The Brian Lehrer Show

Listeners call in to share their favorite hidden gems and secret spots that they frequent around New York and New Jersey, including parks, views, shops and buidlings. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shane Goldmacher , national political correspondent for The New York Times  covering the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics, shares his reporting on how the Trump administration is attempting to sabotage Democrats' operations, and how it could affect elections and Democrats' ability to gain power in the future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....

As our centennial series continues, 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 ", talks about the evolution of the "New Yorker cartoon" now on display in an exhibit at the Society of Illustrators. =>See Drawn From The New Yorker: A Centennial Celebra...

Eli Dvorkin , editorial and policy director at the Center for an Urban Future, talks about their ideas for how NYC can retain young families. → 5 Ideas for Retaining NYC's Young Families Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 on the mayoral campaign and fundraising numbers, subway safety and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

Listeners north of the border weigh in on the impact of Donald Trump's second term on their country's politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heather Cox Richardson , professor of American history at Boston College and author of "Letters from an American" on Substack and several books, including Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America  (Viking, 2023), offers a historian's take on the first weeks of the second Trump presidency. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

After Chuck Schumer voted last week to prevent a government shutdown, Democrats have been deeply divided on whether he made the right decision or not, largely along generational lines. Philip Bump , national columnist for The Washington Post  and the author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America  (Viking, 2023) reports on how polls are showing voters ar...

The Trump administration is rapidly canceling grants at the National Institutes of Health. Katherine Wu , staff writer for The Atlantic , explains how the agency is beginning to terminate active research grants — seemingly on political grounds.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derek Thompson , staff writer at The Atlantic , author of the "Work in Progress" newsletter and host of the podcast "Plain English," and Ezra Klein , New York Times  opinion columnist and host of their podcast, the "Ezra Klein Show," co-authors of Abundance  (Simon & Schuster, 2025), discuss their new book that argues limits placed by past generations to protect jobs and the environment are preven...

Andrew Weissmann , professor of practice at NYU School of Law, MSNBC legal analyst, and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary  (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), offers legal analysis of the ways the Trump administration has challenged the rule of law in the first few months, including on deportations, fired inspectors general and more. Hosted by Simp...

S. Mitra Kalita , co-founder of URL Media and CEO and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, reflects on the COVID shutdown, how it profoundly changed the city and which consequences from it are still lingering and affecting people's lives. 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, Annie Polland , president of the Tenement Museum, looks at the life and enduring legacy of Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member as Secretary of Labor who was instrumental in crafting The New Deal, and passing a slew of federal workers protections, including Social Security, a minimum wage and a 40-hour work week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp...

For St. Patrick's Day, listeners call in to share their family's immigration stories, from Ireland to America, plus listeners who have emigrated from the U.S. to Ireland share their stories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government has issued a list of demands to Columbia University that they say it must comply with in order to restore hundreds of millions of dollars of funding. Jake Offenhartz , New York City reporter for The Associated Press, talks about the nature of the ultimatum and the contentious relationship between the university and the Trump administration. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz c...

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The Nation Asks 'Are Men OK?'; (First) | 100 Years of 100 Things: Birth Control  (Starts at 33:00) | Can We Change Our Personalities?  (Starts at 46:20) 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 collec...

Eamon Whalen , freelance journalist and Nation  contributor, offers analysis of the premise that men and boys are suffering, how to help them if they are, and how this intersects with the "manosphere," and the politics of the moment. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Whitney Tilson , former hedge fund manager and philanthropist, talks about his campaign for the Democratic nomination for NYC mayor in the June primary election. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Five years since COVID upended daily life, listeners weigh in on the biggest societal changes brought on by the pandemic.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nancy Cook , senior national political correspondent at Bloomberg News, offers analysis of the Democratic split on the budget showdown in Congress, tariff chaos and more economic news from Washington. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Annabelle Williams , publishing editor at The Wall Street Journal , shares tips and best practices for managing "digital debt" in your relationships.    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, Jane McManus , sportswriter, an adjunct professor at New York University at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport and the editor of The Year's Best Sports Writing 2024  (Triumph, 2024) and author of the forthcoming The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women's Sports (Temple University Press, 2025), talks about early attempts to organize w...

Nancy Solomon , WNYC reporter and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Topics this month: how federal cuts are affecting New Jerseyans, Murphy's position on ballot redesign, a sinkhole on I-80, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of perso...

David Sanger , White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times  and the author of New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West  (Crown, 2024), talks about the many ways Pres. Trump has upended the post-WWII international order. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...

Olga Khazan , staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change (S&S/Simon Element, 2025), talks about her new book and what she found on her year-long quest to become a "better" person. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.