The Brian Lehrer Show

Over Labor Day weekend, thousands of hotel workers went on strike nationwide. Chris Isidore, senior writer for CNN Business, explains the conditions that led to the strike, which impacted nine cities, the broader issues and why it's the second year in a row that hotel workers walked off of the job. Plus, he looks ahead to potential strikes at ports, United, and Boeing and the latest on the sale of US Steel to a Japanese company.

Jessica Gould, WNYC/Gothamist reporter, talks about the issues facing the education department, like whether to ban cellphone use in classes and Pre-K, as the school year gets started.

Night-session attendance totals broke U.S. Open records this year. Matthew Futterman, senior writer for The Athletic, the sports unit of The New York Times, explains why the draw is so big all of a sudden and listeners call in to share why they attend the tournament.

As our centennial series continues, Brad DeLong, economic historian, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury under Clinton, and the author of Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Long 20th Century, 1870-2010 (Basic Books, 2022), reviews the past century of work and the technology and other trends that affected employment.

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: violence at the West Indian Day Parade, 3-K and more.

Domenico Montanaro, NPR's senior political editor/correspondent, talks about the latest on the presidential race, including the campaigns' efforts around voting and certifying vote counts.

Steve Ulrich, managing editor at PoliticsPA, talks about the presidential race from the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.

"Mini-retirements," or adult gap years, are a rising trend among burnt-out worker bees. Charlotte Cowles, financial-advice columnist at New York Magazine's The Cut, reports on the trend among younger workers, as listeners call in to share personal stories and wisdom about taking extended time off from work.

Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2024), talks about his new book, plus the latest on the Trump federal indictments.

Roxanne L. Scott, independent journalist working on a series with the NY Amsterdam News about climate change in Southeast Queens, discusses her reporting on how climate change has brought heavy rains and high tides to predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in Southeast Queens, including the property damages residents are experiencing, and efforts the city has made to combat these inequities.

For this Labor Day:Continuing our centennial series, Joseph McCartin, professor of history and executive director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University and the author of several books and co-author with Melvyn Dubofsky of Labor in America: A History (Wiley-Blackwell, 9th edition, 2017), traces the last hundred years of unionization and de-unionization in the U.S.Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian, author of many books, including Team of Rivals and her latest, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (Simon & Schuster, 2024), writes about the life and times she shared with her late husband, Dick Goodwin, a speechwriter and advisor to JFK, RFK, and LBJ.Building on examples from Atlantic columnist Arthur C. Brooks, listeners share what helped them move past fear of failing. These interviews were polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here:Doris Kearns Goodwin's Personal Take on History (Apr 15, 2024)Your Stories of Getting Past Perfectionism (Mar 14, 2024)

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.VP Harris's Policy on Israel and Gaza (First) | The Weaponization of Period Product Accessibility (Starts at 38:56) | 100 Years of 100 Things: The West Indian Diaspora in New York City (Starts at 1:09:36)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

For this "Summer Friday" we've put together some of our favorite conversations this year:Eddie Glaude, Jr., Princeton professor and the author of We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For (Harvard University Press, 2024), argues against waiting for "heroes" to do the work of seeking justice and safeguarding democracy.Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, talks about research into and strategies to reduce political polarization in the United States, especially in this fraught election year.Egg freezing as a method to extend fertility for women became more accessible (though still quite expensive) and popular in the past decade or so. Anna North, senior correspondent for Vox, where she covers American family life, work, and education, reports on whether the industry oversold women, as data now show having a baby through the process is no guarantee.Tracie McMillan, journalist, former managing editor of City Limits and the author of The White Bonus: Five Families and the Cash Value of Racism in America (McMillan, 2024), traces the financial impact of historical benefits not afforded Black Americans on her own family and that of four others.Rhaina Cohen, producer and editor of NPR's Embedded and the author of The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center (Macmillan, 2024), shares stories of people who have made life partners of friends, upending current expectations that spouses would be our closest relationships. These interviews were polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here:Don't Wait for the Heroes (May 17, 2024)Is There Any Way to Reduce Political Polarization in the US? (Jul 25, 2024)The Complicated Reality of Egg Freezing (May 6, 2024)White Privilege in Dollars & Cents (Jun 7, 2024)In Praise of Deep Friendship (Feb 13, 2024)

New York City is experiencing a surge in evictions and car bootings. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, breaks down what's behind the uptick and his recent reporting on how city marshals, who are private contractors appointed by the Mayor, are profiting off of the surge.

