The Brian Lehrer Show

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).  

Margaret Sullivan, columnist at The Guardian and author of the Substack American Crisis, and Isabella Simonetti, media reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discuss the ambiguous future of AI in journalism and how publications are deciding what role the technology should play in their newsrooms. Photo Credit: Stephan Röhlvia, CC-BY-SA 2.0

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the proposal to hike New Jersey's sales taxes for non-residents during World Cup this summer and updates the status of the state budget. Photo: The Panini America FIFA World Cup 2026™ Sticker Collection Album Cover for Canada and the United States, unveiled today at MetLife Stadium on December 03, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Panini America)

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist and science educator at the American Museum of Natural History, explains the Artemis II mission, which marks the first time since 1972 that a crewed spacecraft has traveled to the 'lunar neighborhood,' beyond Earth's gravitational sphere of influence. Plus, listeners call in with their questions about the mission, and the future of lunar exploration. Photo: NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. (Credit: NASA, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

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. 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. Photo: Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, D.C., September 16, 2011. Credit: Sarah Stierch via Wikimedia Commons.

Alex Mayyasi, longtime contributor to NPR's Planet Money, and now author of the book, Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (W. W. Norton & Company, 2026), and Mary Childs, a Planet Money co-host, share insights into making decisions on getting and spending money and why markets work the way they do. EVENT:  You can see Alex and Mary, plus their colleagues at Planet Money, Darian Woods and Amanda Aronczyk, in conversation with Emily Oster, tonight at 92nd Street Y at 7.  Ticket info for in-person or streaming   (cover image courtesy of the publisher)    

Nick Reisman, POLITICO Albany bureau chief covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, discusses the latest in state budget negotiations and the major sticking points, including early pension access for public school teachers and the buffer zones for protestors around religious institutions. Photo: State Senators Liz Krueger, left, and Thomas O'Mara, right, debate a bill (S9631) that would extend various expiring laws that allow the Department of Motor vehicles to collect certain fees and pay operating costs on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in the Senate Chamber at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. Tuesday was the last day of the state's fiscal budget year. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

Listeners call in on the question, "where do you find meaning, ritual, and the sense that you are part of something larger than yourself outside of a religious context?" Photo: a book club meeting. Credit: Alex Dos Santos via Pexels.

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 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recent firing of the Army's top officer and more.   photo:  The US department of Defense building is known under the metonym "The Pentagon" due to its shape. (Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Two of our favorite segments for this week, in case you missed them. How Gaza and Zionism Are Dividing Synagogues (First) | A Christian Perspective on the Politics of Immigration (Starts at :41)     If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   photo: Jerusalem, old city, historical religious sights (Ahed izhiman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Some politicians have been claiming that a Christian revival is occurring among young Americans. Luis Parrales, staff writer at The Atlantic, breaks down what the data says and listeners call in to share their experiences. Photo: A large crowd sings and prays together at Together 2016, a Christian revival on the National Mall on Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Washington, DC (by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images).

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than a year after participating in protests near Columbia University, discusses what she endured in an ICE detention facility in Texas and speaks about the conditions that she describes as "horrific," joined by her attorney Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a clinical associate professor at Boston University School of Law.   Photo: Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student Leqaa Kordia greets family, friends and supporters at a welcome home rally on March 22, 2026, in Paterson, New Jersey.  (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Hannah Frishberg, culture reporter at Gothamist/WNYC, shares her hacks for having a night on the town for less than $20, as listeners share tips of their own.    photo: Pizza slices at Paulie Gee's Slice Shop - a "Freddy Prinze" on the left, and plain on the right. (Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Greg David, contributor on fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the jobs report for March and some related news about the jobs picture for New York City in 2025. Photo by Josh Marty on Unsplash.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey.Photo: Senator Andy Kim. Credit: Senate Photographic Studio.

With the change of seasons, some water species, like eels and horseshoe crabs, go on the move. In this month's visit to "Wild NYC", Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Chris Bowser, an estuary educator coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservations with Cornell's Water Resource Institute, discuss the waterways and local water migrations -- and how to participate in tracking them. Hudson River Eel Project Hudson River Fisheries World Fish Migration Day photo: "Glass on Yellow" by Chris Bowser (courtesy of the photographer)  

Despite allowing a Russian tanker to breach the United States' fuel blockade and deliver oil to Cuba, President Trump reiterated his treat to take over the island. What happens next? Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about his reporting from Cuba. and Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News and co-host of the podcast Counter Points, talks about the Nuestra América Convoy, a coalition of organizers that recently delivered humanitarian aid to the Caribbean nationPhoto: A man sits in front of a mural reading 'I'm not perfect but I am Cuban,' with fuel tanks under construction visible in the background in the industrial zone of Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31, 2026. (by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images).

Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz, a pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Bay Ridge, discusses the political divide over how Christian congregations are using scripture to guide their approach to immigration policy.Photo: St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 14 July 2012. Credit: MrBrittonJ via Wikimedia Commons.

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 the politics of the 'birthright citizenship' case before the Supreme Court. Photo: An Indiana birth certificate. (Credit: Indiana's Clinton County Health Department)

An April 1st Extra on New York/New Jersey interstate commerce.   ...note: This is part of our yearly April Fool's coverage

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: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019), offers analysis of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court over President Donald Trump's executive order to end "birthright citizenship." Photo: People demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's expected arrival on April 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)