The Brian Lehrer Show

As our centennial series continues, Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and former press secretary for Governor McGreevey, looks back at a century of the Star-Ledger, once the Newark Star-Ledger, which ends its print edition in February.

Listeners call in to share any news they learned at holiday parties over the weekend...and which topics in the news were the most discussed.

After a contentious City Council hearing on a proposal to license all e-bikes and scooters, Gale Brewer, NYC Council Member (District 6, Central Park, Lincoln Square, Upper West Side, Clinton), talks about the issue and an alternative plan that would focus on commercial e-bikes.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.The Latest From Damascus (First) | Analysis of the Daniel Penny Verdict (Starts at 27:30) | Shop Listener 2024: The Suburbs (Starts at 48:00) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Radiolab and the International Astronomical Union recently announced the seven finalist names for their Quasi-Moon Naming Contest. Latif Nasser, co-host of Radiolab from WNYC, and Kelly Blumenthal, member of the International Astronomical Union, explain the phenomenon of quasi-moons, and walk us through the possible names rooted in mythology from cultures around the globe.

As our centennial series continues, Valerie Paley, former chief historian at New York Historical, now senior vice president and director of its library, as well as the founding director of its Center for Women’s History, talks about several of NYC's Christmas traditions that date back to the early and mid-20th century, like the Macy's parade and the Rockefeller tree, as listeners share their families' favorites.

President Biden has issued pardons and commuted the sentences of hundreds of people -- on the heels of his controversial pardon of his son, Hunter. Meryl Kornfield, politics reporter for The Washington Post, reports on the latest pardons, plus the pressure on the president to issue preemptive pardons ahead of Trump taking office, and President-elect Trump's pledge to pardon people convicted of crimes related to the insurrection on January 6, 2021.

With the end of the year approaching, there are still hundreds of bills in Albany awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature, including one crucial piece of climate legislation. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses the legislative landscape as deadlines draw near.

Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and editor, and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, including legislation that would prohibit book bans and more.

Shop Listener is back for the 2024 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out their restaurants, wine shops, and other businesses selling food and drinks.

Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter for Bloomberg News, breaks down the latest news surrounding a failed merger of two major supermarket chains, and what the future of antitrust enforcement might look like as president-elect Donald Trump considers his pick to replace Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan.

Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, commissioner of the NYC Department for the Aging, and Chris Durrance, documentary filmmaker, director of "Caregiving", talk about the need for more support for caregiving for older Americans and the recent BOOM Conference that sought to address the issues ageism and the need for more support.

Jurors found Daniel Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. Samantha Max, reporter covering public safety for WNYC/Gothamist, who was in the courtroom covering the trial. And Tiffany Cabán, NYC Council Member (District 22, Astoria, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Woodside and Rikers Island), shares legislation she's working on related to mental health care.

The USDA recently announced plans to test milk for bird flu. Amy Maxmen, PhD, public health correspondent and editor at KFF Health News, explains why this is necessary, and what officials know about the spread of the virus and what the U.S. is doing to prevent another pandemic scenario.

As our centennial series continues, and as the shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO led to an outpouring of frustration from consumers, Elisabeth Rosenthal, senior contributing editor at KFF Health News, former ER physician and author of An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back (Penguin Press, 2017), breaks down the perception and reality of health care and health insurance in the United States over the last century.

Earlier this month, the top United Nations court opened two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change. Nikki Reisch, director of the climate and energy program at the Center for International Environmental Law, explains the hearings so far and what relief they may provide for vulnerable nations.

Listeners call in to share tips on how to survive - and maybe even have fun at - their work holiday parties.

Mohammed Aly Sergie, editor of Semafor Gulf, talks about the latest developments in Syria.

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, including the not guilty verdict in the Daniel Penny subway chokehold case.

John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the latest national economic news, including the jobs numbers, healthcare frustrations and President-elect Trump's pick for Treasury secretary.

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, talks about the latest NYC news, including the deadlocked jury* in the Daniel Penny trial, Mayor Adams's refusal to rule out switching to the Republican party and more. [*Note, this took place before the jury returned a verdict in the Penny trial.]

