The Brian Lehrer Show

ARFID is an eating disorder that often presents as extremely picky eating, but that can quickly turn serious. Caitlin Moscatello, author and contributor to New York Magazine, and William Sharp, director, Children's Multidisciplinary Feeding Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; and associate Professor, Division of Autism and Related Disorders & Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, explain how to recognize signs and how treatment is evolving.   

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, as some national Democrats have endorsed Mamdani and others haven't, plus why Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Adams continue to criticize Zohran Mamdani over policing.

With Congress on summer recess after passing the big spending bill, GOP representatives are now tasked with defending their legislative records to their constituents. 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. 

Patrick Willingham, executive director of the Public Theater, and Saheem Ali, associate artistic director at the Public Theater and director of the upcoming run of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Teater, talk about the reopening of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park and the return of Free Shakespeare in the Park.

Listeners call in to talk about how they have met their significant other in person (as opposed to online), and share their frustrations with dating apps.

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.

A recent expert panel organized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cast doubt on the safety of SSRIs in pregnancy -- sparking backlash from medical institutions and doctors. Lauren Osborne, M.D., vice chair of Clinical Research at the Department of OBGYN at Weill Cornell Medicine and chair of The National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry (NCRP), explains what the science says about antidepressant use during pregnancy.

Though nearly two-thirds of students in New York City's public school system are Black or Latino, just 3% of offers at eight of the city's specialized schools went to Black students and 6.9% to Latino students. Alex Zimmerman, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, reports on the ongoing issue of segregation at specialized high schools, and how the mayoral candidates say they'd like to tackle it.

Nearly halfway through the summer and NPR is asking... do we have a "song of the summer" yet? Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR Music reporter, breaks down this season's contenders and listeners share their nominations.

U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY15) talks about the latest national political news of the week, as well as the NYC mayoral election, as Congress is in the midst of the August recess.

Franklin Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about his Atlantic feature story on the implications of NASA's reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX.

A WNYC and Gothamist investigation found that some of the signatures Mayor Adams's re-election campaign submitted for him to be on the ballot this fall as an independent were fake. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, Clayton Guse, WNYC/Gothamist editor, and Brigid Bergin, senior political correspondent for WNYC and Gothamist, share what they found and what it could mean for the mayor's re-election chances. 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Private Insurers Cover Drugs Less Often Now (First) | Fires, Floods, Air Quality & Climate Change (Starts at :24) | 'Cane Sugar' vs High Fructose Corn Syrup (Starts at :59)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Adolfo Carrión, Jr., New York City deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce, talks about the city's newest housing plans and the challenges that remain as the city is dealing with a shortage of affordable housing.

All of It's Public Song Project invites musicians to incorporate works of art that have entered the public domain into new compositions. Simon Close, All of It producer, shares the music created by this year's winners, and previews a concert this weekend in Grand Army Plaza.

After postponements, President Trump's reciprocal tariffs are set and go into effect next week. John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about where things stand with these tariffs--plus the fed's decision on interest rates and a new jobs report for July.

Epstein experts Vicky Ward, 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 and this cold case.

As social media has been overtaken by influencers and ads, listeners call in to share how what they see on the various platforms has changed, and how what they post (if they do at all!) has in turn changed. 

Sarah Kliff, investigative health care reporter for the New York Times, talks about her new reporting on an uptick in health insurers denying prescription drug claims over the last decade.

Radley Horton, professor of climate at Columbia University's Climate School, connects the dots between hotter temperatures, drenching rains, NYC's air quality alerts and Canadian wildfires.

Texas announced plans for off-cycle redistricting to add GOP seats before the midterm elections.  New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D 12th, Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside) and New York State Assemblymember Micah Lasher, (D, AD 69, UWS, Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley) explain the proposed amendment to the NYS Constitution to require mid-decade redistricting if another state makes that move.    

Richard Aborn, President of the Citizens Crime Commission of NYC, discusses the ongoing push for gun control and other policies that could prevent another  mass shooting after Monday evening's tragedy in midtown Manhattan.

Listeners who work outside in the heat share tips for how to cope with the high temperatures. 

