The Brian Lehrer Show

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist and science educator at the American Museum of Natural History, gives an astrophysicist's view of Earth Day. Photo: In this handout image provided by NASA, a view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. (Photo by Reid Wiseman/NASA via Getty Images)    

Jodi Kantor, New York Times investigative reporter, co-author of She Said (Penguin, 2019) and author of How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work (Hachette, 2026), expands on her Columbia University commencement address where she tried to answer the question: “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life's work?” Photo: Cover art for How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work. (Credit: Hachette)

On Earth Day, Lisa Friedman, reporter covering climate policy and politics at The New York Times, talks about her reporting on how EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has drastically changed the mission of the EPA, and more related environmental and climate news.Photo: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is shown during CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)    

Abigail Savitch-Lew, a former staff reporter for City Limits and now the author of the novel Livonia Chow Mein (Simon & Schuster, 2026), talks about her novel about inter-generational and cross-cultural conflict and community in Brooklyn. Photo: Cover art for Livonia Chow Mein. (Credit: Simon & Schuster)

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, recaps her event with Mayor Mamdani, where they talked about the lessons he has taken from Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and other news from his first 100+ days in office. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani appears live at a WNYC forum entitled “Mamdani's First 100 Days: Lessons from La Guardia" on April 20, 2026. (Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor in 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. Photo: Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub with hallucinogenic properties, grows in Cameroon. (Credit: Marco Schmidt via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.5)

It's National Library Week, and today we're asking library workers (and patrons) to talk about the services their libraries provide. Photo: The Brooklyn Public Library. Credit: Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons.

Elizabeth Alexander, president of The Mellon Foundation, poet, educator, memoirist and scholar and the author of The Trayvon Generation (Grand Central Publishing, 2022), talks about the latest cohort of the Mellon Foundation's (in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America) jazz legacies fellows, and the importance of the genre. Also in this segment, saxophonist Gary Bartz reflects on his long career in jazz. Photo: An alto saxophone. (Credit: Rama via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0)

NYC Comptroller Mark Levine talks about his plan to invest $4 billion from NYC's pension funds into affordable housing developments in the city, plus weighs in on the budget and other city news. Photo: NYC Comptroller Mark Levine. (Credit: New York City Comptroller's Office)

David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections. Photo: An Oklahoma midterm ballot from 2018. (Credit: Okcgunner via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0)

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps last week's Ask Governor Sherrill and provides an update on the New Jersey state budget. Photo: Governor Mikie Sherrill. Credit: State of New Jersey, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. White Collar Workers, Unite!  (First) | The Push for Junk Food Warning Labels (Starts at 27:40) | Last Mile Deliveries (Starts at 49:23) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   Photo Credit: Todd Van Hoosear, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Miranda Nazzaro, senior technology reporter for The Hill, talks about her reporting on Anthropic's Mythos model, which is unnerving some big businesses over cybersecurity concerns. Photo: Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, delivers remarks at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. (Credit: TechCrunch via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0)

"Fibermaxxing" is the latest social media nutrition trend. Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the “Ask A Doctor” columnist for The Washington Post and the author of the new book You've Been Pooping All Wrong (PRH/Avery, 2026), talks about the major health benefits of eating plenty of fiber, and how to do it. Photo: A bowl of cereal with berries. (Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration via Wikimedia Commons)

Mayor Mamdani announced plans this week to expand the pedestrian corridor of the notoriously chaotic Grand Army Plaza, which advocates have been pushing for for years. Liam Quigley, parks & sanitation reporter for Gothamist and WNYC, unpacks the latest announcement, plus digs into the city-wide decline in composting. Photo: A market at Grand Army Plaza pictured in 2003. (Credit: Alex756 via Wikimedia Commons CC 3.0)

Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times, 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. Photo: A pro-Ukraine demonstrator raises a sign outside the Finnish Parliament House on April 8, 2022. (Credit: rajatonvimma/VJ Group Random Doctors via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0)

Sarah Stillman, staff writer at The New Yorker and director of the investigative reporting lab at Yale, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump, in his second term, launched a series of executive actions that directed immigration enforcement against kids and how children in ICE custody are being harmed. Photo: People protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they march toward the South Texas Family Residential Center on January 28, 2026 in Dilley, Texas. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images

Eliza Shapiro, reporter covering New York City for The New York Times, discusses her series on how New Yorkers afford life in the increasingly unaffordable city and takes listener calls on how they make it work. Photo: Day 287, Money Mug, Taken in Syracuse, New York in 2013 (Michael Scialdone, Wikimedia Commons). 

Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's election defeat and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.Photo: Viktor Orbán. Credit: European People's Party via Wikimedia Commons.

After federal funding cuts, the state is raising income eligibility for the Essential Plan health insurance program, potentially excluding about 450,000 New Yorkers from the coverage. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society and co-founder of the Health Care for All New York Campaign, talk about efforts to get more coverage and the options from those who have been cut.   photo: In medical office on Johnson Street, new medical district, New Orleans 22 October 2025 (Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter focusing on white-collar workers and the author of Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026), talks about the conditions leading young college-education workers to lead unionization efforts. Photo: Attendees cheer at the ''Union Now'' rally in New York City, United States, on April 12, 2026. The event features Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Organizers state the rally is planned to support union power and unite labor leaders. (Photo by Matthew Hoen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

People often say they have a "superpower," which is really just something they're very good at. Listeners call in to share what their superpower is. Photo: A cosplayer poses as Dr. Strange during New York Comic Con 2023 - Day 4 at Javits Center on October 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop)    

In a now-deleted social media post, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, has said that the pope should "be careful" when talking about theology. Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute and author of the forthcoming book 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. Photo: An AI-generated image depicting President Donald Trump as Jesus Christ, which Trump shared to social media on April 12, 2026. (Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social via Wikimedia Commons)

The New York State budget is about two weeks late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what the sticking points are, including car insurance reform and Gov. Kathy Hochul's desire to roll back a climate law, among others, plus the governor's proposed tax on "pied-à-terres."   Photo: Gov. Kathy Hochul appears at a press conference with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 20, 2026. (Credit: Maryland Governor's Office via Wikimedia Commons)

Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell. Jane Manning, director, Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan DA is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws. Photo: U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) departs the U.S. Capitol Building after a series of votes on March 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. Credit: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II interacted with American presidents from Truman through Trump. Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026), relates her history with U.S. leaders throughout her reign.Photo: Queen Elizabeth II (L) arrives with U.S. President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R) in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace ahead of a State Banquet on May 24, 2011 in London, England. Credit: Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

As federal food safety oversight weakens, Mary Basset, public health physician, former New York City Health Commissioner and New York State Health Commissioner, and professor of practice of health and human rights at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses her push to get Albany to pass three bills that would expand nutrition warning labels at chain restaurants statewide and crack down on junk food ads targeting kids. Photo: The logo of a salt shaker, meant to warn consumers of high sodium content in food, appears on an Applebees menu on December 1, 2015 in New York City. The new sodium warning is the result of a city-wide law effecting restaurants with 15 or more locations and lets consumers know that an item has 2,300 milligrams of sodium or more in it. Restaurants must have the logo on their menu starting today. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

As Tax Day approaches, Tara Siegel Bernard, personal finance reporter for The New York Times, talks about the changes to the law that taxpayers should know and offers advice to procrastinators. Photo: A calculation for tax which include income tax and other taxation. Credit: stevepb via Wikimedia Commons.  

Mohamed A. El-Erian, senior global fellow at The Lauder Institute and practice professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, chief economic advisor at Allianz, chair of Gramercy Funds Management, contributing editor at the Financial Times and columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and the author of several books, including Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World (Simon & Schuster UK, 2023), offers his analysis of the latest inflation numbers, and the effect of the Iran war on inflation and the economy more broadly, both in the US and globally. Photo: Gas prices are displayed at the pump at a gas station in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood in the Manhattan borough of New York on March 31, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)    

