Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

It's been a decade since Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. We asked Black listeners to reflect on growing up with visceral images of brutality against Black people. On Today's Show:Building on her New Yorker essay, Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, poet, educator, memoirist and scholar, examines the challenges of young Black Americans in her new book, The Trayvon Generation (Grand Central Publishing, 2022).

What parallels are there between Russia's invasion of Ukraine and some of the United States' military activities over the past decades? On Today's Show: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 (Simon & Schuster, 2010), explains why he thinks there are similarities between Russia's invasion in Ukraine and much of U.S. foreign policy and wars over the past few decades.

In a historic vote, New York City's warehouse Amazon workers become the first in the nation to unionize. What does it mean for workers, and the broader labor movement? On Today's Show:Jane McAlevey, organizer, senior policy fellow at the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, The Nation's strike correspondent and the author of A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing & the Fight for Democracy (Ecco, 2020), and Gwynne Hogan, reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discuss the vote and what comes next.

On the first day of Ramadan, we look at the word "inshallah," which literally means 'G-d willing,' but can be used to denote a wide range of sentiments. On Today's Show:Abdullah Shihipar, writer and public-health researcher based at Brown University, joins to discuss how the phrase "inshallah" — literally "G-d willing" — can take on many different meanings for Muslims. Plus, listeners call in to share their hopes for the month of Ramadan and the year ahead.

When we can, we like to hear from experts with unique perspectives on the Russian war against Ukraine. On Today's Show:Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School and the author of In Putin's Footsteps: Searching for the Soul of an Empire Across Russia's Eleven Time Zones (St. Martin's Press, 2019), shares her thoughts on Putin's approach to peace talks with Ukraine, and more as the war continues.

The questions of free speech, racial equity and "cancel culture" are multilayered and complex. On Today's Show:Suzanne Nossel, PEN America chief executive officer, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), debate the state of free speech in America.

How could Florida's newly signed "Don't Say Gay" law could have ripple effects into other parts of education, including student support. On Today's Show:Dana Goldstein, national education correspondent at The New York Times and the author of The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession (Anchor, 2015), explains what the law actually says, and how that differs from what teachers and students can learn about and discuss in other states.

During Congress's SCOTUS confirmation hearings, N.J. Senator Cory Booker spoke about what it means for America that the nominee is Ketanji Brown Jackson. On Today's Show:We play extended excerpts of Sen. Booker's remarks, and hear from listeners about what a Black woman's nomination to the highest court in the land means to them.

This week Mayor Adams announced he would drop the vaccine mandate for sports players in New York City. On Today's Show:Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, infectious-diseases specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, argues it's time to drop strict employee vaccine mandates for all employees, not just wealthy athletes, "there are other ways, as opposed to firing, to keep people safe."

What's the situation on the ground in Ukraine? How is the world reacting? And might it push Russian officials to strip Putin of his power? On Today's Show:Masha Gessen, The New Yorker staff writer and the author of Surviving Autocracy (Riverhead Books, 2020), talks about their latest reporting on how Russians are reacting to Putin's war in Ukraine.

A seasoned diplomat explains the bargaining chips at play in the efforts to bring an end to Russia's hostilities in Ukraine. On Today's Show:William Taylor, diplomat, vice president for Russia and Europe at the U.S. Institute of Peace and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, talks about the current situation in Ukraine and the prospects for ending the conflict.

When propaganda shapes our worldview, it makes it easier to commit atrocities under false pretenses. On Today's Show:Last week in a video addressed to the Russian people, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about how his father was "broken" after fighting in Hitler's Nazi army. Listeners called in to talk about their family members who were lured into fighting wars, or committed wartime atrocities, because of lies their governments told them.

With Russian sanctions impacting the global price of oil, we look at what it means for drivers in the US, and why one idea to ease the burden, might not be a good idea. On Today's Show:Peter Coy, New York Times opinion writer covering economics, shares his analysis on the latest economic news including why he thinks a gas tax holiday is not a good solution for high gas prices and the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia.

Pressing issues like accountability for the Jan. 6 insurrection, and sanctions against Russia sit at the intersection of politics and the law. On Today's Show:Preet Bharara, Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and host of the podcast "Stay Tuned with Preet," talks about the latest political news.

Whenever it's time for our clocks to spring forward or fall back, we wind up talking about whether daylight saving time should even exist anymore. On Today's Show:Luke Broadwater, congressional correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the surprise Senate passage of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent next year and whether the House will follow suit, plus what the data, and history, have to say about making that change.

Last week, amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States announced it was banning all imports of Russian oil and gas. On Today's Show:Bill McKibben, educator, environmentalist, and co-founder of 350.org, and author of several books including Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), talks about why climate activists are saying this is a good time to pivot to a clean energy replacement.

