Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

On today's show: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., talks about his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2026), and the underlying crises that have resulted in our current politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign against Cuba, a look at what it means for the geopolitics of the region. On Today's Show:Nahal Toosi, Politico's senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump and his aides have grown frustrated that their posture towards Cuba doesn't seem to be working, and what sort of military action might be on the table. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Remembering Barney Frank and his recent advice for Democrats. On Today's Show: Hear excerpts from our 2015 interview with the former Massachusetts Congressman, followed by Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and staff writer for The Atlantic, who talks about the late Barney Frank's advice for Democrats, including his defense of incremental change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A legal expert weighs in on the ways President Trump has used the legal system to evade accountability and enrich himself. On Today's Show:Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and author of Liar's Kingdom: How to Stop Trump's Deceit and Save America (Little, Brown, 2026), talks about the changes to the legal system needed to preserve US democracy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CBS has canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." On Today's Show: As the final episodes air Bill Carter, editor at large for LateNighter.com, discusses what its loss says about today's media landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump and some of his administration officials have made recent 'gaffes' that could impact the GOP's prospects for the midterms in November. On Today's Show: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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A New Yorker journalist has been reporting on the AI dispute between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, as well as developments around the new PM of Hungary. On Today's Show: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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump has claimed that the US will sign a nuclear deal with Iran, but there are major obstacles standing in the way. On Today's Show: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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Between the impact of AI on the job market, and geopolitics on the energy market, the current economic situation is a lot to make sense of. On Today's Show:Kai Ryssdal, 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the November midterms start ramping up, a look at some recent polling, and some redistricting battles that could impact the outcomes.  On Today's Show:Mara Liasson, NPR national political correspondent, talks about the latest national political news, including what's happening in foreign policy as President Trump travels to China and a deal to end the Iran war is still not happening. Plus, she discusses the redistricting wars and what a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found about the president's approval ratings. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As academic terms like "critical race theory" have been reshaped by their use in political spheres, a conversation with someone who helped originate those ideas. On Today's Show: Civil rights scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, co-founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, founder and executive director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, distinguished professor and Promise Institute chair for human rights at UCLA Law School and Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher professor at Columbia Law School, and the author of Backtalker: An American Memoir (Simon & Schuster), talks about key moments in her life that helped her develop groundbreaking legal concepts. Crenshaw is popularly known for her development of “intersectionality,” “Critical Race Theory” and as the host of the podcast Intersectionality Matters! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, SCOTUS released a decision in a gerrymandering case in Virginia, blocking Democrats from an election map with 4 more likely blue districts.  On Today's Show:Janai Nelson, president-director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, talks about the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v. Louisiana, which they say gutted the Voting Rights Act. Plus, her reaction to the news that the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved redistricting ballot measure that would have been a boon to Democrats.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court temporarily reinstated a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine.  On Today's Show: Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, MSNOW commentator and the author of The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader (Simon & Schuster, 2026), explains the Constitution and how all the problems inherent in the founding are contained in it, not solved by it.

The Supreme Court's recent voting rights decision could fundementally change not only the nation's electoral landscape, but how the maps themselves are drawn. On Today's Show:Nick Corasaniti, New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections, talks about the possibility of "endless redistricting wars," and how this may affect this year's midterm elections and beyond.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases where the Trump administration is attempting to end TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the US.  On Today's Show: Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, and Daniel Berlin, policy director of Protection Pathways at the International Rescue Committee, offer their take on why the program should stay legal, as well as talk about the humanitarian crisis they say is ongoing in Haiti.

The Supreme Court was busy today, hearing oral arguments over an immigration case, and issuing opinions on a number of other issues. On Today's Show:Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged (Random House, 2019), offers legal analysis of today's arguments before the Supreme Court over Temporary Protected Status for certain refugees, and reacts to the Louisiana redistricting decision. NOTE: Today's discussion took place Wednesday morning, before SCOTUS's oral arguments began.

With an abundance of national news, a look at how Democrats in the Congress are thinking about the nation's priorities. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ), author of Stand (St. Martin's Press, 2026), talks about his ongoing efforts to gain support for a war powers resolution to stop the war in Iran and the approaching 60-day deadline, plus other national news.

Should the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner be thought of as an assassination attempt, or an attempted mass shooting? 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 his perspective of the shooting at this weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Mayor Mamdani's populist politics and affordability agenda have brought him national attention, as well as comparisons to his predecessor, Fiorello La Guardia.  On Today's Show: We present a live conversation in The Greene Space with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and WNYC's Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin, about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next.

A debate is underway among Democratic party leaders over whether to engage with influential, controversial streamer Hasan Piker. On Today's Show:Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coalition.

President Trump has signed an executive order in support of research into whether psychedelic drugs could be used in mental health treatments. On Today's Show:Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor of the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, talks about the use of psychedelics for mental illness and the effects of President Trump's executive order speeding up research.

With congressional elections coming up in November, how are certain national (and international) issues impacting the polls? On Today's Show:David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections.