Sadiba Hasan, the weddings reporter for The New York Times, talks about attempts by some couples to charge their guests to attend their weddings to help defray the costs, as listeners share their stories.

Amanda Jones, veteran Louisiana educator and librarian, past president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians and the author of That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Bloomsbury, 2024), talks about pushing back against book bans in her small Louisiana town and the ongoing issue facing librarians across the country.

Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and the author of the "Today's World View" newsletter and column, breaks down the latest news in Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia.

When school's out, parents often scramble to find affordable options for childcare. Elliot Haspel, contributor to The Atlantic and the author of Crawling Behind: America's Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It (Black Rose Writing, 2019), talks about how we got here and what it would take to fix the situation.

New York Times metro reporter Dana Rubinstein talks about Mayor Adams' weekly press conference, as well as the long, contentious City Council hearing on the nomination of Randy Mastro as corporation counsel.

After both red and blue states passed legislation to make period products easily accessible in school bathrooms, Chabeli Carrazana, economy and child care reporter for The 19th, explains how anti-transgender rhetoric has made students who menstruate, regardless of their gender, more likely to face 'period poverty'.

As our centennial series continues,Tyesha Maddox, associate professor of African and African American Studies at Fordham University and the author of A Home Away from Home: Mutual Aid, Political Activism, and Caribbean American Identity (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024), talks about the history of Caribbean immigrants in New York, while listeners share their stories.

Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News, co-host of the "Counterpoints" podcast, and author of many books, including The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution (Henry Holt and Co., 2023), discusses Vice President Kamala Harris's foreign policy objectives based on her speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention held in Chicago last week, what she's expressed on the campaign trail and her work as vice president in the Biden administration.

Listeners share their experiences of meeting their favorite artists, performers, athletes, or other famous folks, in light of the debate surrounding boundaries between fans and celebrities.

Eliza Fawcett, NYC reporter for Healthbeat, a new public health news site, talks about the new COVID vaccine, West Nile cases in NYC, and the concern over an outbreak overseas of mpox.

Maxine Joselow, Washington Post reporter focusing on climate change and the environment, talks about why Democrats did not make significant mention of climate at the DNC and in recent stump speeches.

Due to the popularity of e-commerce, New York City supers are having a rough time dealing with cardboard boxes from their tenants' purchases in their apartment buildings. Liam Quigley, reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC, discusses his reporting on sanitation woes from NYC's supers and explains how to properly sort your trash if you live in one of the city's buildings.

As our centennial series continues, Ashley Stimpson, Maryland-based freelance journalist who writes about science and conservation, takes us through the past 100 years of kids going to the woods for summer camp.

Stanford Medicine researchers recently found that we undergo two periods of rapid molecular aging during our life span, averaging around age 44 and age 60. Listeners call in to share how their bodies changed during these time periods.

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 latest national political news.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.100 Years of 100 Things: Democratic Convention Speeches (First) | The Harris Economic Agenda (Starts at 40:0 0) | The Crackdown on Illegal Cannabis Shops (Starts at 1:08:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate in economics, New York Times columnist, distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and the author of (now in paperback) Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), offers analysis of the Harris economic proposals.

Kamala Harris and Democrats spent the week at the DNC explicitly celebrating their patriotism. Listeners who identify as Democrats or progressive call in to describe their version of patriotism—and how it contrasts with Republicans.

The city released test scores for public school students, and English scores dropped slightly, while math scores rose. Alex Zimmerman, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, shares the numbers and talks about possible reasons for the changes.

Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQNYC and the author of Black Ethnics (Oxford University Press, 2013), offers political analysis of Kamala Harris's speech to wrap up the Democratic National Convention.

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 New York City's only mainland borough, the Bronx.

The city plans to build a skate park in Mount Prospect Park, which is across the street from its larger neighbor, Prospect Park, and adjacent to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and some residents are unhappy about the proposal. Hayley Gorenberg, founder of Friends of Mount Prospect Park, explains why her group is opposed to the skate park. Then, New York City Councilmember Crystal Hudson (District 35: Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant) shares why she is supportive of the city's plan to build a skate park in Mount Prospect Park.

Jim Newell, senior politics writer for Slate, reviews the third night of the DNC, where speakers included Bill Clinton, Oprah and VP nominee Tim Walz, among other notable people.

