The Brian Lehrer Show

As the cold weather continues, Patrick Spauster , City Limits housing and homelessness reporter, talks about the obligations landlords have to keep apartments heated, and what tenants should do if their heat or hot water isn't working.   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 and Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School, and Rachel Poser , features editor at The New York Times Magazine , discuss their reporting on the The Federal Bureau of Investigation under the leadership of Kash Patel, after speaking to forty-five current and form...

Snow clearers, liquor store owners, restaurant and bar proprietors...or anyone: call in to share whether this week's storm was good or bad for your business, financially speaking. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States version of TikTok has new owners, and among them are several corporations and investment firms with ties to President Trump. Vittoria Elliott , senior writer for Wired covering platforms and power, talks about the new era of TikTok in America, including a controversial new terms of service, concerns about surveillance and data privacy, and claims of censorship Hosted by Simplecas...

Michael Shermer , publisher of  Skeptic  magazine, the executive director of the Skeptics Society and the author of  Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters  (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026), offers advice for evaluating information and sources and argues that getting to the truth is still possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

Over the weekend, seven New Yorkers perished in the cold and snow despite the city's outreach attempts to get unhoused people in shelter. Dave Giffen , executive director of Coalition for the Homeless, explains why these efforts fell short, and what the city can do to get the homeless population indoors and save lives.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

U.S. Representative  Adriano Espaillat  (D, NY-13) shares why he says ICE should be "dismantled," his vote against its funding and his resolution to impeach Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michelle Hackman ,  Wall Street Journal  reporter covering U.S. immigration policy, talks about the legality of the tactics ICE agents are using in Minneapolis and elsewhere, including entering people's homes without warrants, and the ways they are dealing with bystanders in the wake of the two recent fatal shootings in Minnesota. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

NYC Comptroller Mark Levine talks about the budget gap and what it means for NYC's finances, plus, how the city is managing the storm.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about whether their schools got a snow day or had to do remote instruction, and how it's going either way Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Davitt , chief meteorologist for Spectrum News NY1, talks about the first big snowstorm to hit the city in a while, and the extreme cold front that is settling in across the region. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis, and the Trump administration is pushing a version of events that clashes with video evidence. Reid Forgrave , state and regional reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune , reports on the latest and the community response. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...

Brigid Bergin , WNYC's senior political correspondent, talks about the judge's ruling that the Staten Island and Brooklyn congressional district now held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R) should be redrawn and what that would mean for local representation and, potentially, control of congress.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

Vanessa Friedman , fashion director and chief fashion critic of The New York Times , discusses the Saks Global bankruptcy filing to find out what it means for shoppers and vendors, and what it says about the state of retail sales in the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mark Malkoff , comedian and author of Love, Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan’s Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend  (Penguin Random House, 2025), talks about his book on Johnny Carson, which focuses on the decade the late-night legend spent hosting the Tonight Show from New York; plus he discusses how Carson invited Jim Henson's Muppets on the show, including an episode hosted by Kermit t...

Steven Rodas , environmental reporter for NJ Advance Media, explains why utility costs in New Jersey have spiked over the last several years and the details of Gov. Mikie Sherrill's state of emergency on utility costs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Robert Kagan , contributing writer to The Atlantic , senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the author, most recently, of Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Again (Penguin Random House, 2024), offers his take on how President Trump is trying to rearrange the world order to look more like the 19th century and the dangers that lie ahead if continues to succeed. Hosted by...

Andrew Rigie , executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, talks about an executive order issued by Mayor Mamdani that aims to lower fees for small businesses in the city and more priorities for his group, which looks out for the interests of NYC's restaurants and bars. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

As we study up on Greenland, we invite listeners to share what's misunderstood about where they're from. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roger Leaf , chair of the West Park Administrative Commission, responds to public calls for preservation and offers his perspective on why the Landmarks Preservation Commission should approve a claim of hardship for the West-Park Presbyterian Church. The hardship claim would allow the church's stewards to sell the dilapidated Upper West Side building they cannot afford to maintain. Hosted by Simpl...

Sam Levine , commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) talks about his priorities in his new role, including the mayor's executive orders related to plans for "rental rip-off" hearings, banning junk fees and regulating delivery apps, which he says are depriving workers of tips. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col...

Gov. Mikie Sherrill has been inaugurated in New Jersey. Mike Hayes , WNYC/Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform  (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talks about what to expect, and the challenges she will face as she begins her term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Ahead of Thursday's Oscar nominations, listeners call in to share their picks for the major categories, including best documentary.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amy Davidson Sorkin , staff writer at The New Yorker, looks back at the first year of Pres. Trump's second term and where we are now in the context of Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Smith , executive director of the Center for Building in North America, talks about his idea to bring down NYC's sky-high grocery prices -- which is to make it easier to build more grocery stores. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.