The Brian Lehrer Show

Despite allowing a Russian tanker to breach the United States' fuel blockade and deliver oil to Cuba, President Trump reiterated his treat to take over the island. What happens next? Jon Lee Anderson , staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about his reporting from Cuba. and Ryan Grim , co-founder of Drop Site News and co-host of the podcast Counter Points, talks about the Nuestra América Convoy, a...

Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz , a pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Bay Ridge, discusses the political divide over how Christian congregations are using scripture to guide their approach to immigration policy. Photo: St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 14 July 2012. Credit: MrBrittonJ via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...

Jonathan Lemire , co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest developments in national politics, including the politics of the 'birthright citizenship' case before the Supreme Court. Photo: An Indiana birth certificate. (Credit: Indiana's Clinton County Health Department) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...

An April 1st Extra on New York/New Jersey interstate commerce.   ...note: This is part of our yearly April Fool's coverage Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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), offers analysis of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court over President Donald Trump's executiv...

Jon Campbell , Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the status of budget negotiations and any remaining sticking points. Photo: A stack of state budget-related bills under review in the New York Senate on April 6, 2021. (Credit: NYS Media Services) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...

Chabeli Carrazana , economy and child care reporter for The 19th, shares her reporting on the women advocating for women and migrant farmworkers, in light of the explosive allegations that Cesar Chavez, the late leader of the farmworkers' movement, had sexually assaulted women and girls. Photo: A guest, reflected in a piece by Yreina Cervantez titled, "La Ofrenda" attends the opening of the art sh...

A.M. Gittlitz , an organizer and writer and the author of Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team (Astra House, 2026),  looks at the way class and politics and baseball intersect with the story of baseball and of the Mets baseball franchise. Cover image courtesy of the publisher. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...

Alister Martin , commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, talks about his background and what he plans to prioritize in his new job. Photo: Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (Credit: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Eyal Press , contributing writer to The New Yorker , shares his reporting on how disagreements over Israel, Gaza and Zionism itself are dividing synagogues, Jewish families and communities across America. → At Synagogues, Tensions Are Boiling Over | The New Yorker Photo: Jewish activists and allies take part in a Passover Seder outside ICE headquarters in New York City to demand the release of Mah...

Melissa Kirsch, writer of the New York Times newsletter "The Good List," which gives recommendations and inspirations for living a more joyful and meaningful life, and writer of "The Morning" newsletter on Saturday, discusses her newest newsletter and listeners call in about the new things they've tried that are bringing more joy and meaning to their lives. Photo: A couple reads books outdoors in...

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 an...

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...

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 i...

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 advertisi...

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.

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....

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....

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 happ...

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 h...

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: B...

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 braggin...

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 photog...

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...

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/Dipa...