A relatively obscure Harlem music festival in 1969 has been brought into the spotlight with a new documentary exploring its impact. On Today's Show:Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, musician, songwriter, director of "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)," talks about the Oscar nomination for his film, which was put together from long-forgotten footage of 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Rep. Gregory Meeks recently went to Poland's border with Ukraine. On Today's Show:Gregory Meeks, U.S. Representative (D, NY-5) and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, talks about the latest news, especially the latest on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

After Fred Mogul suggested a potential off-ramp for Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine. Today, a State Department official weighed in on that suggestion. On Today's Show:Derek Chollet, counselor of the U.S. Department of State and senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State, talks about the U.S. State Department's view of the conflict in Ukraine.

Its been 15 days since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. What does the global community's roadmap to de-escalation? On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), outlines a potential pathway to ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

An update from a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees on the U.S. government's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Today's Show:U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), talks about her work in Washington and the conflict in Ukraine.

How often do we hear from the judges on the nation's highest court? On Today's Show:Today, a conversation from our archives, featuring the soon-to-retire Justice Stephen Breyer.

We spoke with a renowned author about the legacy of her dystopian work. On Today's Show:Margaret Atwood, author of short stories, essays, and novels, including The Handmaid's Tale, and her latest collection, Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004 to 2021 (Doubleday, 2022), talks about her response to Jennifer Senior's take on friendship in middle-age and how things change with friends as we get even older, plus her latest book.

Economic sanctions don't always work. We hear from one long-term Russia-watcher why he thinks the latest sanctions placed on Russia could help end the conflict. On Today's Show:David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest news from Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion.

We check in on the information landscape surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including the role of social media platforms in the spread (or not) of misinformation. On Today's Show:Sinan Aral, MIT professor of management, marketing, IT and data science, director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and the author of The Hype Machine (Currency, 2020), offers his perspective on why it appears that Ukraine is winning the information war through traditional and social media, despite Russia's historical success in controlling the narrative.

Is the Bill of Rights strong enough to serve as the basis for reversing centuries of systemic racism? On Today's Show:Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), talks about his new book, plus offers analysis of legal news.

What does the chess Grandmaster-turned-human rights activist and Russia-critic have to say about Putin's geopolitical strategy as the invasion of Ukraine continues? On Today's Show:Garry Kasparov, chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and Renew Democracy Initiative and author of Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped (PublicAffairs, 2015), joins with the latest analysis on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

What does the invasion of Ukraine tell us about autocratic leaders like Putin, and about the broader trend toward autocracy around the globe? On Today's Show:Moisés Naím, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former editor of Foreign Policy magazine and the author of The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century (St. Martin's Press, 2022), talks about three tools autocrats use to strengthen their power, populism, polarization and post-truths.

NOTE: This segment was recorded on Thursday morning. President Biden is scheduled to make an announcement this afternoon in response to the situation in Eastern Europe. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine early this morning, what can the rest of the world, and particularly President Biden do? On Today's Show:Philip Bump, national correspondent for The Washington Post, talks about the invasion of Ukraine, next week's State of the Union, and other pressing matters facing the White House.

With Russia continuing its provocative actions on its border with Ukraine, we look to some of the history that Putin cited as a pretext for a possible invasion. On Today's Show:Julia Ioffe, founding partner and Washington correspondent of Puck, a new media company, joins to provide a historical context and breaks down the latest developments.

Could adding insects to our diets help slow climate change? On Today's Show:Listeners called in to discuss ways they've changed their diet, with or without insect consumption, to help combat climate change.

With Russian troops amassing at Ukraine's border over the past few weeks, a look at the domestic consequences of the conflict in Eastern Europe. On Today's Show:Susan Glasser, staff writer for The New Yorker, CNN global affairs analyst and co-author, with Peter Baker, of The Man Who Ran Washington: the Life and Times of Jim Baker III (Doubleday, 2020) and Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution (Simon & Schuster, 2005) talks about the latest developments between Putin, Ukraine, and the West.

In our 24-hour news-cycle world, it can be a challenge to cover crucial issues like climate change, that occur over long periods of time. On Today's Show:We launch a series of weekly climate coverage, with Mark Hertsgaard, executive director of Covering Climate Now and enviro correspondent of The Nation. He discussed how certain aggressive public policies, if enacted right away, could help mitigate some of the most extreme climate disasters.

What can NYC's efforts to address the mental health of homeless people tell us about this nationwide issue? On Today's Show:Andy Newman, reporter for the New York Times who writes about social services and poverty in New York City, and Dr. Anthony Carino, director of psychiatry at CUCS/Janian Medical Care, a healthcare program for people impacted by homelessness talk about the patchwork of psychiatric services available to homeless New Yorkers and why, in some cases, high-need individuals with documented violent histories fall through the cracks leading to dire outcomes, as was the case with Martial Simon who pushed Michelle Alyssa Go onto the subway tracks.

