The Brian Lehrer Show

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Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.

  1. 13 HR AGO

    A Recap and Preview of New State Legislation

    Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, reviews a slew of bills signed by Governor Hochul at the end of 2025 and previews the State Assembly's upcoming legislative session.

    32 min

  2. 14 HR AGO

    Mayor Mamdani's First Few Days

    Juan Manuel Benitez, professor of local journalism at Columbia Journalism School and member of the New York Editorial Board, and Josh Greenman, managing editor of the journal Vital City and former director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, talk about the news from the new mayor's first few days in office.

    44 min

  3. 15 HR AGO

    What Comes Next for the US and Venezuela

    William Neuman, former New York Times bureau chief in Caracas and the author of Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela (St. Martin's Press, 2022), offers context to the US invasion of Venezuela and capture of its leader Maduro. Plus, he talks about what might come next, as President Trump has said the US will "run" the country, and how oil figures into the story.

    36 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Holiday Best-Of: Freakonomics; Eating Well; 1776; New Yorker Documentary

    During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and the co-author of Freakonomics (Harper Collins, 2025), now in a new 20th anniversary edition, reflects on 20 years of "Freakonomics," its impact and use of data, and talks about what's next. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health emerita at NYU and the author of many books, including her latest, What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters (North Point Press, 2025), talks about her newly revised classic and how to navigate the food landscape today. Edward Larson, chaired professor of history and law at Pepperdine University and the author of Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (W. W. Norton & Company, 2025), talks about the change in thinking 250 years ago in the American colonies from British subjects protesting the crown to revolution. David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, and Marshall Curry, documentary filmmaker (including Street Fight, If a Tree Falls, A Night at the Garden), talk about "The New Yorker at 100" on Netflix.   These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: 20 Years of Freakonomics (Nov 26, 2025) Eating Well Today (Dec 9, 2025) 1776's No Kings (Nov 24, 2025) The New Yorker: A Movie (part 2, Dec 4, 2025)

    1h 49m
  5. Special Coverage: Zohran Mamdani's Inaugural Speech

    4 DAYS AGO

    Special Coverage: Zohran Mamdani's Inaugural Speech

    Brian Lehrer hosts special coverage of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inaugural speech, with analysis from Dr. Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams (Cambridge University Press, 2024), and Harry Siegel, FAQ NYC co-host, editor at The City and Moynihan Public Scholar at City College. Plus, listeners call in to share their hopes and concerns for the future of NYC.  Click here to watch the full event, including the inaugurations NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, as well as musical performances, poetry readings and other speeches.

    1h 40m

  6. 4 DAYS AGO

    New Year's Day: Mayor Adams' Legacy; Wikipedia's Rules; Online Reading

    On this New Year's Day: Ahead of the Mamdani swearing-in ceremony, a look back: Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter; Ben Max, host of the Max Politics podcast and executive editor and program director at New York Law School’s Center for New York City Law; and Jeffery Mays, New York Times metro politics reporter, weigh in on Mayor Adams' term in office and what he accomplished, where he fell short of his goals, and how history might view his mayoralty.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.If you put down your phone, will you grasp for a book? Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for The New Yorker, where he writes a weekly column called Fault Lines, discusses his story, "If You Quit Social Media, Will You Read More Books?"  These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Mayor Adams' Legacy (Dec 3, 2025) Wikipedia Founder on Building Trust (Dec 11, 2025) Is 'Online Reading' Still Reading? (Dec 11, 2025)

    1h 50m

  7. 5 DAYS AGO

    Holiday Best-Of: Colleges; Public Health; Pre-Cellphone Nostalgia; Being Stuck

    During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: 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.Seth Berkley, MD, an infectious disease epidemiologist currently advising vaccine, biotechnology, and technology companies; an adjunct professor and senior adviser to the Pandemic Center at Brown University; former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; cofounded COVAX; founded and served as CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and the author of Fair Doses: An Insider’s Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity (University of California Press, 2025), talks about the need for vaccine equity and lessons learned (and ignored) from the COVID pandemic.Clay Routledge, social psychologist, director of the Human Flourishing Lab at Archbridge Institute and author of Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life (Sounds True, 2023) explains why nostalgia for the late '90s and early 2000s is roaringly popular among Gen Z right now and listeners share stories of life before the internet and what it is about that era that younger listeners wish for today.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.Ilya Marritz, journalist working with The Boston Globe, talks about his new series, in conjunction with The Boston Globe and On the Media, that looks at how the Trump administration has interfered with Harvard, and how it will affect academia and scientific research going forward.  These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Princeton President Talks Campus Speech and Politics (Oct 1, 2025) Pandemic Preparedness Alert (Oct 28, 2025) Gen Z Wishes It Were 1997 (Aug 26, 2025) Americans are Economically Stuck (Oct 16, 2025) The Future of Academia (Nov 17, 2025)

    1h 49m

  8. 6 DAYS AGO

    Holiday Best-Of: Democratic Socialism; Joyce Vance, Teaching; Rail-to-Trail & More

    During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani defines himself as a democratic socialist, yet his critics have seized on his leftist identity to paint him as an extremist. Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti, professor of political science and executive director of the Moynihan Center at The City College of New York, and author of 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of Politics (Mondadori, 2024), explains the core principles of the various strains of thought on the left to paint a clearer picture of what Mamdani believes in and how he'll govern as mayor.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.Jared Fox, education consultant, former NYC secondary science teacher and the author of Learning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories from the Science Classroom (Beacon Press, 2025), guides teachers in taking science education out of the classroom, drawing on his experience teaching science in Washington Heights.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.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, plus listener suggestions for the best places to bike outside the city.  These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: What is Zohran Mamdani's Political Ideology? (Nov 14, 2025) A Democratic Manifesto (Oct 27, 2025) Reimagining Teaching Science (Nov 11, 2025) Fighting Fascism with Education (Sep 26, 2025) From Railroad to Rail-Trail (Oct 7, 2025) and The Best Places to Bike Outside the City (Oct 8, 2025)

    1h 50m
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Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.

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