The Brian Lehrer Show

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives is set to return to work after a 54-day hiatus. Nicholas Wu , congressional reporter at POLITICO, talks about the upcoming vote in the House on the funding bill that would end the government shutdown, why some Democrats are furious at their Senate colleagues who broke ranks to cut a deal and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has pointed to "sewer socialism"—the early Milwaukee model where socialist mayors treated basic public infrastructure as central to serving working people—as part of the vision that guides him. Listeners call in to tell us which small public-works improvement, in that spirit, would make life better on their block. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...

Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the new hires Mayor-elect Mamdani has announced will be part of his administration, plus the news from Mayor Adams's final days in office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paula DiPerna , policy consultant, author of Pricing the Priceless (Wiley, 2023) and co-author of Carbon Hunters: Reflections And Forecasts Of Climate Markets In The 21st Century (WSPC,2025), talks about the history of international cooperation on climate change, and Mark Hertsgaard , journalist and co-founder and executive director of Covering Climate Now, and the author of Big Red’s Mercy: The S...

For Veterans Day, Paul Rieckhoff , independent national security, veterans affairs and political analyst, host of the Independent Americans podcast, founder & CEO of Independent Veterans of America, co-founder of American Veterans for Ukraine, and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), discusses how vets are viewing the changes Pete Hegseth is making to the armed forces, and h...

It's been a few months since schools in New York State started with a new rule: no smart phones allowed. Teachers, parents and students call in to talk about how it's going so far, and what the school day is like without the distraction of cell phones. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jared Fox , education consultant, former NYC secondary science teacher and the author of Learning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories from the Science Classroom  (Beacon Press, 2025), guides teachers in taking science education beyond the classroom, drawing on his experience teaching science in Washington Heights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Listeners call in to talk about their feelings on the Democratic senators who broke ranks to vote with Republicans to re-open the government. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liza Donnelly , writer and cartoonist at The New Yorker and the author of Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists, 1925-2021 (Prometheus, 2022) and the substack "Seeing Things," discusses the short documentary film she directed, "Women Laughing," about cartoonists at The New Yorker and their artistic processes.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf...

U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi  (D NY3) talks about the latest on the longest shutdown in history, how it now might end and the election results.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ciarán Donnelly , senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, breaks down the latest news from Sudan, where the country has been experiencing a civil war since April 2023 amid a power struggle between its army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

Micah Uetricht , editor of Jacobin Magazine , and Susan Kang , associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on local politics, talk about how the democratic socialist theory of change brought forth Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayoral race, and what to expect from a socialist mayor.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. Se...

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Researcher and strategist Michael Lange on the broad coalition that propelled Zohran Mamdani to victory in the NYC mayoral election (First) | A post-election interview with New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherril (Starts at 46:55) | A.J. Jacobs tries life without A.I. (Starts at 58:30) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer...

Hannah Frishberg , New York City arts and culture reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares some non-politics related activities for the weekend as listeners share how they're shifting their attention away from the mayoral race and back to cultural activities or other forms of civic engagement.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

Mark Levine , Manhattan borough president and Comptroller-Elect, talks about his election victory, the transition from Manhattan borough president to citywide office, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Toluse Olorunnipa , staff writer at The Atlantic , discusses the latest national political news as the government shutdown, already the longest in U.S. history, goes on.     Photo: The western front of the United States Capitol. The Capitol serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. (Noclip, Public domain, via  ) Hosted b...

Molly Fischer , staff writer at The New Yorker , talks about her reporting on Costco’s storied company culture and whether it can endure as the company continues to grow.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Lange , New York City-based writer, researcher, strategist, and political organizer, talks about the broad coalition that Zohran Mamdani put together for his decisive win in the New York City mayoral election. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the legality of President Trump's tariffs.  Aziz Huq , professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction  (Oxford University Press, 2024) , offers legal analysis of the case, and how the justices might be inclined to rule, based on their questions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

Irin Carmon , senior correspondent at New York Magazine , co-author of Notorious RBG (Dey Street Books, 2015) , and, most recently, author of Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America  (Atria/One Signal, 2025) , explores what it means to be pregnant today in America through reporting and personal stories. EVENT: Wednesday, November 12th from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Hall, G...

Amit Singh Bagga , campaign director for the Yes on Affordable Housing PAC and Democratic strategist, talks about the results of the three controversial housing-related ballot questions, which New York City voters approved, and what that will mean going forward for housing development and the new mayor's agenda. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ou...

Christina Greer , associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQNYC, and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams  (Cambridge University Press, 2024) , offers an analysis of the results of the New York City mayoral race and what's next for the city's new mayor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp...

Gothamist and WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim  offers analysis of the New York City mayoral race results, plus Ethar El-Katatney , editor-in-chief of Documented, shares Documented's reporting on the mayoral race from the perspective of different immigrant communities in the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

Mike Hayes , WNYC/Gothamist reporter 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) , talks about the results of New Jersey's contentious governor's race. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

Mikie Sherrill , New Jersey governor-elect, talks about her big win and what comes next for New Jersey's next governor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.