The Brian Lehrer Show

This week marks the 81st anniversary of the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist, contributor to The iPaper and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), recalls the history and discusses the current state of nuclear weapons, especially as it relates to the war with Iran. Photo: People stand along the Motoyasu river as Kagaribi, ceremonial bonfires, are lit in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome to remember the victims on the eve of the 81st anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack, in Hiroshima on August 5, 2026. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP via Getty Images) / Japan OUT   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City's Department of Finance sent letters to thousands of high-value homeowners regarding a so-called pied-à-terre tax, but many of the people who received those letters say these are their primary residences. Kathryn Brenzel, senior political reporter at Crain's New York Business, explains the roll-out, the extended appeal deadline, and the rules for who qualifies. Photo: BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 15: Brooklyn Brownstones in a Brooklyn Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York on April 15, 2016. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amanda Ripley, journalist, conflict mediator and co-founder of Good Conflict and author of several books, including High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out (Simon & Schuster, 2021) talks about her method of conflict mediation, and moderates a conversation among listeners who have different views on whether they are proud or ashamed of the United States. Photo: HOBOKEN, NJ - JULY 3: A thunderstorm moves across the Hudson River into lower Manhattan in New York City as a man holds an American flag in the wind on a pier in the Hudson River on July 03, 2026, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chico Harlan, global climate correspondent at The New York Times, discusses the wildfires in Europe and the ways climate change is impacting the continent right now. Photo: VIOTIA, GREECE - AUGUST 2: Volunteers battle a wildfire burning near Porto Germeno, 70 kilometres northwest of Athens in the region of Viotia, Greece, on August 2, 2026 (Photo by Costas Baltas/Anadolu via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Anthony Fauci returned to Congress to testify on his role in the COVID-19 pandemic after Republican Senator Rand Paul released some of Fauci's diary entries from 2020. Chelsea Cirruzzo, Washington correspondent at STAT News, discusses Fauci's testimony and related news.  Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Former NIH Director Anthony Fauci is sworn in before testifying to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Fauci was expected to be questioned about his diary entries during his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kathryn Jezer-Morton, writer of The Cut's Brooding newsletter and the author of The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything (Viking, 2026), talks about her reporting on and experience with the way social media is changing our lives. Photo: BATH, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 29: In this photo illustration a 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026 in Bath, England. On top row left to right, the logo of social media platform Instagram is seen beside that of Meta's Threads and Facebook. On the middle row from left is the logo of Donald Trump's Truth Social app, next to the logo of social media app TikTok and the logo of Elon Musk's US online social media and social networking site 'X' (formerly known as Twitter). Along the bottom row, left to right is the messaging service WhatsApp, the logo for online video sharing and social media platform YouTube and the logo for the Bluesky app. In the UK, a ban on social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords following the Australian law which aims to stop children under 16 from having social media accounts and social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram potentially being be fined for preventing children younger than 16 from having social media accounts. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new private club is slated to open this month at Jacob Riis Park on the Rockaway Peninsula. Dubbed "The Peoples Beach," the park has a long history as an informal gathering place for the LGBTQ community. Liam Quigley, parks and sanitation reporter for Gothamist/WNYC, unpacks the status of the project, whose opening has been delayed several times this summer, including why some beachgoers are unhappy with the plan; plus listeners weigh in with their thoughts on the club and the beach's storied history. Photo: Jacob Riis Park is a seaside park in the New York City borough of Queens Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite no real progress, the U.S. war with Iran continues, and according to F. Gregory Gause, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University, author of The International Relations of the Persian Gulf (Cambridge University Press, 2014), it has all been meaningless. Photo: DOVER, DELAWARE - JULY 22: A U.S. Army carry team transports the flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for military casualties of the war with Iran on July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. U.S. President Donald Trump attend the dignified transfer of Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, Army Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad and Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sideya Sherman, director of the Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission, talks about the department's new report on the demographic makeup of New York City's immigrants, which found that China has caught up to the Dominican Republic as the two leading places where immigrants to the city come from. Photo: NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: Tom Ellis films on set for the TV show "CIA" in the Chinatown neighborhood of Queens on July 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Martin, SJ, a Jesuit priest, founder of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic resource, editor at large for America Media, and the author of the memoir Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest (HarperOne, 2026) talks about his path to the priesthood, as well as the first American pope. Photo: US priest Father James Martin speaking at the world meeting of families in Dublin, on how the Catholic Church can welcome members of the LGBT community. