The Brian Lehrer Show

Bob Costas, sportscaster and talk show host, reflects on his recent Baseball Digest lifetime achievement award and the state of baseball and other sports today.=>EVENT: Bob Costas will discuss his wide-ranging career - and how sports have changed with Howard Bryant at The 92nd Street Y on Sunday, May 11 at 7 pm. (Ticket information)

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, including the match-up of former Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Adams, what voters were saying about the mayoral race at AOC's recent town hall and more news.

Communication blackouts, delayed flights, staffing shortages -- New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport has been in crisis mode for the past week. Pete Muntean, CNN correspondent covering aviation and transportation, pilot, and flight instructor, takes us behind the scenes of the "multi-day" meltdown at Newark, and explains what's caused these problems for travelers and staff alike.

Mary Ziegler, UC Davis law professor and the author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession (Yale University Press, 2023) and Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction (Yale University Press, 2025), talks about her book about "fetal personhood," as well as the news on mifepristone.

Listeners call in to share their stories of weaning themselves their "smart" cell phones, from setting limits to abandoning them completely.

Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Food and Drug Administration would require all new vaccines to be tested against placebos and to develop new vaccines without using mRNA technology. Christina Jewett, reporter covering Food and Drug Administration for The New York Times, explains what that will mean for future vaccines, including COVID-19 booster shots, plus more FDA-related news headlines.

As our centennial series continues, Bob van der Linden, commercial aviation curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, looks at the past 100 years of civilian air travel.

Mariana Simões, investigative journalist covering climate and the environment for City Limits, shares her reporting on how cuts to staff working on environmental justice issued within the Environmental Protection Agency are affecting community groups in New York City.

Rent-stabilized tenants may see increases of up to 7.75% on two-year leases, after the Rent Guidelines Board held a preliminary vote on rent increases. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what comes next for landlords and tenants with rent-stabilized apartments.

Kimberly Adams, senior Washington correspondent for Marketplace and the co-host of the Marketplace podcast “Make Me Smart,” talks about the latest news on tariffs, including the end of the de minimis exemption, which may lead to higher prices for consumers. Plus, Arthur Dong, teaching professor of strategy and economics at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, offers analysis of the US-China relationship as Beijing is considering whether it should begin to negotiate with President Trump on trade.

Scott Bok, former board chair of the University of Pennsylvania, longtime CEO of the M&A advisory firm Greenhill & Co., and the author of Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy and Timing (Wiley, 2025), talks about his life and facing crises on Wall Street and, most recently, his resignation from the Penn Board in December 2023.=>EVENT: New York Public Library's Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Event Center at 455 Fifth Avenue, tonight 6-7PM

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Maria Ponce Sevilla, director of development at Mixteca Organization Inc., a community-based organization serving Mexican and Latin American immigrant communities, highlights the various regional Mexican communities that can be found all over New York City.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.NYC Health Department Braces for Federal Budget Cuts (First) | REAL ID, for Real This Time (Starts at 27:34) | 100 Years of 100 Things: Women in the Military (Starts at 42:14)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Randy Mastro, first deputy mayor of New York City, discusses the proposals in the $115 billion dollar budget that Mayor Adams announced, including adding seats to free after-school care, and increasing the size of the police force.

Sam Schechner, technology reporter at The Wall Street Journal, talks about his experience of feeling dumber due to relying on artificial intelligence and what he's done to retake his brain.

The Republican House leadership is confronting significant obstacles to passing a sweeping package of the Trump administration's priorities. Kadia Goba, congressional reporter for Semafor, breaks down what's in it and the latest news, including the status of the Trump-backed SAVE Act, which critics say would lead to the disenfranchisement of millions of married women.

Louisa Tatum, Career Services Manager at the New York Public Library, talks about the job and career landscape for people without college degrees—and we'll take calls from listeners who are looking for career advice.EVENT:The New York Public Library is hosting a free job fair and career expo at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building's Celeste Bartos Forum. That's on Friday, May 23, 2025, 10 AM - 3 PM. More information at the link below:https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2025/05/23/nypls-free-tech-job-fair-expo-2025-connect-learn-get-hiredSupport of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org.

On May 7, in order to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building in the U.S., travelers will have to show a form of “REAL ID compliant” identification. Walt McClure, director of public information at NYS Department of Motor Vehicles, breaks down the process to get a REAL ID and how the Department of Motor Vehicles is handling the influx of new applications ahead of the deadline.

Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic who covers immigration, talks about the behind the scenes negotiations between the Trump administration and the president of El Salvador regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador without due process; plus the latest news on the Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi, who was released from immigration detention.

Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association and a former mayor of Montclair, talks about his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for governor in the June primary and the issues that matter to voters in New Jersey.

As we continue our series about attaining upward mobility without a college degree, Marjorie Parker, CEO and president of JobsFirstNYC, talks about her work on youth and young adult economic and workforce development in New York City. And Jane Martinez Dowling, chief of student pathways at New York City Public Schools, talks about career education initiatives within the NYC Department of Education.Support of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org.

As our centennial series continues, Katherine Sharp Landdeck, professor of history and director of Pioneers Oral History Project at Texas Woman's University and the author of The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II (Crown, 2020), talks about American women in the military over the last century.

