The Brian Lehrer Show

Joyce Vance, a legal analyst for MSNBC and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, University of Alabama School of Law professor, and author of the Civil Discourse Substack, and of the new book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable:  A Manual for Keeping a Democracy (Dutton, 2025) talks about the rule of law and offers legal and historical context for the current moment in American history as she calls for citizens to uphold the Constitution.

Nick Corasaniti, New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections, talks about how both Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill say they would deal with President Trump if they are elected governor, and other ways the president's influence is being felt in the tight race.

Rosemary Misdary, WNYC and Gothamist health & science reporter, explains the statewide ballot question about preservation in the Adirondacks and expanding skiing facilities.

New York City voters will see several questions on their ballots that aim to make it easier to build housing. Alec Schierenbeck, executive director of the Charter Revision Commission argues in favor of the measures, and Lincoln Restler, New York City Council member (District 33, Greenpoint, Northside Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Vinegar Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Navy Yard), explains why much of the City Council is opposed to the changes. Then, Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, shares why his group is opposed to ballot questions 2 through 4.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

30 Issues in 30 Days: ICE in the City  (First) | 30 Issues in 30 Days: The Case for a Free CUNY (Starts at 17:50) | 30 Issues in 30 Days: Climate and Energy Policy (Starts at 33:13)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Julia Ioffe, founding partner and Washington correspondent of Puck and the author of Motherland: A History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy (Ecco, 2025), talks about her new book that delves into the feminist history of Russia and why it offers context for the war in Ukraine.

Samantha Maldonado, senior reporter for THE CITY, offers her takeaways on the mayoral debate and talks about other races on the ballot in NYC.

To wrap up a series on pets, listeners call in to shout out why their dog, cat, rabbit, bearded dragon, fish or any other type of pet is so special.

New York City would not be the first city in America to open a publicly-owned grocery store. Yasmin Tayag, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about how other municipalities have fared in this experiment, Zohran Mamdani's grocery store proposal and the skepticism around it.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets. Today, Lyle Cleary, DVM, associate veterinarian at the Center for Avian & Exotic Medicine, @dr.lyle.dvm on Instagram, talks about the challenges of keeping birds as pets and what they need to thrive.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz identifying a person through a clue about their famous parents.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps the last mayoral debate between the three remaining candidates, Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, as early voting is set to begin this weekend.

Brigid Bergin, Gothamist and WNYC senior political correspondent, and David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recap the last mayoral debate between the three remaining candidates, Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, as early voting is set to begin this weekend.

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 how each candidate says they will respond to ICE or other federal agents conducting raids in the city, like the one that happened earlier this week in Chinatown.

New York Times reporter Eliza Shapiro talks about the cost of child care in New York City and the mayoral candidates' approaches to this aspect of the affordability crisis.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets. Today, Chi Cho, owner of Pacific Aquarium on Delancey St., talks about keeping fish as pets and how to keep them healthy.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, previews the final mayoral debate and talks about the latest news from the campaign trail as Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa vie for votes.  Plus, Ben Feuerherd, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering public safety and policing, talks about what he saw during yesterday when federal agents descended on Chinatown in what he said was an "apparent raid." 

Stuart A. Thompson, reporter at The New York Times covering online influence, breaks down his latest reporting on how President Donald Trump is using fake artificial intelligence generated imagery to attack his perceived enemies and successfully rouse his supporters.

Listeners hear an iconic or otherwise notable quote by a contemporary or historical public figure and try to identify who said it.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz with questions about iconic albums and recording artists.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets. Today, Amy Sedaris, actress, author, producer, rabbit enthusiast and host of the To the Rescue! gala, benefiting Humane World for Animals on November 7 talks about why she loves rabbits and how to help them thrive. 

Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of Interest talks about the new season of her podcast, "Gear," where she explores the link between the U.S. military and the clothes we all wear, like t-shirts, chore jackets and other outdoor gear.

Caroline Spivack, reporter for Crain's New York Business, talks about the mayoral candidates' climate and energy policies, including their stances on Local Law 97.

Grace Ashford, New York Times reporter covering New York State politics and government, talks about why President Trump commuted former Congressman George Santos' sentence, which allowed him to leave prison after serving less than three months of his long sentence for crimes related to theft and fraud.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called this weekend's "No Kings" protests "hate America" rallies. Listeners call in to share what they were rallying for and against, and respond to Johnson's characterization of the marches.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz with questions about iconic late-night talk show hosts.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets.  Today, Anne Levin, executive director of the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and co-founder of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, talks about rats and other small furry creatures as pets.

Adam Gopnik, staff writer for The New Yorker, and author of The Real Work, talks about his one-man play, "Adam Gopnik's New York" in performance at Lincoln Center through Sunday.

