Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

WNYC

4.4 (657)
DAILY NEWS
UPDATED DAILY

Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.

4D AGO

Energy Policy Is Becoming Less About Utility Bills and More About The Culture War

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about how in the ten years since the Paris Agreement, as he says the "climate story is the China story" now. Plus, Jael Holzman, senior reporter at Heatmap, reports on how the Republican Party has turned fully against renewable energy sources, including offshore wind projects.

24 min
5D AGO

Student Detained for Foreign Policy Views Speaks

Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi is currently awaiting a court ruling on the Trump administration's attempt to deport him. On Today's Show: Mahdawi, co-founder of the Columbia Palestinian Student Union and former president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association, and his attorney, Nate Wessler, deputy director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, talk about his studies, the state of the pro-Palestinian movement and the prospects of a peaceful solution in the region and worldwide.

20 min
DEC 19

Political Headlines Ahead Of The Holidays

Politics doesn't stop for the holidays. Hear about the latest headlines from D.C. ahead of the pre-Christmas weekend. On Today's Show: Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic talks about the national political news of the week, including Vanity Fair's extensive piece about President Trump's closest aides, the administration's blockade on Venezuela and more.

20 min
DEC 18

Pelosi: Why 2025 is like 2005, and That’s Good for Democrats

Recently, Nancy Pelosi sat down for an interview with her biographer, veteran journalist Susan Page, ahead of the upcoming 2026 congressional term. On Today's Show: Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of the forthcoming book The Queen and Her Presidents (Harper/Collins April 2026), talks about the latest national political news, including President Trump's primetime address, the ongoing fight over ACA subsidies, and Nancy Pelosi's assessment of congressional politics, heading into her final term before she's planning to retire.

18 min
DEC 17

Is There An Anti-Semitism Generation Gap?

With the reported rise in anti-Semitic speech and the recent shooting at a Hanukah celebration in Australia, our guest explores the contours of prejudiced mindsets against Jews. On Today's Show: Yair Rosenberg, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion, offers analysis of anecdotal and survey data that show a generational divide in antisemitism.

22 min
DEC 15

Agonizing Choices on ACA Deadline Day

A deadline approaches to deal with healthcare costs and Obamacare subsidies. On Today's Show: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, discusses the latest over the battle in Congress over the fate of the Affordable Care Act.

23 min
DEC 11

Wikipedia’s Founder on Trust and Not Being “Woke-ipedia”

On Today's Show: Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation and the author of The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last (Crown Currency, 2025), talks about how Wikipedia was able to rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" even as distrust climbed in the larger culture.

22 min
DEC 10

Four Stops On Trump’s SCOTUS Winning Streak

The conservative Supreme Court majority seems poised to allow President Trump to fire the top official on the Federal Trade Commission, expanding presidential power. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation magazine and host of the podcast, Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal, and author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, 2025), discusses this and other legal news.

23 min

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Brian Lehrer

Host
Michael Scherer

Guest
Jonathan Lemire

Guest

4.4

out of 5

657 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

Jun 17

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.