The Update with Brandon Julien

Brandon Julien
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New York is a city full of stories. On The Update with Brandon Julien, we just happen to have many of them. Wherever you may be or however you may listen to us, get caught up on everything that you need to know because anything can happen in New York.

  1. The Update (LIRR Strike Day 3)- May 18th

    2D AGO

    The Update (LIRR Strike Day 3)- May 18th

    In today’s edition of The Update Journal, McDonald’s may be preparing to unleash a 100-piece McNuggets box onto society, which naturally raises several important questions — mainly how many Sweet & Sour sauces legally constitute a “serving,” and why every other sauce at McDonald’s feels like it’s just competing for second place. Meanwhile, Tootsie Roll Industries quietly reveals they’ve apparently been making other candy products this entire time, sending me into a full existential spiral after spending decades thinking the company’s entire business model was just “long chocolate chew logs and vibes.” And finally: with my parents officially away on vacation, the household enters a temporary era of relaxed rules, reduced tension, and suspiciously peaceful energy — much to Tommie’s delight. It’s less “Home Alone” and more “the pressure cooker finally got its lid loosened before somebody exploded over dishes in the sink.” Basically: nuggets are escalating, candy lore is expanding, and everybody in the house is trying to enjoy the silence before the vacation ends and the routing rigidity returns. In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Monday, Federal officials implored unions representing workers for the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, to resume bargaining to prevent a long strike from disrupting the week’s commute. Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman called for suspending the $9 congestion pricing toll for motorists crossing into core Manhattan during the Long Island Rail Road strike. We’ll have a Brandon’s Take and The Last Word on what MTA Chair Janno Lieber said as the strike got underway. In other news, the allegedly drunken driver who killed two men and hurt three others after smashing onto a crowded sidewalk was just two blocks from home when the crash occurred, police said. Elvin Suarez of Morningside Heights was hit with multiple counts of manslaughter, vehicular assault and DWI, cops said. And in Idaho, all four crew members ejected safely after two Navy jets collided during an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, officials said.

    1h 53m
  2. The Update (LIRR Strike Day 2)- May 17th

    2D AGO ·  BONUS

    The Update (LIRR Strike Day 2)- May 17th

    Fresh off the bus from Camp Mason and back within range of functioning cell service, The Update returns to New York just in time for Day 2 of the Long Island Rail Road strike — and somehow the situation has only gotten more chaotic. In this special bonus episode, we recap the first full weekend of commuter confusion as packed trains, overflowing buses, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and exhausted riders continue to test the patience of the entire region. We break down the latest negotiations, the political finger-pointing, and the growing realization that Memorial Day weekend is now lurking around the corner like a jump scare nobody prepared for. It’s a road-weary, city-stressed, caffeine-powered bonus edition of The Update — because even after a weekend away, New York always finds a way to pull you right back into the madness.

    46 min
  3. The Update (LIRR Strike Day 1)- May 16th

    2D AGO ·  BONUS

    The Update (LIRR Strike Day 1)- May 16th

    The Update goes fully mobile for a special bonus episode from deep in the woods of Camp Mason — where the Wi-Fi is questionable, the wildlife is aggressive, and somehow we’re still covering one of the biggest transit meltdowns in the tri-state area. On Day 1 of the Long Island Rail Road strike, we break down the commuter chaos unfolding back home as riders scramble for buses, ferries, carpools, emotional support iced coffees, and whatever remaining patience they still had left before Memorial Day weekend. From packed highways to packed tempers, we try to make sense of the first major rail shutdown in years… using whatever limited resources we can find between camp activities and cabins that sound like they were built during the Roosevelt administration. Meanwhile at Citi Field, Game 1 of the Subway Series took a brutal turn as Mets pitcher Clay Holmes suffered a fractured fibula in a frightening injury that could sideline him for a very long time. We react to the game, the atmosphere in Queens, and what this means for a Mets team that already felt like it was being held together with athletic tape, vibes, and pure delusion. It’s a special on-the-road edition of The Update — proving once again that whether we’re in Studio 57 or surviving camp life in New Jersey, the news never stops… even if the trains do.

    46 min
  4. The Update (OTR @ Camp Mason)- May 15th

    2D AGO

    The Update (OTR @ Camp Mason)- May 15th

    In today's edition of The Update Journal, apparently I’ve spent most of my life attending cookouts without actually participating in them. We’re talking barbecue blindness, the shocking realization that people have been eating brisket and ribs recreationally for years. Then, one piece of fried chicken and a can of Squirt turned into a full existential crisis. Because now I’m sitting here wondering what other flavors I’ve missed. Is there a secret underground beverage society? Have the rest of you been gatekeeping cream sodas and regional fruit drinks while I’ve been out here drinking the same three things since 2009? Plus, in The Last Word: we’re “roughing it” at Camp Mason for the Urban Dove spring overnight retreat—which mostly means pretending sleeping in a cabin is fun while every bug in New Jersey files a formal request to enter the building. “Getting closer to nature” sounds beautiful until nature starts scratching at the screen door at 2 in the morning. So: meat confessions, soda discoveries, and camping with a carefully managed exit strategy. Because yes, we’re outdoors… but we are also counting the days until we’re back at home base before Memorial Day weekend. In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Friday, An Long Island Rail Road strike could strand nearly 300,000 commuters starting this weekend as five labor unions and MTA leaders are at odds over wage increases for the union workers. At the same time, an electrical fire erupted on the Amtrak tracks at Penn Station, snarling service into the major Midtown hub, officials said. LIRR service was also impacted by the fire, with delays, cancellations and skipped stops reported on multiple lines, according to the MTA’s website. Big Apple retailers narrowly avoided having to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades to their roll-gown gates — as the city has temporarily paused its attempt to begin enforcing an obscure, decades-old law mandating changes to the security barriers this summer. And overseas, China’s Xi Jinping warned President Trump that their two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue is not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader’s praise for his counterpart.

