Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

With Congress on summer recess after passing the big spending bill, GOP representatives are now tasked with defending their legislative records to their constituents. On Today's Show:Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the particularly tough crowd Republican congressman Mike Flood faced on Monday evening and other news coming out of Congress. 

With recent stories around the Fed chair, and US employment figures, a former government economist explains the latest, and the stakes. On Today's Show:Robert Reich, recently retired as Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, Secretary of Labor under Pres. Clinton, a columnist for Newsweek and The Guardian and Substack, and the author of several books, including his latest, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America (Knopf, 2025), shares his story and why he thinks his generation 'came up short' and why young progressives listen to his political analysis. 

With national political issues like the social safety net, immigration, and foreign policy playing out locally in NYC, a local elected weighs in. On Today's Show:U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D, NY-15) talks about the latest national political news of the week, as Congress is in the midst of the August recess. 

As new information and reporting into the human trafficking scandal around Jeffrey Epstein continues to come to light, we explore how we know what we know about the case.  On Today's Show:Epstein experts Vicky Ward, an investigative journalist and author of books including Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump (St. Martin's Press, 2019), and Jacob Shamsian, legal correspondent at Business Insider, comb through the extensive history of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, information about his associates, and recent news involving the Trump administration.

As the Northeast US faces another heatwave, we take a look at some of the data behind particular climate issues.On Today's Show:Radley Horton, professor of climate at Columbia University's Climate School, connects the dots between hotter temperatures, air quality and Canadian wildfires. 

Israel celebrates its apparent military victory over Iran. How does that square with the humanitarian conditions in Gaza?On Today's Show:David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about his recent trip to Israel as the country navigates the complicated geopolitics of the region, and the changing landscape of international support.  

The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, with many Palestinian civilians reportedly unable to access food, medicine and other basic supplies.On Today's Show:Avril Benoît, executive director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States, and Katy Crosby, Mercy Corps Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, talk about the on-the-ground reports they're receiving on the food and medical crises in Gaza. 

General Motors' CFO says they won't raise prices despite the tariffs imposed by Trump's White House, and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the US's global trade partners.On Today's Show:Alexandra Svokos, the digital managing editor of Kiplinger, talks about what some economic indicators say about the effects of the new tariffs.

Speaker Mike Johnson sent members of the House of Representatives home for their August break a few days early in order to avoid a vote on releasing Epstein materials.On Today's Show: Annie Karni, congressional correspondent for The New York Times and co-author (with Luke Broadwater) 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), talks about how the years-old story is roiling Republicans and delighting Democrats, and more Congressional news.

In clips that went viral, Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, columnist for The Guardian and former MSNBC host, debated 20 far-right conservatives on Jubilee's YouTube series "Surrounded."  He talks about the experience and why he's still not sure it was worth it.

The Texas state legislature has reconvened for a special session and at the behest of President Trump, one of the primary goals is to redraw the state's Congressional map to shore up the Republican majority in the House. On Today's Show:Matthew Choi, co-writer of the Early Brief politics newsletter at The Washington Post, explains why this is happening now, and how Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are trying to fight back.

Hear about the latest media headlines, from the Late Show's cancellation, to Trump's newspaper lawsuits and public media funding clawbacks and the Epstein Files news cycle.On Today's Show:Brian Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter and the author of several books, including Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for America (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024), offers analysis of all the big media stories from recent days. 

Columbia University has announced it will use a controversial definition of antisemitism on campus, approved by the Trump administration. On Today's Show:Arno Rosenfeld, enterprise reporter at the Forward and author of the Antisemitism Decoded newsletter, talks about the new definition and why some groups don't support it. Plus Katie J.M. Baker, national investigative correspondent for The New York Times, discusses Project Esther, a project of the conservative Heritage Foundation that aims to suppress pro-Palestinian activism and what it labels antisemitism across America.

The senate approved a rescission package of cuts to NPR and PBS along with foreign aid.On Today's Show:LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, and Sarah Gilbert, president and CEO of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, talk about what comes next, both for larger stations like WNYC and smaller and more rural public radio stations.

President Trump has attempted to signal a change of tune toward Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine.On Today's Show:Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and democracy activist, plus host of The Atlantic podcast "Autocracy in America," chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative and a vice president of the World Liberty Congress, offers his take on how the United States of America can avoid backsliding into autocracy.

A local Senator shares his thoughts on federal responses to recent flooding in his state, Trump's budget, and foreign relations.On Today's Show:Senator Andy Kim (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey.

On today's show:Immigrants and advocates are alleging that conditions at a lower Manhattan ICE facility are inhumane, including no beds and not enough food. Arya Sundaram, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering race and immigration, shares her reporting on the story and what local elected officials have been able to find out is going on inside.

On today's show: Susan Kang, associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on state on local politics, defines democratic socialism and analyzes the way the Democratic Socialists of America's New York chapter figured into Zohran Mamdani's campaign in the Democratic mayoral primary. 

Big changes are coming to student loans as a result of President Trump's domestic spending law. On Today's Show:Ayelet Sheffey, senior economic policy reporter at Business Insider, explains how the new law will make it harder for some borrowers to afford medical or law school, and how repayment plans for federal student loans will change.

On today's show:Austin Kocher, assistant research professor in the office of research and creative activity in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University, and Substack writer, shares the data he's collected from the Trump Administration's mass deportation policy, particularly the increasing numbers of migrants arrested by ICE and living in detention facilities across the country.

Trump's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' would cut clean energy subsidies, and other programs aimed at mitigating climate change.On Today's Show:Zack Colman, Climate and energy reporter for POLITICO, reports on new analysis that show the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and scale back U.S. environmental goals. 

