The Brian Lehrer Show

As Emmy nominations were released this week, listeners share the TV shows they're watching, and how they find compelling content in the sea of available shows and streaming services.

Six years after the death of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, conspiracy theories still captivate the minds of Americans on both sides of the aisle. Last week, the Justice Department, FBI, and president Trump released a memo in an attempt to quell the MAGA movement's fixation with Epstein's case. Shawn McCreesh, White House reporter for the New York Times, explains how this plan backfired and why this case remains a part of the American imagination.

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, plus discusses President Trump's change of tune toward Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that he'll be officially campaigning in the general election on an independent line, and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has met with the city's business leaders. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC and Gothamist's senior political correspondent, discuss how these developments will affect the race and other mayoral campaign-related news.

OMNY users are complaining about multiple or delayed charges after they tap to access subways and buses. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, explains what the MTA says it's doing to remedy these issues, and discusses the coming end of the MetroCard (along with the beloved 30-day unlimited card). 

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares her reporting on the deal struck between Big Tech and The American Federation of Teachers which offers artificial intelligence training and software to teachers in New York City public schools.

Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, chief of infectious disease for Island Infectious Diseases, the largest physician-owned Infectious Disease Specialist Group on Long Island, an infectious disease specialist and clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University and president of Parasites Without Borders and co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology", talks about two ongoing public health challenges, long COVID and the rise in measles cases. 

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Topics this month include FEMA disaster relief, Trump's recent statements related to military aid for South Korea and Ukraine, and more.

Allison Pohle, reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering the travel and tourism industries, discusses the TSA's announcement that airline passengers no longer need to take off their shoes to clear airport security and what its decision could mean for traveler safety. 

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, offers analysis of the interview with Jim Walden, who is running for mayor as an independent, and the state of the campaign.

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, and Adriano Espaillat, U.S. Representative (D, NY-13), shares his experience visiting the facility this morning.

Elora Mukherjee, professor at Columbia Law School and director of Columbia Law School's Immigrants' Rights Clinic, talks about the impact of the Trump administration's revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from seven countries, what legal recourse might be available, and what it means for the immigrants and the City.

Jim Walden, attorney running as an independent in the NYC mayoral race, introduces himself to the voters.

For this "Summer Friday" we've put together some of our favorite conversations this year:Natalie Wynn, creator of the YouTube channel Contrapoints, discusses her work including her latest video titled "CONSPIRACY" in which she delves into the history of conspiracies in American politics, the allure of conspiratorial thinking, and how this way of thought negatively impacts democracy.James Sanders, architect, author, filmmaker, and co-writer with Ric Burns of the PBS series: New York: A Documentary Film and its companion volume, New York: An Illustrated History (Knopf, 2021) and the author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies (Knopf, 2001), talks about the New York seen in films since the beginning of movie-making, as part of our centennial series.Each year the news division hosts the WNYC Health Convening with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as an opportunity for health care experts and practitioners to inform WNYC's health reporting. This year, as part of our centennial series "100 Years of 100 Things," Paul Goldberg, editor and publisher of The Cancer Letter, co-editor of The Cancer History Project, and author of The Dissident (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2023), discusses the century of cancer treatment advancements and how the U.S. government played a major part in funding the science for treatment, early detection and prevention.The WNYC Health Convening with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation continues with a look at the current state of cancer research in the United States.Sudip Parikh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of the Science family of journals;Otis Brawley, professor of oncology at The Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkin and co-editor of The Cancer History Project; andJulie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent at KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast; discuss what the impacts of the Trump administration's funding cuts to the National Health Institute have meant to clinical trials—and what a future without government funding to find a cure might look like should the science continue to be underfunded. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here:Contrapoints' Natalie Wynn Deep Dives into the Philosophy of Conspiracies (May 29, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: New York Films (May 19, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: Cancer Research (Jun 3, 2025)A Roundtable on the Current State of U.S. Cancer Research (Jun 3, 2025)

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

Susan Kang, associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on state on local politics, offers analysis of how the Democratic Socialists of America's New York chapter figured into Zohran Mamdani's win in the Democratic mayoral primary, and how DSA will be involved in the general election.

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, talks about the many meteor showers on view in the night sky this month, plus a return of 'Manhattanhenge.'=> EVENT: On Friday, July 11 at 7 pm, Jackie Faherty gives a lecture and 3D presentation about the science and history of the "Manhattanhenge" phenomenon in AMNH's LeFrak theater, followed by an outdoor viewing event with salsa music.  Tickets available here.

Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are vying to be New Jersey's next governor in a race that is heating up. Tom Martello, politics editor and political columnist at NJ Advance Media, discusses the latest news from the campaigns.

In an article for The Atlantic titled "A Wedding Reveals How Much Help Is Really Available to You," Julie Beck explores how asking for help can feel gratifying for both the receiver and the giver. Listeners call in to share the best, maybe even most surprising, times they've been helped or helped others.

Austin Kocher, assistant research professor in the Office of Research and Creative Activity in the S.I. Newhouse 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.

ConEd wants to raise its rates again and public hearings are underway. Samantha Maldonado, senior reporter for THE CITY, covering climate, resiliency, housing and development, discusses how rate increases work and how much more New Yorkers might pay if the hike is approved.

Jeffery Mays, New York Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall, and Kelly Mena, Spectrum News NY1 political reporter, talk about the candidates' strategies to beat Zohran Mamdani in the general election this fall, as some big unions have announced their support for the Democratic nominee, while some big-name Democrats have withheld endorsements. 