Andrew Gounardes, New York State Senator (D, District 26 -  Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, the Columbia Street Waterfront District, Dumbo, Dyker Heights, Fort Hamilton, Gowanus, Park Slope, Red Hook, South Slope, and Sunset Park), makes the case for a free CUNY system, which he has advocated for in Albany.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Sen. Kim on Gateway Defunding (First) | 30 Issues in 30 Days: Moving Local NYC Elections to Presidential Election Years (Starts at 17:15) | Pets in the City: Cats (Starts at 35:43)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz with questions about city critters.

Charles Komanoff, transit activist and mathematician, and Eric Goldwyn, assistant professor and program director at NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management, debate whether free buses, which are a pillar of Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani's transportation plan, are the best way to both speed up the notoriously slow bus system and best help New Yorkers struggling with the high cost of living. Plus, they discuss Andrew Cuomo's proposal to shift management of New York City Transit to the city from the state.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets. Today, Maxwell Branch, vice president of community programs at Flatbush Cats, talks about cats and the people who share their homes with them.

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution  and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) , previews the cases the Supreme Court will take up in its new term, including arguments on a redistricting case they are hearing arguments on this week, and offers analysis of just how much presidential power the court will afford to President Trump in upcoming decisions.

Jeff Coltin, Politico reporter and co-author of the New York Playbook, recaps the mayoral debate between Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

Rachel Louise Ensign, economics reporter with The Wall Street Journal, explains the economic forces keeping Americans stuck in their homes and jobs, and how it impacts daily life.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets.  Today, Sam Laroche, manager of Petqua, a pet store on Manhattan's West Side, talks about keeping reptiles as pets and how to help them thrive.

Listeners hear a description of a place in the tri-state area and try to guess where it is.

New Jersey is generally viewed as a state with some of the strongest abortion protections, but Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has some plans that could change that. Terrence McDonald, editor at the New Jersey Monitor, talks about the parts of both candidates' platforms that could change or strengthen abortion protections in the state.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), weighs in on the Trump announcement that the Gateway tunnel project is "terminated."

Listeners hear a description of a place in the tri-state area and try to guess where it is.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the mayoral campaign as Election Day is just weeks away.

Throughout this membership drive we are talking about the animals we love and care for in our homes -- our pets.  Today, Elias Weiss Friedman, aka @TheDogist on Instagram, author of This Dog Will Change Your Life (Ballantine, 2025) and host of a new YouTube talk show talks about the dogs he's met and why he thinks they make us better humans.

Brigid Bergin, Gothamist and WNYC senior political correspondent, talks about the proposal that NYC voters will see on this year's ballot that would move local elections to take place during presidential election years.

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, and previews this year's New Yorker festival.

Listeners share whether they're seeing higher coffee prices due to tariffs yet and if that's changing their caffeine habits.

Graeme Wood, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Way of the Strangers: Encounters With the Islamic State, offers analysis of the current ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and why one Palestinian philosopher told him he feels a "paradoxical optimism" that the current peace will hold.

On Saturday, the Trump administration rescinded the layoffs of hundreds of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were mistakenly fired the day before. Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at The New York Times, explains what happened and who remains at the CDC.

Elizabeth Glazer, founder of the journal Vital City and former director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, talks about the challenges the next mayor will face regarding Rikers Island, and what each says about the current plan to close Rikers in favor of borough-based jails.

Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (MIniver Press, 2024), offers analysis on what comes next for Israel and Gaza as Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners were released, and the ceasefire deal takes effect.

Elie Honig, senior legal analyst at CNN, New York Magazine columnist, former state and federal prosecutor and author of several books, including When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, From Nixon to Trump (Harper, 2025) offers legal analysis of the Trump DOJ case against New York Attorney General Tish James.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history and the author of We Survived the Night (Knopf, 2025) talks about his new book, the story of North American indigenous people through his reporting and his own story, all in the style of a traditional "coyote story."

Andrew Zwicker, New Jersey State Senator (D, District 16), and Dawn Fantasia, New Jersey Assembly Member (R, District 24), debate the hot-button issues in education and how they are playing out in the governor's race, including parents' rights, book bans and more.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

30 Issues in 30 Days: New York City Schools (First) | Who is María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Price Winner? (Starts at 1:12) | From Railroad to Rail-Trail (Starts at 1:50)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Daisy Khan, founder and executive director of the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) and the author of 30 Rights of Muslim Women: A Trusted Guide (Monkfish Book Publishing Company, 2024) , and Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, discuss how to fight both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia at a time of polarization over the Mideast in the context of concrete policy proposals from the New York City mayoral candidates, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa.

Gideon Rose, adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the former editor of Foreign Affairs and author of How Wars End (Simon & Schuster, 2010), talks about María Corina Machado, who was announced as the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, and related news of the day.

