The Brian Lehrer Show

Bill Grueskin, a Professor at Columbia Journalism School and former senior editor at The Wall Street Journal, dives into the fiery congressional hearing where NPR and PBS leaders confronted accusations of liberal bias. He discusses the significance of public broadcasting amid calls for funding cuts and the challenges of unbiased reporting in politically charged climates. Grueskin also sheds light on the implications of media coverage on sensitive topics, emphasizing the need for integrity and support in independent journalism.

David Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of 'The Project,' dives into Columbia University's controversial compliance with the Trump administration to secure $400 million in federal funds. He discusses the protests and legal actions from faculty that highlight concerns over academic freedom. The conversation explores the broader implications for higher education governance amid federal pressures and the complications of free speech on campus. Additionally, Graham touches on the challenges of private communication in government and the political dynamics surrounding U.S. military actions.

U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11) talks about her campaign to be the Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey, and her work in Washington.   

Polo shirts, khaki shorts, and boat shoes: the classic uniform of elites on their days off. As our centennial series continues, Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of Interest, delves into the last 100 years of preppies and their clothes.

As our centennial series continues, Clay Risen, New York Times reporter and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America (Scribner, 2025), goes through the history of the Cold War-era struggle inside the US between the FDR progressives and social conservatives and how it continues to reverberate.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including various aspects of the mayoral campaign and his recent appointment of Randy Mastro as a deputy mayor.

A recent legal judgment could force Greenpeace to pay $667 million in defamation and vandalism-related damages, from the 2016 protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline leading environmentalists to worry that the ruling could have a chilling effect on climate activism. Michael Gerrard, professor of law at Columbia Law School and the founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, shares his legal analysis of the case, and what it could mean for the environment.

Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter for The New York Times, focusing on science and global health, discusses the government's approach to Bird Flu, and why veterinary scientists say that RFK Jr.'s approach (letting the infection burn through flocks to identify birds with high immunity) will likely cost more than it helps.  

Jimmy Vielkind,  New York State Issues reporter for WNYC and author of the substack "Notes from Jimmy", talks about the status of budget negotiations ahead of the April 1 deadline, the possibility of a mask ban, and federal funding that's included in the forecasts.

New York Times congressional correspondent Annie Karni and White House reporter Luke Broadwater, co-authors of Mad House: How Donald Trump, Maga Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby and a Man with Rats in his Walls Broke Congress (Random House, 2025), discuss their new book about dysfunctional House Republicans—and the extent to which the GOP-led Congress has provided a rubber stamp to President Trump's agenda.