The Brian Lehrer Show

Joe Biden called himself "the most pro-labor President in American history," and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo was key to his enforcement efforts. As an administration with a much different posture on labor shapes up, Dan Kaufman, contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics (W. W. Norton & Company, 2018), looks back through a century of the NLRB and NLRA.=>"What Labor Could Lose" (The New York Review of Books, 1/19/25)

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, and Clayton Guse, WNYC/Gothamist editor on the NYC Accountability desk, talk about a new Gothamist series "State of Collapse" and the latest transportation news.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Trump's Anti-DEI Push (First) | The State of Broadcast Journalism (Starts at 48:00 ) | Lessons Learned on Staying Warm (Starts at 1:15:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Genia Blaser, director of Hotline at Immigrant Defense Project, and Yasmine Farhang, director of Advocacy at Immigrant Defense Project, discuss President Donald Trump's recent executive order to ramp up the deportation of undocumented immigrants and explain the rights that undocumented individuals have when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander talks about the June primary as he seeks the Democratic nomination for mayor in 2025 as well as the effect on NYC of the new Trump administration, and other NYC news.

Ashley Parker, staff writer at The Atlantic, former Washington Post White House bureau chief, talks about the close relationship between the incoming Trump administration and tech billionaires."The Tech Oligarchy Arrives" (The Atlantic, 1/20/25)

Will this year be the year you see some experimental theater or finish that crafting project? Listeners share their arts and culture resolutions for 2025.

Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School at Columbia University and a staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the 2025 duPont-Columbia award winners, plus the inauguration and the Trump administration's expected treatment of journalists.

Russell Contreras, Justice and Race reporter at Axios, discusses President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order revoking decades of diversity and affirmative action practices in the federal government and how it might impact the private sector.

Ahead of the TikTok ban, many Americans moved over to an even more Chinese social media application called RedNote. Steffi Cao, internet culture reporter, explains why she sees this as an opportunity for diplomacy and shares her reporting on how average American and Chinese civilians are getting along.

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, reviews what Gov. Hochul proposed in her $252 billion budget for the state, which now gets negotiated with the legislature.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event. Topics this week include the City's response to early actions taken by the Trump administration, Adams' attendance at Trump's inauguration, Adam's surprise interview on Tucker Carlson, and more.

As our centennial series continues, Paul Bloom, professor emeritus of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and the author of several books, including Psych: The Story of the Human Mind (Ecco, 2023), reviews a century of developments in psychology, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.

Jason Marczak, vice president and senior director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, and Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst, vice president for Global Studies and Fellows at New America and host of the Audible/Fresh Produce Media podcast "In the Room with Peter Bergen," offer analysis of President Trump's statements in his inaugural address about taking back the Panama Canal.

Amidst another cold snap this season, listeners share their hacks and hard-won knowledge for keeping warm at work or play during periods of plunging temps and high winds.

Jon Favreau, host of Pod Save America, Offline with Jon Favreau, and co-founder of Crooked Media, and Jon Lovett, host of Pod Save America and co-founder of Crooked Media, round up the latest news from Washington, including how Democrats should, and are, responding the day after President Donald Trump's slew of first day executive orders.

John Wilkerson, a Washington correspondent for STAT who writes about the politics of health care, and Jael Holzman, senior reporter at Heatmap, discuss President Donald Trump's first day in office and his administration's actions regarding health and climate, including on wind farms and the World Health Organization.

Harold Solis, legal director at Make the Road New York, offers legal analysis of President Donald Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship for those born to undocumented parents and the lawsuit brought forth by his organization, the ACLU, and other Civil and Immigration Rights advocacy groups.

On Inauguration Day, Philip Bump, national columnist for The Washington Post and the author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America (Viking, 2023), talks about the final moves by President Biden, and what President-elect Trump may do in his first days in office.

For the centennial series "100 Years of 100 Things," Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister and public theologian at the Middle Collegiate Church, and author of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World (Harmony, 2021), and Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College, and the author of many books on the civil rights and Black Power movements and the contemporary politics of race, reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy, on the day that honors him. Their conversation was part of the WNYC event, "A Burning House" — MLK and the American Experiment at The Apollo Theater, on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.100 Years of 100 Things: Partisanship & Inaugural Addresses (First) | 100 Years of 100 Things: The Great Gatsby (Starts at 42:23) | Dry January Amid a New Cancer Risk Report (Starts at 1:22:50)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Zellnor Myrie (D-20th), New York state senator and Codes Committee chair, talks about his mayoral bid as well as the new legislative term in Albany.

Elise Hu, Los Angeles-based journalist and podcaster, former NPR correspondent, offers guidance for helping those affected by the fires in Los Angeles, including how to watch out for scams.

The Supreme Court has upheld a ban on the popular social media app TikTok, and it now could be banned for U.S. users starting on Sunday. Sylvia Varnham O'Regan, reporter covering social media companies for The Information, discusses the latest news, including how President-elect Donald Trump may react to the ban, and 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 legal analysis of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ban.

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, contributing writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022), talks about the latest national political news as President Biden prepares to leave Washington and President-elect Trump gets ready to move back in to the White House.

In light of the surgeon general's new report on the health risks of alcohol consumption, listeners call in to reflect on partaking in the abstinence from alcohol for the 'Dry January,' and if the report has had any impact on their choices and to share how it's going so far.