As our centennial series continues, John Fricke, historian focused on The Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland and the author of The Wonderful World of Oz: An Illustrated History of the American Classic (Down East Books, 2014), talks about the enduring impact of the story of The Wizard of Oz.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.100 Years of 100 Things: Fascism (First) | The 'City of Yes' Plan Passes City Council (Starts at 39:00 ) | 2024's Best Sports Writing (Starts at 1:23:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Shop Listener is back for the 2024 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out their brick-and-mortar businesses located on Long Island, and in New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester (and suburbs farther north) ahead of the holidays for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.

Felipe Rodriguez, adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and former NYPD detective sergeant, offers analysis of the ongoing police investigation into the brazen shooting of a health care executive on a Midtown Manhattan street.

The housing plan known as "City of Yes" has passed the City Council. NYC Councilnember Pierina Ana Sanchez (District 14: Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham, Kingsbridge) and Dan Garodnick, director of the New York City Department of City Planning, talk about the details of the plan and whether it will be enough to solve the city's housing crunch.

Ilya Marritz, reporter at The Boston Globe, and Hilary Burns, higher education reporter at The Boston Globe, talk about the series "The Harvard Plan", from On the Media and The Boston Globe, which looks at how universities have become embroiled in the culture wars in a new way.

On Wednesday, Supreme Court Justices heard arguments in a case about gender-affirming care for minors. Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, a contributor with ABC News and a contributing opinion Writer with the New York Times, explains why the court is considering a challenge to a Tennessee law that bars the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Jane McManus, sports writer, an adjunct professor at New York University at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport and the editor of The Year's Best Sports Writing 2024 (Triumph, 2024) and author of the forthcoming The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women's Sports (Temple University Press, 2025), looks back on some of the best writing about sports and athletes this year.

Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post reporter on the International desk covering foreign affairs, and Anthony Kuhn, NPR international correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, discuss the short-lived martial law order from South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, and the political crisis unfolding in the National Assembly and streets of Seoul.

There will likely be changes to the immigration system under Donald Trump, who has pledged to initiate a mass deportation campaign. Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), speaks to the concerns of immigrants.

As our centennial series continues, David Brooks, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, New York Times columnist, and the author of the book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Random House, 2023), reviews the history of "meritocracy" in the U.S. and argues that it needs reform.

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 including whether law abiding, undocumented migrants should worry about Trump's proposed mass deportations and more.

Dan Goldman, US Representative (D, NY-10), formerly lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of Pres. Trump in 2019 and former assistant US attorney SDNY, responds to the president-elect's nominations for cabinet posts and the FBI and talks about his expectations for the next House term.

Ellen Blain, former chief of Civil Rights for the Southern District of New York, talks about the impact the next Trump administration could have on civil rights law.

Shop Listener is back for the 2024 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out their online shops ahead of the holidays, for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.

David Rohde, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, national security editor at NBC News, and the author of Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, the FBI, and the War on Democracy (W.W. Norton; Aug 27, 2024), talks about the role of the FBI and the what the nomination of Kash Patel as its director indicates about criminal prosecutions during the Trump administration.

Brooke Rollins, a climate skeptic with ties to a powerful pro-fossil fuels group, has been picked to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Georgina Gustin, reporter who covers agriculture and food systems for Inside Climate News, discusses Rollins's appointment and the consequences as the challenge of climate change makes farming more difficult.

Domenico Montanaro, NPR's senior political editor/correspondent, talks about the latest national political news from over the holiday weekend and looks back at the election results, now that the final demographic breakdowns are in.

As our centennial series continues, Timothy Snyder, history professor at Yale University and the author of On Tyranny and his latest, On Freedom (Crown, 2024), reviews the history of fascism from the early 1920s until today.