Blair Corcoran de Castillo, vice president of public sector and policy at Opportunity@Work, and Tony Gherardini, executive director at the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, talk about how state governments and public agencies are rethinking hiring, training, and credential requirements to open up opportunity for STARs—workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes.Support of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Ramsey Khalifeh, Gothamist and WNYC transportation reporter, share their reporting on how each candidate is approaching a big issue on voters' minds: public safety, crime and homelessness in the subway system.

College decision day is May 1st, but students and their families have a lot more to think about this year than in the past. Listeners call in to share how they're considering where to go to school in the fall given the political firestorm surrounding universities across the United States.

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, offers his assessment of the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, and the opposition that is beginning to form.

Michelle Morse, M.D., interim commissioner of health at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and an internal medicine and public health doctor, talks about the areas where the health department says it will really feel the impact of federal budget cuts, including responding to disease outbreaks, vaccine outreach and more.

Jad Abumrad, composer, musician and storyteller, creator of WNYC's Radiolab, Dolly Parton's America, and More Perfect, a professor of research at Vanderbilt University, and the co-composer and librettist for Port(al), and Dianne Berkun Menaker, Brooklyn Youth Chorus founder and artistic director and co-creator of Port(al), talk about the new site-specific work about the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. They're joined by chorus member Josie Devlin.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a tentative budget agreement almost one month late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on where the big policy issues landed, including on a cell phone ban in schools, masks and discovery laws—plus the financial details of the deal.

President Donald Trump recently asked U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to intervene in defense of the Massapequa school district, saying the school should be able to their use of Native American mascots, names and logos. Darwin Yanes, Newsday education reporter, explains the latest on the entrenched battle between the Long Island public school district, the New York Education Department — and now — the president.

As our centennial series continues, Ana Raquel Minian, associate professor of history at Stanford and the author of In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States (Viking, 2024), reviews U.S. detention of immigrants over the past century.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Topics this week include the state of Democracy in the buildup to the midterm elections, tariffs and ceasefire in Ukraine.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Congestion Pricing, Penn Station and More (First) | Goodbye to Federal Regulations (Starts at 39:00) | 100 Years of 100 Things: Street Photography (Starts at 1:04:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Listeners share stories of navigating career pivots at moments when they felt their college degree took them as far as it could go.Support of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org.

David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), looks at where the initial actions of the Trump administration align with the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and what's still to come.

Mike Lawler, U.S. Representative (R, NY-17), talks about the issues facing his district and the country and his role as part of the Republican majority in Congress.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent comments on autistic Americans sparked massive backlash from the community last week. Now, there's news that the National Institute of Health's new autism study is collecting private medical records from Americans. Colin Killick, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, provides his perspective on the impact RFK Jr.'s rhetoric and latest actions are having on the autistic community during Autism Acceptance Month.

Nick Reisman, Politico New York reporter covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, talks about the issues holding up the New York State budget negotiations, due April 1.

Daniel Rober, associate professor and department chair of the Catholic Studies department at Sacred Heart University, talks about the leading contenders to be the next pope, the fraught process in the Vatican and the different directions the next leader of the world's Catholics might take the church.

Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, talks about Saturday's opening of the revamped Harlem Meer area of the park, plus other news.

Layla O'Kane, a senior director at Opportunity@Work, and Cole Napper, vice president of People Analytics at Lightcast, a labor market analytics company, talk about the latest data on career and career advancement opportunities for skilled workers without a college degree.→ State of the Paper Ceiling | Opportunity@Work

John "Janno" Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the MTA's fight with the federal government over congestion pricing, how the tolling program is going, the Trump administration's takeover of the Penn Station revamp and more transit news.

Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), argues the checks on presidential power, put in place by the founders, have so far failed in the second Trump administration, and talks about what causes authoritarian governments to fail.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about how both state assembly member Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander are vying to be the top progressive candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary, and more news from City Hall and the campaign trail.

Lauren Weber, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, talks about why certain high-demand, upwardly mobile jobs remain hard to fill as we continue our series about workers skilled through alternative routes. → They Are Hot, Upwardly Mobile Jobs. Here’s Why They Are So Hard to Fill. | Wall Street Journal

As our centennial series continues, Sam Barzilay, creative director & co-founder of Photoville, looks at the history of street photography, from the invention of the Leica hand-held 35mm camera which made capturing "the decisive moment" possible, to the challenges presented by AI and smartphone technology of today.=>"Women Street Photographers" exhibit through April 28=> Photoville Festival coming in June.

As the National Institute of Health is set to cut funding for climate research, Maggie Astor, New York Times reporter covering the intersection between health and politics, explains the broader impact these cuts may have on our public health.

Coral Davenport, New York Times reporter covering the de-regulation of the federal government, talks about the hundreds of rules and regulations the Trump administration plans to do away with.

New York State will award three coveted casino licenses by the end of this year. Nick Garber, politics reporter at Crain's New York Business, reports on where the process stands, including news on environmental reviews, a big player dropping out and where the Mets owner Steve Cohen's bid stands.

James Martin, SJ, a Jesuit priest, founder of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic resource, editor at large for America Media, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of Come Forth (HarperOne, 2023) and Learning to Pray (HarperOne, 2021), reflects on the life and leadership of Pope Francis, who died earlier today at 88, as listeners share their thoughts.