The pandemic has been hard, and has changed a lot of people's relationships with alcohol. So today, we're talking about the benefits and challenges of getting sober. On Today's Show:Ana Marie Cox, writer, host of the science fiction podcast, "Space the Nation," and author of The Cut's new advice column about sobriety, answers listener questions about drinking and not drinking.

Sunday night's big game took place against a fraught backdrop of allegations of racism in coach and staff hiring, and the first hip-hop halftime show in history. On Today's Show:David Dennis Jr., Senior writer for The Undefeated, and Joel Anderson, staff writer at Slate and a host of the podcast "Slow Burn", talk about the political and cultural backdrop to this year's Super Bowl.

Inflation has been in the news, but how much is it really what's behind rising prices? On Today's Show:Lindsay Owens, the executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic advocacy group, argues that some companies are hiking prices "while hiding behind inflation."

New York and New Jersey have just lifted indoor mask mandates for private businesses. What can the reaction tell us about the polarization around COVID policy? On Today's Show:New York Times reporter Sharon Otterman, who covers health care and the pandemic for the paper's Metro desk, reviews what's changing and when.

Almost 20 years after the Supreme Court affirmed affirmative action, the policy has once again landed before the high court. On Today's Show:Paul Butler, professor at Georgetown Law, the author of Chokehold: Policing Black Men (The New Press, 2017) and a self-proclaimed beneficiary of affirmative action, joins to make his case on why it should be upheld and why others who have benefited from the law should rebut critique that it stigmatizes Black students.

After TV personality Whoopi Goldberg made a comment about whiteness and Jewish people, we wanted to unravel the complicated ideas around race, racism and Jewish identity. On Today's Show:Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the author of It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable―And How We Can Stop It (Mariner Books, 2022), talks about antisemitism and hate crimes and the danger they pose to American democracy.

In our hyper-partisan times, it's unusual to see the U.S.'s two main political parties come together. But on a few recent issues, they've done just that. On Today's Show:Grace Segers, staff writer at The New Republic, talks about the latest political news including the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, the U.S. response to Russia's aggression toward Ukraine, and the latest on the January 6th investigations.

The American south plays host to a patchwork of political, ideological, demographic and historical complexities. Complexities that common, simplified 'north/south' narratives fail to grasp. On Today's Show:Imani Perry, professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and the author of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation (Ecco, 2022), shares the insights she gleaned about U.S. history and culture from her travels in the South.

A lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores claims that the NFL's hiring practices are discriminatory. On Today's Show:William Rhoden, columnist for The Undefeated and former longtime sports columnist at The New York Times, discusses the lawsuit of former head coach Brian Flores against the NFL and three teams including the New York Giants alleging racism in hiring practices.

What does it mean for free speech and misinformation that Neil Young is leaving Spotify over its support of Joe Rogan's proudly un-fact checked podcast? On Today's Show:Ashley Carman, senior reporter at The Verge and writer of the Hot Pod newsletter, talks about the latest controversy surrounding Spotify and podcaster Joe Rogan, and hears from listeners who have recently left the platform in protest.

With geopolitical tension again flaring up between Russia and Ukraine, we look at the role of the United States and NATO allies in the conflict. On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), discusses the history of NATO and why Russia may go to war over its potential expansion.

We were surprised to learn that illegally transporting guns from one state to another isn't as illegal is it sounds. On Today's Show:U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D NY) talks about the latest issues facing the senate and her recent proposals for combating gun violence, expanding community health care, and more.

The Supreme Court once again takes up a challenge to affirmative action in college admissions. On today's show: Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and author of the forthcoming book Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy's Guide To The Constitution (The New Press, 2022), discusses the news that the Court will revisit the question of affirmative action.

Justice Breyer has announced that he will step down from his Supreme Court seat, paving the way for President Biden to make his first SCOTUS nomination. On Today's Show:WNYC's legal analyst Jami Floyd talks about his legacy on the court and looks ahead to the process to replace him, including her pick for the seat, and discusses implications for the rest of this Supreme Court session that will be Justice Breyer's last.

The new Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin is working to ban so-called "divisive concepts" including 'Critical Race Theory' in the state's schools. On Today's Show: Brian Jones, director of the Center for Educators and Schools at New York Public Library and contributor to Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice (Haymarket Books, 2020) discusses how such a ban might impact curricula, why some misunderstand and reject CRT and the value of including race in school lessons.

What does it mean for the impartiality of the Supreme Court that the spouse of one of its Justices is a conservative activist? On Today's Show:Jane Mayer, chief Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, talks about her new piece on Ginni Thomas, a vocal right-wing activist and the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, and whether her work with interest groups threatens Supreme Court impartiality.