The Brian Lehrer Show Brian Lehrer Weekend: Christiane Amanpour on the War With Iran; A $30 Hourly Minimum for NYC?; Oscar Talk: Streaming vs Theaters
Mar 14, 2026
Christiane Amanpour, veteran international correspondent, traces Iran’s modern conflicts and regional ambitions. Sandy Nurse, Brooklyn council member and labor advocate, lays out the case for a $30 hourly minimum in NYC. Dana Stevens, film critic and author, debates streaming versus theaters and dissects awards-season picks. Short, sharp conversations on geopolitics, labor policy, and the future of cinema.
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Phase In A $30 Minimum Wage For Smaller Firms
- Do phase in higher minimums to reduce shock on small employers; Sandy Nurse proposes $30 by 2030 for large firms and by 2032 for smaller ones.
- She cites MIT's $38/hr living-wage estimate to justify the phased target.
Prior Wage Hikes Didn't Cause Job Loss In Studies
- Empirical studies on past U.S. minimum wage hikes found pay growth without mass job losses in examined sectors.
- Nurse cites research comparing New York's wage increases to Pennsylvania's stability as evidence wages didn't cause disemployment.
Pharmacist Warns PBM Reimbursements Make $30 Unsustainable
- Pharmacist Jack describes razor-thin pharmacy margins and negative reimbursements from PBMs, fearing he couldn't afford $30/hr staff.
- Nurse responded acknowledging regulated reimbursement problems need separate policy fixes alongside wage increases.