The Brian Lehrer Show Brian Lehrer Weekend: New Speaker; IRC's Miliband; Remembering Rob Reiner
Dec 20, 2025
Julie Menon, the incoming New York City Council Speaker, discusses her commitment to consumer rights and universal child care, alongside her shift from the Progressive Caucus. David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee, examines the alarming humanitarian crises highlighted in the IRC's report, noting significant aid cuts and their devastating toll. The segment concludes with Richard Rushfield celebrating Rob Reiner's impactful career, inviting listeners to share their favorite memories of the beloved filmmaker.
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Census Leadership And A Personal Health Law
- Menon described leading NYC's 2020 census effort, funding community orgs and media campaigns to avoid undercounting.
- She also shared a personal story of her son surviving a severe anaphylactic reaction, which motivated the EpiPen school law.
Aid Cuts Fuel A New World Disorder
- David Miliband frames a 'New World Disorder' where post‑WWII rules and rights erode, enabling profiteering from conflict.
- He links collapsing international cooperation and a 50% drop in humanitarian funding to rising civilian suffering.
U.S. Cuts Have Outsized Humanitarian Impact
- Miliband notes the U.S. historically provided roughly one-third of global humanitarian funding, so U.S. cuts have outsized impact.
- He warns lost U.S. grants and contracts substantially contributed to the approximate $12–$13 billion shortfall in 2025.