Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Republicans won four congressional races in New York, even though a national 'red wave' never materialized. On Today's Show:Larry Levy, vice president of Economic Development and Professional Studies and executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, and Nicholas Fandos reporter on the Metro desk of The New York Times talk about why Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley are sending Republicans to Congress.

In the wake of the midterms, we explore why an ballot measure too fight climate change failed in California, and why a different one succeeded in New York. On Today's Show:Voters in New York approved a $4.2 billion dollar environmental bond initiative while voters in California rejected a ballot measure that would have levied a tax on high earners to pay for electric vehicle infrastructure. Blanca Begert, reporting fellow at Grist, discusses what New Yorkers will be going into debt to pay for, and how Californians will now prepare for their EV future.

With the 2022 midterm elections in our rearview mirror, we look ahead at what the next session of Congress will look like, and where our democracy goes from here. On Today's Show:Kai Wright, host of WNYC's Notes From America, Alexis Grenell, columnist for The Nation and the cofounder of Pythia Public, and Charlie Sykes, founder and editor-at-large and host of a podcast at The Bulwark, MSNBC contributor and author of How the Right Lost Its Mind (St. Martin's Press, 2017), deconstruct yesterday's results and how the democratic process has held up this election. PRODUCERS NOTE: This conversation took place the morning after Election Day 2022. Official vote tallies and other news have likely developed. Check WNYC or Gothamist.com for the latest updates, or listen to the next live Brian Lehrer Show, weekdays from 10 AM to noon.

Happy Election Day! Listen to our conversation about what to expect tonight, tomorrow and further into the week as official ballot counts roll in. On Today's Show:Aaron Blake, senior political reporter, writing for The Fix at The Washington Post, joins to discuss the competitive races around the country, and which results might come as a surprise.

What reforms have there been to curb election-impacting misinformation, and what does the information landscape look like ahead of the 2022 midterms? On Today's Show:Andrea Bernstein, who covers Democracy for ProPublica and contributes to NPR covering Trump legal matters, co-host of "Will Be Wild", and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, and Ilya Marritz, freelance reported for ProPublica, NPR, and co-host of the podcasts "Trump, Inc." and "Will be Wild", talk about how the Biden administration's actions to address disinformation hasn't been as strong as they initially indicated.

On Today's Show:Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News and host of KHN's What the Health podcast, discusses the politics of health care costs and the competing approaches by Democrats and Republicans this midterms season.

How different are the two major political parties policy approaches to combatting inflation, one of the key issues in this midterm season? On Today's Show:Jim Tankersley, New York Times White House correspondent with a focus on economic policy, talks about how Democrats and Republicans say they will fight it, and historically, what has worked and what hasn't.

What does each of the major political parties think is the right approach to combating poverty? On Today's Show:Chris Howard, Pamela C. Harriman Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William & Mary and the author of Who Cares: The Social Safety Net in America (Oxford University Press, 2022), discusses how Republicans and Democrats approach the issue of poverty and which party, if either, can eradicate it.

In New York, where the real estate industry represents a powerful interest group, how are the candidates for governor thinking about affordable housing, and addressing homelessness? On Today's Show:Kathryn Brenzel, senior reporter at The Real Deal, joins to discuss where Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin stand on the issue of affordable housing as Election Day looms.

As details have surfaced around the invasion of Nancy Pelosi's home by a violent intruder, we ask whether voters will be considering the risk of political violence at the ballot box. On Today's Show:Lisa Lerer, national political correspondent for The New York Times, and Philip Bump, national columnist for The Washington Post, talk about what the polls and reporting are saying as voting for the midterm elections has begun in most of the United States.

What might updating the United States' Constitution do to our democracy? On Today's Show:Russ Feingold, former U.S. senator, president of the American Constitution Society, and co-author of The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It (Public Affairs, 2022), discusses the calls — coming from both the right and the left — to update the U.S. Constitution.

Over a decade since the Supreme Court ruled that corporate political contributions constitute free speech, what has it meant for democracy? On Today's Show:Adam Winkler, UCLA professor of law and author of We the Corporations (Liveright, 2018) and Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011), delves into the impact of so-called "dark money" on our democracy.

Today, we look at the structure and practices of the Supreme Court, and discuss whether reforms could reshape it in defense of democracy. On Today's Show: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), joins the show to discuss the history of the Supreme Court, its role in American democracy, and proposals to change it.

Election officials around the country have been resigning amid threats and intimidation. What does that mean for democracy? On Today's Show:Dana Milbank, columnist for The Washington Post, discusses the uptick in threats of violence against election official workers, intimidation of voters, and the potential for chaos at the polls on Election Day.

With the midterms fast approaching, we explore some of the ballot measures that voters around the country are being asked to decide on. On Today's Show:Zach Montellaro, state politics reporter at Politico, covering gubernatorial, legislative and other state-based elections, joins to discuss how Democrats and Republicans are using ballot initiatives and referendums to push policy proposals.

How do we make the legislative branch more democratic? On Today's Show:David Daley, senior fellow at FairVote and author of the books Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count (Liveright 2016) and Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy (Liveright 2020), discusses the undemocratic nature of the United States Senate and offers solutions to make it more representative of all Americans.