Jenny Fox, children's book editor and author and the co-founder of Librarians = Literacy, calls for the New York City Department of Education to provide more schools with librarians and supports a new City Council bill to track the data.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.100 Years of 100 Things: Shirley Chisholm (First) | Daniel Penny's Subway Chokehold Trial Nears the End (Starts at 41:34) | Shop Listener 2024: Brick and Mortar Stores (Starts at 1:01:55)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

On this day after Thanksgiving, enjoy some of our favorite recent conversations:Ilan Stavans, cultural critic, Latino scholar, and publisher of Restless Book, discusses his cartoon history of Latino life, culture, and politics, Latino USA: A Cartoon History (Basic Books, 2024), now out in paperback and updated for its 25th anniversary.Ian Frazier, frequent contributor to The New Yorker and the author of several books, including Great Plains, Travels in Siberia and his latest, Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York's Greatest Borough (FSG, 2024), turns his attention closer to home and shares his exploration of NYC's only mainland borough, the Bronx.Kwame Alexander, poet and Emmy-winning producer, author of Why Fathers Cry at Night and editor of This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets (Little, Brown and Company, 2024), talks about the inspiration for, and from, the works collected in his new book.Mo Rocca, host of the podcast Mobituaries, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and author of Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs (Simon & Schuster, 2024), profiles people whose big achievements cameat the age many of their peers were stepping back. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here:A Cartoon History of Latino Life, Culture and Politics (Sep 20, 2024)Ian Frazier's Love Letter to the Bronx (Aug 22, 2024)Sharing the Poems (Feb 7, 2024)Mo Rocca's (Really) Late Bloomers (Jun 11, 2024)

On this Thanksgiving, enjoy some of our favorite recent conversations:As our centennial series continues, Irene Kearns, digital program manager for Native Knowledge 360° at the National Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian Institution, talks about how indigenous people's history and stories have been taught and how that's changed.10 years after his comedy album "Mandatory Fun" became the first comedy album in history to hit number 1 on the Billboard charts, "Weird Al" Yankovic, musician, comedian, and actor, looks back on his career parodying hit pop songs, previews his latest single "Polkamania!", and takes calls from his multi-generational fanbase.Stacey D’Erasmo, novelist, literary critic and the author of The Long Run: A Creative Inquiry (Graywolf, 2024), talks about her new book and what she discovered about how artists keep their creativity going throughout their lives.The New York Times Cooking app marks its 10th anniversary earlier this year. Emily Weinstein, editor in chief of New York Times Cooking and Food and author of the popular NYT Cooking newsletter "Five Weeknight Dishes", joins to celebrate the decade with a list of the most iconic recipes, and listeners call in to share their NYT Cooking favorites.Kenneth C. Davis, author of the "Don't Know Much About History" series and most recently, The World in Books: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction (Scribner, 2024), makes the case for reading vs. screens with curated selections from key works of nonfiction.Lynne Peeples, science writer and the author of The Inner Clock: Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms (Riverhead Books, 2024), reviews the latest science on our internal "clocks" and how to use them to improve sleep and learning.These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here:100 Years of 100 Things: Teaching Indigenous People's Stories (Oct 14, 2024)"Weird Al" Yankovic Celebrates 10 Years of "Mandatory Fun" (Jul 19, 2024)Staying Creative Over a Lifetime (Jul 9, 2024)NYT Cooking’s Most Iconic Recipes (Sept 19, 2024)Connecting with Circadian Rhythms (Sept 24, 2024)

Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post national security reporter, breaks down what is known about Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, including his military background and scrutiny surrounding Hegseth's personal life.

As our centennial series continues, Kenneth C. Davis, author of the "Don't Know Much About History" series and most recently, The World in Books: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction (Scribner, 2024), reviews the history of the American Thanksgiving holiday and how it has changed over the past 100 years.

Jordan Neely died after a former marine named Daniel Penny put him in a chokehold on an F train in May 2023 - some of which was captured on a viral video taken by a bystander. Samantha Max, reporter covering public safety for WNYC/Gothamist, talks about the arguments the prosecution and defense made in the trial, and what comes next.

Peter Beinart, journalist, commentator, author of the Substack newsletter 'The Beinart Report', professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and the author of the forthcoming book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning (Knopf, 2025), talks about the implications of arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court, plus the latest on ceasefire negotiations.

Bill de Blasio, former mayor of New York City, talks about how New York's sanctuary city status was strengthened under his administration, and what he believes the city should do to prepare for President-elect Trump's threat for mass deportations. Then, U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY11, covering Staten Island and parts of South Brooklyn), talks about her calls for more cooperation with ICE by NYC officials.

Shop Listener is back for the 2024 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out their brick-and-mortar businesses ahead of the holidays for a Brian Lehrer Show listener-sourced gift guide.