David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times and the author of New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West (Crown, 2024), discusses the details of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government has issued new work requirement rules for some people on Medicaid, which will go into effect in January, 2027. Ginny Shubert, co-founder of Housing Works, talks about how the new rules will affect New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Photo: US Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz takes questions from reporters during a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House, in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder of URL Media and CEO and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, talks about the themes coming up in the primary campaigns in Queens, where the issues in many of the races are representative of the citywide political conversation right now.  Photo: Queens, New York. October 26, 2020. People lining up for early voting in Astoria. (Credit: Massimo Giachetti) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katie Thornton, host of The Divided Dial, a Peabody Award-winning series on WNYC's On the Media and a freelance print and audio journalist, talks about Esperanto, its history as a language invented to bring people together across borders, and who is speaking it today. "Love Language: The undying dream of Esperanto" (Harper's Magazine, June 2026) Photo: View taken on on April 5, 2017 shows historic Esperanto text books at the Esperanto library inside the Ludwik Zamenhof centre in Bialystok, eastern Poland, on April 5, 2017. Ludwik Zamenhof, the creator of the synthetic language of Esperanto, was born in 1859 in Bialystok. / AFP PHOTO / Janek SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katy Tur, host of MS NOW's "The Moment with Katy Tur", discusses her new show focusing on breaking news and tying the headlines of the day to the upcoming midterm elections. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 15: Katy Tur speaks onstage during the Variety and Rolling Stone Truth Seekers Summit presented by Paramount + at Second on August 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Each year WNYC hosts a "health convening," with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as an opportunity for healthcare experts and practitioners to inform WNYC's health reporting. This year, the topic is ultra-processed foods and how they affect our health.  Kevin Hall, Ph.D., former senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discusses his groundbreaking, tightly controlled metabolic ward trials and mathematical models tracking how human bodies respond to ultra-processed foods.   Photo: PRODUCTION - 02 June 2026, Bavaria, Erlangen: A laboratory employee at the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) inoculates a culture medium in a Petri dish with an eyelet as part of a food analysis. The LGL examines around 60,000 samples from the food sector every year for a wide range of parameters. Whether testing for microbial contamination or the composition of food: Official laboratory analysis is a key factor in the early detection of food-related health risks. Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa (Photo by Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Each year WNYC hosts a "health convening," with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as an opportunity for healthcare experts and practitioners to inform WNYC's health reporting. This year, the topic is ultra-processed foods and how they affect our health.  Fang Fang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., cancer epidemiologist and chair of the Division of Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University discusses her population‑based research on how ultra-processed foods influence cancer prevention, cancer survivorship and long‑term health outcomes. Photo: Packets of chips are on display at a supermarket in Mumbai, India, on September 7, 2025. (Photo by Indranil Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Each year WNYC hosts a "health convening," with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as an opportunity for healthcare experts and practitioners to inform WNYC's health reporting. This year, the topic is ultra-processed foods and how they affect our health.  David Kessler, MD, former FDA Commissioner, breaks down a citizen petition he filed with the Food and Drug Administration last summer which would, among other things, declare that some of the core ingredients in ultra-processed foods were no longer “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” -- a classification that means ingredients are exempt from strict premarket approval process. Photo: US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website detail, by MarioGuti.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drops in to talk about the Knicks' win and the city's celebrations. Photo: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani ascends Knicks-themed subway steps (via @NYCMayor/X) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 the latest national and local political news. Photo: New York Knicks fans celebrate winning Game 4 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, on June 10, 2026 in New York City. Madison Square Garden canceled its planned Game 4 watch party outside the arena after New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch over security requirements for the event. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On July 1, a new law will go into effect in New Jersey that aims to regulate e-bikes. Larry Higgs, commuting and transport reporter at NJ Advance Media and the Star-Ledger, reports on what riders need to know, the confusion surrounding the new rules and why some advocates are pushing back on the law. Photo: Row of parked Citi Ebike rentals, Brooklyn, New York, USA. (Photo by: Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cory Turner, NPR education correspondent and senior editor, shares what's changing for student loan borrowers on July 1. => "July 1 brings big student loan changes. Here's what you need to know" (NPR.com, 6/10/26) Photo: Students outside the dining hall on the Siena College campus Tuesday Nov. 14, 2017 in Colonie, NY. (Photo by John Carl D'Annibale /Albany Times Union via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times correspondent, talks about the palpable joy and connection in the city during the playoff run and after the Knicks championship win, and what this means for the team's long-suffering fans. Photo: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. What does it mean that AI companies are scooping up office space in Manhattan? (First) | Why the Trump administration has requested the medical records of trans youths at NYC area hospitals (Starts at 40:10) | What to do in New Jersey if you're here for the World Cup (Starts at 1:15:45) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As early voting is about to get underway, Rebecca Lewis, state bureau chief at City & State New York, and Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talk about the themes and competitive races in the June 23 primary election, where candidates for congress, state comptroller and various seats in the legislature will be on the ballot. Photo: The NYS Senate begins the 2017 session of the NYS Legislature begins Wednesday Jan. 4, 2017 in Albany, NY. (Photo by John Carl D'Annibale /Albany Times Union via Getty Images)       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2024) previews the end of this year's Supreme Court term, including major cases concerning birthright citizenship, Temporary Protected Status and more. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 6: The U.S. Supreme Court is seen at sunset on June 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Scherer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about his reporting on the conflicts over the 250th anniversary celebration. Photo: LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: A detailed view of the special commemorative 250th anniversary American Flag flying during the spring training baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As visitors from around the world pour into North Jersey for the World Cup, local listeners share their recommendations for things to do outside of the attending the games. Photo: A FIFA World Cup advertisement featuring the hashtag #WEARE26 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. FIFA oversees international soccer competitions, including the World Cup. From June to July 2026, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will jointly host the world's largest international soccer tournament. (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI companies are scooping up office space in Manhattan at a pace that is reminiscent of the dot-com boom in the late 90s. Wall Street Journal reporter Isabelle Bousquette talks about what the office leases mean for the job market, plus weighs in on other related issues.   Photo: Large group of programmers working on computers in the office. Focus is on three women from the back. Credit: skynesher   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Francis Farrell, reporter at the Kyiv Independent, talks about the technology Ukraine is deploying against Russia, and how it's affecting the war, plus how the strategies Russia and Ukraine are using on the battlefield are resonating in the Iran war.    Photo: FPV kamikaze drone at sky. Drones at war - stock photo by Anton Petrus Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Franklin Foer, staff writer at the Atlantic and the author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization (Harper Perennial, new edition 2026), talks about the new edition of his book and looks ahead to the start of World Cup.   Photo: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: General view of the Adidas Trionda, official match ball of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at SoFi Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt McNulty - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After last night's thrilling comeback win, Knicks fans call in to share their mini "Knicks in five" poems, inspired by a fan's viral moment from last week where he cried "My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish. My Christian Dior — Knicks in four!" Photo: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks celebrates after his team's 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, recaps the NY1 and WNYC debate she co-moderated with Brian Lehrer and Errol Louis with the candidates in New York's 12th congressional district, who are running in this month's primary for the Democratic nomination to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. Photo: Voters cast their ballots at the Community Presbyterian Church on election day in Merrick, New York, on Nov. 4, 2025. (James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners weigh in on the perennial debate, which was reignited recently thanks to Jennifer Lopez's controversial opinion shared in her appearance on Subway Takes. Photo: Danny Lyon July 1974, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As trust in science and institutions has eroded, Laura Lindenfeld, PhD, executive director, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and professor of communication at Stony Brook University, explains how improv (and the actor Alan Alda), is helping scientists improve their communication skills with the hope of winning back the skeptics.   Photo: Teacher With Male And Female Drama Students At Performing Arts School In Studio Improvisation Class. Photo by monkeybusinessimages.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Clara Holmes, plant ecologist at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, talk about the challenges facing local wildflowers and native plants and how to preserve them. => NYC Native Plants (NYC Parks)   Photo: Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass -  native wildflower with grasslike leaves and small blue-violet flowers. Grows in open sandy meadows in low wet spots. Uncommon in NYC and locally rare. {Marielle Anzelone) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bill Bradley, two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. Senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, reflects on his own championship season, and more.   Photo: NEW YORK - CIRCA 1970: Bill Bradley #24 of the New York Knicks in action against the San Francisco Warriors during an NBA basketball game circa 1970 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Bradley played for the Knicks from 1967-77. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an ongoing push to end gender affirming care for minors, the Trump administration has requested the medical records of trans youths at both NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares her reporting on how the hospitals are complying with the subpoena and the broader reaction from parents, politicians, and trans-rights advocates.     Photo: Medical records in file cabinet at doctor's office. (Photo by fotofrog/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak, doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are treating symptomatic patients and facing shortages of crucial protective and diagnostic equipment. Amy Maxmen, PhD, public health correspondent and editor at KFF Health News, reports on the situation.   MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - MAY 24: Community members watch as health workers wearing protective equipment prepare for a safe burial operation in the community of Mongbwalu on May 24, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern," as the death toll and number of confirmed cases continue to rise. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo's eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Flag Day and America's 250th approach, Pride month is underway, and the World Cup is about to kick off. Listeners call in to share what flags they are flying, and what they mean.   Photo: Flags of different countries waving in the wind. Photo by: Oliver Helbig/Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn borough president, Claire Valdez, NYS assembly member (37th district, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood), union organizer and artist, and Julie Won, New York City council member (district 26), discuss the key issues in their campaign to be the Democratic nominee in New York's 7th Congressional district. Photo: An election ballot box is seen at a polling site in upper Manhattan where people cast their vote for the 2020 U.S Presidential Election, in New York City, United States on November 03, 2020. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City's unemployment rate is higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, and job growth has stalled. James Parrott, senior fellow and senior advisor at the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, talks about factors contributing to these economic concerns. Photo: A 'help wanted' advertisement is displayed in Manhattan on January 09, 2026, in New York City. The Labor Department reported on Friday that employers added 50,000 jobs in December, bringing the unemployment rate down to 4.4% (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Rhodes, contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, co-host of Pod Save the World, an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts through public speeches, from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump. Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to supporters during his farewell speech at McCormick Place on January 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christina Norman, chief creative officer at The Moth, and Juan Rodriguez, senior manager, community engagement at The Moth, talk about their new workshop for potential storytellers, related to their new project with the National September Memorial and Museum for the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The Moth & The 9/11 Memorial & Museum Information Session, virtual, June 10 at 7pm. Photo: The Corn Moon rises behind the skyline of lower Manhattan as the Tribute in Light is tested ahead of the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City on September 8, 2025, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn via Getty) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Ask the Mayor  (First) | Queer Saints (Starts at 30:16) | New Slang (Starts at 51:45) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elana Schor, senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the news out of Washington this week, including how some Republican senators are standing up to President Trump on war powers, the $1.8 billion dollar payout fund and more. Photo: Martin Falbisoner, US Capitol and Grant Memorial, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chair and executive director of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Sarah Sayeed, and the "People's Artist" at the CEC Yazmany Arboleda, talk about this year's round of citywide participatory budgeting for projects in each borough and how and where to vote.   Photo: Paul Stein, Hooping at New York City Dance Parade, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Kliff, investigative health care reporter for The New York Times, talks about her reporting on the booming business of autism treatment clinics, where she found allegations of fraud, and even harm to the children the centers aim to help. Photo: Karen Lajmoraki, L, an instructional assistant, works with Steven Moshuris, R, an autistic student who uses an iPad as a communication device, at Belle View Elementary School on April 11, 2012, in Alexandria, VA. This is an autism classroom where students are using iPads as communication devices and also to work on social skills and conversation. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Co-hosts of WNYC's Radiolab Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller preview their live Tribeca Festival event where they will explore how and why we get goosebumps and how we experience sweetness.   Photo: Kai Oberhäuser memoryonsounds, Microphone (Unsplash), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) and challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier, an organizer and activist, discuss the key issues in their campaign to be the Democratic nominee in New York's 13th Congressional district.   Photo: diego_cue, Harlem - New York (NYC) - USA, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New Jersey reporters for WNYC and Gothamist Michael Sol Warren and Mike Hayes recap this month's "Ask Governor Sherrill" call-in show, hosted by Michael Hill, including the discussion on the Delaney Hall ICE facility, this week's primary election results and more. Photo: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill holds hold a press conference regarding Delaney Hall, located in Newark, N.J., with Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, and Deputy Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, at New Jersey State Police Newark Station in Newark, N.J. on Sunday, May 31, 2026. (Office of Governor / Tim Larsen) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Martha Raddatz, ABC News' chief global affairs correspondent and 'This Week' co-anchor and the author of The Hero Next Door: Stories of Patriotism and Purpose (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2026), highlights the courage and heroism of members of the U.S. military.Photo: Kyle Osterhoudt, U.S. Military Academy, Celebration Time: Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy celebrate as the Army's newest officers during a commencement ceremony at West Point, N.Y., May 24, 2025. For the Class of 2025 Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tweens, teenagers and their parents call to share a language lesson on some of the popular slang of 2026.   Image: TikTok app icon on a mobile phone (Solen Feyissa, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest regarding the midterm elections, the Democratic Party's identity crisis and more.Photo: U.S. Senate candidate from Maine Graham Platner speaks during a campaign event at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859 on May 17, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Platner is expected to be the presumptive Democratic nominee and would face off against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for the Senate seat in the general election. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, discusses the issues Mayor Mamdani talked about in his first "ask the mayor" segment, including his defense of hiring more NYPD officers.Photo: Mayor Mamdani briefs the media regarding security for the Israel Day Parade with NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. 1 Police Plaza, Manhattan. Thursday, May 28, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reilly Steel, associate professor of law at Columbia Law School, talks about the ways that businesses interact with politics, especially as it relates to their public support (or lack thereof) of LGBTQ issues during Pride month.Photo: DimiTalen, LGBT pride flags, Zeedijk, Amsterdam, 2022, Date 2 August 2022, 11:13:15, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Where do you draw the line? World Cup tickets at MetLife Stadium and Knicks home tickets for the NBA Finals are going for thousands of dollars. Listeners tell us what sporting events they're attending at affordable costs?  Photo: Fans wait for tickets prior to the start of the game between the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets during their Opening Day game at Citi Field on April 5, 2010. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

State lawmakers have finally approved a budget; now what? Jimmy Vielkind, New York State issues reporter for WNYC, talks about the work left to do as the Albany session comes to a close, and lawmakers mull over the redistricting process, pricing rules and other big legislative priorities. Photo: New York State Capitol viewed from the south, located on the north end of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York (Photo by Matt H. Wade via Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nancy Redd, a writer covering health and personal care at Wirecutter,  the product recommendation service from The New York Times, talks about what to look for in choosing the best sunscreen. Photo: Stock image by fcafotodigital/iStock via Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, takes questions from listeners and talks about the big news in the city, and other issues important to New Yorkers, including trans healthcare, pedestrian safety and childcare. Graphic by WNYC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Charles Stile, political columnist at The Record / northjersey.com, offers a preview of the competitive congressional primaries in New Jersey. And Dustin Gardiner, co-author of Politico's California Playbook, previews of the big races in California that voters are deciding on Tuesday, including for governor and mayor of Los Angeles. Photo: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass greets customers at Pann's Restaurant on June 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of a weekly column on life in Washington and co-host of The Political Scene podcast and the author (with Peter Baker) of The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 (Doubleday, 2022), as well as Evan Osnos, staff writer at The New Yorker, co-host of the podcast "The Political Scene" and the author of The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich (Scribner, 2025), comment on the latest national political news, including the outlook for the 2026 midterm elections. Photo: James Talarico, Democratic nominee for a closely-watched U.S. Senate race in Texas this year, delivers remarks at a rally in September 2025. (Credit: H. Michael Karshis via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Arya Sundaram, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering race and immigration, breaks down the latest in New Jersey, including why the mayor of Newark on Sunday announced a partial curfew following repeated clashes near a federal immigration detention center, and Charles Stile, political columnist at The Record / northjersey.com, offers a preview of Tuesday's NJ congressional primaries. Photo: Police clash with protesters outside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall, where ICE is housing detained immigrants, on May 30, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Antonio Pagliarulo, writer and author of Queer Saints: A Radical Guide to Magic, Miracles, and Modern Intercession (Weiser Books), talks about the role of saints in people's lives, within the Catholic Church and beyond, and offers his list of saints specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Photo: Cover art for Queer Saints. (Credit: Red Wheel/Weiser Books) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani will be joining the show tomorrow for his inaugural "Ask the Mayor" segment. Listeners call in to share questions they'd like to ask the new mayor. Photo: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers remarks about the fiscal year 2027 budget in New York City Hall, New York, U.S., May 12, 2026. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The States and Redistricting (First) | Marriage in Context (Starts at 31:00) | All of It Summer Reading Challenge (Starts at 57:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo: Oliver Larkin, Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida’s 23rd district, speaks during an emergency town hall that he held to address Florida Republicans’ newly approved congressional redistricting map (seen on wall) on May 04, 2026 in Coral Springs, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson, Tarrytown Village trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, lawyer, former television reporter and democracy advocate Mike Sacks and Cait Conley, army veteran, former director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council and senior executive at cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, discuss key issues as they campaign in the June primary election to be the Democratic nominee for Congress for New York's 17th congressional district. Photo: Views of West Haverstraw and Haverstraw in Rockland County, New York (Photo by Alexisrael via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration announced that those seeking green cards would need to apply from their home countries, not within the U.S. as many had been able to do. Allan Wernick, legal advisor to CUNY Citizenship Now! — CUNY's free immigration law service program, offers the latest guidance on who will be affected by the change. Photo: Close-up of a United States Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) placed among various official documents (Stock image by PS Photography/Moment via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Julie Su, deputy mayor for economic justice, talks about the administration's priorities when it comes to economic development, jobs and economic justice. Photo: Then-Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wedding season is upon us! Listeners who are planning a wedding call in to share the stickiest decision or detail they had to deal with. Photo: A jogger approaches newlyweds getting ready to pose for wedding photos on the Bow Bridge in Central Park as New Yorkers and tourists take advantage of the unusually warm weather for winter in the city on January 8, 2013. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the Supreme Court decision that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Daniel Squadron, co-founder of The States Project, former New York State senator and author of the forthcoming book The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union (Zando, 2026), talks about the interplay between state legislatures and the redistricting fights happening now. Photo: Oliver Larkin, Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida’s 23rd district, speaks during an emergency town hall that he held to address Florida Republicans’ newly approved congressional redistricting map (seen on wall) on May 04, 2026 in Coral Springs, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Albany lawmakers finally passed the state budget, eight weeks late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on the key provisions in the deal. Photo: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani testifies at the 2026 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing in Albany on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. (Photo by Michael Appleton courtesy of the Mayoral Photo Office) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An investigation by The CITY, built from a database of more than 1,200 lawsuits filed against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, found that of the 430 street arrests it documented across the New York City area, more than 93% targeted Latinos -- far out of proportion to their share of the undocumented population. Gwynne Hogan, senior reporter covering immigration and homelessness for The CITY, and Rosalind Adams, investigative reporter for THE CITY, share their findings and what the numbers reveal about how ICE is operating across the city. Photo: An immigration court sign is seen as federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Ted Weiss Federal Building on May 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families and the author of The Way We Never Were; Marriage, a History; and now, For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage (Viking; May 26, 2026), offers historical context for the institution of marriage and examines the attitudes and policies that can strengthen it. Photo: Stock image by Christoph Wagner/Moment via Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Goldman, US Representative (D, NY-10), and Brad Lander, former NYC comptroller and former mayoral candidate, discuss key issues as they campaign in the June primary election to be the Democratic nominee for Congress for New York's 10th congressional district. Photo: On August 7, 2025, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) speak outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on August 07, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled his plan to build 200,000 affordable units and preserve another 200,000 over the next decade. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, relays the standout details of the Mamdani administration's "Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era." Photo: Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks to the media as he stands with some of the people he has appointed to help with his transition to City Hall on November 24, 2025 in New York City (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David B. Oppenheimer, clinical professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, co-director of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law and the author of The Diversity Principle: The Story of a Transformative Idea (Yale University Press), argues that the idea that there is value in diversity in education and politics has a long history, and that attacks on the concept today are misguided. Cover art courtesy of Yale University Press Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jordan Lauf, producer for All Of It and its book club, Get Lit with All Of It, introduces this summer reading contest from All Of It and Get Lit, six books across six categories. Photo by Luke Green/WNYC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., talks about his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2026). In it, Murphy identifies the underlying crises that have resulted in our current politics and offers solutions that could reinvigorate Americans' sense of the common good. Photo: Cover art for Crisis of the Common Good. (Credit: Macmillan Publishers) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York State lawmakers are considering the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics, professor at Bennington College, former EPA Region 2 administrator and author of The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late (The New Press, 2025), talks about why she is advocating for its passage and what the bill would do if it becomes law. Photo: A recycling bin in New York City. (Credit: RockyJennifer/Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeffrey Winters, professor of political science at Northwestern University and the director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies Program at Northwestern’s Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and the author of The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies (Scribner, 2026), talks about the history of oligarchy, how to fight it, and why it maintains power in a democracy. Photo: Cover art for The Blind Spot. (Credit: Simon & Schuster) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the Knicks dominant performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, New York fans are feeling an overwhelming sense of exuberance. Listeners call in to share other sporting moments in their lives that brought this feeling—whether with a professional team or at a lower level. Photo: Knicks fans celebrate winning the eastern conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 25, 2026 in New York City. Credit: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Memorial Day, a new interview on its history, and some recent favorites: Kenneth C. Davis, author of the "Don't Know Much About History" series and most recently, The World in Books: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction (Scribner, 2024), shares the history of how Americans have observed Memorial Day and its history Jodi Kantor, New York Times investigative reporter, co-author of She Said (Penguin, 2019) and author of How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work (Hachette, 2026), expands on her Columbia University commencement address where she tried to answer the question, “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?”. Queen Elizabeth II interacted with American presidents from Truman through Trump.  Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026),  relates her history with U.S. leaders throughout her reign. Michael Valdovinos, a clinical psychologist, veteran, trauma expert and the author of Moral Injuries: When Good Conscience Suffers in a World of Hurt (Harper, 2026), talks about recognizing and healing "moral injuries" that occur not from physical trauma, but from acts that violate the conscience, and are now understood to affect those on the battlefield, and in all walks of life. A.M. Gittlitz, an organizer and writer and the author of Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team (Astra House, 2026),  looks at the way class and politics and baseball intersect with the story of the Mets baseball franchise.   The first interview was recorded for today.  The others were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Advice for Finding Your Life's Work (April 22, 2026) The Queen & the Presidents (April 14, 2026) Moral Injuries on the Battlefield and Beyond (April 24, 2026) A 'People's History' of the Mets (March 31, 2026)   photo: Spring Time at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia on April 9, 2024 (Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. National News With Kai and Carter (First) | Hantavirus Fact and Fiction (Starts at 29:48) | How Belief in God Has Changed (Starts at 44:40) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses Mayor Zohran Mamdani's “South of Prospect Plan," which aims to rezone the commercial corridors of McDonald and Coney Island avenues south of Brooklyn's Prospect Park, as well as surrounding blocks, for taller buildings and more housing development. Photo: Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. (Credit: Jim.henderson/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nahal Toosi, Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump and his aides have grown frustrated that the U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba, which includes depriving the island of fuel, doesn't seem to be working and what sort of military action might be on the table. Photo: A person waves US and Cuban flags during a "Free Cuba" rally in Miami, Florida, on April 26, 2026, to call for the departure of the Castros and the Communist Party from power in Cuba. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everlane, the brand built on "radical transparency" and sustainable basics, is reportedly selling to ultra-fast-fashion giant Shein for $100 million. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (Penguin, 2012) and The Conscious Closet (Plume, 2019), talks about her piece in The Atlantic, "Everlane, Shein, and the Limits of the Ethical Consumer," on what the sale reveals about so-called sustainable fashion and the limits of ethical consumerism. Photo: A customer checks a tag at the new Shein fast fashion retail at its opening day in the BHV department store in Angers, western France, on February 25, 2026. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Julia Moskin, food reporter for the New York Times, talks about New York's proposed ban on potassium bromate, a flour additive that gives New York pizza and bagels their distinct textures—and a possible carcinogen in humans. Photo: ESPN invites fans to get a bite of the NBA action at PopUp Bagels ahead of season tip-off on October 22, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ESPN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Renita Francois, deputy mayor for community safety, talks about her job leading the newly established Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, focused on violence prevention. Photo: Members of a violence prevention team gather near a hookah lounge where three people were shot dead and 10 others wounded following a shooting at the Taste of the City lounge in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, early Sunday on August 19, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and staff writer for The Atlantic, talks about the late Barney Frank's advice for Democrats and other national political news of the day, including his analysis of how President Trump is changing as his second term continues, and why he thinks the president's age is less scrutinized than his predecessor's. Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Air Force One on May 20, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kai Wright, host of the podcast Big Lives, and Carter Sherman, co-hosts of the new Guardian US video podcast Stateside With Kai and Carter, talk about recent stories in the news, including their take on the Supreme Court's voting rights decision, an ICE arrest that turned violent and more. Photo: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrol Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport on March 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reshma Ketkar, co-founder of the group We Start Here and the lead organizer for Stories without Borders, talks about the work the group We Start Here does to help people organize fundraising events for organizations that are important to them. Plus, listeners call in to talk about local fundraisers they've worked on, who they are supporting and why. Photo: A donation box at the entrance to the library. At the Fleetwood Area Public Library in Fleetwood, PA Thursday morning January 27, 2022. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the author of Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America (Little, Brown, 2026), talks about the changes to the legal system needed to preserve US democracy. Photo: Sunira Moses, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gregory Anderson, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, talks about his new role, and his department's work in enforcing the composting laws that are on the books. Photo: NYC Compost Project, collection bin, Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology (Harper Paperbacks 2020), quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history.Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy at Notre Dame and founder of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, offers her take on the contemporary context for belief, or doubt, in God as religious affiliation largely declines in the U.S. Photo: Worshippers walk to a station during the Way of the Cross procession over the Brooklyn Bridge on April 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Regina Lark, organizer and founder of A Clear Path, offers advice for how to clean out a parent's home, especially when grief is also a part of the picture. Photo: A woman creates piles of cookbooks she planned to purchase during the estate sale at the home of celebrity chef Barbara Lynch. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CBS has canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." As the show airs its final episodes, Bill Carter, editor at large for LateNighter.com, discusses what its loss says about today's media landscape. Photo: US comedian Stephen Colbert speaks onstage during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katelyn Jetelina, founder and author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist, talks about what public health authorities do and don't know about the strain of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship, what the risks are and what the reaction of US-based health officials has signaled about pandemic preparedness here. Photo: Specialist workers in full PPE carry boxes containing hazardous waste as they begin the process of disinfecting the cruise ship MV Hondius after it docked in the Port of Rotterdam following the recent hantavirus outbreak, on May 18, 2026 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology (Harper Paperbacks 2020), quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history.  Photo: The White House pictured in June 2025. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Kirsch, writer of the New York Times newsletter "The Good List," which gives recommendations and inspirations for living a more joyful and meaningful life, and writer of "The Morning" newsletter on Saturday, discusses her work and listeners call in about the new things they've tried that are bringing more joy and meaning to their lives. Photo: Stock image of joyful child running through a field.  (Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Laura Kinsella, founder of Urban OrgaNYze, offers advice on how to stay organized despite the chaos of a kid-filled household. Photo: Stock image of identical twin boys in a very untidy bedroom covered in toys. (LPETTET/E+ via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clayton Guse, WNYC and Gothamist editor of the transit and infrastructure desk, and Stephen Nessen, WNYC and Gothamist transportation reporter,  talk about the latest on the strike by Long Island Railroad workers. Photo: A Long Island Railroad train departs from Woodside, Queens en route to Penn Station in Manhattan. (Credit: Mtattrain/Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), offers analysis of FBI director Kash Patel's performance during Congressional testimony, plus how he says President Trump's recent gaffes may hurt the GOP. Photo: FBI Director Kash Patel attends the Las Vegas Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov. 22, 2025. (Credit: Tia Dufour/U.S. Department of Homeland Security via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology, quizzes listeners on how well they know their American history. Photo: The White House pictured in June 2025. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on spring cleaning, KC Davis, author of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing, offers realistic strategies for how neurodivergent people can build healthy habits around cleaning. Photo: Cover art for "How to Keep House." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Economic News from Marketplace (First) | Our Bodies & Our Tech (Starts at 14:32) | Wild NYC - Air Migrations (Starts at 33:54) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Gas prices over 6 dollars a gallon are seen on a sign at a Shell station on May 11, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking Press, 2019), talks about his recent reporting on Péter Magyar, the new prime minister of Hungary who recently toppled Viktor Orbán, and on OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman. Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar speaks at the first press conference of the new Hungarian government in Opusztaszer, Hungary, May 13, 2026. (Photo by Peter Zsolnai/Xinhua via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On The Media's Micah Loewinger talks about his reporting in the series "The Movement to Kill FEMA," and co-host Brooke Gladstone previews her conversation for OTM about the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act decision from last week. Image: Courtesy of On the Media Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners try their hand at a news quiz, with questions and commentary by Mo Rocca, host of the podcast Mobituaries, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and co-author of Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs. Photo: Mo Rocca, host of "My Grandmother's Ravioli."; Courtesy of The Cooking Channel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Donvan, moderator-in-chief of the radio show Open to Debate, discusses what the show Open to Debate, which airs on WNYC (and many other NPR stations) aims to do, and spotlights some of the recent issues they've taken on. Image: Podcast logo, courtesy of Open to Debate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lulu Miller, host of Terrestrials and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab, shares some recent standout moments from Radiolab's kids podcast, Terrestrials. Image courtesy of Terrestrials/Radiolab Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nate Swanson, former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025 and current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council, offers analysis of President Trump's claim that the US will sign a nuclear deal with Iran, and the major obstacles standing in the way. Photo: Photojournalists take pictures of an Iranian technician walking at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facilities (UCF), 420 kms south of Tehran, 03 February 2007. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and author of Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being (Flatiron, 2026), talks about the impact on our bodies of our interactions with our phones and other tech -- and how to stay healthy and stay connected.Photo: A close-up view of a person using a smartphone indoors, showcasing modern technology. Public Domain, via pexles. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz based on people in the news.Photo: President Donald J. Trump holds up a copy of The Washington Post during the 2020 National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) PDM 1.0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Kaitlyn Wells, senior staff writer for The New York Times' product review site, Wirecutter, offers more advice on how to organize and digitize life's most important documents. Then, she'll share tips for organizing and digitizing the memorabilia you hold most dear. Photo: Stock image by Tsuji/E+ via Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mayor Mamdani has released his executive budget. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, explains how the mayor proposes the city closes the major funding gaps and how the tardy state budget has factored in. Plus,  she shares her related reporting on the mayor's relationship with the business community and his base.Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Speaker Julie Menin hold a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 to call on Albany to help close New York City's multi-billion dollar budget gap for the 2027 Fiscal Year, urging New York State to finalize its budget that delivers the City’s fair share of funding. April 28, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of Marketplace, talks about the latest economic news, including recent data on inflation, jobs and productivity, the effects of President Trump's tariffs and more. Photo: High gas prices are displayed at a Shell gas station on May 11, 2026 in Burbank, California. President Trump today said he wants to suspend the national gas tax amid elevated gas prices as the war in Iran continues. The gas tax currently stands at 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz based on places in the news.Photo: Colorful Pins Locating Destinations on World Map, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, Credit: freebie.photography Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jodi Kantor, New York Times investigative reporter, co-author of She Said (Penguin, 2019) and author of How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work (Hachette, 2026), expands on her Columbia University commencement address where she tried to answer the question, “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?” Photo: Cover art for 'How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work.' (Credit: Hachette) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Kaitlyn Wells, senior writer at Wirecutter, offers advice on how to organize and digitize life's most important documents. Photo: Stock image by Tsuji/E+ via Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mara Liasson, NPR national political correspondent, talks about the latest national political news, including what's happening in foreign policy as President Trump travels to China and a deal to end the Iran war is still not happening. Plus, she discusses the redistricting wars and what a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found about the president's approval ratings. Photo: A Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida speaks during an emergency town hall about Florida Republicans’ newly approved congressional redistricting map (seen on wall) on May 04, 2026 in Coral Springs, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As state lawmakers continue to hammer out the details in this year's budget, Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports that it looks like the state will loosen the emissions goals in the landmark 2019 climate law, and explains why Gov. Hochul is dedicated to this, and why environmentalists are furious.Photo: Factory smoke via rawpixel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners try their hand at a quiz based on numbers in the news. Image: Stock illustration, (GrafikLab via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Christian Cooper, science and comics writer, host of the National Geographic TV series Extraordinary Birder, NYC Bird Alliance board member, and the author of Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World (Random House, 2023), talk about the spring migration of birds and butterflies, happening now. Photo: Northern Parula, a small warbler, perched on diagonal perch in Spring, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, New York (Adria  Photography via Getty) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a series on "spring cleaning," Kaitlyn Wells, senior staff writer for The Wirecutter, offers advice on how to purge your old clothes, including where to send them when they're out of your closet. Image: Stock photo; (smirart via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, digs into the details of the new, though still not final, $268 billion dollar New York State budget. Photo: The New York State Senate. (Credit: The New York State Senate) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Trump administration is in the process of revamping Penn Station, Tom Wright, CEO and president of the Regional Plan Association (RPA), talks about a new report that offers the RPA's ideas for how to increase capacity and make the transit hub work for commuters. Photo: A clock at Penn Station. (Credit: Boaventuravinicius via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Civil rights scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, co-founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, founder and executive director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, distinguished professor and Promise Institute chair for human rights at UCLA Law School and Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher professor at Columbia Law School, and author of Backtalker: An American Memoir (Simon & Schuster), talks about key moments in her life that helped her develop groundbreaking legal concepts. Crenshaw is popularly known for her development of “intersectionality,” “Critical Race Theory” and as the host of the podcast Intersectionality Matters! She'll be in discussion about Backtalker at NYPL on Wedneesday. Cover art courtesy of Simon & Schuster Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Grose, opinion writer at The New York Times, discusses the still-mostly-unequal division of household labor. Photo: Two women wash dishes in a kitchen in Australia in 1944. (Credit: Jim Fitzpatrick via National Library of Australia/Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Demise of Spirit Airlines  (First) | Is a Rent Freeze Coming? (Starts at 38:21) | Avoiding Phishing Scams (Starts at 57:35) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   Photo: The self-service check-in kiosks of Spirit Airlines stand idle with a message to customers after the company ceased global operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 2, 2026. US air carriers mobilized Saturday to help passengers and crew members stranded by the overnight shutdown of Spirit Airlines, after last-minute talks with creditors and the White House collapsed. The budget airline known for its bright yellow planes succumbed to crushing fuel prices and announced in the early hours of Saturday that "all flights have been canceled, and customer service is no longer available" as it "started winding down its global operations, effective immediately." (GIORGIO VIERA / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Janai Nelson, president-director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, talks about the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in Callais V. Louisiana, which they say gutted the Voting Rights Act. Plus, her reaction to the news that the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved redistricting ballot measure that would have been a boon to Democrats.Photo: United States Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C., (Marielam1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the Rent Guidelines Board's preliminary vote on rent regulations for about one million regulated apartments, and other housing news.Photo:  The Queensbridge public housing development in the neighborhood of Long Island City in Queens, New York, (NewYork 1956 at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ian Shapiro, professor of political science and global affairs at Yale University, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of After the Fall: From the End of History to the Crisis of Democracy, How Politicians Broke Our World (Basic Books, 2026), traces the breakdown in democratic institutions to missteps by Western leaders following the fall of the Soviet Union. Photo: US President George HW Bush (in grey suit) and Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin (1931 - 2007) (in black suit) wave as they step off Marine One, Maryland, June 17, 1992. (Photo by Ron Sachs/CNP/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Alva Gotby's book They Call it Love: The Politics of Emotional Life (Verso Books, 2023), coined the term emotional reproduction to describe the unseen and unappreciated labor involved in maintaining relationships that tends to fall on women in heterosexual pairings. For this Mother's Day, listeners call in to share how this concept appears in their lives and appreciate the emotional reproduction of the mothers in their lives. Photo: A woman gives a child a hug. (Credit: Myles Grant/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dean Seal, corporate news reporter for The Wall Street Journal, talks about how the Iran war and higher fuel prices were a major factor in the demise of Spirit Airlines, and how the budget carrier shutting down may mean higher fares across the board.Photo: Author John Mckenna, CC BY 2.0. Public Domain Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney, talks about recent work his office has done vacating wrongful convictions, a statistical decline in crime and more. Photo: Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., the District Attorney of New York County photographed on Central Park West and 74th Street (CmdrDan, CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suzanne Goldberg, professor of law at Columbia Law School and co-founder of the school's Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, talks about the Trump administration's investigation of Smith College over its policy of admitting transgender students, plus the administration's lawsuit against The New York Times on behalf of a white man who is alleging the paper discriminated in their hiring practices. Photo: A brick wall sign with SMITH COLLEGE stands before a stately building amidst lush green trees under a bright sky, capturing a serene campus entrance. (Credit: Brian Logan via Getty Images Plus) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about the latest or best book they've listened to, plus discuss the types of books they prefer to listen to over read. Photo: Stock image (Credit: mi-vector via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including the war with Iran and partisan redistricting in the Garden State and around the country.Photo: US Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ). December 2024, Office of Senator Andy Kim U.S. Senate Photographic Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC Health and Hospitals announced plans to shut down a storied program at Bellevue Hospital that treats torture survivors, citing tenuous federal funding and the possibility of ICE raids at the hospital. Allen Keller, M.D., associate professor of medicine and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and founder of Bellevue's Program for Survivors of Torture, and Ibrahim, former patient at Bellevue's Program for Survivors of Torture, discuss the impact of the program and why they're fighting to keep it open. Photo: Bellevue Hospital - NYC (Credit: ajay_suresh via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025, according to provisional CDC data, marking a 23% drop since 2007. Jill Filipovic, attorney and author of several books, including OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2020),  and Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center and a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explain what's behind the decline, the current Republican and far-right conservative policy plans to try and reverse those trends and what actually works to incentivize a growing population. Photo: A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus on Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. (Credit: Rogelio V. Solis/AP) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wes Jackson, president of BRIC, unveils the lineup for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival in Prospect Park, where the theme this year is "radical joy."  Photo: A Celebrate Brooklyn! performance at the Lena Horne Bandshell in July 2022. (Credit: BailieSchaefer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily reinstated a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine. Amy Littlefield, abortion access correspondent at The Nation and author of Killers of Roe: My Investigation Into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights (Hachette, 2026), explains the legal battle over the abortion pill playing out in courts and how abortion access in the United States could be upended if reproductive care becomes inaccessible through the mail. Plus, Kristyn Brandi, MD, abortion provider in New Jersey and previous board chair with Physicians for Reproductive Health, explains how abortion access has expanded via telemedicine post-Dobbs and how abortion care providers are navigating shifting policies. Photo: Trans man and abortion rights advocate Artemis Duffy of New England shows a box of mifepristone he is taking outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2024. (Photo by Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zellnor Myrie, New York State Senator (D-20, parts of central Brooklyn including Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Park Slope), talks about his bill that would allow survivors of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein to seek damages from the Epstein estate, plus other budget-related news of the day. Photo: State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, center, questions New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, Daniel Martuscello III, commissioner of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and Joseph Popcun, deputy commissioner of the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, during a joint legislative budget hearing on public protection on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at the Legislative Office Building in Albany, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, MSNOW commentator and the author of  The U.S. Constitution:  A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader (Simon & Schuster, 2026), explains the Constitution and how all the problems inherent in the founding are contained in it, not solved by it. Photo: The first page of the US Constitution. (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC has been targeted by scammers who posed as hosts and offered authors interviews -- for a fee (which WNYC would never do). Rachel Tobac, co-founder and CEO of Social Proof Security, and Kenneth Atkins, assistant director of IT and data security at WNYC, talk about how to spot sneaky online phishing scams, and how to deal if you fall for it. Photo: Stock image (Vertigo3d via Getty Creative) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Corasaniti, New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections, talks about how the Supreme Court's recent voting rights decision could fuel "endless redistricting wars," and how this may affect this year's midterm elections and beyond. Photo: Campaign signs in Takoma Park, Md. on Oct. 27, 2018. (Credit: Edward Kimmel/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christine Clarke, commissioner and chair of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, talks about her new role, the Mamdani administration's priorities in human rights and the state of New York's anti-discrimination laws. Photo: Christine Clarke, chair and commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. (Credit: New York City Commission on Human Rights) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derrick Palmer, cofounder of the Amazon Labor Union and the author of Handbook for the Revolution: Building a More Perfect Union for the Twenty-First Century (Auwa Books, 2026), tells the story of organizing the first successful labor union for Amazon workers at the JFK8 Warehouse on Staten Island and offers advice for other workers seeking to organize. Photo: Cover art for Handbook for the Revolution: Building a More Perfect Union for the Twenty-First Century by Derrick Palmer. (Credit: Macmillan Publishers) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last Friday was "decision day" for high school seniors who are making plans to go to college in the fall. Listeners call in to share how much politics - or the job market - played into their decision (or their child's decision) on where to go. Photo: Stock image via fotosipsak/Getty Creative Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors.  Actors Adepero Oduye (12 Years a Slave, Pariah, The Big Short) and Jumaane Williams (NYC Public Advocate) performed “Our Longing for Inconvenience,” a recent essay written by Hanif Abdurraqib for The New Yorker. The essay helped kick off a conversation with WNYC listeners about “falling in love the old fashioned way” in a world mediated by phones and apps. We explored the tension between our desire for convenience and the friction of older technologies — like Walkmans, disposable cameras, and VCRs — that transport us back to less distracted, seemingly more authentic, times. And we talked about strategies for staying present and resisting the allure of instant gratification to feel more alive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. AI Creeps Into the Classroom (First) | PEN World Voices & Global Free Expression (Starts at 35:49) | Why Hospital Admission Is Getting Harder (Starts at 1:05:28) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Farnaz Fassihi, United Nations Bureau Chief for The New York Times, reports on the latest in the negotiations around the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: A pro-Iran demonstration in Iran on March 31, 2026. (Credit: 110 and 135/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 1.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lawmakers in Albany are going back and forth over a bill that would require so-called "super speeders" — drivers who get caught speeding more than 16 times per year — to install speed governors in their car. J.K. Trotter, associate editor for Streetsblog NYC, explains the problem, the legislation, and his reporting on one NYPD cop who has racked up more than 500 speeding tickets. Photo: A speeding camera sign in Huntsville, Ala. pictured May 7, 2015. (Credit: formulanone/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently released new guidance that prioritizes childbirth over contraception. Mary Ziegler, UC Davis law professor and the author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession (Yale University Press, 2023) and Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction (Yale University Press, 2025), explains what's in the guidance and why she believes that the Trump administration is launching the most serious effort in decades to curb contraception. Photo: Birth control pills and pregnancy tests sit on a pharmacy shelf. (Credit: Sarahmirk/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New York Times released a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters. Lindsay Zoladz, pop music critic at The New York Times and the writer of the music newsletter The Amplifier, talks about the luminaries on the list, and shares who she wishes could have been included but were left off. Photo: Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at BC Place on December 06, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases where the Trump administration is attempting to end TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the US. Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, and Daniel Berlin, policy director of Protection Pathways at the International Rescue Committee, offer their take on why the program should stay legal, as well as talk about the humanitarian crisis they say is ongoing in Haiti.Photo by Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons): Panorama of the west facade of United States Supreme Court Building at dusk in Washington, D.C., United States of America  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration’s work requirement changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, officially took effect this month. Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explains what has changed for SNAP recipients in New York and New Jersey. Photo by Lance Cheung/U.S. Department of Agriculture via Wikimedia Commons:  A farmer's market in Baltimore tests out wireless payment through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nicholas Enrich, former civil servant who worked at USAID under four administrations and the author of Into The Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID (Summit Books, 2026), talks about the effects of DOGE cuts on USAID, and of his efforts to publicize them and what the cuts meant for countries receiving U.S. assistance. Photo courtesy of United States Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons: USAID packages being delivered by United States Coast Guard personnel.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Halle Newman, writer, talks about her recent piece for Slate, "My Dad Used to Have All the Answers. Now He Asks ChatGPT," and the people who outsource their advice-giving to generative AI. Photo: close-up of a man using a laptop. Credit: SHVETS via Pexels. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, co-chief executive officer of PEN America, and Dinaw Mengestu, novelist and writer and president of PEN America, talk about free expression around the world and the World Voices Festival underway. Photo: A shelf of books. (Credit: Desnathas via Wikimedia Commons BY CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to share about an interesting or out of the box job they are hiring for, or a job they recently got that they'd like to talk about.Photo: Help wanted sign spotted at Gaudalupe in Austin, Texas, (Credit: Andreas Klinke Johannsen, Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 (Random House, 2019), offers legal analysis of today's arguments before the Supreme Court over Temporary Protected Status for certain refugees, plus reacts to the Louisiana redistricting decision.Photo: United States Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C., (Marielam1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dana Kaplan, criminal justice reform expert, talks about her new role as Mayor Mamdani's Close Rikers Czar, leading NYC's efforts to close Rikers in favor of borough-based jails as required by law. Photo: An aerial image of Rikers Island. (Credit: U.S. Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about what they feel unsure about in this age of certainty and political polarization. Photo: A person sits at a restaurant in New Orleans on Feb. 5, 2008. (Credit: Bridget Coila via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elisabeth Rosenthal, senior contributing editor at KFF Health News, former ER physician, and author of An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back (Penguin Press (hardcover, 2017)), discusses her latest reporting on how patients in emergency department are getting stuck waiting for days to be transferred into an inpatient ward. Photo: Rooms in the emergency department are made up at the new UCI Health hospital in Irvine, CA on Thursday, November 6, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cory Booker, U.S. Senator (D, NJ) and the author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), talks about his efforts to gain support for a war powers resolution to stop the war in Iran, and other national news. Photo: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) speaks at the National Action Network's annual convention on April 11, 2026 in New York City. A horde of 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls will descend on a Sheraton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan this week for Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference, nearly two years before the first primary votes will be cast (by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist, talks about the current state of violence and settlements in the West Bank.Photo: US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (C) and the Palestinian mayor of the village of Taybeh, Suleiman Khourieh (C-L), tour the fifth-century Church of St George in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on July 19, 2025. In the villages and communities around Taybeh, Palestinian authorities have reported that settlers had killed three people and damaged or destroyed multiple water sources in the past two weeks alone. The July 7 arson attack on the remains of the Church of Saint George, which date back to the 5th century, was the last straw for many villagers, who blame Israeli settlers for a spate of recent attacks. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that centers on Monsanto and Bayer's weedkiller Roundup—and its active ingredient glyphosate. Maureen Groppe, Supreme Court correspondent for USA Today, and Lianne Sheppard, Rohm and Haas endowed professor of public health at the University of Washington, explain the legal questions and the science, respectively. Photo: Roundup weed killing products are offered for sale at a home improvement store on May 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the Mamdani administration's new Office of Deed Theft Prevention, and six-month lien moratorium after Councilmember Chi Ossé's arrest at a deed theft protest. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani, left, and New York City Council Member Chi Ossé, right. (Credit: NYC Office of the Mayor) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Winter, staff writer at The New Yorker, covering family and education, discusses her latest reporting on how artificial intelligence tools are cropping up in the classroom, like the pre-installed AI tools on Google's Chromebooks, and why an increasing number of parents and educators are becoming concerned. Photo: Cam Eaton, 9, works on a Chromebook during home schooling on March 18, 2020 in New Rochelle, New York. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brian Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter and the author of several books, including Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for America (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024), offers his perspective of the shooting at this weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, including how commonplace it is becoming for Americans to experience this kind of trauma.   photo:  Guests take cover after a unknown safety event took place as President Donald Trump was to speak to attendees of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. According to reports, President Donald Trump, along with other government officials, were evacuated from the Washington Hilton after what sounded like gun fire. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has testified before Congress several times over the past month. Chelsea Cirruzzo, Washington Correspondent for STAT News, offers analysis as to why he seemed to move away from some of the more radical MAHA messaging he has promoted in the past. Photo: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers remarks at a White House event announcing the Make America Healthy Again Commission on May 22, 2025. (Credit: Joyce N. Boghosian/White House via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's lessons for Mayor Zohran Mamdani  (First) | Journalism in the common good: Michelle Adams on her Hillman Prize-winning book 'The Containment,' which charts the fight over school integration in the suburbs of Detroit (Starts at 53:15) | Jodi Kantor's advice for young people at the start of their careers (Starts at 1:15:50) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two so-called "buffer zone" bills passed the New York City council last month, and lawmakers in Albany have similar proposals on the table, too. Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, talks about whether the bills, which would require a buffer zone for protesters outside houses of worship and health care facilities, will make it into the state budget, and Sahalie Donaldson, City Hall reporter at City & State New York reports on the bills' status in New York City, plus they both discuss the disagreements between Democrats over the issue. Photo: New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin delivers remarks on Jan. 21, 2026. (Credit: Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With over fifty days into the U.S.-Iran war, the world has lost 550 million barrels of Gulf crude oil. Matthieu Favas, commodities editor at The Economist, explains how this is impacting global energy markets in European and Asian countries that rely on that supply.Photo: Coryton Oil Refinery by Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation, and Ben Osborne, assistant commissioner of forestry and horticulture at NYC Parks, talk about Arbor Day and NYC's new Urban Forest Plan for expanding the tree canopy.   Photo: Blossoming trees by the road in Prospect Park (Taty Sena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Valdovinos, a clinical psychologist, veteran, trauma expert and the author of Moral Injuries: When Good Conscience Suffers in a World of Hurt (Harper, 2026), talks about recognizing and healing "moral injuries" that occur not from physical trauma, but from acts that violate the conscience. Photo: A United States Marine Corps rifleman completes a field exercise in Finland. (Credit: Sgt. Mason Roy/U.S. Marine Corps via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new report finds that New York City is losing population across income levels, and subsequently schools are losing students. Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, shares his group's recommendations for how to stem the tide of people leaving.Photo: ThibautRe, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In honor of World Book Day, National Library Week and the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary, librarians from Brooklyn Public Library have put together a list of 250 books that have been important to the United States. Linda Johnson, CEO and president of Brooklyn Public Library, talks about some of the books on the list and why librarians chose them. Photo: Rare books at the Brooklyn Library Central Branch. Credit: MMHAD via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist for The New York Times and guest judge for the Hillman Prize, talks about the Hillman Prize, plus some of his recent columns, which are about national politics with an eye toward history and Michelle Adams, professor of law at the University of Michigan, former member of the Biden administration’s Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court, Hillman Prize winner and the author of The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North (Macmillan, 2025), talks about her Hillman Prize-winning book and work.   photo:  Photograph of Downtown Detroit taken from over the Detroit River between Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit's riverfront, November 2021(Lrgjr72, CC BY-SA 4.0  via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has become a litmus test for Democrats after a campaign appearance with Michigan senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coalition. Photo: Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, addressed his supporters after the historic mayoral election victory on Tuesday night, November 4, 2025, in New York City, United States. Famous online streamer Hasan Piker attends Mamdani's election watch party (by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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), talks about Iran's military capabilities even as President Trump extended the ceasefire, plus offers his analysis of President Trump's unconventional negotiating tactics. Photo: A man reads a newspaper with a front page article referring to anticipated US-Iran peace talks, at a stall in Islamabad on April 22, 2026. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked US President Donald Trump for extending a ceasefire with Iran and indefinitely pushing back the end of the two week truce, with Tehran silent on the decision early on April 22. (by Asif HASSAN / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist and science educator at the American Museum of Natural History, gives an astrophysicist's view of Earth Day. Photo: In this handout image provided by NASA, a view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. (Photo by Reid Wiseman/NASA via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jodi Kantor, New York Times investigative reporter, co-author of She Said (Penguin, 2019) and author of How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work (Hachette, 2026), expands on her Columbia University commencement address where she tried to answer the question: “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?” Photo: Cover art for How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work. (Credit: Hachette) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Earth Day, Lisa Friedman, reporter covering climate policy and politics at The New York Times, talks about her reporting on how EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has drastically changed the mission of the EPA, and more related environmental and climate news.Photo: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is shown during CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Abigail Savitch-Lew, a former staff reporter for City Limits and now the author of the novel Livonia Chow Mein (Simon & Schuster, 2026), talks about her novel about inter-generational and cross-cultural conflict and community in Brooklyn. Photo: Cover art for Livonia Chow Mein. (Credit: Simon & Schuster) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, recaps her event with Mayor Mamdani, where they talked about the lessons he has taken from Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and other news from his first 100+ days in office. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani appears live at a WNYC forum entitled “Mamdani's First 100 Days: Lessons from La Guardia" on April 20, 2026. (Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor in the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, talks about the use of psychedelics for mental illness and the effects of President Trump's executive order speeding up research. Photo: Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub with hallucinogenic properties, grows in Cameroon. (Credit: Marco Schmidt via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.5) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's National Library Week, and today we're asking library workers (and patrons) to talk about the services their libraries provide. Photo: The Brooklyn Public Library. Credit: Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Alexander, president of The Mellon Foundation, poet, educator, memoirist and scholar and the author of The Trayvon Generation (Grand Central Publishing, 2022), talks about the latest cohort of the Mellon Foundation's (in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America) jazz legacies fellows, and the importance of the genre. Also in this segment, saxophonist Gary Bartz reflects on his long career in jazz. Photo: An alto saxophone. (Credit: Rama via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC Comptroller Mark Levine talks about his plan to invest $4 billion from NYC's pension funds into affordable housing developments in the city, plus weighs in on the budget and other city news. Photo: NYC Comptroller Mark Levine. (Credit: New York City Comptroller's Office) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections. Photo: An Oklahoma midterm ballot from 2018. (Credit: Okcgunner via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps last week's Ask Governor Sherrill and provides an update on the New Jersey state budget. Photo: Governor Mikie Sherrill. Credit: State of New Jersey, public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. White Collar Workers, Unite!  (First) | The Push for Junk Food Warning Labels (Starts at 27:40) | Last Mile Deliveries (Starts at 49:23) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   Photo Credit: Todd Van Hoosear, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Miranda Nazzaro, senior technology reporter for The Hill, talks about her reporting on Anthropic's Mythos model, which is unnerving some big businesses over cybersecurity concerns. Photo: Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, delivers remarks at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. (Credit: TechCrunch via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Fibermaxxing" is the latest social media nutrition trend. Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the “Ask A Doctor” columnist for The Washington Post and the author of the new book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong (PRH/Avery, 2026), talks about the major health benefits of eating plenty of fiber, and how to do it. Photo: A bowl of cereal with berries. (Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mayor Mamdani announced plans this week to expand the pedestrian corridor of the notoriously chaotic Grand Army Plaza, which advocates have been pushing for for years. Liam Quigley, parks & sanitation reporter for Gothamist and WNYC, unpacks the latest announcement, plus digs into the city-wide decline in composting. Photo: A market at Grand Army Plaza pictured in 2003. (Credit: Alex756 via Wikimedia Commons CC 3.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times, discusses his reporting on how European leaders are trying to keep the focus on helping Ukraine, even as the war with Iran is diverting attention and resources. Photo: A pro-Ukraine demonstrator raises a sign outside the Finnish Parliament House on April 8, 2022. (Credit: rajatonvimma/VJ Group Random Doctors via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Stillman, staff writer at The New Yorker and director of the investigative reporting lab at Yale, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump, in his second term, launched a series of executive actions that directed immigration enforcement against kids and how children in ICE custody are being harmed. Photo: People protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they march toward the South Texas Family Residential Center on January 28, 2026 in Dilley, Texas. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eliza Shapiro, reporter covering New York City for The New York Times, discusses her series on how New Yorkers afford life in the increasingly unaffordable city and takes listener calls on how they make it work. Photo: Day 287, Money Mug, Taken in Syracuse, New York in 2013 (Michael Scialdone, Wikimedia Commons).  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's election defeat and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.Photo: Viktor Orbán. Credit: European People's Party via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After federal funding cuts, the state is raising income eligibility for the Essential Plan health insurance program, potentially excluding about 450,000 New Yorkers from the coverage. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society and co-founder of the Health Care for All New York Campaign, talk about efforts to get more coverage and the options from those who have been cut.   photo: In medical office on Johnson Street, new medical district, New Orleans 22 October 2025 (Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter focusing on white-collar workers and the author of Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026), talks about the conditions leading young college-education workers to lead unionization efforts. Photo: Attendees cheer at the ''Union Now'' rally in New York City, United States, on April 12, 2026. The event features Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Organizers state the rally is planned to support union power and unite labor leaders. (Photo by Matthew Hoen/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People often say they have a "superpower," which is really just something they're very good at. Listeners call in to share what their superpower is. Photo: A cosplayer poses as Dr. Strange during New York Comic Con 2023 - Day 4 at Javits Center on October 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a now-deleted social media post, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, has said that the pope should "be careful" when talking about theology. Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute, and author of the Substack newsletter Redeeming Democracy and the forthcoming book Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (St. Martin's, 2026), talks about the range of responses from Christians. Photo: An AI-generated image depicting President Donald Trump as Jesus Christ, which Trump shared to social media on April 12, 2026. (Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New York State budget is about two weeks late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what the sticking points are, including car insurance reform and Gov. Kathy Hochul's desire to roll back a climate law, among others, plus the governor's proposed tax on "pied-à-terres."   Photo: Gov. Kathy Hochul appears at a press conference with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 20, 2026. (Credit: Maryland Governor's Office via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell. Jane Manning, director, Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan DA is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws. Photo: U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) departs the U.S. Capitol Building after a series of votes on March 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. Credit: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Queen Elizabeth II interacted with American presidents from Truman through Trump. Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026), relates her history with U.S. leaders throughout her reign.Photo: Queen Elizabeth II (L) arrives with U.S. President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R) in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace ahead of a State Banquet on May 24, 2011 in London, England. Credit: Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As federal food safety oversight weakens, Mary Basset, public health physician, former New York City Health Commissioner and New York State Health Commissioner, and professor of practice of health and human rights at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses her push to get Albany to pass three bills that would expand nutrition warning labels at chain restaurants statewide and crack down on junk food ads targeting kids. Photo: The logo of a salt shaker, meant to warn consumers of high sodium content in food, appears on an Applebees menu on December 1, 2015 in New York City. The new sodium warning is the result of a city-wide law effecting restaurants with 15 or more locations and lets consumers know that an item has 2,300 milligrams of sodium or more in it. Restaurants must have the logo on their menu starting today. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Tax Day approaches, Tara Siegel Bernard, personal finance reporter for The New York Times, talks about the changes to the law that taxpayers should know and offers advice to procrastinators. Photo: A calculation for tax which include income tax and other taxation. Credit: stevepb via Wikimedia Commons.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mohamed A. El-Erian, senior global fellow at The Lauder Institute and practice professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, chief economic advisor at Allianz, chair of Gramercy Funds Management, contributing editor at the Financial Times and columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and the author of several books, including Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World (Simon & Schuster UK, 2023), offers his analysis of the latest inflation numbers, and the effect of the Iran war on inflation and the economy more broadly, both in the US and globally. Photo: Gas prices are displayed at the pump at a gas station in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood in the Manhattan borough of New York on March 31, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steve Zeitlin, founding director of City Lore and author of The Poetry of Everyday Life: Storytelling and the Art of Awareness (Cornell University Press, 2016), and Bob Holman, poet, filmmaker and proprietor of the Bowery Poetry Club, talk about their forthcoming book, Across the Great Divides: A Search for Poetry, Soul and Understanding in a Divided Nation (New Village Press, 2027) and about building a shared civic culture with poetry. They want you to send them your poems for possible inclusion in the book to poetry@citylore.org.   Begin writing “I am from. . .” expressing details that capture the places and families you come from, and then some of your political beliefs.  The poems they are looking for are, in a sense, your political family tree, or help provide context for the world view you’ve come to believe in. Or send  them a poem you’ve written –– or a poem you love –– that mentions the iconic American symbols such as the American flag, the Statue of Liberty or other monuments.   photo: Dancing Yiddish POMO (JimmyShelter95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vicky Ward, investigative journalist, host of the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), talks about Melania Trump's announcement denouncing Jeffrey Epstein and delves into the relationship between the First Lady, Epstein, and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo: U.S. first lady Melania Trump delivers a statement at the Grand Foyer of the White House on April 9, 2026 in Washington, DC. The first lady made a public statement to deny any ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC Council member Tiffany Cabán (District 22, Astoria, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Woodside and Rikers Island) talks about the Delivery Protection Act, which would regulate "last mile" delivery subcontracting by retail giants like Amazon, and Mayor Mamdani's first 100 days in office. Photo: An Amazon Prime delivery van parked in Hillcrest, Queens. Credit: Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Avoiding IRS Tax Scams (First) | Planet Money: The Book (Starts at 21:05) | Bloomin' NYC (Starts at 47:54) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo: Income tax calculations. (Photo by stevepb/Pixabay).     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mihir Zaveri, New York Times reporter covering housing, and Brad Greenburg, executive director of the NYU Furman Center, look at Mayor Mamdani's housing policies and accomplishments during his first 100 days in office. Photo: Mayor Mamdani delivers right to organize materials to tenants in East Harlem. Thursday, March 26, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State, and Timmy Facciola, independent journalist who runs the Substack "Judge Street Journal," recap the debate between the Democrats vying for a shot to take on current Republican Congressman Mike Lawler in NY-17, plus they discuss the biggest local issues, and how this district fits into this year's midterm election politics. Photo: Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., greets a supporter during a "Back the Blue," campaign rally in Congers, N.Y., on Friday, October 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Haidee Chu, reporter for THE CITY, and James Kaechele, certified master arborist and manager of the Parks Department’s Tree Time program, talk about the trees suddenly in bloom and where to find the best views. "We Mapped Out Where the Best Spring Blooms Are In NYC" (The CITY)   photo: Riverside Park, April 2022 (Lisa Allison) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Fritz, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, sheds light on the American entertainment industry's recent struggles as studios shoot more and more films and television productions outside the US. Photo: Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Thomas Wolf via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Linda Lee, NYC Council Member (District 23,  Eastern Queens) and chair of the Finance Committee, talks about the City Council's budget proposals.Photo: New York City Hall, 9 May 2007 (Momos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In observation of "Local News Day," Stefanie Murray, director of the Center for Cooperative Media in the College of Communication and Media at Montclair State University, talks about the local news picture in New Jersey, and Penda Howell, co-founder, CEO and publisher of New Jersey Urban News in Newark, and Aaron Morrill, founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of the Jersey City Times, talk about their local news organizations and the challenges of covering local issues in NJ.   photo: Newark City Hall, April 2014 (Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners with differing relationships to religion and faith tell us why they do or do not believe in God. Photo: Holy Cross Church in Frankfurt, Germany. Credit: A. Savin via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs journalist at The New Yorker, discusses Trump's approach to Iran, how the White House has 'never fully understood' the war it started, and what it could mean for the success, or failure, of the ceasefire.  Photo: Supporter of pro-Iranian Hezbollah hold pictures of assassinated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, as they shout slogans in front of the office of the Lebanese Prime Minister in Beirut. (Photo by Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about Mayor Mamdani's accomplishments and challenges as he approaches 100 days in office.Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia announce that the City is investing $108 million to upgrade and replace more than 6,700 catch basins over the next decade. Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of the tax deadline next week, Kelly Phillips Erb, tax attorney, senior writer at Forbes, and author of the blog Taxgirl, discusses some of the most common IRS tax scams and offers advice on how to avoid them.  Photo: Income tax calculations. (Photo by stevepb/Pixabay). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, national security law expert and former chief legal advisor for international law at U.S. Central Command, where she advised on operational and international legal issues related to the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Eliav Lieblich, professor of international law at Tel-Aviv University, explain international law as it applies to the war with Iran, including the limits of conflict jurisprudence and how leaders in the US, Israel and Iran think about following, or skirting, the rules about what constitutes 'war crimes.' Photo: Iranian flags and graffiti reading 'No King' are seen amongst debris at Sharif University of Technology which was hit by US-Israeli strikes on April 7, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Sharif University of Technology is one of Iran’s leading scientific universities. Credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images).   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Margaret Sullivan, columnist at The Guardian and author of the Substack American Crisis, and Isabella Simonetti, media reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discuss the ambiguous future of AI in journalism and how publications are deciding what role the technology should play in their newsrooms. Photo Credit: Stephan Röhlvia, CC-BY-SA 2.0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the proposal to hike New Jersey's sales taxes for non-residents during World Cup this summer and updates the status of the state budget. Photo: The Panini America FIFA World Cup 2026™ Sticker Collection Album Cover for Canada and the United States, unveiled today at MetLife Stadium on December 03, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Panini America) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist and science educator at the American Museum of Natural History, explains the Artemis II mission, which marks the first time since 1972 that a crewed spacecraft has traveled to the 'lunar neighborhood,' beyond Earth's gravitational sphere of influence. Plus, listeners call in with their questions about the mission, and the future of lunar exploration. Photo: NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. (Credit: NASA, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump recently said it was "not possible" for the federal government to fund Medicaid and Medicare, despite a White House budget proposal that boosts defense spending to $1.5 trillion. Maya Goldman, healthcare reporter at Axios, unpacks what that means for the millions of Americans who rely on those programs and the states who'll have to fill the gaps. Photo: Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, D.C., September 16, 2011. Credit: Sarah Stierch via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alex Mayyasi, longtime contributor to NPR's Planet Money, and now author of the book, Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (W. W. Norton & Company, 2026), and Mary Childs, a Planet Money co-host, share insights into making decisions on getting and spending money and why markets work the way they do. EVENT:  You can see Alex and Mary, plus their colleagues at Planet Money, Darian Woods and Amanda Aronczyk, in conversation with Emily Oster, tonight at 92nd Street Y at 7.  Ticket info for in-person or streaming   (cover image courtesy of the publisher)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Reisman, POLITICO Albany bureau chief covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, discusses the latest in state budget negotiations and the major sticking points, including early pension access for public school teachers and the buffer zones for protestors around religious institutions. Photo: State Senators Liz Krueger, left, and Thomas O'Mara, right, debate a bill (S9631) that would extend various expiring laws that allow the Department of Motor vehicles to collect certain fees and pay operating costs on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in the Senate Chamber at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. Tuesday was the last day of the state's fiscal budget year. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in on the question, "where do you find meaning, ritual, and the sense that you are part of something larger than yourself outside of a religious context?" Photo: a book club meeting. Credit: Alex Dos Santos via Pexels. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Fitzpatrick, staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and the Department of Justice, discusses the latest news from the U.S. military, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recent firing of the Army’s top officer and more.   photo:  The US department of Defense building is known under the metonym "The Pentagon" due to its shape. (Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two of our favorite segments for this week, in case you missed them. How Gaza and Zionism Are Dividing Synagogues (First) | A Christian Perspective on the Politics of Immigration (Starts at :41)     If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   photo: Jerusalem, old city, historical religious sights (Ahed izhiman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some politicians have been claiming that a Christian revival is occurring among young Americans. Luis Parrales, staff writer at The Atlantic, breaks down what the data says and listeners call in to share their experiences. Photo: A large crowd sings and prays together at Together 2016, a Christian revival on the National Mall on Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Washington, DC (by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than a year after participating in protests near Columbia University, discusses what she endured in an ICE detention facility in Texas and speaks about the conditions that she describes as "horrific," joined by her attorney Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a clinical associate professor at Boston University School of Law.   