The Brian Lehrer Show

The Brian Lehrer Show

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

Episodes

July 10, 2025 22 mins

Big changes are coming to student loans as a result of President Trump's domestic spending law. Ayelet Sheffey, senior economic policy reporter at Business Insider, explains how the lawwill make it harder for some borrowers to afford medical or law school, and how repayment plans for federal student loans will change. 

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Susan Kang, associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on state on local politics, offers analysis of how the Democratic Socialists of America's New York chapter figured into Zohran Mamdani's win in the Democratic mayoral primary, and how DSA will be involved in the general election.

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July 10, 2025 11 mins

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, talks about the many meteor showers on view in the night sky this month, plus a return of 'Manhattanhenge.'

=> EVENT: On Friday, July 11 at 7 pm, Jackie Faherty gives a lecture and 3D presentation about the science and history of the "Manhattanhenge" phenomenon in AMNH's LeFrak theater, followed by an outdoor viewing event with salsa music.  Tickets available ...

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Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are vying to be New Jersey's next governor in a race that is heating up. Tom Martello, politics editor and political columnist at NJ Advance Media, discusses the latest news from the campaigns.

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July 9, 2025 15 mins

In an article for The Atlantic titled "A Wedding Reveals How Much Help Is Really Available to You," Julie Beck explores how asking for help can feel gratifying for both the receiver and the giver. Listeners call in to share the best, maybe even most surprising, times they've been helped or helped others.

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July 9, 2025 28 mins

Austin Kocher, assistant research professor in the Office of Research and Creative Activity in the S.I. Newhouse of Public Communication at Syracuse University, and Substack writer, shares the data he's collected from the Trump Administration's mass deportation policy, particularly the increasing numbers of migrants arrested by ICE and living in detention facilities across the country.

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July 9, 2025 17 mins

ConEd wants to raise its rates again and public hearings are underway. Samantha Maldonado, senior reporter for THE CITY, covering climate, resiliency, housing and development, discusses how rate increases work and how much more New Yorkers might pay if the hike is approved.

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Jeffery Mays, New York Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall, and Kelly Mena, Spectrum News NY1 political reporter, talk about the candidates' strategies to beat Zohran Mamdani in the general election this fall, as some big unions have announced their support for the Democratic nominee, while some big-name Democrats have withheld endorsements. 

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July 8, 2025 13 mins

All Of It is hosting a summer reading challenge (for adults)! Jordan Lauf, producer for All Of It and its book club Get Lit with All Of It , explains how to participate and recommends books in each of the categories in the challenge, including: a classic, an NYC book, a memoir or biography, a recent debut novel and a book published this year.

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Hua Hsu, New Yorker staff writer, professor of English at Bard College and author of the memoir Stay True (September 2022), discusses what college students lose when ChatGPT writes their essays for them and what that says about our evolving understanding of the purpose of higher education.
What Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?

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Zack Colman, Climate and energy reporter for POLITICO, reports on new analyses that show the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and scale back U.S. climate goals.

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Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper, co-directors of the New York Working Families Party, reflect on Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's resounding win in the Democratic primary election, and look ahead to the general election.  

 

 

 

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July 7, 2025 33 mins

It's #100 in the centennial series: your  stories of how your life differs from, and what it shares with, that of your grandparents, plus a funny family story from your history.

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July 7, 2025 32 mins

Randy Mastro, first deputy mayor of New York City, shares highlights from the city's new budget, including a pilot for free childcare, expanded library hours, legal assistance for immigrants and more.

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Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the latest national political news including reactions from both sides of the aisle to Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, funding for ICE in the budget bill in light of news of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facili...

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Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Brad Lander Reflects on His Mayoral Campaign (First) | An Abundance of Ticks (Starts at 32:20) | The Voters Who Turned Out for Zohran Mamdani (Starts at 46:41)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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On this Fourth of July holiday, highlights from our centennial series, 100 Years of 100 Things:

  • Richard Haass, American diplomat, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, senior counselor at the global investment firm Centerview Partners, and the author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens (Penguin Press, 2023) reviews the history of American's global influence, from World War I to today.
  • Annie...
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For this "Summer Best-Of" we've put together some of our favorite conversations our centennial series, 100 Years of 100 Things:

Ashley Stimpson, Maryland-based freelance journalist who writes about science and conservation, takes us through the past 100 years of kids going to the woods for summer camp.

  • Victoria Rosner, dean of the Gallatin School at NYU and the author of Machines for Living: Modernism and Domestic Life (Oxford Un...
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July 2, 2025 14 mins

The Fordham Tri-State Tick Risk is at 10 out of 10 this summer. Thomas Daniels, research scientist in vector ecology, director of Louis Calder Center in Armonk, the biological field station of Fordham University, talks about what led to the population surge and best practices to avoid picking up ticks outdoors and the diseases they carry.

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After the next round of ranked choice voting results came in, Assembly member Zohran Mamdani's lead grew to 12 points, meaning he easily secured the official Democratic nomination. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, reviews the data and talks about what this means for the general election.

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