With election districts being redrawn around the country, how do changing electoral boundaries change the politics that come out of those elections? On Today's Show:Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, talks about the process of redrawing district lines after the census every 10 years and how that process can favor parties and incumbency, or voters.

In four swing states, some gubernatorial candidates have indicated that they would have refused to certify Biden's 2020 election win. What might those midterms mean for 2024? On Today's Show:Kira Lerner, democracy reporter at States Newsroom, talks about the four swing states with governors races that could upend the 2024 presidential election.

How some jurisdictions are making it harder to vote, while others are expanding opportunities to ensure that everyone eligible has the chance to cast a ballot? On Today's Show:Ari Berman, senior reporter at Mother Jones, covering voting rights and author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, joins our midterm election series to discuss the attack on democracy and the continued fight for voting rights in America.

With the midterms approaching, how secure is our election system, non-withstanding the former president's lies about widespread election fraud in 2020? On Today's Show:William Adler, senior technologist in elections and democracy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, joins to discuss when and where election fraud actually takes place, and how it can be prevented and tracked.

On Today's Show: NPR's Claudia Grisales recaps what was likely the final January 6 hearing by the House Select Committee, and explains where the investigation goes from here.

On Today's Show:Senator Kirsten Gillibrand discusses some policy matters before Congress, and how the midterms could change things in Washington, D.C.

The FDA might enact new policies around food labeling. Here's what you should know in order to understand the nutrition of the food you buy. On Today's Show:Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at NYU and the author of many books, including her latest, Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics (University of California Press, 2022) talks about the changes, how the food industry is heavily invested, plus how food insecurity and access to healthy food play into these decisions.

As President Biden announces the pardons for federal cannabis possession charges, we look at where the piecemeal process of legalization and decriminalization stands today. On Today's Show:Alyson Martin, co-founder of Cannabis Wire and adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, joins to discuss President Joe Biden's recent announcement to pardon convicted cannabis users and how states might follow his lead.

Joe Biden said last month that the pandemic era of COVID was over. Is there a public policy approach to the endemic future of the virus? On Today's Show:Eric Topol, physician, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, professor of molecular medicine and executive VP at Scripps Research, talks about whether either Republicans or Democrats have a plan for the future of endemic COVID-19, and shares what he thinks needs to be done.

With the midterms approaching, we look at some key races where climate policy has been an issue for the candidates and their campaigns. On Today's Show:Maxine Joselow, climate reporter at The Washington Post and author of The Climate 202 newsletter, discusses recent climate news and what a Republican-led or Democratic-led Congress would (or wouldn't) do about the climate crisis.

One of the most prolific reporters to cover Donald Trump both before, and in the White House, discusses her new book about the 45th president's roots. On Today's Show:Maggie Haberman, senior political correspondent for The New York Times, political analyst for CNN and the author of Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America (Penguin Press, 2022), talks about her new book on the former president.

On Today's Show:Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), discusses Merrill v. Milligan, the high-stakes Alabama case on racial gerrymandering that the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for this term.

As parts of Florida and other southern states begin to recover from Hurricane Ian, we look at how the insurance industry is, and isn't, keeping up with climate risks. On Today's Show:Leslie Scism, a news editor for the Wall Street Journal, covering life and property-casualty insurance, joins to discuss how climate change, and the catastrophic damage it's causing to coastal communities, is changing the way home insurance works.

We look ahead at some of the cases that the Supreme Court will hear in its upcoming session, plus a look at the state of the federal judiciary as an institution. On Today's Show:As the new Supreme Court term gets underway, Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent at Slate, host of their podcast Amicus, and the author of Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America (Penguin Press, 2022), talks about her new book on the women who fought back on the Trump administration's policies and on the major cases before the Court between now and next June.

Years after the Trump administration's family separation policy at the border, Democrats in Congress continue to struggle to come up with a detailed immigration plan. On Today's Show: Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, spent 18 months investigating the Trump administration's family separation policy at the border. She joins to discuss her reporting and how immigration, political asylum and the border are playing out as issues today as midterm elections loom.

In the weeks after a woman died in the custody of Iran's 'morality police,' women across the country and around the world have taken to the streets in protest. On Today's Show:Pardis Mahdavi, provost of the University of Montana and the author of Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2008), who had her own run in with the morality police in Iran, shares her analysis of the protests happening now and what may come of them.

Today, we look at how abortion policy is playing in midterms around the country, and whether the next congress might pursue a nationwide abortion policy, one way or the other. On Today's Show:Leigh Ann Caldwell, Early 202 newsletter co-author and Washington Post Live anchor, joins to break down how candidates for Congress are talking about abortion on the campaign trail.

With abortion up for a referendum in Kentucky, we look at how the politics of abortion in red states has played out since SCOTUS's Dobbs decision. On Today's Show:Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky and publisher of The Rural Blog and Kentucky Health News, and Caroline Kitchener, national political reporter covering abortion at The Washington Post, discuss how "trigger abortion bans" are playing out across conservative states and how the issue might impact the midterm elections in those states.