Rachel Green, political organizer, New Jersey delegate for Kamala Harris, talks about her experience at the Democratic National Convention as a delegate from New Jersey and talks about the state of the race.

Juan Manuel Benitez, former longtime reporter and host at Spectrum News NY1, now professor at the Columbia Journalism School, recaps the second night of the Democratic National Convention, plus talks about how the Harris campaign is reaching out to Latino voters. Plus: John Avlon, veteran journalist now the Democratic candidate for congress in New York's 1st district on Long Island, joins Brian briefly to talk about his race against one-term Republican incumbent Nick LaLota.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Michelle Bocanegra, WNYC and Gothamist political reporter focused on campaigns and the New York City Council, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including the new Bronx Metro North rezoning that will allow roughly 7,000 new housing units around two of the new Metro North stations, his plans to go to the DNC and more.

As our centennial series continues, David Greenberg, professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and the author of Republic of Spin (WW Norton, 2016) and the forthcoming, John Lewis: A Life (Simon & Schuster, 2024), reviews highlights from the past century of notable DNC speeches.

James Traub, veteran journalist and the author of True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America (Basic Books, 2024), talks about the legacy of Hubert Humphrey and the 1968 Democratic convention and election year versus this year's.

Kamala Harris once called for a ban on fracking, but on the campaign trail this time around her tone has shifted. Ben Geman, energy reporter at Axios, talks about the Democratic presidential nominee's positions on fracking and the politics of it all.

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, recaps the first night of the Democratic National Convention, including several speeches by New Yorkers, including Gov. Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hillary Clinton, and President Biden's headlining speech. Plus, Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for congress in New Jersey's 7th district, joins Brian briefly to talk about her race against one-term Republican incumbent Tom Kean, Jr.

As our centennial series continues, Michael Kazin, professor of history at Georgetown University, editor emeritus of Dissent and the author of several books, including What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party (FSG, 2022), reviews the past century of Democratic conventions and presidential candidates.

Katy Tur, anchor of MSNBC's Katy Tur Reports and the author of books including Rough Draft (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2023), and Luke Russert, host and creative director of MSNBC Live and author of the memoir Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself (Harper Horizon, 2023), talk about the latest national political news, as the Democratic National Convention is about to kick off in Chicago, plus discuss MSNBC's new live in-person events.

A city initiative known as “Operation Padlock to Protect” has shut down more than 900 illegal cannabis shops across the city since it launched in May. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC/Gothamist discusses the crackdown, where to buy legal weed, and takes cannabis questions from callers.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Walz's Climate Record (First) | Ask Governor Murphy: August Recap (Starts at 41:24) | 100 Years of 100 Things: The Jersey Shore (Starts at 01:10:45)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

For this "Summer Friday" we've put together some of our favorite conversations this year:Ali Velshi, MSNBC host and chief correspondent and the author of Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy (Macmillan, 2024), shares the story of his grandfather's work with Gandhi and Mandela and how their influence continues in his generation.Jack Turban, M.D., director of the Gender Psychiatry Program and assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and the author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Atria, 2024), talks about the science, the medicine and the politics surrounding gender identity in children and teens.DW Gibson, journalist and the author of One Week to Change the World: An Oral History of the 1999 WTO Protests (Simon & Schuster, 2024), tells the story of the protests against globalization and their impact on subsequent activism, including today's climate protests.Every year, 50 teenage girls representing each state in America descend on Alabama to compete for large scholarship checks in the Distinguished Young Women program. Shima Oliaee, host and creator of "The Competition," creator of Pink Card, co-creator of Dolly Parton's America and founder of Shirazad Productions, discusses her new podcast, "The Competition", which follows these young women on their two-week journey and offers a peak into what it's like to be a teenage girl in America today. These interviews were polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here:A Family Heritage of Social Justice (May 17, 2024)Kids & Gender Identity (Jun 12, 2024)Kids & Gender Identity, Part Two (Jun 24, 2024)The Protests that Set the Stage (Jun 21, 2024)What "The Competition" Says About Teenage Girlhood (May 3, 2024)

Jay Chang, member of the K-Pop groups B.D.U and One Pact, and participant in Build Up, shares his story of growing up in New Jersey, moving to Korea to become a K-Pop idol, and returning back to New Jersey on tour with his group B.D.U.