Marina Lopes, author of Please Yell at My Kids (GCP/Balance, 2025), talks about her story in The Atlantic suggesting American parents look at the way childcare works in Singapore where grandparents are frequently primary caregivers and get paid for the work.

Michael Tannousis, assemblymember representing District 64, including southern Brooklyn and the east shore of Staten Island" and Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice and the director of Vera Action, cover what each New York City mayoral hopeful is proposing when it comes to criminal justice reform, including the 2019 bail reform law signed by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo, plus Zohran Mamdani's and Curtis Sliwa's policy proposals.

Ryan Kailath, WNYC/Gothamist arts and culture reporter, talks about his reporting on the AI company called Friend, and their ads, which have been defaced throughout the subway system.

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, contributing writer at The Atlantic and author of the book, The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022) talks about what he calls the "project 2025 shutdown" and more national political news.

Nancy Solomon, host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps the final governor's debate between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. 

After yesterday's conversation on the show about rail trails, listeners call in to share their favorite places to bike outside the city, whether a rail or other kind of trail, parks, roads, or neighborhoods that are friendly to bikers.

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ), talks about the ongoing shutdown, the Trump administration sending the National Guard to Oregon, Attorney General Pam Bondi's contentious Senate hearing and the funding cuts to the Gateway Tunnel.

Nicole Gelinas, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, a columnist at the New York Post and the author of the book, Movement: New York's Long War to Take Back Its Streets from the Car (Fordham Univ Press, 2024), and Ligia Guallpa, executive director of Worker's Justice Project and co-founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos, cover what each New York City mayoral hopeful is proposing to regulate delivery apps and e-bike/scooter/moped licensing.

WNYC and Gothamist reporter Elizabeth Kim and Brigid Bergin, WNYC and Gothamist senior political correspondent, talk about the latest news in the mayoral campaign, plus, Brigid shares her reporting on the many new voters who went to the polls in the June primary.

Alex Zimmerman, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, talks about his breadth of reporting on the New York City mayoral candidates' proposals regarding the New York City public school system, including Zohran Mamdani's proposal to end mayoral control of the city’s schools and Andrew Cuomo's proposal to replace the city’s lowest-performing schools with charters or other models.

Peter Harnik, co-founder of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for Public Land and executive producer of the documentary From Rails to Trails, talks about his work spearheading the movement to convert abandoned railbeds into multi-use trails, 26,000 miles so far, and the new documentary about it. 

The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to three scientists for their work in immunology.  Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, Chief of Infectious Disease for Island Infectious Diseases, the largest physician-owned Infectious Disease Specialist Group on Long Island, an infectious disease specialist and clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University and president of Parasites Without Borders and co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology", explains their breakthrough and what it means for future treatments for autoimmune diseases, cancer, and more.

In this installment of our election year series, a look into what the candidates -- especially former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani -- might do as mayor to influence the Israeli-Palestinian conflict one way or another. Jim Walden, a former federal prosecutor who ran as an independent in the NYC mayor's race, first explains his support for Cuomo, who signed an executive order as governor barring the state from doing business with any organization that participated in the BDS movement. Then, Jeremy Cohan, sociologist and NYC-DSA leader and spokesperson, breaks down Mamdani's Not On Our Dime Act, i...

Meg Kelly, senior reporter for The Washington Post's Visual Forensics team, discusses her team's reporting on the Trump administration's USAID funding pause, which resulted in the deaths of children from curable diseases around the world.

A Washington Post article explained how most families have a secret language that only they understand, or a "familect" as some linguists call it.  Listeners call in to share the words in their family that only they use, which are often conjured in the minds of small children and then used for years down the road.

Kyle Cheney, senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, talks about President Trump's attempts to send National Guard troops into Portland and Chicago, how states are reacting and why a federal judge keeps blocking the plan for Portland.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Christopher Eisgruber, president of Princeton University, talks about issues of free speech (First) | A 30 Issues in 30 Days debate about involuntary hospitalization of New Yorkers with severe and untreated mental illnesses (Starts at 29:48) | Your favored (and least favored) seasons (Starts at 1:17:46)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Sophia Wohl , deputy director of stewardship, environment and planning at NYC Parks Department, talks about Saturday's celebrations of City of Forest Day with events around town, plus offers guidance for caring for the trees and forests near you.

=> City of Forest Day events

Giulia Heyward, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, talks about how New York officials are dealing with the Trump administration's attempts to roll back legal protections for the LGBTQ community.

Larry Higgs, commuting and transport reporter at NJ Advance Media, talks about the state of NJ Transit and where the candidates stand on tolls, construction of new transit projects, congestion pricing and more.

Russell Berman, a staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about the New Jersey governor's race and its national bellwether status, plus the latest shutdown news.

"The Blue State That’s Now a Bellwether" (The Atlantic, Sept 29, 2025)

More young people under the age of 50 are getting diagnosed with early-onset cancers and researchers are trying to figure out why. Nina Agrawal, health reporter for The New York Times, explains what they have found so far, and what is still unknown.

