arguments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ad...

With a recent escalation of legislative and rhetorical attacks targeting trans people, we explore the human ramifications, as well as the politics. On Today's Show: After the alarming anti-trans rhetoric coming out of the Conservative Political Action Conference, which included a call to "eradicate" trans people from "public life",  Kate Sosin , LGBTQ+ reporter at the 19th*, focusing on transgende...

A local representative brings his updates and analysis on the latest issues of national policy. On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (D, NY-18) talks about the latest national political news and his priorities including rail safety standards, the SALT tax and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

For a weekend special, here are some conversations that Brian has had with former president Jimmy Carter over the years. On Today's Show: Just over a week ago, the Carter Center announced that former President Jimmy Carter had entered hospice care. Carter has joined The Brian Lehrer Show a few times since leaving office, and in these excerpts from our archives, he reflects on his faith, on gender...

Several headlines in the realm of legal news could have national implications, including federal judges of various political persuasions who could unilaterally set national policy. On Today's Show: Mark Joseph Stern , senior writer at Slate covering courts and the law, has reported that a single federal judge in Texas could outlaw abortion pills nationwide. And, in other legal news, Fox News owner...

A local representative brings us updates and analysis on some of the latest politics from Congress.  On Today's Show: Ritchie Torres , U.S. Representative (D-NY15), talks about Tuesday's committee hearing on U.S./China relations and other Congressional news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The House of Representatives was designed to scale up with the population of the country. How does the current cap at 435 impact democracy? On Today's Show: As part of a year-long series on ways of improving U.S. democracy, Danielle Allen , Washington Post contributing columnist, a political theorist at Harvard University, where she is James Bryant Conant University Professor and director of the E...

A look at the latest in climate action targeting banks and other influential economic actors, plus, the first notable snowfall in the Northeast so far this year. On Today's Show: Bill McKibben , environmental activist, founder of Third Act, and author of many books, most recently: The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the...

Why is it important, in terms of policy, that women play a role as legislators in Congress? On Today's Show: Susan Page , USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, 2021) and a forthcoming biography of Barbara Walters, rounds up the latest news from Washington. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

A new study in the UK tested the impacts of reducing the workweek to four days. Could that be a workable business model to attract workers in the "Great Resignation" economy? On Today's Show: Niamh Bridson Hubbard , PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Cambridge, and Vanessa Fuhrmans , deputy bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal 's careers and workplaces team, discuss the details of...

One year since Russia invaded Ukraine, how much has U.S. military aid made a difference in the fighting, and in pushing both parties to negotiate for peace? On Today's Show: Ishaan Tharoor , foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post , joins to discuss President Biden's trip to Ukraine, how it's seen in the West and the latest polling data which gauges Americans' support of how involved the...

Would the impacts of racism be easier to communicate if we focused on the ways that bias and inequality are bad for everyone?  On Today's Show: Heather McGhee , chair of Color of Change board of directors and the author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together (One World, 2021) and the new edition for young readers, The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone (Dela...

It's been a week since hundreds of current and former contributors to the New York Times signed a letter criticizing the paper's coverage of issues affecting transgender people. On Today's Show: Jo Livingstone , critic, contributor to The New York Times and an organizer of NYTLetter.com, and  Sabrina Imbler , staff writer at Defector, a worker-owned site, and former fellow for The New York Times ,...

On Presidents Day, we explore Jimmy Carter's political legacy, and hear excerpts from conversations he's had with Brian since leaving the White House. 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 and co-author with Kevin Kruse of Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Leg...

It's almost been a full year since Russia launched it's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.  On Today's Show: Fred Kaplan , Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), offers analysis of where things stand militarily. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com fo...

Yesterday, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who served as Trump's U.N. Ambassador, announced her presidential campaign. On Today's Show: Andy Shain , a managing editor at The Post and Courier in South Carolina, discusses Nikki Haley's time as South Carolina governor between 2011 and 2017. He also explains how her decisions and politics during her time as governor might shape her preside...

What should we make of the recent headlines about possible spy balloons hovering over US airspace? On Today's Show: Jeff Wise , science journalist, explains why the military has been shooting down high-altitude balloons over the United States and how these objects got there in the first place. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

A local legislator discusses the progressive approach to criminal justice, and how to enhance public safety without mass incarceration. On Today's Show: Tiffany Cabán , NYC Council Member serving parts of Queens, talks about the progressive caucus's hopes to reduce the "size and scope of the NYPD" and other public safety priorities. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

As the week of Biden's State Of The Union comes to a close, we explore the politics of one of the more viral moments from the speech. On Today's Show: Toluse Olorunnipa , Washington Post White House bureau chief and the co-author of His Name is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Viking, 2022) talks about how President Biden's performance in the State of the Union spe...