With the war in Iran taking up much geopolitical attention, how has focus changed on other conflicts of global importance? On Today's Show:Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, covering Europe, discusses his reporting on how European leaders are trying to keep the focus on helping Ukraine, even as the war with Iran is diverting attention and resources.

JD Vance is in the spotlight after a number of international stories involving the vice president.  On Today's Show:Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's loss and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.  

In a now-deleted social media post, President Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV.  On Today's Show:Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of the forthcoming Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (St. Martin's, 2026), talks about the range of responses from Christians.

Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell. On Today's Show:Jane Manning, director at Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan D.A. is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws.

Prompted by unfounded internet speculations, the First Lady made a public statement last week that she had no ties to Jeffrey Epstein. On Today's Show:Vicky Ward, investigative journalist, host of the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), talks about Melania Trump's announcement denouncing Jeffrey Epstein and delves into the relationship between the First Lady, Epstein, and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

Two days into a ceasefire with Iran, we take stock of how the conflict has reshaped the region's geopolitics. On Today's Show:Ishaan Tharoor, a contributor to The New Yorker, formerly a foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, discusses Trump's approach to Iran, how the White House has 'never fully understood' the war it started, and what it could mean for the success, or failure, of the ceasefire.

There are limits of conflict jurisprudence and how leaders in the U.S., Israel and Iran think about following, or skirting, the rules about what constitutes 'war crimes.' On today's show: Former Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, national security law expert, law professor at Southwestern Law School, and former chief legal advisor for international law at U.S. Central Command, where she advised on operational and international legal issues related to the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Eliav Lieblich, faculty of international law at Tel-Aviv University, explain international law as it applies to the war with Iran.

President Trump recently said it was "not possible" for the federal government to fund Medicaid and Medicare, despite a White House budget proposal that boosts defense spending to $1.5 trillion. On today's show: Maya Goldman, healthcare reporter at Axios, unpacks what that means for the millions of Americans who rely on those programs and the states who'll have to fill the gaps.    

On Today's Show:Sarah Fitzpatrick, staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and the Department of Justice, discusses the latest news from the U.S. military, including President Trump's revised deadline and some of the risks of the current Pentagon strategy.

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after participating in protests near Columbia University, was recently released on bond after a year in at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas.  On Today's Show: She discusses what she endured in the detention facility under conditions that she describes as "horrific," joined by her attorney Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a clinical associate professor at Boston University School of Law.  

President Donald Trump spoke to the nation about the war in Iran on Wednesday evening. He said that the war was nearing completion and threatened to bomb Iran "back to the stone ages." On today's show: Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) reacts to those remarks.

On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest developments in national politics, including President Donald Trump's executive order attempting to change rules for mail-in voting.

As Passover begins, a look at the divergent views on Israel from within Jewish American communities and families. On Today's Show:Eyal Press, contributing writer to The New Yorker, shares his reporting on how disagreements over Israel, Gaza and Zionism itself are dividing synagogues, Jewish families and communities across America.

With all the national and international politics at play, an influential local senator shares his thoughts and takes calls from constituents on the issues. On Today's Show: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, author of Stand (St. Martin's Press, 2026) weaves history, personal stories and current politics into a defense of principles as a way of facing crises.

The Senate voted overnight to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA.  On Today's Show:Evan McMorris-Santoro, national politics reporter at NOTUS and co-author of the NOTUS daily newsletter, and Mary Clare Jalonick, congressional reporter for The Associated Press and the author of Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th (PublicAffairs, 2026), talk about what has to happen next to end the crisis at airports, the status of the SAVE Act and more.

Ceasefire negotiations over the war in Iran continue, and so do reports of possible escalation. On Today's Show:Kian Tajbakhsh, Iranian-American scholar, visiting professor of international relations at New York University, fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University and former political prisoner, and William Christou, Middle East reporter for The Guardian, break down the latest on U.S.-Iran negotiation efforts, and offers analysis and insight into the state of the war.

After Tuesday's oral arguments in Watson v. Republican National Committee on Tuesday, the Supreme Court appears likely to overhaul the way many states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day but are postmarked before the deadline. On Today's Show:Carrie Levine, editor-in-chief of Votebeat, talks about the impact of that change.

Donald Trump's relationship with the rule of law, and with various investigative bodies has always been tense, at best. On Today's Show:Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), draws on his experience working with Robert Mueller to reflect on his legacy after his death this past weekend at age 81, and discusses President Trump's recent actions through a legal lens.

Oil prices jumped after overnight attacks on energy facilities in Iran and Qatar. On Today's Show:John Heilemann, chief political columnist at Puck and host of the podcast "Impolitic with John Heilemann, " and senior national affairs analyst for MS NOW, talks about the latest developments in the war in Iran and the Trump-Netanyahu relationship.  

On Today's Show:Daniel Immerwahr, historian, contributing writer at The New Yorker, the Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities at Northwestern University and the author of How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), offers historical context on the war in Iran and Trump's overall foreign policy.