Steve Zeitlin, founding director of City Lore and author of The Poetry of Everyday Life: Storytelling and the Art of Awareness (Cornell University Press, 2016), and Bob Holman, poet, filmmaker and proprietor of the Bowery Poetry Club, talk about their forthcoming book, Across the Great Divides: A Search for Poetry, Soul and Understanding in a Divided Nation (New Village Press, 2027) and about building a shared civic culture with poetry. They want you to send them your poems for possible inclusion in the book to poetry@citylore.org.   Begin writing “I am from. . .” expressing details that capture the places and families you come from, and then some of your political beliefs.  The poems they are looking for are, in a sense, your political family tree, or help provide context for the world view you've come to believe in. Or send  them a poem you've written –– or a poem you love –– that mentions the iconic American symbols such as the American flag, the Statue of Liberty or other monuments.   photo: Dancing Yiddish POMO (JimmyShelter95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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. Photo: U.S. first lady Melania Trump delivers a statement at the Grand Foyer of the White House on April 9, 2026 in Washington, DC. The first lady made a public statement to deny any ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

NYC Council member Tiffany Cabán (District 22, Astoria, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Woodside and Rikers Island) talks about the Delivery Protection Act, which would regulate "last mile" delivery subcontracting by retail giants like Amazon, and Mayor Mamdani's first 100 days in office. Photo: An Amazon Prime delivery van parked in Hillcrest, Queens. Credit: Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons.    

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Avoiding IRS Tax Scams (First) | Planet Money: The Book (Starts at 21:05) | Bloomin' NYC (Starts at 47:54) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo: Income tax calculations. (Photo by stevepb/Pixabay).    

Mihir Zaveri, New York Times reporter covering housing, and Brad Greenburg, executive director of the NYU Furman Center, look at Mayor Mamdani's housing policies and accomplishments during his first 100 days in office. Photo: Mayor Mamdani delivers right to organize materials to tenants in East Harlem. Thursday, March 26, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State, and Timmy Facciola, independent journalist who runs the Substack "Judge Street Journal," recap the debate between the Democrats vying for a shot to take on current Republican Congressman Mike Lawler in NY-17, plus they discuss the biggest local issues, and how this district fits into this year's midterm election politics. Photo: Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., greets a supporter during a "Back the Blue," campaign rally in Congers, N.Y., on Friday, October 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)    

Haidee Chu, reporter for THE CITY, and James Kaechele, certified master arborist and manager of the Parks Department's Tree Time program, talk about the trees suddenly in bloom and where to find the best views. "We Mapped Out Where the Best Spring Blooms Are In NYC" (The CITY)   photo: Riverside Park, April 2022 (Lisa Allison)

Ben Fritz, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, sheds light on the American entertainment industry's recent struggles as studios shoot more and more films and television productions outside the US. Photo: Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Thomas Wolf via Wikimedia Commons.

Linda Lee, NYC Council Member (District 23,  Eastern Queens) and chair of the Finance Committee, talks about the City Council's budget proposals.Photo: New York City Hall, 9 May 2007 (Momos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

In observation of "Local News Day," Stefanie Murray, director of the Center for Cooperative Media in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University, talks about the local news picture in New Jersey, and Penda Howell, co-founder, CEO and publisher of New Jersey Urban News in Newark, and Aaron Morrill, founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of the Jersey City Times, talk about their local news organizations and the challenges of covering local issues in NJ.   photo: Newark City Hall, April 2014 (Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Listeners with differing relationships to religion and faith tell us why they do or do not believe in God. Photo: Holy Cross Church in Frankfurt, Germany. Credit: A. Savin via Wikimedia Commons.

Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs journalist at The New Yorker, 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.  Photo: Supporter of pro-Iranian Hezbollah hold pictures of assassinated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, as they shout slogans in front of the office of the Lebanese Prime Minister in Beirut. (Photo by Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about Mayor Mamdani's accomplishments and challenges as he approaches 100 days in office.Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia announce that the City is investing $108 million to upgrade and replace more than 6,700 catch basins over the next decade. Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

Ahead of the tax deadline next week, Kelly Phillips Erb, tax attorney, senior writer at Forbes, and author of the blog Taxgirl, discusses some of the most common IRS tax scams and offers advice on how to avoid them.  Photo: Income tax calculations. (Photo by stevepb/Pixabay).

Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, national security law expert 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, professor of international law at Tel-Aviv University, explain international law as it applies to the war with Iran, including the limits of conflict jurisprudence and how leaders in the US, Israel and Iran think about following, or skirting, the rules about what constitutes 'war crimes.' Photo: Iranian flags and graffiti reading 'No King' are seen amongst debris at Sharif University of Technology which was hit by US-Israeli strikes on April 7, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Sharif University of Technology is one of Iran's leading scientific universities. Credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images).