Over the holiday weekend, political voices across the spectrum, from a Trump advisor to a leading congressional Democrat, weighed in on the national implications of Zohran Mamdani's primary win in NYC.On Today's Show:Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the latest national political new including the latest on the budget bill and the president's agenda, and more.

Today, the domestic funding bill that President Trump has been pushing through Congress is undergoing a vote in the House of Representatives.On Today's Show:Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about the House and Senate budget bills and what they would mean for Americans' access to health care.

It's been an impactful term at the Supreme Court this year, with cases impacting many facets of presidential power and checks-and-balances. On Today's Show:Ruth Marcus, contributor to The New Yorker, former columnist for The Washington Post and the author of Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover (Simon & Schuster, 2019), talks about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and takes stock of the Supreme Court's latest blockbuster decisions.

Now that President Trump's major legislative priorities are before the Senate, we hear how lawmakers are staking their claim on the Republican agenda.On Today's Show:Nicholas Wu, POLITICO congressional reporter, talks about the latest national political news, as the Senate votes on  the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" which Congress is aiming to pass by July 4. 

Today was another Supreme Court decision day, with tomorrow's decisions expected to drop, marking the end of the current term.On Today's Show:Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast 'Strict Scrutiny' and a contributing opinion writer with The New York Times, talks about the Supreme Court's decision to allow the Trump administration to deport migrants to countries where they have no connections, and other opinions that were dropped today.

Yesterday's primary for the Democratic nomination for the NYC mayor's race yielded decisive success a young, progressive, populist candidate.On Today's Show:Zohran Mamdani, New York State assembly member (D, D-36, Queens), talks about his big win in last night's primary for New York City mayor. 

The primary for NYC's mayoral nominees wraps up tomorrow, with close polls and a broad field of Democratic candidates.On Today's Show:Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and then NY State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani make their final pitches for voters to rank them first at the ballot box. 

With the conflict continuing to develop between Israel and Iran, we consider the role of the United States and President Trump. On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), offers analysis of the Iran-Israel conflict and discusses his recent column appraising the odds of the United States joining the fight. 

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court's decided to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for minors in the United States v. Skrmetti case. On Today's Show:Jack Turban, MD, MHS, adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Atria Books, 2024), offers his perspective on the ruling and how it will affect transgender children and their families. 

This morning,  the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for transgender children.On Today's Show:Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny and a contributing opinion writer with the New York Times, discusses the latest news coming out of the Supreme Court, including the latest decision to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care for transgender children, the legal battle over the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard in California — currently headed to a federal appeals court — and President Donald Trump's use of "the shadow docket," which has made it so SCOTUS often votes in his favor.

Nations that once relied on USAID funding to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS have been impacted by President Trump's cuts to the program. On Today's Show:Jon Cohen, senior correspondent with Science, reports on how countries that suffer high rates of HIV/AIDS are coping now that USAID funding has dried up, and how local governments, especially in places like Lesotho, are attempting to figure out solutions. Plus, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, director of ICAP at Columbia University, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, executive vice president of Columbia Global, and lead of the New York City Preparedness & Response Institute, discusses ICAP's HIV/AIDS treatment under the Trump administration.

Over a weekend with many intense headlines, “No Kings Day” protests against the Trump administration took place around the country. On Today's Show: Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker, author of a weekly column on life in Washington and host of the Political Scene podcast, talks about the latest national political news, including the the news from Los Angeles, President Trump's military parade and the "No Kings" protests. 

Last night, Brian co-moderated a debate among the Democratic hopefuls campaigning to be NYC's next mayor. On Today's Show:Hear excerpts from the debate that specifically asks candidates how they would respond to those moves by the Trump administration that could impact city life, from federal funding cuts to crackdowns by federal law enforcement on protests. 

Tense scenes between protestors and law enforcement agents, both local and federal, have violently clashed. On Today's Show:Gustavo Arellano, columnist for The Los Angeles Times, offers his take on the protests in Los Angeles, the Trump administration's response and how local communities are showing up for their immigrant neighbors. 

The U.S. Health Secretary, RFK Jr., announced he was dismissing all the members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee.On Today's Show:Katelyn Jetelina, founder and author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist, talks about what RFK Jr. says are his goals, and what the consequences might be.

CNN's lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent shares his analysis of recent news, including the intensifying standoffs between protesters and federal law enforcement in Los Angeles.On Today's Show:Jake Tapper, co-author with Alex Thompson of Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again (Penguin Press, 2025), talks about the latest national political headlines.

President Trump has deployed the National Guard to suppress demonstrations against immigration raids in Los Angeles.On Today's Show:Leah Litman, professor of law at the University of Michigan and a former Supreme Court clerk, co-host of the podcast "Strict Scrutiny" and the author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2025), offers legal analysis.

Last week, a congressional staffer at a district office was detained by officials from the Department of Homeland Security.On Today's Show:Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D, NY-12), talks about the incident, and more about his work in Washington.

With the Trump administration's general posture against the Department of Education, we speak with a former official about the DOE's value to local school districts. On Today's Show:John B. King, Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), former U.S. Education Secretary under Pres. Obama, and the author of Teacher By Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives (Legacy Lit, 2025), talks about his memoir and work at many levels of the education system and advocates for the work of the Education Department.

After a transgender high school athlete won two events at a California track and field competition, President Donald Trump has threatened to defund the state. On today's episode: Katie Barnes, author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates (St. Martin's Press, 2023), discusses the rules various leagues have set in place to ensure equity and inclusion and fact-checks some of the broader ideas held by the public about fairness and gender in sport.

A constituent told Sen. Joni Ernst that proposed Medicaid meant that "People are going to die." Sen. Ernst responded: "Well, we all are going to die."On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC; writer for MSNBC and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news, including Ernst's comments, what's brewing for Democrats regarding the 2028 election and more.