With a big week ahead in Washington D.C., we look at a few of the most important things coming up in national politics. On Today's Show:Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, 2021), talks about the latest news from Washington, including a spending bill that might be held up by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and the upcoming January 6th hearing.

Now that he’s no longer in office, there have been a lot of stories coming out about Trump’s presidency. A new book offers a detailed account – more than 650 pages – of the four years of the Trump’s administration, and it’s written by two of the most respected journalists in Washington. On Today's Show: Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times and a political analyst for MSNBC, and Susan Glasser, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of its weekly "Letter from Trump's Washington," as well as a CNN global affairs analyst, talk about their new book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 (Doubleday, 2022), as well as some of the latest developments in the former president's legal challenges.

As the UN General Assembly deliberates over a number of issues facing the international community, we look at some recent global events. On Today's Show:Nahal Toosi, senior correspondent for foreign affairs and national security for Politico, and Gideon Rose, distinguished fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, the former editor of Foreign Affairs and author of How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle (Simon & Schuster, 2010), recap the major themes so far, which include the war in Ukraine, China's relationship to the US and others and the many looming conflicts happening around the world.

The incarcerated man at the center of a groundbreaking True Crime podcast has been released from prison, following new details uncovered in part by the podcast's listening community. On Today's Show:Sarah Koenig, host and co-creator of "Serial," joins us to discuss the news that the subject of Serial's first season, Adnan Syed, has been released from prison after 20 years.

The nation's chief medical advisor makes sense of this moment in the trajectory of COVID-19, plus, what's needed to address youth mental health. On Today's Show:U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about why he is prioritizing the nation's mental health, especially among young people, plus talks about the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

With about 8 weeks left before this year's midterm elections, we look at what public opinion polling has to say about the state of the races, and the direction of the country. On Today's Show:Steven Shepard, senior campaign and elections editor and chief polling analyst for Politico, shares his analysis on the state of the midterm elections, including a recent New York Times/Siena poll where Democrats appeared stronger than some thought they would, and how the issue of migrants seeking asylum is playing out in campaigns.

On today's show:CNN national security reporter Zachary Cohen brings updates on investigations into January 6th and the Big Lie.

A legendary Supreme Court reporter's new book describes her relationship with the late Justice Ginsberg, and the common experiences of misogyny that they shared. On Today's Show:Nina Totenberg, NPR legal correspondent and the author of Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships (Simon & Schuster, 2022), looks back on her 50-year friendship with the woman who would become a Supreme Court Justice and how they each fought to overcome barriers and face personal challenges.

Former president Obama is back out on the campaign trail, stumping for midterm candidates. We look at what he's been up to, and take a closer look at his relationship with President Biden. On Today's Show: Gabriel Debenedetti, national correspondent at New York Magazine and author of The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama (Henry Holt and Co., 2022), joins to discuss his latest book on the unlikely partnership between former president Barack Obama and President Joe Biden and how it has transformed American politics.

On the 60th anniversary of JFK's 'moonshot' speech, Joe Biden outlined a similarly aspirational plan to invest in cancer cures and treatment. On Today's Show:Sarah Owermohle, Washington correspondent at STAT News, and Barrett Rollins, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer emeritus at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and author of the forthcoming book In Sickness: A Memoir (Post Hill Press, November 2022), discuss the details of the president's initiative.

The famed artist behind Broadway's Hamilton dropped by to talk about his relationship with politics, and the importance of helping the next generation raise themselves up.On Today's Show:Songwriter, actor, director and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda and the filmmaker Agustina San Martín talk about their mentor/mentee relationship, the art, music and films they are working on and more.

With the news today that Steve Bannon has been indicted on conspiracy and money laundering charges, we check in on the case against him. On Today's Show: Devlin Barrett, Washington Post reporter focusing on national security and law enforcement, talks about his reporting, which found that at least one of the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI contained highly-sensitive information on the nuclear capabilities of other countries. Plus, what to make of the news that Steve Bannon turned himself in to the authorities.

What would it mean for climate change if California can phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035, an ambitious target set recently by state regulators? On Today's Show:Dan Gearino, reporter covering clean energy and the Midwest for Inside Climate News, discusses California's move to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars, which other states now look to emulate.

Now that primaries have mostly wrapped up, we turn to some congressional and gubernatorial races that are heating up around the country. On Today's Show:Steven Shepard, senior campaigns and elections editor and chief polling analyst for Politico, joins to break down the most hotly contested congressional and gubernatorial races in the country ahead of the midterm elections.

This Labor Day, we wanted to look at a piece of US history that has arguably done more to shape our nation than earlier "founding documents." On Today's Show:Kermit Roosevelt III, professor of constitutional law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice David Souter, author of The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story (University of Chicago Press, 2022) – and a great-great-grandson to Pres. Teddy Roosevelt – offers a reinterpretation of U.S. history that places Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as our true founding document.

Understanding race and racism is an important step toward helping children make sense of their world, and to try to make it better. On Today's Show:Ibram X. Kendi, professor in the Humanities and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research and the author of How to Raise an Antiracist (One World, 2022) talks about his new book offering guidance to parents and caregivers.