The Brian Lehrer Show

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, where they talked about the "pause" on congestion pricing, a new law that critics say would eliminate transparency in government and more.

Aaron Blake, senior political reporter and author of "The Campaign Moment" newsletter and podcast for The Washington Post, offers analysis of today's national political headlines and reads the tea leaves for November's election.

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.

Listeners who live in or have ties to European Union countries call in to talk about how voters in the EU parliament elections voted this year and why.

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 Gov. Hochul's "pause" of congestion pricing, mopeds, Trump voters, and more.

George Latimer, Westchester County Executive challenging U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D, NY 16) in the June 25th primary, talks about his primary campaign and the issues at stake in the election.

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!, discusses his new book, Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs (Simon and Schuster, 2024) and profiles people whose big achievements came at the age many of their peers were stepping back.

Fewer kids are riding the bus to school today than in decades past, and those who do tend to be from lower-income families. Lora Kelley, associate editor at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter, talks about how the design of the iconic yellow school bus hasn't changed much over the years, and how who rides the bus might affect a push for innovation on board, as listeners share their memories and stories.=> "The Uncertain Future of the Yellow School Bus" (The Atlantic Daily, 5/24/24)

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix, Arizona as a test of America's ability to respond to the climate crisis, as well as the challenges to democracy.

Maria Torres-Springer, NYC deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, talks about a groundbreaking ceremony for an offshore wind project at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the plans for wind power for the city. Plus, what comes next for the mayor's housing plan called "City of Yes" now that the City Council approved the first part of the plan.

Katie Merz, artist and professor of drawing at the Cooper Union School of Art, talks about the art she is creating for WNYC's upcoming centennial, and takes calls from listeners who share what they see as the most iconic NYC-related image, place or object.

A new poll by the National True Cost of Living Coalition found that 65% of Americans are financially struggling, and don't anticipate that changing in their lifetimes. Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and co-chair of National True Cost of Living Coalition, discusses the poll's findings, the implications of widespread financial hardship, and the coalition's upcoming measure to develop a true cost of living metric.

Last week, President Biden issued an executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border when crossings surge. Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), discusses the executive order, how it might impact New York City and more.

New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D, WF - 28th, Manhattan's East Side ), chair of the Finance Committee, talks about how the state legislature is responding to the Governor's "pause" of congestion pricing as their session ends. Then, Karen DeWitt, Capitol bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, discusses the political ramifications of the congestion pricing "pause" and the end of this legislative session -- and looks back on her long career covering state politics as she prepares for retirement this month.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.ACT UP NY organizers fighting against Mayor Adams's proposed cuts to HIV/AIDs spending (First) | 'The Cash Value of Racism in America' (Starts at 26:50) | The first major cricket tournament on U.S. soil (Starts at 56:30)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Tracie McMillan, 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 to Black Americans on her own family and that of four others.

First time callers of The Brian Lehrer Show call in to share what's on their minds from the news this week -- including elections in the U.S. and around the world, Pride Month, D-Day and much more.

Katie Honan, senior reporter at The City where she "anchors" the Summer & The City newsletter and co-hosts the podcast FAQ NYC, offers some guidance for making the most of summer in NYC.

Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at City College, CUNY, host of the podcast FAQ NYC, host of The Blackest Questions podcast on TheGrio and the author of Black Ethnics (Oxford University Press, 2013), offers political analysis as New York Governor Kathy Hochul and President Joe Biden seem to embrace a swing voter strategy and "double haters" emerge.

Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward, shares why she believes it's time for the United States to recognize Palestine as a state, and what would change if it does.

McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), reports that European officials are convinced Trump is going to win the election in November, and are increasingly alarmed at the prospect.

John Aaron, manager of the USA women’s national under-19 and senior women’s cricket teams and an adjunct lecturer of business at Kingsborough Community College, discusses the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the first major International Cricket Association tournament on US soil.

Gov. Hochul made the surprise announcement Wednesday that she would pause the long-awaited plan to toll drivers entering Manhattan's business district to fund transit improvements. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talk about the impact of her decision, plus other news from Albany as the legislative session ends.

Eve Fairbanks, senior editor at Foreign Affairs and author of The Inheritors: An Intimate Portrait of South Africa's Racial Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2022), digs into several major elections around the world where some ruling parties lost power, like in South Africa, while others had historic victories, like in Mexico.

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 this week's discussion on Biden's executive order that temporarily closes the border to migrants, Mayor Adams' repeated requests to expedite work permits to migrants, and a new plan to build more public restrooms.

Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early" on MSNBC, Politico White House bureau chief, 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, including President Biden's executive action on the southern border, his son's trial and the latest on the U.S. role in cease fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Cassandra Negley, WNBA and women's college basketball reporter at Yahoo Sports, discusses the stories of the WNBA season so far.

