The Brian Lehrer Show

Ari Berman, voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones and author of Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024), talks about how Trump-aligned Republicans in certain states are working to sow confusion over vote counting, and other related chicanery that could affect the outcome of the November election.

Valerie Volcovici, reporter at Reuters covering U.S. climate and energy policy from Washington, DC., talks about the climate priorities at the UN General Assembly and during Climate Week NYC, which is also happening this week.

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.

NYPD officers shot at a man wielding a knife at a subway station in Brooklyn, leaving four people injured. Critics and observers are wondering how an attempt to enforce a relatively minor fare-evasion offence spiraled out of control. Tiffany Cabán, NYC Council Member (District 22, Astoria, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Woodside and Rikers Island) discusses this incident as well as her call for Mayor Eric Adams to resign amid a web of scandals and investigations.

J. Ann Selzer, unaligned public opinion researcher and president of the Des Moines, Iowa-based polling firm Selzer & Company, talks about the latest polling in Iowa that shows the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump narrowing, and talks about the issues that make the race competitive in the state of Iowa. And Alexandra Samuels, senior editor at Texas Monthly, does the same regarding Texas.

Sahalie Donaldson, City Hall reporter at City & State New York, talks about the ballot questions that will appear on New York City voters' ballots in November, and why a progressive group has formed to encourage people to vote "no" on certain measures.

For the centennial series "100 Years of 100 Things," Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of history of education at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of several books, including Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools (University of Chicago Press, September 2022), traces the history of the so-called "culture wars" in public education, from the Scopes trial, to religion in schools, sex ed and the controversies of today over critical race theory, masks during COVID and more.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Robert Moses's mark on the New York City of the past century (First) | Marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson's optimism in the fight against climate change (Starts at 38:25) | The New York Times Cooking's most iconic recipes (Starts at 1:06:23)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Like it or not, Autumn starts this Sunday. Listeners call in to share what Fall experiences they are looking forward to, and what to sign up for now before it sells out.

Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Representative (D, NJ-11), talks about the latest national political news of the day, including the budget fight in Congress, legislation she's proposed on emergency abortion care, the SALT tax and more.

Mitchell Moss, professor of urban policy and planning at New York University's Wagner School, and Rachel Weinberger, Peter W. Herman chair for transportation at Regional Plan Association, talk about the ideas and proposals on how to undo the most harmful parts of Robert Moses' legacy, especially the expressways that have divided and polluted neighborhoods.

Ilan Stavans, cultural critic, Latino scholar, and publisher of Restless Books, 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.

The New York Times Cooking app marks its 10th anniversary this month. Emily Weinstein, editor in chief of New York Times cooking and food and author of the popular NYT Cooking newsletter "Five Weeknight Dishes," celebrates the decade with a list of the most iconic recipes, and listeners call in to share their NYT Cooking favorites.

Maya Wiley, former MSNBC legal analyst, professor, civil rights lawyer, 2021 New York City mayoral candidate and author of Remember, You Are a Wiley (Grand Central Publishing Hardcover; September 17, 2024), talks about her new memoir and how her family has influenced her life and work.

David Sirota, founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, host of the podcast "Master Plan", co-creator of the movie "Don't Look Up", and former presidential campaign speechwriter for Bernie Sanders, discusses his new podcast, "Master Plan", which traces the roots of Project 2025 to political corruption of the Supreme Court among other crucial sectors of government.

Donald Trump has basically no chance of winning in New York, but he's campaigning in the state. Emily Ngo, co-authors the New York Playbook for Politico and covers New York politics and government at the local, state and federal levels, talks about the Long Island rally, the competitive House races on the island and how it all ties in to the former president's political strategy.

As our centennial series continues, 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 past 100 years of the influence of Robert Moses on the New York area, which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Robert Caro's exhaustive biography of Moses, The Power Broker.

Nick Timiraos, chief economics correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, previews the Fed's imminent decision on the interest rate cut, and how it will affect people's finances.

Every week, Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference in which reporters are free to ask questions on any subject. WNYC and Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim recaps this week's news conference with clips and analysis. Topics include the mayor's response to the NYPD opening fire at a Brownsville subway station.

Emma Fitzsimmons, City Hall bureau chief for The New York Times, offers an explainer of who in Mayor Adams's inner circle is being investigated, what she knows about the investigations and also how they might affect the mayor's agenda.

In our Climate Story of the Week, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, marine biologist, writer, co-founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, and author of What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures (One World, 2024), shares why she is optimistic about our ability to confront climate change.

A contributor to The Atlantic has observed mayhem at the drop-off and pick-up lines, as more parents choose to drive their kids to school. In this call-in segment, listeners share their reports from school drop-off and pick-up.→ How School Drop-Off Became a Nightmare | The Atlantic

Kamala Harris revealed in the recent presidential debate that she and her running mate are both gun owners, and there was another potential assassination attempt on Donald Trump this past weekend. Jennifer Mascia, senior news writer and a founding staffer at The Trace, reports on how each campaign is handling gun policy.

Rusty Jacobs, politics reporter at WUNC, breaks down the latest in the presidential campaign as seen through swing state voters in North Carolina.

As our centennial series continues, Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the author of America Last: The Right's Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators (Liveright, 2024), looks at the past century of US dealings with authoritarian governments abroad.

