Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

WNYC

4.4 (658)
DAILY NEWS
UPDATED DAILY

Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.

13H AGO

How Redistricting In New York and Other States Could Impact National Elections

A judge recently ruled that the Staten Island and Brooklyn congressional district now held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R) should be redrawn. On Today's Show: Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, discusses what that would mean for local representation and, potentially, control of congress.

22 min
1D AGO

How History Has Seen The Trump World Order Before

As Trump and other world leader meet in Davos, international relations and global geopolitics are at the forefront of our political conversations. On Today's Show: Robert Kagan, contributing writer to The Atlantic, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the author, most recently, of Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Again (Penguin Random House, 2024), offers his take on how President Trump is trying to rearrange the world order to look more like the 19th century and the dangers that lie ahead if continues to succeed.

24 min
2D AGO

Trump Makes News By Saying He Won’t Attack Our Allies

As world leaders in Davos meet to discuss the future of international relations, many were relieved to hear that President Trump's recent rhetoric about Greenland would remain rhetorical. On Today's Show: Amy Davidson Sorkin, staff writer at The New Yorker, looks back at the first year of President Trump's second term, and where we are now.

23 min
3D AGO

Ahead of Davos, What European Leaders Think of Trump's Greenland Threats

As world leaders prepare to meet in Davos for an economic conference, many are mulling how to respond to President Trump's suggestion that the US claim Greenland. On Today's Show: Matt Steinglass, Europe editor at The Economist, explains the recent news in President Donald Trump's remarks on acquiring Greenland, including that the U.S. will impose tariffs on eight European countries until the U.S. acquires the country, and Europe's response.

20 min
4D AGO

What Trump's Foreign Policy Means For GOP's Midterm Politics

Amid military actions against Venezuela, and a new European trade war over Greenland, Trump's global ambitions could change the political calculus for Congress members running in this year's midterms. On Today's Show: Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the national political news of the day and the growing rift between President Trump and congressional Republicans.

23 min
JAN 16

The State of the Justice Department's Independence

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) , recaps this week's news from the DOJ – including the investigation into Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, the resignation of six prosecutors over the Renee Good shooting, and the recent raid of a Washington Post journalist's home – and offers analysis about what it might say about the state of judicial independence.

24 min
JAN 15

A Reporter's ICE Recruitment Story

Questions about ICE recruitment, vetting and training are being raised, especially after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. On Today's Show: Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist focused on American conservative and far-right movements and author of the Substack Firewalled Media dot com, talks about her reporting on the shoddy screenings hopeful applicants to become ICE agents receive, which became clear when she was offered a position after applying at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring expo -- despite her public profile as a journalist critical of ICE and the Trump administration.

23 min
JAN 14

SCOTUS Hears Arguments on State Bans on Transgender Girls in Sports

Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, and a contributing opinion Writer with the New York Times talks about the justices' responses to arguments in two cases involving transgender student athletes, plus other Supreme Court news.

20 min

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Brian Lehrer

Host

4.4

out of 5

658 Ratings

Outstanding

08/14/2023

fdrtub

Now that I’ve discovered the Brian Lehrer Show, I wouldn’t dream of missing an episode—he’s a sane, questioning, honest voice in a not always sane or questioning or honest world.
Brian Lehrer

06/17/2025

janetfo

…but is he a Zionist? Because the way he handled the students’ protests and how obnoxious he was when he interviewed those brave and upstanding pro-palestinian students makes me think he is.
Disappointing

04/03/2024

NYTimes commenter

So disappointed in todays show about the targeted attack on World Central Kitchen. Seldom heard such nonsense as the Ha-Aretz journalist saying: oh no, IDF didn’t kill them on purpose - why would they, they will just have to feed the Palestinians themselves now. OBVIOUSLY keeping Palestinian civilians safe and fed has not been a concern of the Israeli government at all - in fact they have been starving them purposefully! And this complete hair brain statement was left standing without a response. Then followed by a call from a rabid rabbi, insisting that all other countries would and are doing much worse than Israel. Again, no meaningful response to that insane take. Deleting the Brian Lehrer show from my subscriptions.
Excellence. Delivery, reliable, topics, it’s really an a+ show and podcast.

03/29/2023

worthyette

Excellent. I listen to every episode.