The Brian Lehrer Show

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.

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.