The Brian Lehrer Show

Gregory Anderson , commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, talks about his new role, and his department's work in enforcing the composting laws that are on the books. Photo: NYC Compost Project, collection bin, Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...

Kenneth C. Davis , author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology (Harper Paperbacks 2020), quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history. Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meghan Sullivan , professor of philosophy at Notre Dame and founder of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, offers her take on the contemporary context for belief, or doubt, in God as religious affiliation largely declines in the U.S. Photo: Worshippers walk to a station during the Way of the Cross procession over the Brooklyn Bridge on April 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer P...

Dr. Regina Lark , organizer and founder of A Clear Path, offers advice for how to clean out a parent's home, especially when grief is also a part of the picture. Photo: A woman creates piles of cookbooks she planned to purchase during the estate sale at the home of celebrity chef Barbara Lynch. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

CBS has canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." As the show airs its final episodes, Bill Carter , editor at large for LateNighter.com, discusses what its loss says about today's media landscape. Photo: US comedian Stephen Colbert speaks onstage during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) / REST...

Katelyn Jetelina , founder and author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist, talks about what public health authorities do and don't know about the strain of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship, what the risks are and what the reaction of US-based health officials has signaled about pandemic preparedness here. Photo: Specialist workers in full PPE carry boxes containing hazardous waste...

Kenneth C. Davis , author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology ( Harper Paperbacks 2020), quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history.  Photo: The White House pictured in June 2025. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Kirsch , writer of the New York Times newsletter "The Good List," which gives recommendations and inspirations for living a more joyful and meaningful life, and writer of "The Morning" newsletter on Saturday, discusses her work and listeners call in about the new things they've tried that are bringing more joy and meaning to their lives. Photo: Stock image of joyful child running through a...

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Laura Kinsella , founder of Urban OrgaNYze, offers advice on how to stay organized despite the chaos of a kid-filled household. Photo: Stock image of identical twin boys in a very untidy bedroom covered in toys. (LPETTET/E+ via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pers...

Clayton Guse , WNYC and Gothamist editor of the transit and infrastructure desk, and Stephen Nessen , WNYC and Gothamist transportation reporter,  talk about the latest on the strike by Long Island Railroad workers. Photo: A Long Island Railroad train departs from Woodside, Queens en route to Penn Station in Manhattan. (Credit: Mtattrain/Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

David Graham , staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), offers analysis of FBI director Kash Patel's performance during Congressional testimony, plus how he says President Trump's recent gaffes may hurt the GOP. Photo: FBI Director Kash Patel attends the Las...

Kenneth C. Davis , author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology , quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history. Photo: The White House pictured in June 2025. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on spring cleaning, KC Davis , author of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing , offers realistic strategies for how neurodivergent people can build healthy habits around cleaning. Photo: Cover art for "How to Keep House." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Economic News from Marketplace (First) | Our Bodies & Our Tech  (Starts at 14:32) | Wild NYC - Air Migrations  (Starts at 33:54) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here . Photo: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Gas prices over 6 dollars a gallon are seen on a sign at a Shell station on May...

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), talks about his recent reporting on Péter Magyar, the new prime minister of Hungary who recently toppled Viktor Orbán, and on OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman. Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar speaks at the first press...

On The Media's Micah Loewinger talks about his reporting in the series "The Movement to Kill FEMA," and co-host Brooke Gladstone previews her conversation for OTM about the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act decision from last week. Image: Courtesy of On the Media Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...

Listeners try their hand at a news quiz, with questions and commentary by Mo Rocca , host of the podcast Mobituaries, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and co-author of Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs. Photo: Mo Rocca, host of "My Grandmother's Ravioli."; Courtesy of The Cooking Channel Hoste...

John Donvan , moderator-in-chief of the radio show Open to Debate, discusses what the show Open to Debate, which airs on WNYC (and many other NPR stations) aims to do, and spotlights some of the recent issues they've taken on. Image: Podcast logo, courtesy of Open to Debate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

Lulu Miller , host of Terrestrials and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab, shares some recent standout moments from Radiolab's kids podcast, Terrestrials. Image courtesy of Terrestrials/Radiolab Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nate Swanson , former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025 and current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council, offers analysis of President Trump's claim that the US will sign a nuclear deal with Iran, and the major obstacles standing in the way. Photo: Photojournalists take pictures of an Iranian technician walking at the Isfahan Uranium...

Manoush Zomorodi , host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and author of Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being (Flatiron, 2026), talks about the impact on our bodies of our interactions with our phones and other tech -- and how to stay healthy and stay connected. Photo: A close-up view of a person using a smartphone indoors, showcasing modern tec...

Listeners try their hand at a quiz based on people in the news. Photo: President Donald J. Trump holds up a copy of The Washington Post during the 2020 National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) PDM 1.0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Kaitlyn Wells , senior staff writer for The New York Times' product review site, Wirecutter, offers more advice on how to organize and digitize life's most important documents. Then, she'll share tips for organizing and digitizing the memorabilia you hold most dear. Photo: Stock image by Tsuji /E+ via Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company...

Mayor Mamdani has released his executive budget. Elizabeth Kim , Gothamist and WNYC reporter, explains how the mayor proposes the city closes the major funding gaps and how the tardy state budget has factored in. Plus,  she shares her related reporting on the mayor's relationship with the business community and his base. Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Speaker Julie Menin hold a press confer...

Kai Ryssda l, host and senior editor of Marketplace, talks about the latest economic news, including recent data on inflation, jobs and productivity, the effects of President Trump's tariffs and more. Photo: High gas prices are displayed at a Shell gas station on May 11, 2026 in Burbank, California. President Trump today said he wants to suspend the national gas tax amid elevated gas prices as the...