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), and NYC Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, NYC Council Member (District 10, Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill), talk about reports of ICE activity picking up in NYC, as well as a specific incident in Inwood where an observer recording ICE agents was pepper sprayed in the face. Photo: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrol the halls as they detain an individual after exiting his immigration court hearing at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on July 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this Summer Friday, we've put together some of our favorite recent interviews, including: Ben Rhodes, contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, co-host of "Pod Save the World," an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts  through public speeches, from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump. Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about the DSA's evolving relationship to the Green New Deal and climate policy in general, as its members keep winning elections in big cities. WNYC has been targeted by scammers who posed as hosts, and offered authors interviews -- for a fee (which WNYC would never do). Rachel Tobac, co-founder and CEO of Social Proof Security, and Kenneth Atkins, assistant director of IT and data security at WNYC, talk about how to spot sneaky online phishing scams, and how to deal if you fall for it. Jeffrey Winters, professor of political science at Northwestern University and the director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies Program at Northwestern's Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and the author of The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies (Scribner, 2026), talks about the history of oligarchy, how to fight it, and why it maintains power in a democracy. 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.   These interviews were lightly polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here: Speeches as a Key to American Identity (June 8, 2026) What the DSA's Popularity Means for Climate Policy (July 7, 2026) How to Avoid Sneaky Phishing Scams (May 5, 2026) When Voters Support Oligarchs (May 26, 2026) How Belief in God Has Changed (May 20, 2026)   Photo: Whimbrel on the beach at Fort Tilden beach, Queens. Rare shorebird for this location, 24 September 2021 (Remydee1, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.

Following a recent cybersecurity breech by OpenAI, in which two of their in-progress models autonomously hacked into the AI company Hugging Face, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are pushing for an "AI Kill Switch" bill in Congress. Brendan Bordelon, AI and tech influence reporter at Politico, discusses Washington's changing approach to AI regulation amid growing concerns over cybersecurity in every sector, and unpacks how tech giants are hoping to guide the shift.  Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, leaves a meeting at the U.S. Capitol on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Altman is meeting with lawmakers to discuss artificial intelligence policy ahead of the August 1 deadline for AI leaders to develop a framework to limit AI security threats. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After Stuyvesant high school admitted only 3 Black students for next year, Errol Louis, political anchor of Spectrum NY1 News, host of Inside City Hall and The Big Deal with Errol Louis, New York Magazine columnist and host of the podcast "You Decide," argues it's time to end the use of a single test for admission to NYC's specialized high schools. Photo: New York, NY, USA - March 21, 2021: Main entrance to Stuyvesant High School in lower Manhattan Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sophia Smith Galer, UK-based journalist and the author of How to Kill a Language: Power, Resistance, and the Race to Save Our Words (Crown, 2026), talks about what's lost when a language dies. Photo: A person leads a finger on the lines in the book, but instead of letters only question marks on the page in the textbook.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Julie Beck, a staff writer at The Atlantic and host of their podcast "'How to Touch Grass", talks about the difficulty of determining when being "middle aged" actually starts. Photo: Portrait of smiling multi-generation family sitting in living room   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Taylor, senate and governors editor for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, offers analysis of the competitive Senate races ahead of this November's midterm elections, and discusses how likely it may be for Democrats to take control of Congress. Photo: U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. on a Sunny, Partly Cloudy Summer Day in August     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, talks about the mayor's announcement that the five city-run grocery stores will offer 30% discounts on key products, plus updates the effects of SNAP changes. Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announce that a core basket of everyday groceries will be 30 percent cheaper at the five new municipal grocery stores. The basket will include all fresh produce, meat and seafood, along with roughly 20 additional categories of pantry staples, dairy and refrigerated goods, Brooklyn on Monday, July 27 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lucy Schiller, a nonfiction writer and the author of Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old (Flatiron Books, 2026), shares what she learned when she investigated aging and eldercare, following her personal experience with her grandmother during the pandemic. Photo: Male healthcare worker helping senior woman sit in chair - stock photo   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Allie Volpe, correspondent covering mental health, relationships, wellness, money, home life, and work at Vox, offers advice for sharing living space with friends, family or strangers, as listeners share their own tips. Photo: Two young woman hold bags and walk beside each other, in a European apartment complex. Via Getty Images.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement on American nuclear innovation in the Oval Office at the White House on July 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump is signing multiple executive orders targeting the nuclear energy sector and easing rules for new reactors and nuclear fuel supply chains. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, talks about some recent proposals for faster buses and an alternate-side-of-the-street pilot program that could mean cleaner streets with with less car-moving hassles. Photo: Street in Park Slope Brooklyn residential area on a sunny day, New York City, USA - stock photo   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Francesca Paris, reporter for The Upshot section of The New York Times, talks about why some states have rolled back incentives that unlock savings for residential solar customers and how batteries may be the solution. Photo: Modern house with solar panels for energy storage. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jo Piazza, writer, podcast host and the author of many novels, including her latest, The Parisian Heist: A Novel (Dutton, 2026) and Anthony Amore, art theft expert and the author of The Rembrandt Heist (Pegasus Crime, 2025), talk about our collective fascination with heists and how the value of art is determined.   Photo: The Louvre Museum was evacuated and the main entrance in front of the pyramid was immediately closed following a burglary in Paris on Sunday, October 19, 2025. The burglars operated in a spectacular manner during the museum s opening, using a truck equipped with a ladder in the Apollo Gallery to steal several priceless jewels, according to initial statements from the French Ministry of Culture. (Photo by Laurent Caron / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States and Saudi Arabia reached a landmark 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, but within a day, President Donald Trump threw it into limbo by conditioning its approval on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist, contributor to The iPaper and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), breaks down the latest news on this, and the war with Iran, and what comes next. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) responds to a question where Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was asked about the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the crown prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYS Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D Brooklyn 44th) talks about his appointment by Gov. Hochul to the exploratory committee for a joint upstate/downstate bid for the Winter Olympics and why he thinks it would be good for the state. Photo: Lake Placid is in the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York of USA. It covers an area of approximately 8.8 km2, with an average depth of 15 m. Whiteface Mountain can be seen to the north. It is the fifth highest mountain in New York State. The mountain's east slope has been developed into a ski resort that hosted the alpine skiing competitions of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Picture was taken in winter showing the frozen lake with the snow covered mountain in the background. Via Getty Images.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Jackson, creator, host, and head writer of the popular US history podcast "History That Doesn't Suck," associate professor and senior fellow at Utah Valley University's Center for National Security Studies and the author of Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome (Simon & Schuster, 2026), looks at eight moments in America's 250 years when our politics were more divisive and how we moved past them. Photo: Walter Lynwood Fleming Photograph by J. W. Black and Co., Boston., Public domain, 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.

Erin Mulvaney, national legal affairs reporter with The Wall Street Journal, shares her reporting on couples who add specific clauses to prenuptial agreements to protect the stay-at-home parent and establish equity in marriage. Photo: Man carrying baby boy talking with woman leaving for work at home - stock photo     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liza Weisberg, supervising attorney at the ACLU of New Jersey where she focuses on democracy and voting rights, and Mike Hayes, WNYC and Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talk about the error in New Jersey that led to registering about 6,600 noncitizens to vote (only about 400 did so), and what it tells us about election security more broadly. Photo: Governor Mikie Sherrill, Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell and MVC Acting Chair & Chief Administrator Rosalie Johnson hold a press conference announcing that New Jersey's Motor Vehicle System led to voter registration of roughly 6,600 people, who indicated that they were not U.S. citizens, between June 2023 and June 2024, while in the media room of the statehouse in Trenton, N.J. on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Office of Governor / Tim Larsen) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeffery Mays, New York Times metro politics reporter, talks about how Black and Latino political leaders, and some of their constituents, are feeling as members of the Democratic Socialists of America have gained power throughout the city. Photo: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 16: New York City Democratic Socialists (NYC-DSA) hold a rally in Union Square marking the start of a campaign to tax the rich and win universal childcare on November 16, 2025, in New York City, United States. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kenny Minaya, commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services, talks about City Hall's plan to smooth the way for NYC's small businesses. Photo: Zohran Kwame Mamdani announces “OPEN for Small Business”, a package of more than 50 regulatory reforms to reduce the paperwork and bureaucratic burden facing the city's roughly 180,000 small businesses. Alongside an Executive Order that immediately implements several reforms, the package saves time, effort, and money for the small businesses that anchor New York's economy and the one million New Yorkers they employ, at La Bodega in the Bronx on Monday July 20, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Classicist Mary Beard, professor emerita of classics at the University of Cambridge, co-host of the podcast "Instant Classics" and the author of many books, including her recent Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old (University of Chicago Press, 2026), and Dana Stevens, film critic at Slate.com and the author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century (Atria Books, 2022), talk about the film, the epic poem and today's political context. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 14: (L-R) Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, and Zendaya attend the premiere of "The Odyssey" presented by Universal Pictures on July 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The award-winning podcast, "Switched On Pop" launches on Netflix. Co-hosts Charlie Harding, songwriter, associate professor at Berklee School of Music and an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt's Music Performing Arts Professions, and Nate Sloan, musicologist and associate professor at the USC Thornton School of Music, join to break down their four-part series breaking down the different components of pop songs (intro, verse, chorus, bridge) and what makes a great pop song.   Photo: Asian young man wearing headphones while looking through the window. Via Getty Images. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Democratic Socialists of America rack up electoral wins this primary season, the group is pushing an expansive definition of who counts as working-class. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Chris Maisano, professor at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, editor at Jacobin and for the journal New Labor Forum, discuss who counts as working class and why the definition matters. Photo: High angle view of busy programmers working on computers and laptops while sitting around desk at office - stock photo via Getty Images   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Annie Lowrey, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Give People Money (Crown, 2018) and the forthcoming The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time―and How to Fix It (Ecco, 2026) talks about what makes the AI bubble different from ones in the past and what it means for the economy. Photo: EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 17: CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman attends a working lunch with G7 leaders, G7 outreach partners, and global tech CEOs on innovation and AI, during the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeremy Faust, emergency medicine physician, public health researcher and author of the Inside Medicine Substack, talks about the confirmation hearing for the potential new CDC director, and why some senators were surprised by her answers, plus why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is requiring servicemembers to have their testosterone tested. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Erica Schwartz attends her confirmation hearing to become director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. Schwartz, President Trump's pick to lead the CDC, would fill the position left vacant since August 2025 when Trump ousted former CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants, and Leila Borzog, deputy mayor for housing and planning, talk about the so-called "rental ripoff" report the administration put together and the policy recommendations that came out of it.  Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 11: An apartment building stands in the East Village neighborhood on May 11, 2026, in New York City. A New York City board that sets the rent for city-subsidized apartments voted last Thursday night to set a preliminary rent adjustment of 0% to 2% for one-year leases and 0% to 4% for two-year leases, angering many of the city's landlords. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, made reducing New York City's high housing costs a key campaign pledge. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Augustin Guibaud, PhD, fire expert in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, explains why Canada's forest fires present a unique challenge for experts and first responders—and how forest management can help prevent them in a world marked by climate change. Then, Rebecca Florsheim, MD, MPH, environmental health physician at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, discusses the health impacts of wildfire smoke and poor air pollution. Photo: NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES - JULY 16: Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada engulfed the New York City skyline, reducing visibility and casting an orange haze over the New York City, United States on July 16, 2026. The smoky conditions reduced visibility across the skyline, while authorities continued monitoring air quality as the wildfire smoke spread across the northeastern United States. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katie Gaddini, sociologist, a visiting scholar at Stanford University, an associate professor of sociology at the Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL) and a research associate at the University of Johannesburg department of sociology, and the author of Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right (WW Norton, 2026), talks about her research into the activism of right-wing Christian women and their leadership of the political evangelical movement. Photo: PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk speaks during a Turning Point USA event at the Dream City Church on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Trump is scheduled to speak at a Turning Point USA event titled “Build the Red Wall”, intended to turn out young voters for the midterm elections. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Even though midterm elections are still underway, the 2028 conversation has already started. Inspired by a new piece from New York Magazine that points to Kamala Harris as the early frontrunner, thanks to her consistent lead in the polls, listeners call in to share who they'd support as the Democratic nominee in 2028. Photo: TOPSHOT - People vote at a polling station in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on Election Day, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Representative Andy Kim, (D-NJ), speaks during a House Small Business Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, July 17, 2020. The hearing is titled "Oversight of the Small Business Administration and Department of Treasury Pandemic Programs." Photographer: Erin Scott/Bloomberg Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan borough president, talks about his priorities since he took office earlier this year, including on the Penn Station re-design, his choice to direct $50 million to arts and culture organizations and more news. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal during the 2026 New York City Pride March on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marcia Brown, food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO, breaks down the latest news regarding the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, including why The Food and Drug Administration walked back cyclosporiasis test tied to Taylor Farms, a major lettuce distributor to Taco Bell and Walmart. Photo: SALINAS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 17: A Taylor Farms sign is displayed at one of their facilities on July 17, 2026 in Salinas, California. Taylor Farms, a global fresh produce supplier, is allegedly connected to the recent cyclosporiasis outbreak. (Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The House recently passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent -- though it's unclear if it'll pass the Senate. Listeners call in to share whether they are in favor of the change, which would mean no more changing clocks. Photo: This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after daylight saving time was implemented in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2022. The US Senate advanced a bill on March 15 that would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a "new, permanent standard time" that would mean brighter winter evenings. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.