Photo: Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student Leqaa Kordia greets family, friends and supporters at a welcome home rally on March 22, 2026, in Paterson, New Jersey.  (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hannah Frishberg, culture reporter at Gothamist/WNYC, shares her hacks for having a night on the town for less than $20, as listeners share tips of their own.    photo: Pizza slices at Paulie Gee's Slice Shop - a "Freddy Prinze" on the left, and plain on the right. (Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg David, contributor on 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, talks about the jobs report for March and some related news about the jobs picture for New York City in 2025. Photo by Josh Marty on Unsplash. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey.Photo: Senator Andy Kim. Credit: Senate Photographic Studio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the change of seasons, some water species, like eels and horseshoe crabs, go on the move. In this month's visit to "Wild NYC", Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Chris Bowser, an estuary educator coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservations with Cornell's Water Resource Institute, discuss the waterways and local water migrations -- and how to participate in tracking them. Hudson River Eel Project Hudson River Fisheries World Fish Migration Day photo: "Glass on Yellow" by Chris Bowser (courtesy of the photographer)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite allowing a Russian tanker to breach the United States' fuel blockade and deliver oil to Cuba, President Trump reiterated his treat to take over the island. What happens next? Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about his reporting from Cuba. and Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News and co-host of the podcast Counter Points, talks about the Nuestra América Convoy, a coalition of organizers that recently delivered humanitarian aid to the Caribbean nationPhoto: A man sits in front of a mural reading 'I'm not perfect but I am Cuban,' with fuel tanks under construction visible in the background in the industrial zone of Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31, 2026. (by YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz, a pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Bay Ridge, discusses the political divide over how Christian congregations are using scripture to guide their approach to immigration policy.Photo: St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 14 July 2012. Credit: MrBrittonJ via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest developments in national politics, including the politics of the 'birthright citizenship' case before the Supreme Court. Photo: An Indiana birth certificate. (Credit: Indiana's Clinton County Health Department) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An April 1st Extra on New York/New Jersey interstate commerce.   ...note: This is part of our yearly April Fool's coverage Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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), offers analysis of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court over President Donald Trump's executive order to end "birthright citizenship." Photo: People demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's expected arrival on April 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the status of budget negotiations and any remaining sticking points. Photo: A stack of state budget-related bills under review in the New York Senate on April 6, 2021. (Credit: NYS Media Services) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chabeli Carrazana, economy and child care reporter for The 19th, shares her reporting on the women advocating for women and migrant farmworkers, in light of the explosive allegations that Cesar Chavez, the late leader of the farmworkers' movement, had sexually assaulted women and girls. Photo: A guest, reflected in a piece by Yreina Cervantez titled, "La Ofrenda" attends the opening of the art show, "DOLORES," at Plaza de Raza in Los Angeles on March 21, 2026. (Photo by Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Gittlitz, an organizer and writer and the author of Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team (Astra House, 2026),  looks at the way class and politics and baseball intersect with the story of baseball and of the Mets baseball franchise. Cover image courtesy of the publisher. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, talks about his background and what he plans to prioritize in his new job. Photo: Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (Credit: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eyal Press, contributing writer to The New Yorker, shares his reporting on how disagreements over Israel, Gaza and Zionism itself are dividing synagogues, Jewish families and communities across America. → At Synagogues, Tensions Are Boiling Over | The New Yorker Photo: Jewish activists and allies take part in a Passover Seder outside ICE headquarters in New York City to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the war on Gaza, April 14, 2025. (Photo by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa Kirsch, writer of the New York Times newsletter "The Good List," which gives recommendations and inspirations for living a more joyful and meaningful life, and writer of "The Morning" newsletter on Saturday, discusses her newest newsletter and listeners call in about the new things they've tried that are bringing more joy and meaning to their lives. Photo: A couple reads books outdoors in the Botanical Garden of Medellin, Colombia, on March 20, 2026. (Photo by JAIME SALDARRIAGA / AFP via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As state budget negotiations continue ahead of the April 1 deadline, Carmen Fariña, former NYC Schools Chancellor, argues for a four-year extension of mayoral control of NYC's public schools. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani visits a public school classroom in March 2026. (Credit: Office of the Mayor) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-NJ, author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), weaves history, personal stories and current politics into a defense of principles as a way of facing crises. Photo: The cover art for Cory Booker's new book, Stand. (Credit: St. Martin's Press/MacMillan Publishers) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Saturday, 'No Kings' demonstrations nationwide served as a statement in rebuke of President Donald Trump's policies. Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director of the progressive organization Indivisible and an organizer of the 'No Kings' protest, talks about Saturday's protests and takes calls from listeners. Photo: Protesters hold signs as they participate in a 'No Kings' protest in Manhattan on March 28, 2026 in New York City. This is the third nationwide "No Kings" protest held against the Trump administration. (Credit: Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The Great Replacement Theory  (First) | AI in Novels (Starts at 28:20) | Baseball & Life (Starts at 56:00) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christina Fallon, owner of Dream It Done Organizing, offers advice for cleaning and de-cluttering for the new season. Photo: Clothing items hang in a closet. (Credit: James Cambridge/Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, rounds up the latest big stories in education, including new AI guidelines for New York City public schools, digital hall bathroom passes that are collecting data and the mayor's push for mayoral control to be extended for four more years. Photo: A group of students uses laptops in school. (Credit: Matylda Czarnecka/Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Juries in both New Mexico and California found social media giants to be liable for harm to children. Bobby Allyn, NPR technology correspondent, explains what each trial was about, and what it could signal for the future of companies like Meta and Google. Photo: A young woman uses a cell phone. (Credit: Conexões Globais/ Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Senate voted overnight to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA. Evan McMorris-Santoro, national politics reporter at NOTUS and co-author of the NOTUS daily newsletter, and Mary Clare Jalonick, congressional reporter for The Associated Press and the author of Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th (PublicAffairs, 2026), talk about what has to happen next to end the crisis at the airports, the status of the SAVE Act and more. Photo: Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem greets TSA agents at Miami International Airport on Jan. 31, 2026. (Credit: Tia Dufour/DHS via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gov. Hochul wants to revise the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to exempt smaller housing development projects from the review. Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, a group advocating more housing construction, talks about why housing advocates, and even some environmental groups, support the reforms. Photo: Views of the Gowanus neighborhood, where dozens of large housing construction projects along the Gowanus Canal on December 24, 2024 in the borough of Brooklyn, New York City. (Credit: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, book publisher Hachette canceled the forthcoming U.S. publication of the horror novel “Shy Girl” after it was flagged for sounding like the author used artificial intelligence. Andrea Bartz, novelist, author of The Last Ferry Out (Ballantine Books, 2025), discusses her latest guest op-ed in The New York Times on the controversy and what its like being a writer in the A.I. age. Photo: Barnes And Noble bookstore in Manhattan, New York, United States of America, on July 5th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The St. John's University Red Storm men's basketball team are into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the 10th time in the program's history. Jason Gay, sports columnist at the Wall Street Journal, talks about the long career of St. John's coach Rick Pitino, and Katie Honan, senior reporter at The City, co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC and massive St. John's basketball fan, claims her bragging rights about the team's great season so far.  Photo: Bryce Hopkins #23 of the St. John's Red Storm drives to the basket during the first half of the 2026 Big East Men's Tournament - Quarterfinal game against the Providence Friars at Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2026 in New York City. (Credit: Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kian Tajbakhsh, Iranian-American scholar, visiting professor of international relations at New York University, fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University and former political prisoner, and William Christou, Middle East reporter for The Guardian, break down the latest on U.S.-Iran negotiation efforts, and offer analysis and insight into the state of the war. Photo: A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke as it rises from a site targeted by Israeli artillery in the village of Zawtar El Charkiyeh on March 25, 2026. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lev Facher, addiction reporter at STAT News, reports on how opioid overdose deaths began to fall in mid-2023 and have continued to decline. Photo: An emergency opioid overdose kit at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. (Credit: Chris Woodrich via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christine Quinn, president & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families in New York City, talks about the mayor's seeming turnabout on a campaign promise to expand the CityFHEPS rental assistance program and offers her take on City Hall's approach to addressing homelessness. Photo: A for-rent sign displayed outside. (Credit: Photos Public Domain/Dipankan001 via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On MLB's opening day, Ken Davidoff, sports journalist and former New York Post baseball columnist, and Harley Rotbart, MD, pediatrician, former Parents Magazine columnist and little league coach, talk about baseball's lessons for success in life beyond the game. Rotbart and Davidoff are co-authors of the new book 101 Lessons from the Dugout: What Baseball and Softball Can Teach Us About the Game of Life (Bloomsbury, 2026). Photo: Cover art for 101 Lessons from the Dugout. (Credit: Bloomsbury) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsay Ellis, Wall Street Journal reporter, talks about the tough job market for new college graduates, and how much AI is responsible for it.   Photo: Graduation hats being tossed in air by business school graduates. (Credit: Artessa via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Gelles, a reporter on the New York Times climate team who leads the Climate Forward newsletter and events series, discusses his latest reporting on why scientists are saying several of the Earth’s systems are changing faster than predicted as global temperatures rise. Photo: A temperature device measures heat from the asphalt on a summer day. (Credit: Danielteolijr via Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Washington Post travel reporter Andrea Sachs advice on navigating the airport amidst long delays and TSA staffing shortages due to the DHS shutdown. Plus, Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, reports live from the airport. Photo: Airplanes await departure from a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport. (Credit: Angelo DeSantis via Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ibram X. Kendi, professor of history and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, and the author of Stamped from the Beginning and his latest, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age (One World, 2026), talks about his new book charting the history of the idea that motivates many white nationalists, and how to counter it.   cover image courtesy of the publisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court appears likely to overhaul the way many states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day but are postmarked before the deadline. Carrie Levine, editor-in-chief of Votebeat, talks about what could change. Photo: A ballot dropbox in Arlington, Va. on Dec. 6, 2024. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), draws on his experience working with Robert Mueller to reflect on his legacy after his death this past weekend at age 81. Photo: Displayed on a television screen in Times Square, Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation, May 29, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about how their relationships have been impacted by pets -- either when one person in the relationship doesn't get along with a pet, or what happens to pets after a split. Photo: Young child and an old person are petting grey cute cat (Nenad Stojkovic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alexander Bolton, senior staff writer at The Hill, discusses the major takeaways from the Senate's rare weekend session, including Republicans' push to pass the SAVE America Act, ongoing controversy over DHS funding, and more. Photo: The United States Capitol on May 4, 2004. (Photo by Kevin McCoy via Wikimedia Commons/C.C. 2.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order last week to establish an Office of Community Safety. Ben Feuerherd, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering public safety and policing, talks about this new office and other public safety news, including Commissioner Jessica Tisch's move to change the way the NYPD publicly reports hate crimes. Photo: Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois appears with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Credit: Michael Appleton/Office of the Mayor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nate Swanson, former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025, current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council and writer for Foreign Affairs, offers analysis of the war with Iran, and why he thinks Tehran may dictate the terms of the end of the war. Photo: The aftermath of a March 3, 2026 airstrike on Tehran. (Photo: محمدعلی برنو / Avash Media via Wikimedia Commons/CC 4.0) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Gov. Hochul Hopes to Delay Implementing Climate Law (First) | The Growth of DHS Detention Camps (Starts at :40) | Opera and Democracy (Starts at 1:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   Image: An original poster for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro (not stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Actors Jesse Eisenberg, Rosie Perez, and David Patrick Kelly performed a reading of “Cash and Carry,” a personal essay written by David Sedaris for The New Yorker, to kick off a conversation with listeners about the challenges and joys of being neighbors, our duty to strangers, and the unique possibility of connection and disconnection in New York City. Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors.  Listeners called in to share stories of neighbors helping neighbors, or deciding not to, and reflected on the particular character of New Yorkers' approach to those who need help. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news, breaks down his latest reporting on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefitting from the United States' war in Iran, including how Russia is now earning an extra $150 million per day in oil sales due to the price surge since the start of the war and much more.Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), discusses his year-long foray into the world of sports betting, and his observation of how gambling has permeated "every nook and cranny" of American life in a very short amount of time. Photo: The fantasy sports website DraftKings is shown on October 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. DraftKings and its rival FanDuel have been under scrutiny after accusations surfaced of employees participating in the contests with insider information, (Scott Olson/Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about the latest MTA news, including its lawsuit over federal funds for the Second Avenue subway construction and the transit union's lawsuit over staffing at booths. Plus, the MTA's plans for new subway cars for the numbered lines.Photo: MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, and MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessie Lazarus announce the release of an RFP for the R262 subway car class at the Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility on Thursday, Mar 19, 2026. The contract will be for the largest such order in MTA history. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of The Cut's Brooding newsletter, talks about her plan to "friction-maxx" this year in life and in parenting—that is, to build tolerance for "inconvenience" despite tech companies' attempts to make our lives smooth and frictionless. Photo: match, meet matchbox. Credit: Yann Segalen via Wikipedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giulia Heyward, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, talks about the tug of war between the state and the federal government over transgender care for those 19 and younger. Then, Jack Turban MD, MHS, adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Atria Books, 2024), offers best practices for transgender care for those 19 and younger. Photo: Dusk view of entrance to new Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York - stock photo. Credit: Barry Winiker, Getty Images. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paulette Perhach, freelance writer and writing coach, shares tips on how to prevent your aging relatives from getting scammed. Plus, we take calls from listeners with their stories and questions about protecting yourself and loved ones against financial fraud.  => "How to Prevent Aging Parents and Relatives From Making Financial Mistakes" (New York Times, January 2026)   photo: A woman over 90 years old makes a phone call with an iphone on 16.03.2025 in Norden (Lower Saxony). Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Heilemann, chief political columnist at Puck and host of the podcast "Impolitic with John Heilemann, " and senior national affairs analyst for MS NOW, talks about the latest developments in the war in Iran and the role Israel has played.   Photo: Donald Trump at a United Nations event on Religious Freedom Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Photo: Shealah Craighead / White House) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Faiyaz Jaffer, Ed.D, executive director of the Islamic Center and chaplain at New York University, talks about how communities in our area and around the world are observing Ramadan this year. Photo: Muslims gather in Times Square to perform the Tarawih prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on February 20, 2026, in New York City. The event, held annually in Times Square since 2022, includes Quranic recitations, congregational prayers, and the distribution of meals for iftar, the breaking of the fast at sunset. New York City has an estimated over 800,000 Muslims and is the largest municipal Muslim population in the United States. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Martha C. Nussbaum, distinguished service professor of law and philosophy at the University of Chicago and the author of The Republic of Love: Opera & Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2026), offers her analysis of opera as an arm of the Enlightenment, from Mozart to today.   cover image courtesy of the publisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Megan Messerly, a White House reporter at POLITICO, talks about the Republican support for the war in Iran and the concerns of the isolationists.Photo: American flags near the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.CImage byMatt Hecht Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daniel Immerwahr, historian, contributing writer at The New Yorker, the Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities at Northwestern University and the author of How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019) offers historical context on the war in Iran and Trump's overall foreign policy. Photo: The aftermath of a US-Israeli strike on Tehran, Iran on March 3, 2026. Credit: محمدعلی برنو/Avash Media via Wikimedia Commons/CC 4.0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Austin C. Jefferson, Albany bureau chief for Streetsblog Empire State, talks about Governor Kathy Hochul's push for car insurance reform, including the problem it seeks to solve and where support and resistance lies.Photo: Gov. Hochul highlights her car insurance affordability proposal in Glenmont, NY on February 3, 2026. Credit: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For St. Patrick's Day, Nicholas Wolf, associate director for research and publishing initiatives at Glucksman Ireland House, NYU's study of Irish and Irish America, discusses the decades-long effort to restore the Irish language after it rapidly declined under British colonial rule.    Photo: Bilingual Irish-English street name sign, named after St. Patrick, in which 'Port' is the Irish for 'Quay'. Credit: Mucklagh/Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new report by Robin Hood and Columbia University found that the poverty rate in New York City has continued to climb, with 26 percent of the city's population now struggling economically. Richard Buery, CEO of the anti-poverty organization Robin Hood and former NYC deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, talks the findings of the report and what might be coming in the near future as the effects of federal cuts kick in. Photo: A volunteer fills a basket for a person in need of food at the Reaching Out Community Services food pantry on November 06, 2025, in Brooklyn borough of New York City. This popular Brooklyn food pantry has been feeding thousands of New Yorkers each month while offering a variety of other services to those in need. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gov. Hochul has recently made it clear that she intends to try to postpone the implementation of New York's 2019 climate law, that required cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on why she is doing this, and just how mad it's making environmental groups and others who supported the law. Photo: Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a press briefing at office on 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, on air quality affecting all counties of the state because of wildfires in Canada. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), talks about the scale of the U.S. immigrant detention program, health and safety issues and expansion plans, following the firing of DHS Sec. Kristi Noem. => "Trump’s Mass-Detention Campaign" (The New Yorker, March 15, 2026)   photo: A warehouse purchased by the Department of Homeland Security that is slated to become an immigration detention facility is seen on March 10, 2026 in Williamsport, Maryland.