Jim O'Grady, freelance podcast reporter, producer and editor, tells us why he looks to a Catholic saint in life's difficult moments, and listeners call in to talk about their favorite saints or spiritual guides.→ "You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Live Like a Saint" | New York Times Magazine

The plan to facilitate housing development in New York City has come to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace, and a dispute over a proposed pair of 13-story towers has ensured. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on the debate and its implications for Eric Adams's City of Yes housing plan.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Checking in With Haitian Americans (First) | Chancellor Banks on the New School Year (Starts at 43:00) | September Summer Plans (Starts at 1:24:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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 the Philadelphia 76ers coming to Camden, grouping together school districts to bring down property taxes and much more.

Although we often consider Labor Day to be the end of summer, a recent piece in The New York Times reminds us that September is a summer month (and some argue, the month with the best weather). Given the lovely forecast projected for the next few days, listeners call in with summer plans for this September weekend.

Ben Lefebvre, Politico energy reporter, and Alan Rappeport, economic policy reporter for The New York Times, follow up on an exchange between the candidates in Tuesday's debate on the issues of climate and energy and manufacturing jobs.

Recent remarks made by former President Donald Trump, U.S. Senators J.D. Vance and Ted Cruz falsely accuse Haitian immigrants of eating pets, sparking outrage across the Haitian community. Garry Pierre-Pierre, founder and publisher of The Haitian Times, and Michaelle Solages, New York State Assembly member (D - District 22, Valley Stream, North Valley Stream, Elmont, South Valley Stream, South Floral Park, Floral Park, the Village of Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, North Woodmere, Stewart Manor, and sections of Franklin Square), discuss the Haitian-American community's reaction and much more.

Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World (Hachette Go, 2020), explains why the current "loneliness epidemic" isn't because of a lack of friends, but a lack of time.

After Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France last month, new attention has been placed on the criminal activity taking place on the application. Angus Berwick, reporter with The Wall Street Journal in London, covering cryptocurrencies, financial crime, and markets, delves into his reporting on how Telegram allows for "pedophile rings, identity thieves and drug traffickers" to sell their illicit goods. And Meera Choi, sociology Ph.D. candidate at Yale University researching gender politics and heterosexual refusal in South Korea, offers a closer look at how Telegram users in South Korea have wreaked havoc on the country through the mass dissemination of deepfake videos portraying everyday women.

Amanda Becker, Washington correspondent for The 19th and the author of You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America (Bloomsbury, 2024), talks about how abortion rights figured into this week's presidential debate.

As the new school year gets underway, NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks talks about new initiatives and the latest on cellphone bans.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), breaks down the highlights of last night's presidential debate between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. Then, listeners weigh in with their reactions to the debate.

As our centennial series continues, and on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Richard English, professor of politics at Queen's University Belfast where he directs the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute, the editor of the Cambridge History of Terrorism (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and the author of Does Terrorism Work?: A History (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Does Counter-Terrorism Work? (OUP, 2024), reviews 100 years of the use of terrorism to achieve political aims.

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 investigations into NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and others in the Adams administration.

On today's show:WNYC celebrates its 100th birthday with a live show at Central Park SummerStage, hosted by Brian Lehrer and featuring WNYC hosts Alison Stewart, Brooke Gladstone, Micah Loewinger, Sean Carlson and John Schaefer, plus Ira Glass, trivia, live musical performances and more. This version was edited for time.For audio of the full show (including Nada Surf!), check here: https://www.wnyc.org/100/For video, check here: https://thegreenespace.org/watch/wnyc-and-friends-centennial-celebration-2/

As our centennial series continues, John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds, takes us through WNYC's musical legacy.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on the arrest of a former aide to Gov. Hochul, plus updates the investigations of members of Mayor Adams' administration.

As we look to Tuesday night's highly anticipated presidential debate between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, Molly Ball, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and host of the new podcast "Red, White and Who?", shares how the candidates are preparing for the event, what issues may be on the forefront of the conversation, and her analysis on the state of the race leading up to the debate.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.The details and politics of an abortion-related ballot measure in Florida (First) | A record-breaking U.S. Open (Starts at 27:05) | A deep dive on the 100-year history of unions for Labor Day (Starts at 39:16)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Lora Kelley, associate editor at The Atlantic and an author of The Atlantic Daily newsletter, looks at how e-commerce hasn't stopped stores from opening, but they're smaller and serve a different purpose.

Robert Tucker, commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), talks about his new role and the challenges facing the department, and Daniel Flynn, chief fire marshal of the FDNY Bureau of Fire Investigation (BFI), discusses the department's efforts to prevent lithium-ion battery fires.correction: There have been 31 deaths from lithium-ion battery fires since 2021, not since last year.

For only the sixth time, both the Mets and the Yankees teams could make the playoffs. Brendan Kuty, MLB staff writer for The Athletic, assesses the chances of October baseball in NYC and the state of the game.

A school shooting in Georgia this week has thrust gun violence back into the spotlight, as both presidential contenders (and their VPs) clarify their positions. Chip Brownlee, a reporter at The Trace, a non-profit news site covering gun violence, breaks down what we know about the shooting, gun violence in schools and what each candidate has proposed to address the issue.

A recent op-ed in Slate written by a psychiatrist notes how the author, and her patients, are recently starting to identify as introverted. Listeners who found their personalities have shifted from extrovert to introvert call in to share what inspired the change, what difficulties it may sometimes cause and how they're dealing with it.

A ballot measure to protect and expand abortion rights will be on the ballot in Florida this year. Grace Panetta, political reporter at The 19th, and Kimberly Leonard, Politico politics reporter and author of Florida Playbook, explain the measure and why former President Donald Trump, who is registered to vote in Florida, has publicly said he'd vote against it.