All Of It is hosting a summer reading challenge (for adults)! Jordan Lauf, producer for All Of It and its book club Get Lit with All Of It , explains how to participate and recommends books in each of the categories in the challenge, including: a classic, an NYC book, a memoir or biography, a recent debut novel and a book published this year.

Hua Hsu, New Yorker staff writer, professor of English at Bard College and author of the memoir Stay True (September 2022), discusses what college students lose when ChatGPT writes their essays for them and what that says about our evolving understanding of the purpose of higher education.→ What Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?

Zack Colman, Climate and energy reporter for POLITICO, reports on new analyses that show the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and scale back U.S. climate goals.

Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper, co-directors of the New York Working Families Party, reflect on Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's resounding win in the Democratic primary election, and look ahead to the general election.     

It's #100 in the centennial series: your  stories of how your life differs from, and what it shares with, that of your grandparents, plus a funny family story from your history.

Randy Mastro, first deputy mayor of New York City, shares highlights from the city's new budget, including a pilot for free childcare, expanded library hours, legal assistance for immigrants and more.

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 news including reactions from both sides of the aisle to Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, funding for ICE in the budget bill in light of news of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility in Florida, environmental funding cuts in the wake of floods in Texas, and more. 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Brad Lander Reflects on His Mayoral Campaign (First) | An Abundance of Ticks (Starts at 32:20) | The Voters Who Turned Out for Zohran Mamdani (Starts at 46:41)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

On this Fourth of July holiday, highlights from our centennial series, 100 Years of 100 Things:Richard Haass, American diplomat, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, senior counselor at the global investment firm Centerview Partners, and the author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens (Penguin Press, 2023) reviews the history of American's global influence, from World War I to today.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.Kevin Young, poet, New Yorker poetry editor and the editor of A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker (Knopf, 2025), goes through the history of poetry appearing in The New Yorker, and what was left out.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.Felix Contreras, host and co-creator of NPR's Alt.Latino, talks about the life and legacy of music icon Celia Cruz, born 100 years ago. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here:100 Years of 100 Things: America the Superpower (Nov 24, 2024)100 Years of 100 Things: Frances Perkins (Mar 17, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: New Yorker Poetry (Mar 7, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: Blacklisting (Mar 26, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: Celia Cruz (May 8, 2025)

For this "Summer Best-Of" we've put together some of our favorite conversations our centennial series, 100 Years of 100 Things:Ashley Stimpson, Maryland-based freelance journalist who writes about science and conservation, takes us through the past 100 years of kids going to the woods for summer camp.Victoria Rosner, dean of the Gallatin School at NYU and the author of Machines for Living: Modernism and Domestic Life (Oxford University Press, 2020), talks about the post-World War I development of modernism (and post-modernism) across the arts and beyond.Maureen Corrigan, the book critic for Fresh Air, Georgetown professor and the author of So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures (Hachette, 2014), looks at the 1925 publication of the novel, The Great Gatsby, and why it continues to resonate with readers one hundred years later.Polo shirts, khaki shorts, and boat shoes: the classic uniform of elites on their days off.  Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of Interest, delves into the last 100 years of preppies and their clothes. These interviews were polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here:100 Years of 100 Things: Summer Camps (Aug 26, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: Modernism (Jan 8, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: The Great Gatsby (Jan 13, 2025)100 Years of 100 Things: Preppies and Their Clothes (Mar 26, 2025)

The Fordham Tri-State Tick Risk is at 10 out of 10 this summer. Thomas Daniels, research scientist in vector ecology, director of Louis Calder Center in Armonk, the biological field station of Fordham University, talks about what led to the population surge and best practices to avoid picking up ticks outdoors and the diseases they carry.

After the next round of ranked choice voting results came in, Assembly member Zohran Mamdani's lead grew to 12 points, meaning he easily secured the official Democratic nomination. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, reviews the data and talks about what this means for the general election.

Now that we have the full results of last Tuesday's mayoral primary election, Michael Lange, New York City based researcher, strategist, political organizer, and author of the newsletter "The Narrative Wars" on Substack, talks about the coalition of voters that came together to decisively elect assemblymember Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic nominee after correctly predicting the political winds were in his favor despite polling which showed otherwise. 

Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent at 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 healthcare.

Ruth Marcus, a contributor to The New Yorker and a 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 what the Supreme Court's latest decisions mean for the identity of the court and the ability of judges to check executive power. 

Right before the full results of New York City's ranked choice voting in the mayoral primary is released, Steven Romalewski, director of CUNY Mapping Service in the Center for Urban Research at The Graduate Center, CUNY, talks about his predictions based on the first choice data.

Patrick McGeehan, reporter for The New York Times covering infrastructure in New York City and surrounding area talks about Gov. Hochul plan for a new nuclear plant upstate.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on Monday's meeting of the Rent Guidelines Board, which resulted in a vote to approve rent increases for stabilized apartments.

Justin Brannan, New York City Councilmember (District 43 - Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) and chair of the Council Finance Committee, explains what's in the city budget for the next fiscal year, including a pilot program for free child care for children under 2 for low-income families, an extension of library hours at ten branches, and more.

Nicholas Wu, Politico congressional reporter, talks about the latest national political news, including the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" Congress is aiming to pass by July 4th as Congress begins its "vote-a-rama."

The 'Buy Now, Pay Later' option is growing in popularity and now these loans will be a factor in credit scores. Imani Moise, personal economics reporter for The Wall Street Journal, explains how it works, and listeners call in to talk about how they use the services, and whether or not it has been helpful as they manage their finances. 

Susan Dominus, New York Times Magazine staff writer and the author of The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success (Crown, 2025), talks about how siblings - especially in high-achieving families - influence each other almost as much as, or maybe more than, their parents.