As he prepares to leave office, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the recent report highlighting the cancer risk of even moderate alcohol consumption, other public health issues, and his hopes for the next administration's public health policies.

The senate continued their hearings for president-elect Donald Trump's picks for major cabinet positions in his incoming administration. First, Timothy Gardner, climate and energy correspondent at Reuters, introduces Chris Wright, the fossil fuel executive tapped to fill the role of energy secretary. Then, Aysha Bagchi, Justice Department correspondent at USA Today, discusses how the hearing went for Pam Bondi, Trump's pick for attorney general.

Reuven Blau, senior reporter for The City, and Max Rivera, former intern at The City, discuss their reporting on the handful of doctors sanctioned for “glaring medical mistakes” and practicing in the New York State prison system.

Continuing our centennial series, Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, CNN political analyst, NPR contributor, and author of several books, including his latest, In Defense of Partisanship (Columbia Global Reports, 2025), walks us through some key presidential inauguration speeches from the last 100 years and talks about the effect of political parties on American political life and the opportunities to enact changes.=> Prof. Zelizer will speak with Margaret Hoover on January 22nd at New York Historical. (ticketed event)

Terrence T. McDonald, editor at New Jersey Monitor, recaps New Jersey governor Phil Murphy's State of the State address, where he discussed his priorities in his final year in office, including building more affordable housing by changing zoning laws, banning cell phones in schools and more.Correction: Gov. Murphy will give a final State of the State address in 2026, prior to leaving office later in January.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps Governor Hochul's "state of the state" address, where she focused on affordability and public safety.

Susan Glasser, a staff writer at The New Yorker, where she writes a column on life in Biden's Washington and co-anchors a weekly roundtable discussion on "The Political Scene" podcast, and co-author with Peter Baker of The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 (Doubleday, 2022), discusses the confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary.

Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law, future security fellow at New American and the author of several books, including Subtle Tools: The Dismantling of American Democracy from the War on Terror to Donald Trump (Princeton University Press, 2021), continues with analysis of the confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary.

Ron Wyden, U.S. senator (D OR) and the author of It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change (Grand Central, 2025), talks about his new book and how he'll work with the new Republican majority in the Senate.

As our centennial series continues, Maureen Corrigan, book critic for Fresh Air, Georgetown professor and the author of So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures (Hachette, 2014) looks at the 1925 publication of the novel, The Great Gatsby, and why it continues to resonate with readers one hundred years later.

Ahead of the Republican primary, Jon Bramnick, NJ state senator (R Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties) and attorney, talks about his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor of New Jersey and current state politics.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.MTA Chair Janno Lieber on the First Week of Congestion Pricing (First) | Views From the Left & Right on the Transition (Starts at 43:49) | 100 Years of 100 Things: Modernism (Starts at 1:30:25)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

John "Janno" Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the first week of congestion pricing and other transit news.

Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of the "Work in Progress" newsletter and host of the podcast Plain English, and the author, with Ezra Klein, of Abundance (Simon & Schuster, forthcoming 2025), talks about his latest reporting on how many Americans are spending more alone time than ever before, and how it impacts their personalities — and politics. Plus, listeners call in to share how the pandemic has changed their social lives.

Harry Siegel, FAQ NYC creator and co-host, Daily News columnist, editor at The City, and Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQNYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams (Cambridge University Press, 2024), talk about Thursday's State of the City address by Mayor Eric Adams.

As funeral proceedings continue over the course of six days, listeners call in with their eulogies for the late former president Jimmy Carter.

As wildfires continues to scorch the seaside area between Malibu and Santa Monica,and other parts of Los Angeles County, Augustin Guibaud, PhD, fire expert in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, explains how these wildfires spread, the conditions that make them so dangerous and how to prevent these kind of devastating fires in the future, while listeners call to share stories from LA, including RadioLab's Latif Nasser.

Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Topics this month included congestion pricing, affordability, year-eight priorities and more.

Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News and author of several books including The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution (Henry Holt and Co., 2023), and Emily Jashinsky, DC correspondent for UnHerd, co-hosts of the YouTube podcast "Counter Points," talk about the presidential transition and the national political news of the day.

As our centennial series continues, Victoria Rosner, dean of the Gallatin School at NYU and the author of Machines for Living: Modernism and Domestic Life (Oxford University Press, 2020), talks about the post-World War I development of modernism (and post-modernism) across the arts and beyond.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event. This week's topics include how he's fighting the perception of crime in subways, whether city workers will receive exemptions from congestion pricing, the possibility of new criminal charges against the mayor, and more.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that its social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram and Threads—will stop using third-party fact-checkers and rely solely on its users to flag misinformation. Mike Isaac, New York Times reporter covering tech companies and Silicon Valley, explains why the company is repositioning its policy and how that may favor President-elect Donald Trump's second administration. Plus, Yael Eisenstat, senior fellow at Cybersecurity for Democracy and former global head of Elections Integrity Ops for political advertising at Facebook, discusses her time at Facebook in 2018 as the head of global elections integrity for political ads and what this new move could mean for the company’s ability to meet its responsibility to secure elections.

U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (D NJ 6th), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, kicks off the new weekly series with a discussion of the work of the committee and what to expect under the new administration.

It's been one week since people's New Year's resolutions began. Listeners call in to share how it's going so far, whether they've fallen off and how they can encourage others to keep going.