The Brian Lehrer Show

Jim Newell , Slate's senior politics writer, breaks down the latest national politics headlines from over the weekend, the latest on President Donald Trump's remarks on a potential third term, "Signalgate" and more. 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. Clay Risen, New York Times reporter and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America (Scribner, 2025), on his new book (First) | Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker , on why young men are shifting to the Right (Starts at 31:05) | Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of I...

A doctoral student at Tufts University was detained in an arrest that was caught on video and shared widely and accused of supporting Hamas by the Department of Homeland Security. Lindsay Nash , associate and clinical professor of law at Cardozo Law and co-director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic, offers legal analysis of this and other arrests of pro-Palestinian immigrants....

Mohana Ravindranath , reporter covering longevity, aging and brain health at The New York Times , breaks down her latest reporting on how to stay mentally sharp and healthy through the major transition of going into retirement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City's outdoor dining season officially begins on Tuesday. Ryan Kailath , WNYC/Gothamist arts and culture reporter, reports on the confusing and expensive new process restaurants must go through to be approved, and how this year's outdoor setups will compare to the pandemic-era boom in outdoor dining. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...

Young men broke heavily for Trump in November, Andrew Marantz , staff writer at The New Yorker  and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation  (Viking Press, 2019), discusses the reason behind this phenomena and how the left can make gains in this demographic.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat...

Elie Mystal , justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation  magazine and host of the podcast, Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal, and author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America  (The New Press, 2025), talks about the 10 laws he calls a "Bill of Wrongs" - like felony murder and immunity for gun manufacturers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...

The leaders of PBS and NPR went before a House subcommittee led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to defend their networks against charges of liberal bias. Bill Grueskin , professor at Columbia Journalism School and a former senior editor at The Wall Street Journal  and Miami Herald , offers analysis of the testy hearing.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

Columbia University agreed to the Trump administration's demands in order to restore $400 million dollars in federal funds, leading some faculty members to protest, and take legal action. David Graham , staff writer at The Atlantic  and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of the forthcoming book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America  (Random House Trade Paperbacks,...

U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11) talks about her campaign to be the Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey, and her work in Washington.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Polo shirts, khaki shorts, and boat shoes: the classic uniform of elites on their days off. As our centennial series continues, Avery Trufelman , host of the podcast Articles of Interest, delves into the last 100 years of preppies and their clothes. 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, Clay Risen , New York Times  reporter and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America  (Scribner, 2025), goes through the history of the Cold War-era struggle inside the US between the FDR progressives and social conservatives and how it continues to reverberate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

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 various aspects of the mayoral campaign and his recent appointment of Randy Mastro as a deputy mayor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information ab...

A recent legal judgment could force Greenpeace to pay $667 million in defamation and vandalism-related damages, from the 2016 protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline leading environmentalists to worry that the ruling could have a chilling effect on climate activism. Michael Gerrard , professor of law at Columbia Law School and the founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Ch...

Apoorva Mandavilli , reporter for The New York Times , focusing on science and global health, discusses the government's approach to Bird Flu, and why veterinary scientists say that RFK Jr.'s approach (letting the infection burn through flocks to identify birds with high immunity) will likely cost more than it helps.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

Jimmy Vielkind ,  New York State Issues reporter for WNYC and author of the substack "Notes from Jimmy", talks about the status of budget negotiations ahead of the April 1 deadline, the possibility of a mask ban, and federal funding that's included in the forecasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adver...

New York Times congressional correspondent Annie Karni and White House reporter Luke Broadwater , co-authors of Mad House: How Donald Trump, Maga Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby and a Man with Rats in his Walls Broke Congress  (Random House, 2025), discuss their new book about dysfunctional House Republicans—and the extent to which the GOP-led Congress has provided a ru...

On Friday, Columbia University's administration agreed to demands from the Trump administration over the institution's responses to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Columbia faculty members Joseph Howley , associate professor of Classics, followed by Ester Fuchs , professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science, weigh in. Then, senior editor Sarah Brown and staff reporter Ka...

Last week, Americans learned that ICE sent 238 Venezuelan migrants to the CECOT mega prison in El Salvador under the unsubstantiated pretense that all were members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Annie Correal , reporter at the New York Times , shares her reporting on the conditions at this prison, why Donald Trump and El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele have partnered on this endeavor, and the Venez...

Andy Kim , U.S. Senator (D-NJ), talks about Social Security in the new Trump administration and what he's learned hosting town halls in Democratic and Republican districts across his state. 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. Is This What Democracy Looks Like: Heather Cox Richardson (First) | Local UAW Leader (Starts at 30:48) | 100 Years of 100 Things: New Yorker Cartoons (Starts at 1:15:26) 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 informa...

A recent article in Vox documents the writer's goal to get rejected a number of times per week, as an exercise in 'shooting your shot.' Listeners call in to share their stories, lessons and musings about being rejected, and the silver linings that can come from being told 'no. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

The Trump administration is intent on downsizing the Education Department, leading to confusion for the millions of people who hold federal student aid. Annie Nova , who covers personal finance for CNBC, reports on the state of Trump's Department of Ed and the predicament for student borrowers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...

Ishaan Tharoor , foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post , and the author of the Today's World View newsletter and column, breaks down the latest news in global headlines and listeners with ties to countries outside the U.S. call in to talk share the news from abroad. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

Brandon Mancilla , UAW Region 9A director, talks about his union's diverse local membership, which includes auto workers, as well as public defenders and workers at museums, movie theaters, higher education, and nonprofits; the effects of Trump administration cuts; and their ranked-choice-voting campaign in the mayoral primary. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for info...