After Dobbs and other Supreme Court decisions that restrict rights, Eyal Press, contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America (Macmillan, 2021), talks about renewed efforts to focus on the rights found in individual state constitutions."Can State Supreme Courts Preserve—or Expand—Rights?" (New Yorker, June 3, 2024)

From NFL superstars to TikTok moms, discussion about the role of women in society have been all over the internet for months. Monica Hesse, columnist for The Washington Post's Style section, who frequently writes about gender and its impact on society, discusses her recent essays on the rise of 'tradwives,' and how most people's lives intersect and diverge from the "tradwife" life.

Two climate-related bills still hang in the balance in Albany this legislative session: the NY HEAT Act and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. Activists Courtney Williams, founder of Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions, an organization fighting the Peekskill Incinerator, and John Raskin, president of Spring Street Climate Fund, talk about how the bills would impact their neighborhoods.

Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, talks about what there is to know for New Jersey voters on primary day, where they'll be voting to choose their party's candidates for president, senate and many other offices, without the so-called "county line" ballot design. Plus listeners call in to participate in an informal, unofficial, thoroughly unscientific exit poll.

A new artificial intelligence feature recently rolled out by Google is under fire for giving out inaccurate information. Listeners call in to share how they use AI in their daily lives and how they navigate some of its pitfalls.

Jill Colvin, national political reporter for the Associated Press, talks about the political impact of the Trump verdict on the presidential campaign, plus the start of the Hunter Biden trial, and more.

As Pride Month starts, Nia Nottage and Brandon Cuicchi, organizers at ACT UP NY, advocate against the mayor's proposed budget cuts to HIV/AIDS spending.

The Food and Drug Administration is currently considering MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Anna Silman, features correspondent at Business Insider, breaks down her reporting on the decades-long fight to legalize the drug and why some pro-MDMA advocates are sounding the alarm.

For your weekend listening, in case you missed it:Legal analysis of the felony convictions of the former president in the "hush money" trial in Manhattan. If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Andrea Bernstein, journalist reporting on Trump legal matters for NPR, host of many podcasts including "Will be Wild" and "Trump, Inc." and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), reports on the guilty verdict for President Trump from her vantage point from the courtroom, and as a longtime reporter on the former president and his business dealings.

Lincoln Restler, New York City Council Member (District 33: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill and Williamsburg), talks about the latest conflicts between the Council and the mayor, safety issues on McGuinness Boulevard and more.

Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of the forthcoming The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction, offers legal analysis of the Manhattan jury's guilty verdict of Donald Trump in his so-called "hush money" trial.

Warren Lehrer, writer and designer and author of Riveted in the Word (EarSay in collaboration with AltSalt, 2024), talks about his new e-book, a story about a woman's journey to recovering the ability to speak after a stroke, and Laura Boylan, M.D., Bellevue Hospital neurologist and adjunct professor, department of neurology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explains what aphasia is and how treatment and rehabilitation has evolved.More information on upcoming book events at the Center for Book Arts and Topaz Arts here: https://earsay.org/

Richard Ocejo, professor of sociology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and the author of Sixty Miles Upriver: Gentrification and Race in a Small American City (Princeton University Press, 2024), examines the effect on racial and income balance in the Hudson Valley's Newburgh, NY, of an influx of wealthier remote workers from NYC and its suburbs.

Curtis Bashaw, entrepreneur running in the New Jersey Republican Senate primary, talks about his campaign for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate and his stance on issues important to primary voters.

Donald Trump's hush money case is currently being deliberated by the jurors after hearing weeks of arguments. Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, lead prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel's Office, the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), and co-host of the podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump, explains the central questions the jury is discussing as well as what impact the jury's decision, whatever it may be, could have on our legal system and future political campaigns.

With this legislative session wrapping up next week, Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about what is likely to be included in the next "big ugly" collection of final legislation. Plus, he explains why Republicans outside of the city are filing lawsuits against even-year elections.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, Americans are less likely to feel close to people in their country or community. Listeners with ties to countries abroad weigh in on the poll results and offer comparisons to other countries.

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 NYPD responses to mental health crises, the "balance of power" with the City Council, and more.

Eric Levitz, senior correspondent at Vox, shares his theory for why the Biden campaign is struggling in the polls with younger voters, as well as Black and Latino voters -- traditionally groups that vote for Democrats.

Martin Lewis, senior lecturer in history at Stanford University, and author of the book The Myth of Continents: A Critique of Metageography, explains why determining what makes a continent a continent involves both physical and human geographical criteria, and why people around the world don't agree on how many there are.

James Comey, former director of the FBI and author of non-fiction, including A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, and the crime novels Central Park West (2023) and his latest, Westport (Mysterious Press, 2024), talks about his new career as a crime novelist and offers his take on the Trump trial.

Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US, shares her investigative series on "Big Oil," including more on an alleged "deal" offer from former President Donald Trump to big oil that could save industry $110 billion in exchange for campaign donations.