The Brian Lehrer Show

Last week thousands of federal employees who work for health agencies like the CDC, NIH and FDA lost their jobs. Selena Simmons-Duffin , health policy correspondent for NPR, reports on what kinds of jobs were cut and where the impact will be felt. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As our centennial series continues, Michael Froman , president of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and former U.S. trade representative in the Obama administration, explores the history of American trade policies and the swings since the early 20th century between free trade and protectionism.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...

U.S. Senator Cory Booker  (D, NJ) talks about his record-breaking speech on the Senate floor last week and the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's agenda, Saturday's "Hands Off" nationwide protests and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elaine Godfrey , staff writer at The Atlantic , talks about this weekend's protests against the Trump administration, which drew thousands of people in all fifty states. Plus: Listeners share their experiences and why they protested.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Tariff Chaos (First) | When Family Members Believe Conspiracy Theories (Starts at 41:36) | How to Compost in NYC (Starts at 1:05:21) 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 pers...

Mayor Eric Adams made news on Thursday when he announced he'll be seeking a second term as an independent, bypassing the Democratic primary in June. Sally Goldenberg , senior New York editor at Politico, discusses her interview with the mayor, and other developments in the race including Andrew Cuomo's significant lead and progressive candidates' attempts to garner attention in a crowded race. Hos...

John McWhorter , Columbia University linguistics professor, host of the Lexicon Valley podcast, opinion writer at The New York Times , and the author of Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words  (Avery, 2025), talks about his new book that digs into the cultural and linguistic history of pronoun usage in English and what light that sheds on today's controversies. Hosted by Simplecast...

The MTA released a new subway map that harkens back to the colorful 70s-era Vignelli version. Stephen Nessen , transportation reporter for the WNYC newsroom, talks about the change.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Global markets are in turmoil after President Trump announced his long-promised tariffs. Kathryn Anne Edwards , economist and economic policy consultant, offers analysis of the market reaction and explains how they will hit consumers' wallets—plus how the overall economy may fare in the weeks and months ahead as other countries respond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

Experts anticipate deep cuts to federal food assistance programs by the Republican-led Congress in this year's budget negotiations set to take place in September. Karen Yi , WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explains how potential cuts will affect 1.8 million New Yorkers, including more than half a million children, who are reliant on SNAP. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ads...

Allie Volpe , senior reporter at Vox, talks about some of the common misunderstandings of boredom. → How to be less afraid of boredom | Vox Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach Mack , host of Alternate Realities , a series from NPR's Embedded, talks about his three-part podcast on how he spent a year trying to save his father from conspiracy theories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katie Glueck , political reporter at The New York Times , offers analysis of the Democrats' very good week, with strong showings in special elections in Florida and a big win in Wisconsin, plus Sen. Cory Booker's record-breaking speech on the senate floor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Margaret Talbot , staff writer at The New Yorker , breaks down her latest reporting on how Wikipedia, through its increasingly stringent standards for reliability, has become a source to counter disinformation spread by the Trump administration and rightwing media.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

Colleges and universities made their acceptances at the end of March, now students have a month to decide. Angel Pérez , CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling , talks about the what goes into that decision and how the Trump administration actions might factor in. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including his sharp criticisms of his primary opponent Andrew Cuomo — plus she offers analysis of the political ramifications of big news that the corruption charges against the mayor have bee...

Attorney General Pam Bondi has told federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing a UnitedHealthCare executive on a midtown street last year. Samantha Max , reporter covering public safety for WNYC/Gothamist, talks about Bondi's priorities on the issue and how Mangione's status as a folk hero to some figures in - plus she reports on the dismissal with...

With the Final Four just ahead, Jonathan Cohen , the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Senior Program Officer for American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling  (Columbia Global Reports, 2025), talks about the explosive growth of legalized sports betting and its effect on public health, bey...

Brian Lehrer  shares his plans for today, April 1, with guest host Matt Katz.   ...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.

When 23andMe declared bankruptcy last week, attorney generals in multiple states including New York advised users to delete their data. Max Eddy , writer at Wirecutter covering privacy, security, and software, explains how to do it and why this kind of data is particularly important to keep private.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...

Steve Sweeney , former New Jersey state senator and state senate president, now running for governor of New Jersey, talks about his run to be the Democratic nominee for governor and the issues the matter to voters in the state. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Felix Salmon , chief financial correspondent at Axios, host of the Slate Money Podcast, and author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal (‎Harper Business, 2023), talks about President Trump's plans to impose "reciprocal tariffs," which he says will boost US manufacturing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

Both the Mets and Yankees have had their first few games of Major League Baseball's 2025 season. Deesha Thosar , MLB writer for Fox Sports who covers the Mets and Yankees, recaps what happened on the off season, and how New York's teams are doing so far. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everyone in NYC is supposed to be composting already, but starting Tuesday, the city will start issuing fines to property owners for violations. Liam Quigley , parks and sanitation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares how compliance is going so far (spoiler alert: not well!) and explains how to compost according to the city's rules. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

As our centennial series continues, John Strausbaugh , author of The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village (Ecco, 2013) and most recently, The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned  (PublicAffairs (2024), takes us through the rich history of Greenwich Village. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.c...