The Brian Lehrer Show

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), looks at where the initial actions of the Trump administration align with the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and what's still to come.

Mike Lawler, U.S. Representative (R, NY-17), talks about the issues facing his district and the country and his role as part of the Republican majority in Congress.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent comments on autistic Americans sparked massive backlash from the community last week. Now, there's news that the National Institute of Health's new autism study is collecting private medical records from Americans. Colin Killick, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, provides his perspective on the impact RFK Jr.'s rhetoric and latest actions are having on the autistic community during Autism Acceptance Month.   

Nick Reisman, Politico New York reporter covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, talks about the issues holding up the New York State budget negotiations, due April 1.

Daniel Rober, associate professor and department chair of the Catholic Studies department at Sacred Heart University, talks about the leading contenders to be the next pope, the fraught process in the Vatican and the different directions the next leader of the world's Catholics might take the church.

Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, talks about Saturday's opening of the revamped Harlem Meer area of the park, plus other news.

Layla O'Kane, a senior director at Opportunity@Work, and Cole Napper, vice president of People Analytics at Lightcast, a labor market analytics company, talk about the latest data on career and career advancement opportunities for skilled workers without a college degree.→ State of the Paper Ceiling | Opportunity@Work

John "Janno" Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the MTA's fight with the federal government over congestion pricing, how the tolling program is going, the Trump administration's takeover of the Penn Station revamp and more transit news.

Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), argues the checks on presidential power, put in place by the founders, have so far failed in the second Trump administration, and talks about what causes authoritarian governments to fail.

Elizabeth Kim, a reporter from Gothamist and WNYC, dives into the fierce competition among progressives in the Democratic mayoral race, spotlighting Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander. They discuss the impact of endorsements from the Working Families Party and the challenges in uniting progressive support. Key issues like healthcare access and rent stabilization also come to the forefront, revealing the nuanced strategies candidates use to engage voters. The episode expertly navigates the complexities of outreach to the Latino community and the importance of authenticity in campaigning.