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Streitfeld, Pulitzer-prize winning reporter covering tech for The New York Times, explains the landmark trial regarding social media addiction, brought by a 20-year-old woman against Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube for optimizing their products to her mental and physical detriment. Photo: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves the Federal Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles after defending the company in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles, United States, on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Lamothe, U.S. military and Pentagon reporter at The Washington Post, shares his reporting on the latest U.S. military actions in Iran, especially what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz, and more. Photo: People clear rubble in a house in the Beryanak District after it was damaged by missile attacks two days before, on March 15, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sam Sanders, host of The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW, recaps the winners, losers, and culture-defining moments from the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: Michael B. Jordan, winner of the Best Actor Award for his role(s) in “Sinners,” poses in the press room during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about Gov. Mikie Sherrill's first budget plan, which she says will address property taxes and school funding, as well as the proposed cut to the Stay NJ tax relief program, which aimed to keep seniors from leaving the state.   Photo: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill gives the Budget Address in the Assembly Chambers of the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J. on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Office of Governor / Rich Hundley III) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Christiane Amanpour on the War With Iran (First) | A $30 Hourly Minimum for NYC? (Starts at 33:07) | Oscar Talk: Streaming vs Theaters (Starts at 1:08:02 ) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo: A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 02, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Burgess Everett, congressional bureau chief for Semafor, talks about the latest news out of Congress this week, including a bipartisan housing bill that passed the Senate, the stalemate over DHS funding, the president's push for the SAVE Act and more. Photo: US aviation faces a crisis due to a Department of Homeland Security partial government shutdown, leading to Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages. (Photo by Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Each house in the New York State legislature released its budget proposal, and both called for raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, reports on how that will affect negotiations, since Governor Hochul is firmly against a tax hike, and other issues in the assembly's and senate's proposals. Photo: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, left, and Speaker Carl Heastie, center, meet with Gov. Kathy Hochul, right, following a presentation of Gov. Hochul's executive budget proposal on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this Friday the 13th, listeners call in to share their superstitions, including ones that they don't really believe in but observe anyway.   Photo:  November morning in Stegna at the Levantine Sea, cat a the old storehouse of the fishermen (Archangelos, Rhodes, Greece). (Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sandy Nurse, City Council member (D-37, Cypress Hills, Bushwick, City Line, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, East New York), talks about her proposal for legislation that would increase New York City's minimum wage from the current $17 per hour to $30 per hour by 2030. Photo: Lidia Vilorio, a home health aide, gives her patient Martina Negron her medicine and crackers for her tea on May 05, 2021 (Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Belinda Miles, PhD; president of SUNY Westchester Community College, talks about how Westchester Community College is dealing with funding cuts from the Trump administration, and how they will affect college access for low-income students, and employers and the workforce. Photo from Wikimedia Creative Commons: The Gateway Building on the campus of Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of The Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), offers analysis of how President Trump is changing the way he describes the status of the war with Iran, and why his public statements about it have shifted around so dramatically. Plus, Mohammed Sergie, editor of Semafor Gulf, talks about how the war has affected the Gulf states.Photo: Donald Trump at a United Nations event on Religious Freedom Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Photo: Shealah Craighead / White House) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kate Tellers, storyteller, host and director of MothWorks, talks about The Moth's upcoming event with the theme "what are we fighting for?"  Photo: Matthew Mercier takes part in The Moth true personal storytelling show live-streamed from St. Ann's Church on April 21, 2021 in Brooklyn. (Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Independent Budget Office led testimonies as the City Council begins reviewing the mayor's preliminary budget. Louisa Chafee, director of the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), a non-partisan source of information on the budget and economy, gives their assessment of the assumptions underlying the budget and the mayor's plan to close the deficit.   Photo: The Committee on Finance Holds Preliminary Budget Hearing For FY2027 with testimony from the Independent Budget Office, March 10, 2026 (Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dana Stevens, film critic at Slate.com, co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast and the author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century (Atria Books, 2022), weighs in on Timothée Chalamet's comments about the importance of movie-going vs streaming for the future of the industry, plus the social/political meaning of two of the best picture frontrunners. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images: Timothée Chalamet speaks during the Valentine's Day weekend special screening of "Call Me By Your Name", hosted by Cinespia, at Los Angeles Theatre on February 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Of the nearly 3.8 million 911 calls routed to the NYPD in 2025, only about a quarter were reporting a crime in progress and more than 500,000 involved “harassment, verbal conflicts, or disputes between two or more parties.” This comes from a new analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice. Daniela Gilbert, who directs the Vera Institute Redefining Public Safety initiative and served on the Mamdani administration’s Community Safety transition team, talks about the analysis and argues that many of these calls could potentially be handled by alternative responders. Photo: Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at Gracie Mansion with New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch on March 9, 2026. Source: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Leland, New York Times reporter and the author of Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons From a Year Among the Oldest Old (Sarah Crichton Books, 2018), offers some background information about the two men arrested after bringing homemade bombs to the Gracie Mansion protest. Photo: View of an unexploded homemade explosive device in front of Gracie Mansion, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence, in New York on March 7, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI (Macmillan, 2025) talks about his recent story, "How to Prevent Insider Trading on Trump’s Wars" and other recent takes on economics and politics.photo:  Karoline Leavitt at her first Press Conference in 2025 (YouTube channel called White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Siddhartha Sánchez, executive director of the Bronx River Alliance, and CP, local resident and member of the group Mothers on the Move, talk about why they are against state-led plans to repair and widen the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Robert Moses-designed highway that has harmed residents' health for decades, and what they propose the state does instead. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images: Cars and trucks move to enter the Cross Bronx Expressway, a notorious stretch of highway in New York City that is often choked with traffic and contributes to pollution and poor air quality on November 16, 2021 in New York City. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, talks about the work that Amnesty International does to advance the rights of women and girls worldwide, including in Afghanistan, Malawi, Gaza, China, Iran and more. (Photo by STAN HONDA / AFP) (Photo by STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter hosts of the Spectrum News NY1 show "Mornings on 1" and the new digital show 'Morning People', talk about their new show, plus some of the local news they've got their eyes on.   photo: Likely view from upper floors of the Time Warner Center in Manhattan, looking east (sookie from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christiane Amanpour, chief international anchor and host of CNN's "Amanpour" and PBS' "Amanpour & Company," talks about the latest news on the war with Iran. Photo: Women members of Iran's Red Crescent society stand near smoke plumes from an ongoing fire following an overnight airstrike on the Shahran oil refinery in northwestern Tehran on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani went to Washington to pitch President Donald Trump on providing federal funds to build a huge housing development on top of Sunnyside Yard. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses what Queens politicians and residents think about the idea, and how sentiment on the plan has changed since former Mayor de Blasio first floated the idea. Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images: Subway trains of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, which operates in New Jersey, are seen in the Sunnyside railroad yard in the Queens borough of New York on February 27, 2024.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners weigh in on whether they'd prefer to stay on daylight saving time, or standard time permanently, or whether they are fine with the status quo of changing the clocks. Plus, they talk about how the time change affects them personally. (Photo By Jesus Hellin/Europa Press via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Writer Craig Welch talks about his New York Times Magazine feature, "Why Are So Many Teen Girls Still Tearing Their A.C.L.s?" and ways to reduce the risk of this particular injury. Photo: Two New Jersey high school girls' soccer teams play out a competitive match. Credit: K.M. Klemencic/Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sabrina Siddiqui, national politics reporter at The Wall Street Journal, talks about the latest developments in the war with Iran, including the question of regime change and U.S. goals in the war.   Photo: Thousands of people carrying Iranian flags, gather at Enghelab Square to express support for Mojtaba Khamenei, who has become Iran's new supreme leader following Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran on March 9, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The Anthropic-Pentagon Standoff (First) | Vaccine Hesitation & Misinformation (Starts at 17:30) | Wild NYC - Spring is Coming (Starts at 33:00 ) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.   Photo: Trout Lily, a NYC woodland wildflower that blooms in early spring. (Marielle Anzelone) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During Ramadan, Sohaira Siddiqui, executive director at the Al-Mujadilah Center and the host of the podcast "More Muslim", talks about the diversity of the Muslim community in New York and around the world. Photo: Mayor Mamdani attends Taraweeh prayers in Staten Island. Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Data centers are booming and taking the blame for spiking power costs because of how energy intensive they are. Rosemary Misdary, WNYC and Gothamist science reporter, talks about what Gov. Hochul says she plans to do to reign in the costs to consumers.   Image: Data center infrastructure in the United States, November 2025 (DOE — NREL, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about her reporting on a mixed immigration status family who felt the risks of staying in the U.S. were too great, and moved to Mexico. Plus Rachel Cruz and Irvi Cruz talk about why their family made the decision to move to Mexico, where Irvi is originally from. => Correction: At 24:45, the guest said that people who traveled back and forth to the U.S. without status could be subject to 2, 5, or 10 year bars, or a permanent bar, but on re-checking, notes that the bars are for either 3 or 10 years, or permanent.   Photo credit: Ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., references a DHS advertising campaign while questioning DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during the House Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security," in Rayburn building on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lydia DePillis, New York Times reporter covering the American economy, talks about how the war with Iran could affect the economy at home, as issues with oil prices, supply chains and the massive cost of the war begin to pile up. Photo credit: Natasha Chebanoo on Pexels. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Drawing on his long experience covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dexter Filkins, New Yorker staff writer and author of The Forever War (Knopf Doubleday, 2008), talks about the United States' objectives in the war with Iran. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steven Levy, editor at large for Wired, breaks down the latest news as the Pentagon is reconsidering its relationship with artificial intelligence company Anthropic, after the company has stated it doesn’t want its technology used in autonomous weapons or government surveillance, and explains the way that AI is reshaping national defense. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images: CEO and co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei speak onstage during the 2025 New York Times Dealbook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 03, 2025 in New York City.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heidi Sabertooth, a NYC-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer and co-founder of Synth Library NYC, talks about electronic music and the library which is dedicated to giving “equal access to the means of production,” giving access to a wide array of synthesizers and creating a diverse community around it.    Photo: TR-808 Musical instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ (Bryan Pocius from New York, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is landmarks.   Photo: Jones Beach Water Tower in New York in 2021 (Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Adam Rodman, MD, MPH, FACP, a general internis­­­t and medical educator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he directs AI Programs for the Carl J. Shapiro Center for Education and Research, and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, talks about his recent New York Times op-ed outlining best (and worst) practices for patients wanting to incorporate AI into office visits with their physicians. → Take It From a Doctor: It’s OK if Your Medical Advice Comes From A.I.Photo: Stethoscope and Laptop Computer. Source: National Cancer Institute via Unsplash. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) explains why he does not support President Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images. A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, on March 3, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Theresa Crimmins, director for the USA National Phenology Network, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, and the author of Phenology (The MIT Press, 2025), introduce the year-long series on local wildlife with a look at signs of spring and what changes in plants and animals will signal the coming season. => We want to see your signs of spring!  Post a picture to your Instagram story; tag @brianlehrershow; and use the hashtag #BLWild and we’ll repost them to our Instagram stories this month.  Photo: Trout Lily, a NYC woodland wildflower that blooms in early spring. (This year that might be mid-April). (Marielle Anzelone) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Patricia Nicholson Parker, executive director of Arts for Art, talks about her group, which calls itself "a NYC-based non-profit founded in 1996 focused on promoting and advancing multicultural improvised arts."   Photo:  Photograph of last set of second day of the 13th Vision Festival. From left to right: Billy Bang, Fred Anderson, William Parker and Kidd Jordan, 11 June 2008, (One dead president, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is suburban towns.Photo: Shingle-style coastal house with white picket fence at a quiet street corner in Quogue, Long Island, New York. Source: Lumin Osity/Unsplash. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lisa Lerer, national political correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the results and issues in the midterm primary elections for senate seats in both Texas and North Carolina.Photo: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX) speaks at a campaign rally on March 2, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center, an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the author of Autism's False Prophets (Columbia University Press, 2008) and Tell Me When It’s Over: An Insider’s Guide to Deciphering COVID Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World (National Geographic, 2024), talks about the changes to vaccine recommendations and conceptions of public health in the current HHS. Photo by Pablo la Rosa, 10 April 2025, Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Musicians Neel Murgai and Roshni Samlal, artistic directors of Brooklyn Raga Massive, talk about their group, which they say is a "nonprofit musicians' collective that creates cross-cultural understanding through the lens of South Asian classical music." photo: Neel Murgai and Roshni Samlal (courtesy of the guests) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is NYC neighborhoods. (Photo by cisc1970 CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (D, NY-18) offers his take on the war with Iran, the upcoming vote in the House on war powers and more.Photo: An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes yesterday, on March 3, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. The United States and Israel have continued the joint attack on Iran that began on February 28, resulting in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 of the war with Iran after President Trump said he was not opposed to boots on the ground and a military leader said more U.S. casualties are expected. Photo: Firefighters work at the scene of an airstrike that destroyed shops and residences on March 2, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is Women's History Month. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker, talks about what might come next for Iran after its Supreme Leader was killed in an Israeli air strike, as the war continues to widen and the country remains divided politically.   photo: Pedestrians pass a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 2, 2026 in central Tehran, Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex crimes in Florida in 2008, plenty of prominent people remained friendly with him. Lisa Miller, domestic correspondent for The New York Times Well section, offers analysis of why no one seemed to speak up when they witnessed his concerning and even criminal behavior. Photo: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images: New protest art referencing the Epstein files and President Trump was installed on 3rd Street SW along the National Mall. People look at and sign the artwork on Monday, January 19, 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derek Guy, menswear writer and editor at Put This On, popular on social media as "the menswear guy," talks about the essentials of how to build a wardrobe. Part of our short series on personal style. Photo: Portrait of American attorney & former US Attorney General Elliot Richardson (1920-1999) in his office, Washington DC, November 1987. (Photo by Janet Fries/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent for USA Today who covers foreign policy, talks about the Trump administration and Israel's strikes on Iran and what may come next as the war spills out across the Middle East. Photo: Trump announcing American-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. Credit: Donald J. Trump on X/Twitter via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Unpacking Trump's Voting Proposals from the State of the Union (First) | Finding Your Style: Getting Offline (Starts at 20) | ICE at Columbia (Starts at 35) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Photo credit: Protestors take part in anti-ICE rally outside Columbia University after federal agents detained a student inside a residential campus building in New York City, New York, U.S., February 26, 2026. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is broadcast media history.   Photo: Edward R. Murrow lived here (blue plaque), Westminster (Matt Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Historian Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic,  host of their podcast "Autocracy in America" and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024) and offers her analysis of how President Trump and his administration are seeking to control elections, as well as science and culture, and why.   photo: "I Voted" sticker worn on lapel of fuzzy winter coat, shot during the November 2025 election in St. Paul, Minnesota.  (Funknendai, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of Interest, talks about her work digging into the interesting historical and cultural questions about what we wear. Part of a short series about personal style.Photo: Well-dressed in a camouflage jacket and a cream v-neck sweater, Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2025, June 15, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC's Public Song Project invites musicians to incorporate works of art that have entered the public domain into new compositions. All of It producer Simon Close shares more about the project and how they are hoping musicians will participate. For more information, click here.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a Columbia student was detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Mayor Mamdani said he spoke about it to President Trump, and she was released. Arya Sundaram, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering race and immigration, reports the latest on the news. Plus, Brigid Bergin, senior political correspondent for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the mayor's surprise trip to the White House to meet with the president. Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images: Protestors take part in anti-ICE rally outside Columbia University after federal agents detained a student inside a residential campus building in New York City, New York, U.S., February 26, 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is Black History Month. Photo: Carter G. Woodson memorial on RI Ave at 7th NW in Washington, D.C. by David from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Again, this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, directors Sara Khaki, and Mohammadreza Eyni talk about their film "Cutting Through Rocks." Photo: Still from "Cutting Through Rocks" courtesy of the guests. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of a short series about finding your personal style, Emilia Petrarca, author of the fashion and style newsletter Shop Rat, talks about how getting offline and going outside changed the way she thinks about fashion and style.  Photo: Evi Wave is seen wearing an oversized puffer jacket in soft pink and taupe-grey clogs in soft suede from Birkenstock, December 3, 2025 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Moritz Scholz/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about why a funding threat from the Trump administration means some immigrants won't be able to get commercial driver licenses, and how this will affect school bus drivers in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ruth Marcus, contributor to The New Yorker, former columnist for the Washington Post and the author of Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover (Simon & Schuster, 2019), comments on the Supreme Court's tariff's decision and other political news—and the state of journalism in the aftermath of mass layoffs at Jeff Bezos' Washington Post. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Child Care, talks about the deadline for families to apply for 3K/Pre-K and the mayor's plans for expanding child care options, generally. (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is media history. Photo: Valentine's Day Cupcakes / Stephanie Clifford, Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why WNYC and Gothamist digital producer James Ramsay aspires to be the kind of person who wears hard-soled shoes. This the first segment in a short series about finding your personal style. → NYC used to be a hard-soled shoe town. Could I be part of a revival? Photo: Well-dressed in burgundy corduroy trousers and black leather loafers with silver metal bit hardware. Milan Fashion Week - Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027, on January 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, offers analysis of President Trump's State of the Union address, especially his talk of voter fraud and push to pass the SAVE act. Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, concludes our three-part Black History Month series with a look at current efforts to end DEI initiatives and rewrite museum exhibit information.   photo: Smithsonian National African American Museum  by John Brighenti from Rockville, MD, United States, CC BY 2.0 , via / Wikimedia Commons ) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In early February, the EPA repealed the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, a landmark regulatory move reversing the determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health. Pat Parenteau, emeritus professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School and former EPA regional counsel under President Ronald Reagan, explains what happens next, including the many challenges the Trump administration is facing from environmental groups, and how the repeal could impact both health and climate change.Photo: [Smog obscures view of Chrysler Building from Empire State Building, New York City] / World-Telegram photo by Walter Albertin. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taylor Jung, digital producer and reporter for Epicenter NYC, offers tips on how to stay safe and be a good neighbor during the aftermath of the blizzard.   Photo: Snow, Touro College (320 West 31st Street), 31st Street and 8th Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, 27 February 2010.  credit: Jazz Guy from New Jersey, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brittany Kriegstein and David Brand, reporters for WNYC and Gothamist, discuss the aftermath of the blizzard, including what's up and running and what is not, plus how the city managed to get vulnerable people to safety so far.   photo: Cars are seen buried under snow on Lincoln Avenue on February 24, 2026 in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City.  (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Again, this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, David Borenstein, documentary filmmaker, talks about his film "Mr Nobody Against Putin."    photo credit: Pavel Talankin, courtesy of Kino Lorber Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about what they will be watching for at President Trump's State of the Union address tonight. Photo: President Trump delivering last year's State of the Union address. Credit: The White House via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo respond to Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget and tax hike proposals, as well as some recent policies, like restarting sweeps of homeless encampments. Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani releases the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Preliminary Budget. City Hall. Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Again, this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, Ryan White, documentary producer and director, talks about his film "Come See Me in the Good Light." "Come See Me in the Good Light" is streaming on Apple TV and available for rent on Prime.   Image: Andrea Gibson in "Come See Me in the Good Light," now streaming on Apple TV. Courtesy of Apple TV. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Following a storm update, Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news, including Friday's Supreme Court tariffs ruling and this week's State of the Union address.Photo: Front Gate of the White House on a Warm Sunny Day (2018) by Mathieu Landretti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Queens and Brooklyn borough presidents Donovan Richards and Antonio Reynoso talk about how Queens and Brooklyn are handling the big snowstorm, including how the city is trying to help its most vulnerable residents. Photo: People walk along snow covered streets as snow falls during a blizzard on February 23, 2026 in Flatbush. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. California Billionaire Tax  (First) | Alabama Solution (Starts at 28:29) | Central Park Cyclists (Starts at 43:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recent reporting in The New Yorker examines how schools, teachers and students in Minneapolis are being impacted by the recent actions of federal immigration enforcement agents. But conversations about how to navigate ICE's presence on and around school property are taking place among educators around the country. The Trump administration has also defended certain enforcement actions in court, leading to an uncommonly poetic court ruling lambasting ICE practices that circumvent judicial oversight. Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors. Today's installment features Sam Waterston, Julianne Moore and Daphne Rubin-Vega performing The New Yorker's reporting, and the judicial ruling.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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), breaks down the latest as the Trump administration repeats its calls for Iran to end its nuclear program while sources tell CNN that the U.S. military is prepared to strike the country as early as this weekend. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Lunar New Year celebrations kick into full swing, we speak with Master Pun-Yin, Feng Shui Consultant and Chinese Zodiac expert, about the significance of the year of the fire horse and hear from callers about their new year's traditions. Image by Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York State passed a law limiting class size for city schools, but the city is struggling to fund it. Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the roadblocks schools are encountering as they try to comply with the law. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to detain lawful refugees who have yet to secure permanent U.S. residency. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), discusses the latest news, including his reporting on how the agency's bureaucracy works. Photo: Observers film ICE agents as they hold a perimeter after one of their vehicles got a flat tire on Penn Avenue on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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, talks about the city's fiscal woes and Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget proposal, which includes a property tax hike.   photo:  Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani releases the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Preliminary Budget. City Hall. Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

J. David Goodman, New York Times Texas bureau chief, talks about the candidates vying for their parties' nomination in the primary races for U.S. Senate in Texas, and the national implications of the outcome of the now-underway voting. Then, Scott Nover, media reporter for The Washington Post, talks about the dispute between Stephen Colbert and the FCC over an interview with one of the Democratic primary candidates, James Talarico. Photo by Patrick Feller via Wikimedia Commons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This year, we hear from the creators of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman talk about their film "The Alabama Solution," which documents abuses in the Alabama state prison system using cellphone footage recorded by incarcerated men over several years. "The Alabama Solution," photograph by Courtesy of HBO.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The production group Theater of War invites top-notch actors to perform readings of works of real, hard-hitting journalism. Bryan Doerries, artistic director of 'Theater of War', previews Thursday evening's live program on WNYC, in which actors Sam Waterston, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Julianne Moore will read reporting from Minneapolis, about how schools and educators are navigating the incursion of immigration enforcement actions in schools. Learn more at our 'Theater Of War On The Radio' page.Graphic courtesy of Theater of War. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karsonya Wise Whitehead, president of ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, professor of communications and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and the founding executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, & Social Justice, talks about the history of how Black History Month has been observed, from the 1970s to the present-day, including the museums and holidays dedicated to African-American history that have been established, and more.Photo by Robert R. McElroy/Getty Images. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist and author of the On the Way newsletter, and Ian Coss, host and creator of The Big Dig podcast from GBH News, talk about why New York City can't seem to fix the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which experts have warned is in danger of falling apart in certain stretches, and what the options are to fix the crumbling roadway.Note: Tuesday's event in The Greene Space is sold out, but there will be a live stream.  Click the link for more information. photo credit: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Department of Justice has faced backlash from members of Congress and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein following the release of millions of documents with inconsistent redactions of key names and details. Vicky Ward, investigative journalist and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), and David Enrich, deputy investigations editor for The New York Times, talk about some of the recent developments in the Epstein case and its growing international fallout.Photo: This photograph taken in Le-Perreux-sur-Marne, outside Paris on February 9, 2026 shows undated pictures provided by the US Department of Justice on January 30, 2026 as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files (Photo by Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dhruv Khullar, practicing physician, associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College and contributing writer at The New Yorker, talks about the effect GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, are having on curbing addictions and what researchers are studying about that phenomenon.Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Again this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, documentary filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir talks about her film "The Perfect Neighbor" which uses police body cam footage to tell the story of a Florida community and the deadly consequences of "stand your ground" laws. Photo Courtesy of Message Pictures.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California's richest residents are threatening to leave the state over a proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires. Suzanne Jimenez, chief of staff at SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, an architect of the proposal, explains how the tax would work.Photo: California Governor Gavin Newsom gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. Newsom opposes this proposal. (Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including his trip to the Munich Security Conference and how Sec. Rubio's speech was received.photo credit: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karsonya Wise Whitehead, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and professor of communications and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and the founding executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, & Social Justice, talks about the history of Black History Month, which was established first as ""Negro History Week"" in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, and how it evolved over the mid-20th century." Image by courtesy of Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Presidents' Day, Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and the author of American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (Random House, 2026), puts today's political conflicts in the historical context of tensions going back to the country's founding.=> EVENT: Jon Meacham will be in conversation with John Dickerson at 92NY on Tuesday, February 17th, 7 pm (tickets here).cover image courtesy of the publisher Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sophia Lebowitz, reporter for Streetsblog, explains the new 15 mile-per-hour speed limit in effect for all vehicles in Central Park, including bicycles and e-bikes, designed to make the drive safer for pedestrians, while Neile Weissman, cycling advocate and contributor to Streetsblog, argues that more options for cyclists would be a more effective strategy.Photo: cyclists in Central Park, 2011. Credit: Lynn Kim/WNYC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.What NYC's CEOs Want From the Mamdani Administration (First) | An Argument for 'Tax the Rich' (Starts at : 33) | Tow Truck Turmoil (Starts at 1:14)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Valentine's Day, Charlotte Cowles, financial advice columnist for The Cut, offers some personal finance advice for couples. Photo: Valentine's chocolates in Japan (Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Binyamin Appelbaum, lead writer on economics and business for The New York Times editorial board and the author of The Economists' Hour (Little, Brown and Company, 2019) , talks about the use of robots and automation in farming jobs typically held by immigrants and why cutting immigration doesn't necessarily lead to more job openings.Photo caption: A worker drives in cattle to be milked at T-Bar Dairy in Porterville, California, on December 17, 2024. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liam Quigley, reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC, talks about his investigation into NYC's tow truck industry, where he found unscrupulous practices that have consequences for street safety, insurance claims and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of the forthcoming book The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026), talks about the latest national political news, including the pending shutdown at DHS and congressional pushback on tariffs. Photo: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 12: A woman looks on at a memorial for Renee Good who was shot and killed by an ICE agent last month on February 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. White House "Border Czar" Tom Homan announced today that the federal immigration enforcement surge in the state would conclude. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of this year's midterm elections, Mark Leibovich, a staff writer for The Atlantic, talks about his reporting on how the Democrats are searching for a new identity and winning formula, against the backdrop of what many of them see as a descent into fascism in President Trump's second term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State issues reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses Mayor Mamdani trip to Albany on Wednesday for "Tin Cup Day" to make his case to the legislature for more funding, including a millionaire's tax, for his agenda. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Justin Peters, a correspondent for Slate, discusses some standout moments from the 2026 winter Olympics, and listeners share what they've been tuning in to. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City nurses are returning to work at some hospitals, while the strike drags on at NewYork-Presbyterian. Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, talks about the latest and responds to criticism from rank-and-file members who say top union brass circumvented their negotiating committee to force a vote on a previously rejected proposal.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jasmine Gripper and Ana María Archila, co-directors of the New York Working Families Party, discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposed tax hike—and Gov. Kathy Hochul's resistance to it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mass layoffs at The Washington Post and wholesale changes at CBS News have complicated the landscape of mainstream news in America. Listeners tell us how they’ve adapted their news habits and where they’re getting the news in general. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lee Bollinger, First Amendment scholar, law professor and former president of Columbia University and the author of University: A Reckoning (WW Norton, 2026), argues that universities are essential to preserving democracy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Crystal Hudson, the City Council Member for District 35, delves into the city's response to the recent extreme cold. At least 18 people have died from the frigid temperatures, spurring oversight hearings. Hudson, whose district encompasses Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights, walks us through how the city confronted the cold spell. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jordan Lauf, producer for All Of It and its book club, Get Lit with All Of It, offers recommendations for new books to read that are coming out in the next few weeks, plus shares the details on the new Get Lit With All of It newsletter.Sign up for the newsletter at wnyc.org/getlitnewsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Solomon, mayor of Jersey City, talks about the major budget deficit of about $250 million dollars he is facing, which he blames the former mayor, Steve Fulop for, and other Jersey City news.new) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been more than two weeks since the big snowstorm hit, and hardened piles of dirty snow are still everywhere. Javier Lojan, acting commissioner of the New York City Sanitation Department, talks about the challenges the Sanitation Department has faced as the extreme cold settled in after the storm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chelsea Cirruzzo, Washington Correspondent for STAT news, explains what the Trump administration's new prescription drug marketplace aims to do, and who might save money by using it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Annie McDonough, senior City Hall reporter at City & State New York, talks about Mayor Mamdani's plans for a Department of Community Safety to send social workers instead of police officers to respond to mental health crises. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nadira Goffe, staff writer of culture at Slate, recaps Bad Bunny's joyful halftime show at the Super Bowl and talks about the political divide over the performance, the commercials and general vibes of the big game.→ Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance Was Pure Joy  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest Epstein files to be released exposed more embarrassing revelations for more powerful men, including the president of Bard College, the (former) chairman of the law firm Paul Weiss, and one of the owners of the Giants. Vicky Ward, investigative journalist and author of Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), and Steve Eder, investigative reporter for The New York Times, talk about what the new emails reveal about how wealthy and powerful people operate.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steve Fulop, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, talks about what they want from the new mayoral administration, and the group's critiques of Mayor Mamdani so far.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Mayor Mamdani on the Cold, Budget and More (First) | Tracing the Path from Bernie Goetz and Reagan to Today (Starts at 16:00) | What Makes Your Dog the Best? (Starts at 41 :00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump has been knocking down data sharing protections between federal agencies to empower ICE's growing surveillance apparatus. Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media, a digital media company focused on technology, discusses his recent investigations into how big tech is helping ICE to gather data on civilians and ultimately identify, track, and detain undocumented immigrants.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Louisa Thomas, staff writer at The New Yorker, who writes the weekly column The Sporting Scene,  talks about the shifting expectations of the public on how famous athletes should respond to politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-5, Upper East Side) talks about the council's priorities, working with Mayor Mamdani, and new proposals—including year-round outdoor dining. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), talks about actions and statements by the president that are raising alarms over election integrity with midterms months away. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alana Casanova-Burgess, host of the podcast La Brega, talks about the new season of La Brega, which spotlights Puerto Rico's champions, and what they teach us about Puerto Ricans and the diaspora. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heather Ann Thompson, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy and her latest, Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage (Pantheon, 2026) argues that the roots of white rage and violence can be traced back to the Reagan Era and, specifically, the Bernie Goetz shootings of four Black teenagers on a NYC subway in 1984. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, talks about the latest news, including how the administration is protecting vulnerable New Yorkers from the cold, the budget gap and more city issues. Then, Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, offers context and analysis of the mayor's interview. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate in economics, former New York Times columnist now on Substack, distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and the author of Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), talks about how President Trump's economic policies are affecting investors, and what that could mean for the overall economy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For years, the deed theft crisis has been forcing New Yorkers out of their homes. New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé (District 36, Bedford Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) discusses his efforts to protect homeowners from eviction while their cases are pending, plus some other news of the day. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jason Zengerle, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind (Crooked Media Reads, 2027), talks about the development of right-wing media through the story of Tucker Carlson. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about the movies, TV shows, books and music they're consuming as the cold temperatures mean more indoor time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about what it means for accountability when ICE agents are allowed to be masked.=>"The Real Reason ICE Agents Wear Masks" (The Atlantic, 2/2/26)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the Westminster Dog Show underway at MSG, listeners share what their dogs deserve a medal for and Elias Weiss Friedman, aka @TheDogist on Instagram, author of This Dog Will Change Your Life (Ballantine, 2025) and host of the YouTube talk show "Dogs with Elias Weiss Friedman", shares what makes the dogs he photographs special.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Yeampierre, attorney and executive director of UPROSE, talks about Sunset Park Solar, a grassroots project seeking to bring green power to Sunset Park residents. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eugene Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize–winning American journalist, former columnist and associate editor of The Washington Post, political analyst and author of Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America (Simon & Schuster, 2026), shares his own family's story as it intersects with America's ongoing struggle with structural racism -- what's been accomplished and what still needs to be done.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elora Mukherjee, professor at Columbia Law School and director of Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, talks about the many children detained by US immigration authorities and argues for alternatives to detention for families.→ Liam Ramos Was Just One of Hundreds of Children at This Detention Center. Release Them All.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sigal Samuel, senior reporter for Vox’s Future Perfect, talks about why many people in America are able to ignore politics and what our duty as citizens should be under an authoritarian government.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), offers legal analysis of the news of the day, including the DOJ's release of the rest of the Epstein files, the DOJ's civil rights investigation into the Pretti killing and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Early voting is underway in the primary to fill now-Governor Sherrill's seat in Congress.  Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), runs through the many candidates and their bases of support, ahead of the election on Thursday.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump is revoking Temporary Protected Status from Haitians in the United States, putting them at risk of deportation to a country experiencing unprecedented violence and a political crisis. Macollvie Neel, special projects editor at The Haitian Times, discusses the looming uncertainty for the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who will be affected. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.One Month of Mayor Mamdani (First) | How AI is Changing Medicine (Starts at 39:32) | A History of General Strikes (Starts at  1:09:33)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eric Blanc, assistant professor of Labor Studies at Rutgers University, author of several books including We Are the Union: How Worker-to-Worker Organizing is Revitalizing Labor and Winning Big (University of California Press, 2025) and author of the Substack newsletter Labor Politics, talks about the history of general strikes, and what makes them effective, and listeners call in if they are participating in Friday's general strike. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Donald Trump and Democrats say they have reached a deal to avert a partial government shutdown. Siobhan Hughes, a reporter covering Congress in The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau, talks about the latest and whether Republicans will agree to limit funding and impose restrictions on the Department of Homeland Security.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the cold snap continues and the piles of snow linger, listeners share if they've taken up a hobby appropriate to the season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter talks about Mayor Mamdani's first month in office, including challenges like this week's big snowstorm and a major budget crisis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Russell Berman, a staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about how Republicans in Congress are speaking out against the deportation operation (and the fatal shootings), in a rare intra-party rebuke to President Trump, and what this might signal ahead of this year's midterm elections. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lloyd Minor, M.D., dean of Stanford University School of Medicine and VP of medical affairs at Stanford University, talks about the big changes artificial intelligence is bringing to research and health care, especially related to cancer and chronic diseases, and shares how Stanford is training physicians to use AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nostalgia for 2016 is a trend on social media this month, so we ask our listeners to reflect on the recent past. Are you nostalgic for 2016? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reuven Blau, reporter for The City who covers criminal justice and the city’s prison system, talks about the man appointed by a federal judge as "remediation manager" and what that means for the jail's future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the cold weather continues, Patrick Spauster, City Limits housing and homelessness reporter, talks about the obligations landlords have to keep apartments heated, and what tenants should do if their heat or hot water isn't working.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast and Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School, and Rachel Poser, features editor at The New York Times Magazine, discuss their reporting on the The Federal Bureau of Investigation under the leadership of Kash Patel, after speaking to forty-five current and former employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency and making America less safe.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Snow clearers, liquor store owners, restaurant and bar proprietors...or anyone: call in to share whether this week's storm was good or bad for your business, financially speaking. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States version of TikTok has new owners, and among them are several corporations and investment firms with ties to President Trump. Vittoria Elliott, senior writer for Wired covering platforms and power, talks about the new era of TikTok in America, including a controversial new terms of service, concerns about surveillance and data privacy, and claims of censorship Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, the executive director of the Skeptics Society and the author of Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026), offers advice for evaluating information and sources and argues that getting to the truth is still possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the weekend, seven New Yorkers perished in the cold and snow despite the city's outreach attempts to get unhoused people in shelter. Dave Giffen, executive director of Coalition for the Homeless, explains why these efforts fell short, and what the city can do to get the homeless population indoors and save lives.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) shares why he says ICE should be "dismantled," his vote against its funding and his resolution to impeach Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michelle Hackman, Wall Street Journal reporter covering U.S. immigration policy, talks about the legality of the tactics ICE agents are using in Minneapolis and elsewhere, including entering people's homes without warrants, and the ways they are dealing with bystanders in the wake of the two recent fatal shootings in Minnesota. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC Comptroller Mark Levine talks about the budget gap and what it means for NYC's finances, plus, how the city is managing the storm.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to talk about whether their schools got a snow day or had to do remote instruction, and how it's going either way Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Davitt, chief meteorologist for Spectrum News NY1, talks about the first big snowstorm to hit the city in a while, and the extreme cold front that is settling in across the region. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis, and the Trump administration is pushing a version of events that clashes with video evidence. Reid Forgrave, state and regional reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune, reports on the latest and the community response. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talks about the judge's ruling that the Staten Island and Brooklyn congressional district now held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R) should be redrawn and what that would mean for local representation and, potentially, control of congress.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vanessa Friedman, fashion director and chief fashion critic of The New York Times, discusses the Saks Global bankruptcy filing to find out what it means for shoppers and vendors, and what it says about the state of retail sales in the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mark Malkoff, comedian and author of Love, Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan’s Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend (Penguin Random House, 2025), talks about his book on Johnny Carson, which focuses on the decade the late-night legend spent hosting the Tonight Show from New York; plus he discusses how Carson invited Jim Henson's Muppets on the show, including an episode hosted by Kermit the frog. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steven Rodas, environmental reporter for NJ Advance Media, explains why utility costs in New Jersey have spiked over the last several years and the details of Gov. Mikie Sherrill's state of emergency on utility costs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, talks about an executive order issued by Mayor Mamdani that aims to lower fees for small businesses in the city and more priorities for his group, which looks out for the interests of NYC's restaurants and bars. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we study up on Greenland, we invite listeners to share what's misunderstood about where they're from. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roger Leaf, chair of the West Park Administrative Commission, responds to public calls for preservation and offers his perspective on why the Landmarks Preservation Commission should approve a claim of hardship for the West-Park Presbyterian Church. The hardship claim would allow the church's stewards to sell the dilapidated Upper West Side building they cannot afford to maintain. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sam Levine, commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) talks about his priorities in his new role, including the mayor's executive orders related to plans for "rental rip-off" hearings, banning junk fees and regulating delivery apps, which he says are depriving workers of tips. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill has been inaugurated in New Jersey. Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talks about what to expect, and the challenges she will face as she begins her term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of Thursday's Oscar nominations, listeners call in to share their picks for the major categories, including best documentary.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amy Davidson Sorkin, staff writer at The New Yorker, looks back at the first year of Pres. Trump's second term and where we are now in the context of Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Center for Building in North America, talks about his idea to bring down NYC's sky-high grocery prices -- which is to make it easier to build more grocery stores. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at The New York Times, discusses how 2025 became the worst year for measles in the United States in more than two decades, after a small town in Gaines County, Texas, first reported a cluster of measles cases in unvaccinated children in January. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to answer the question "how cold is it?" And share tips for staying warm and safe. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news of the day including the growing rift between President Trump and Congressional Republicans, the latest on the possible extension of health care subsidies, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gloria Browne-Marshall, professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, civil rights attorney, Emmy award-winning writer and author of A Protest History of the United States (Beacon Press, 2025), talks about the exercise of what Dr. King called the American "right to protest for right." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century (Basic Books, 2022), talks about what was accomplished, as well as the inequality that remained unaddressed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessie Gómez, Chalkbeat Newark reporter covering Newark Public Schools, talks about what to expect from New Jersey's new governor on education issues. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Why New York City's Nurses Are on Strike (First) | Exit Interview With NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin (Starts at 34:55) | Betting on Everything (Starts at  1:04:42)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, President Donald Trump responded to a heckler by using profanity. Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter, professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School, discusses the recent rise of politicians using profanity when addressing constituents.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the latest legal turn in the controversial sale of 5,000 rent-stabilized apartments owned by Pinnacle, the current bankrupt landlord, to another company that has a sketchy record of maintaining apartments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By threatening to take control of Greenland, President Trump has undermined a once-strong alliance with Denmark. Now, several NATO countries are deploying small numbers of troops to Greenland. Margaret Talbot, staff writer at The New Yorker, reports on anxiety and anger in Denmark and Europe.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The West Park Presbyterian Church, a 135-year-old Upper West Side landmark, could soon have its landmark protections strip, allowing developers to turn the lot into luxury housing. Mark Ruffalo, award-winning actor and activist, and Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, discuss the community's effort to save the building from the wrecking ball, and hear from callers about their own connections to the space, which has served as an arts and community center for decades. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now a cryptocurrency entrepreneur. But his recently launched crypto token—which he claimed would combat antisemitism—crashed almost immediately, fueling scam accusations. Leo Schwartz, senior writer at Fortune, talks about the former mayor's curious venture. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist focused on American conservative and far-right movements and author of the Substack Firewalled Media dot com, talks about 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. => "You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof." (Slate, Jan 13, 2026)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is term-limited out and will be replaced by Mikie Sherrill on January 20th. Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and host of “Ask Governor Murphy,” offers the final recap of her monthly call-in show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At least 1,850 protesters have been killed in a brutal crackdown by Iran's government. Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker and author of several books on Iran, explains the political upheaval and why President Donald Trump has canceled meetings with Iranian officials and encouraged protesters to keep demonstrating, saying that "help" from the U.S. is on the way. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jimmy Vielkind recaps the proposals in Gov. Hochul's "state of the state" address, where she focused on affordability, and offers analysis of the speech as the governor is running for re-election. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Queens neighborhood of Astoria has recently elected so many democratic socialists that political observers have dubbed it the "people's republic" and a part of the so-called "commie corridor" (which also includes its neighbors in western Queens and north Brooklyn). Naaman Zhou, member of The New Yorker's editorial staff, talks about the neighborhood's political shift and why its voters are so open to electing socialists.→ How Did Astoria Become So Socialist? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Maxine Joselow, New York Times reporter covering climate policy, shares her reporting that found the EPA will no longer measure the lives saved by regulating two air pollutants, and what that might mean for how companies operate, how clean the air is and how it will negatively affect people's health.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Cohen, historian and the author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling (Columbia Global Reports, 2025), talks about how prediction markets, where people bet on world events, elections or...almost anything, are rising in popularity, and the risks that may come with these lightly-regulated markets. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deirdre Tobias, epidemiologist at Brigham & Women's Hospital and assistant professor in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, talks about the new nutrition guidelines released last week and how they could impact what American health and diets. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thousands of nurses from three of New York City's private hospital systems have walked off the job over safety concerns. Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, shares details on what her fellow nurses are striking over and what might happen next in negotiations between the union and hospitals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eric Blanc, assistant professor of Labor Studies at Rutgers University and author of the Substack newsletter LaborPolitics.com, talks about how the thousands of volunteers who canvassed during Mayor Mamdani's campaign could be mobilized to help the new mayor achieve his policy goals.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matthew Platkin reflects on his time as New Jersey's attorney general, including what are widely viewed as his successes, like reducing gun violence, and some challenges, including in political corruption in the state that's known for it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January is a time many commit to reevaluating their relationships with alcohol. Vox correspondent Allie Volpe talks about what's come to be known as Dry January, and listeners check in with us about their alcohol-free first month of 2026.→  Even Better’s Guide to Drinking Less | Vox Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katie Rogers, White House correspondent for The New York Times, talks about their interview with President Trump and what he is saying and doing with regards to Venezuela, Cuba, and other national issues.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Child Care, talks about Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani's announcement on their proposed universal 2-Care program which would provide free child care for New York City's 2-year-olds, and her work advocating for child care in New York. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Governor Hochul is backing new legislation aimed at protecting children and teens online. Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children & Screens, unpacks the impact of technology and social media on young people and discuss various legislative efforts to protect kids on the internet. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at The New Yorker covering books and culture, discusses her latest reporting on how prenuptial agreements are being embraced by millennials — including many who don’t have all that much personal wealth to divvy up.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, talks about how Minneapolis is "on edge" after the fatal shooting of a civilian by an ICE agent, which came after weeks of tension between the Somali community and the Trump administration, and Republicans' spotlight of fraud at child care centers in the state. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Burgess Everett, congressional bureau chief for Semafor, breaks down the responses from Capitol Hill as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle respond to the Trump administration's moves in Venezuela and public musings about purchasing the country of Greenland. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, talks about the latest transportation news including the results of the first year of congestion pricing, mayor Mamdani's announcement on the McGuinness Boulevard redesign, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you know when something you're seeing online is real or fake? Craig Silverman, co-founder of the Indicator, a publication that exposes digital deception, offers insight into the proliferation of AI-generated content on the internet and tips on how to identify it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Annie Joy Williams, assistant editor at The Atlantic, talks about how and why the southern drawl seems to be fading away, and what it means to lose a whole regional accent.→ The Last Days of the Southern Drawl | The Atlantic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about the latest news from Mayor Mamdani's first week in office, including his controversial decision to rescind two executive orders from Mayor Adams on Israel and antisemitism, his relationship with the business community and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While the Trump administration has declared its intent of revitalizing the Venezuelan oil industry, Rebecca F. Elliott, energy reporter for The New York Times, reports on who stands to benefit from more drilling in the country. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The MTA has phased out MetroCards in favor of tapping and OMNY cards. Listeners call in to offer their tributes to the iconic yellow cards, which date back to the 1990s.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gisela Salim-Peyer, associate editor at The Atlantic, reports on the scenes from the courtroom where Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro was arraigned this week after the Trump administration's military actions in the South American country—and the range of responses from New York's Venezuelan community. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suleika Jaouad, author of a bestselling memoir about her battle with cancer, and most recently, The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life (Penguin Random House, 2025), discusses her latest Substack essay on how New Year's resolutions almost never stick, and how she engages in the pleasures of small rituals instead. Listeners call in to share about the resolutions they made that they've actually stuck with... which may be more like smaller, daily rituals instead of lofty, life-changing goals.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Under Health Secretary RFK Jr's guidance, the CDC has made changes to recommendations for the childhood vaccine schedule. Jessica Malaty Rivera, infectious disease epidemiologist and member of the group Defend Public Health, explains what the changes are and why they are such a big deal for public health. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the day of his inauguration, mayor Zohran Mamdani began his tenure with a press conference in a Flatbush building lobby. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps all of the latest housing news coming out of the Mamdani administration including his executive orders, latest appointees, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Topics this month include the Trump administration's military actions in Venezuela, the lasting ramifications of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in to answer trivia questions about the past year in politics, culture, and more.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in for some trivia about the past year in politics, culture, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School at Columbia University, a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025 (One World, 2025), looks back at recent history and find the threads that connect the era of protests and backlash.Irin Carmon, senior correspondent at New York magazine, co-author of Notorious RBG (Dey Street Books, 2015) and, most recently, author of Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America (Atria/One Signal, 2025), explores what it means to be pregnant today in America through reporting and personal stories.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.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.Liza Donnelly, writer and cartoonist at The New Yorker and the author of Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists, 1925-2021 (Prometheus, 2022) and the substack "Seeing Things", discusses the short documentary film she directed, "Women Laughing," about cartoonists at The New Yorker and their artistic processes. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here:Defining the Decade (Nov. 13, 2025)The Perils of Pregnancy in America (Nov. 6, 2025)Grandparenting as Paid Labor? (Oct. 10, 2025)Russia and Feminism (Oct. 25, 2025)Funny Women of The New Yorker (Nov. 10, 2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners share the best gifts they've ever received and what made them so special. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners offer their picks of what they loved and hated this year in the world of film, literature, podcasting, performance, and more.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christians call in to share the religious meaning of the holiday for them and what "Christian politics" mean as they come into the spotlight under the Trump administration. Then, listeners tell stories of moments that defined their common humanity with people from different backgrounds. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners share which of their favorite businesses closed in 2025, and shoutout new spots where they plan on becoming regulars. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derek Kravitz, reporter and deputy editor for Consumer Reports, discusses an investigation into third-party grocery delivery service Instacart's algorithmic pricing experiment. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out the "experience" holiday gifts they sell. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State, talks about Mayor-elect Mamdani's latest deputy mayor appointments, and the inauguration plans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The flu season has hit and cases are still rising. Michelle Morse, M.D., interim commissioner of health at the NYC Department of Health and an internal medicine and public health doctor, talks about how to stay healthy this holiday season.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As he awaits a court ruling on the Trump administration's attempt to deport him, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist, 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every year, The Brian Lehrer Show asks you to submit the best photo you took that is sitting on your phone – and every year, you deliver with some breathtaking shots.This year, you submitted over 700 photos! Our partners at Photoville, along with a special guest judge, journalist, photographer and co-founder of the photo collective Seis del Sur David Gonzalez, picked out their favorites—and then Brian and the team joined in to help select three winners: Soumayan Biswas, Esther Xiang and Lisa Guerriero.Brian speaks with David and Dave Shelley, co-founder and creative producer of Photoville, about the three winning photos. Plus, two of this year's three contest winners, Esther Xiang and Lisa Guerriero collect their bragging rights.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Philip Bump, MSNOW contributor, author of the How to Read this Chart newsletter and the author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America (Viking, 2023), talks about the latest national political news, including the release of the Epstein files, divisions in the GOP and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.