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about his recent trip from Israel, as the country celebrates the recent victory over Iran and confronts the world's condemnation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."Israel's Zones of Denial" (The New Yorker, July 28, 2025)

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the mayoral campaign trail, including how the candidates are responding to this week's mass shooting in a Midtown Manhattan office tower and whether public safety will now become a bigger issue, and more.

Brittany Kriegstein, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, reports the latest news of last night's shooting at a Midtown Manhattan office tower. 

A sharp uptick in people with side hustles is fueling fears of another recession. Listeners call in to talk about their side hustles and how much more cash they make each month doing them. 

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.

Coca-Cola announced it will offers some "cane sugar" offerings in response to pressure from Pres. Trump.  Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health emerita at NYU and the author of many books, including the forthcoming, What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters (North Point Press, 2025), talks about the chemical differences and perceived differences of the two sweeteners.

Jake Spring, Climate and Environment Enterprise Reporter at The Washington Post, discusses his reporting on why the EPA is proposing to rescind a 2009 legal opinion, referred to as the "endangerment finding", which determined that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, and justified their regulation. 

General Motors' CFO says they won't raise prices despite the tariffs and Pres. Trump announced a new tariff deal with the European Union.  Alexandra Svokos, the digital managing editor of Kiplinger, talks about what some economic indicators say about the effects of the new tariffs.

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the latest steps in, and funding for, implementing a cellphone ban for NYC public schools.

Elaine Godfrey, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about her article on ways to extend the small joys of vacation into daily life, and listeners share their ideas.

Jeffery Mays, New York Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall, offers political analysis of Andrew Cuomo's campaign interview and talks about what Mamdani's success might mean for the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York, makes his pitch to voters as he runs for mayor of New York City as an independent. 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Charter Revision Questions Are Set  (First) | HRT and the FDA (Starts at 33:36) | The NYPD Cracks Down on Cyclists (Starts at 56:27)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

For this "Summer Friday" we've put together some of our favorite conversations this year: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 preventing solving shortages today.Bob Costas, sportscaster and talk show host, recent recipient of the Baseball Digest lifetime achievement award, reflects on the state of baseball and other sports today.Katie Barnes, ESPN senior writer and author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates (St. Martin's Press, 2023),Katie Barnes, ESPN senior writer and author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates (St. Martin's Press, 2023), discusses the controversy surrounding trans women in competitive sports, fact-checks ideas the broader public holds about fairness and gender in athletics, and talks about current rules various leagues already set in place to ensure equity and inclusion. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here:Building Solutions (Mar 18, 2025)Bob Costas Reflects (May 7, 2025)Parsing the Facts of Trans Women in Competitive Sports (Jun 3, 2025)

Emma Wartzman, senior kitchen and dining writer at New York Magazine's The Strategist, offers the latest on "black spatulas" and how and why to avoid plastics around food, during The Strategist's Plastic-Free Kitchen Week.

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. 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.

Chris Feliciano Arnold, director of the creative-writing program at Saint Mary's College of California and the author of The Third Bank of the River: Power and Survival in the Twenty-First-Century Amazon (Picador, 2018), talks about his Atlantic article on the threats of denaturalization against citizens not born in the U.S. by the Trump administration and the chilling effect on free speech.

WNYC/Gothamist reporters Stephen Nessen and Paige Oamek talk about the NYPD enforcement push against cyclists violating traffic rules, where the most summonses are issued and why violations often require trips to court. 

Adam Platt, features writer and former restaurant critic at New York Magazine, talks about why salt is even more abundant in restaurant food, and often used in unexpected ways."

The Tenement Museum is hosting teachers this summer in a program that will provide expertise on how they can effectively teach Black and immigrant history. Annie Polland, president of the Tenement Museum, and Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic, poet and the author of several books, including the forthcoming young readers edition of How the Word is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How It Shaped America (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025), share what they're teaching the teachers, and teachers call in to talk about their experiences teaching history during this fraught time.

Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, columnist for The Guardian and former MSNBC host, talks about his experience debating 20 far-right conservatives on the YouTube series "Surrounded," plus news related to the Jeffrey Epstein frenzy, the NYC mayoral race and more.