    1h 47m
  5. The Update- May 14th

    2D AGO

    The Update- May 14th

    In today’s edition of The Update Journal, apparently the universe has decided that patience is no longer a required life skill. First, we dive into the absolute emotional warfare known as UNO: No Mercy — because regular UNO apparently wasn’t destroying enough friendships already. Somewhere along the line, somebody looked at Draw Fours and said, “You know what this family game needs? Psychological damage.” Then we head underground into the daily survival simulator known as the NYC subway system — where the sound of a construction horn instantly translates to: “Congratulations. Your commute is now being held together with duct tape and prayers.” We’ll talk track fires, earlier incidents, residual delays, reroutes, and that exact moment every New Yorker realizes: “Yeah… I’m not getting home anytime soon.” And finally, in today’s Honorable Mention, Ralph Lauren unveils an America 250 stamp collection celebrating “icons” — because nothing says patriotism quite like fashionable postage arriving while the rest of us are stuck between stations wondering if the Q train still believes in itself. Friendships were tested. Trains were delayed. America got commemorative stamps. Just another normal day in New York. In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Thursday, a chunk of debris fell from an overpass on the Cross Bronx Expressway – striking a car below and injuring one person, the FDNY said. The incident comes just days after another incident where another massive piece of debris fell, nearly crushing another driver. A man pleaded guilty to repeatedly ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City, telling a judge he did so because he was intent on damaging the Jewish landmark. And in South Carolina, Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence for the deaths of his wife and son were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court because the court clerk at his trial suggested he was guilty.

    1h 44m
  6. The Update (Year 5 Archives)- May 17th

    3D AGO

    The Update (Year 5 Archives)- May 17th

    Hello everyone! We're going into #TheUpdate vault to play one of our many episodes throughout our many years of the show. For today's episode, we go into the world of Year 5 of The Update. When we first started this then-show at WKRB in 2017, the first year had a lot of things going on. Donald Trump's first year in office, mass shootings worldwide, and the Great American Solar Eclipse to name just a few. In Year 5, it was more of the same. There was the Russian war in Ukraine, more mass shootings in America, and the overturning of Roe V. Wade to name just a few that we'll mention. But also, after more than two years out on the road, we made our way to a new studio at UD Team in the summer of 2022. Oh, and one last thing- be on the lookout for some WKRB highlights as we looked back on five years of memories.

    52 min
  7. The Update (Brandon's Favorite Episodes)- May 16th

    4D AGO

    The Update (Brandon's Favorite Episodes)- May 16th

    We've done a lot of episodes throughout our many years of #TheUpdate, but some of them are my personal favorites. Every month, we're going to go into The Update vault and play one episode from my personal list of favorite episodes. I hope you enjoy them as much as i did hosting it.

    1h 2m
  8. The Update- May 13th

    MAY 14

    The Update- May 13th

    In today’s edition of The Update Journal… the rulebook officially leaves the chat. We dive into the completely unhinged world of Banana Ball — where bunting is apparently a federal offense, fans can record outs from the stands, and baseball finally asked the question: “What if we let the theater kids run the league?” Somewhere, traditional baseball executives are currently stress-eating sunflower seeds in silence. Then, we take a confusing detour into “Halfway to Halloween,” because candy companies have apparently decided spooky season now begins shortly after Easter. Nothing says “summer is coming” quite like seeing skeleton-shaped Twix bars while you’re still paying off Memorial Day cookout expenses. Candy now operates on its own fiscal calendar, and frankly, Spirit Halloween is probably already scouting abandoned Rite Aid locations as we speak. And in Brandon’s Take: Teacher Appreciation Week… with teacher expectations. Because while free bagels and tote bags are nice, teachers are still somehow expected to be educators, therapists, security guards, tech support, event planners, and miracle workers before 8 AM. We appreciate teachers so much that we reward them with pizza… and three new responsibilities. Basically, today’s episode asks one very important question: Did society quietly become a parody of itself while we were distracted? In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Wednesday, the horrific Inwood fire that killed three people, including a top veteran fashion journalist and her elderly mother, was caused by a neighbor who carelessly flicked his cigarette butt, prosecutors said. The estranged husband of a prominent New York City art dealer said he wished his spouse was dead before the co-owner of a contemporary art gallery was found stabbed to death in his Brazilian townhouse, a witness testified as a murder-for-hire trial got underway in Manhattan. And in Baltimore, prosecutors announced criminal charges in the deadly 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing a Singapore-based ship operator of intentionally relying on an improper fuel pump that contributed to the ruinous crash and then lying about it to investigators.

    2h 2m
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New York is a city full of stories. On The Update with Brandon Julien, we just happen to have many of them. Wherever you may be or however you may listen to us, get caught up on everything that you need to know because anything can happen in New York.

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