Politico congressional reporter Nicholas Wu talks about the latest on the federal shutdown and other national political news.

Inspired by an article in The Atlantic that shares recommendations for a "happy start to the day," listeners call in to share their morning routines, and explain why it helps them get going; plus Michael Hill, WNYC's Morning Edition host, shares his ultra-early routine.

John Reitmeyer, budget and finance writer at NJ Spotlight News, talks about taxation in New Jersey and where the candidates stand on property taxes, the mansion tax, taxing millionaires, and more.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) talks about the government shutdown, U.S. military leadership, and more.

Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights leader, host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN) and the author of Righteous Troublemakers (Hanover Square Press, 2022), discusses the remaining mayoral candidates after Mayor Adams' withdrawal from the race and the issues of racial justice and inequality. Then, Gothamist and WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim and Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQNYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2024), talk about the latest news in the mayoral campaign after Mayor Adams's big announcement that he...

Christopher Eisgruber, president of Princeton University and the author of Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right (Hachette, 2025), talks about issues of free speech and campus politics at Princeton, and the university's relationship with the Trump administration.

Vanessa Hauc, anchor and director of Noticias Telemundo’s environmental investigative unit, Planeta Tierra, and one of three winners of the Covering Climate Now Journalist of the Year award, talks about her award and her reporting on the climate crisis, focused on solutions that are already happening around the world, plus how the Latino community is one of the most vulnerable to the crisis here and abroad.

Vilas Dhar, president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Body on AI, talks about the two new institutions created by the United Nations to study and discuss the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence, and his goals for governing this emerging technology so that it serves the public good.

Nick Garber, politics reporter at Crain's New York Business, shares the latest on the competing downstate casino proposals, just after Steve Cohen's Willets Point casino proposal wins approval from its community advisory committee, leaving four proposed casinos to vie for up to three state licenses to be awarded by the state by December 1.

Brian Stettin, senior advisor on severe mental illness for the Office of the New York City Mayor, and Michael F. Hogan,  PhD, consultant at Hogan Health Solutions and New York State Commissioner of Mental Health from 2007-2012, debate whether the city and state's policy of involuntarily hospitalizing New Yorkers displaying signs of severe mental illness is humane and effective ahead of the November mayoral election.

As fall has begun (not that you'd know it from the weather around here), listeners call in to share what their most and least favorite seasons are, and why.

Jorge Loweree, managing director of programs and strategy at the American Immigration Council, talks about the changes the Trump Administration has instituted for the H-1B visa program, and what it might mean for foreign workers and the companies that hire them.

Katie Honan, senior reporter at The City and co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC, talks about Mayor Adams' withdrawal from the mayor's race and how that affects the contest.

New York State Senator Jabari Brisport (D, WF, 25th Senate District), chair of Committee on Children And Families, and New York State Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny (R, C, Coney Island, Bay Ridge), talk about Zohran Mamdani's proposal to tax corporations and the 1% in New York State to pay for programs to support working class New Yorkers and the feasibility of passing tax reforms in Albany. 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

One perspective on free speech in our politics, from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression CEO Greg Lukianoff (First) | Environmental activist and journalist Bill McKibben reflects on his life's work (Starts at 25:25) | Listeners on their religious conversions (Starts at 1:03:15)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

On Monday, President Donald Trump warned pregnant women not to take Tylenol, claiming without evidence that it was a cause of autism. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and vice chair of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of Obstetrics, breaks down what the science says about painkiller use during pregnancy and listeners call in to share how they've been navigating new Trump administration guidelines for pregnant women.

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, and Patrick Spauster, City Limits housing and homelessness reporter, talk about Mamdani's proposed rent freeze and Andrew Cuomo's call for means testing for rent-regulated tenants, and the larger question of rent regulation to make housing in NYC more affordable.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy (Thesis, 2025), talks about her new book and explains why she says education protects democracy.

The prospect of a government shutdown is growing as Democrats are threatening to not help Republicans on the Hill pass a spending bill by the September 30 deadline. Deirdre Walsh, congressional correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, talks about the politics of the potential shutdown and related news from Congress.

Bill McKibben, environmental activist, founder of Third Act and author of many books, most recently: Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization (W. W. Norton & Company, 2025), discusses his new book, and reflects on his life's work, both as a climate activist and journalist. 

As part of the election series "30 Issues in 30 Days," Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist reporter covering the New Jersey governor's race and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talks about the issue of too little affordable housing in New Jersey, including court-required efforts to build more, and how the gubernatorial candidates' plan to comply.

Ry Rivard, reporter covering regional infrastructure for Politico, looks at the gubernatorial candidates' positions on climate change and energy policies in New Jersey.