

The Brian Lehrer Show
WNYC
Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2026 • 19min
The Midterms Begin
Lisa Lerer, national political correspondent for The New York Times and co-author of The Fall of Roe, The Rise of a New America, breaks down the midterm primary shakeups. She explores Tallarico’s coalition-building, turnout surges among young and independent voters, Republican runoffs and MAGA dynamics, North Carolina’s affordability messaging, and how voting‑rules disputes risk eroding trust.

Mar 3, 2026 • 15min
Vaccine Hesitation & Misinformation
Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center, an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the author of Autism's False Prophets (Columbia University Press, 2008) and Tell Me When It’s Over: An Insider’s Guide to Deciphering COVID Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World (National Geographic, 2024), talks about the changes to vaccine recommendations and conceptions of public health in the current HHS.
Photo by Pablo la Rosa, 10 April 2025, Wikimedia Commons.

Mar 3, 2026 • 10min
Get to Know: Brooklyn Raga Massive
Musicians Neel Murgai and Roshni Samlal, artistic directors of Brooklyn Raga Massive, talk about their group, which they say is a "nonprofit musicians' collective that creates cross-cultural understanding through the lens of South Asian classical music."
photo: Neel Murgai and Roshni Samlal (courtesy of the guests)

Mar 3, 2026 • 12min
10-Question Quiz: NYC Neighborhoods
For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is NYC neighborhoods.
(Photo by cisc1970 CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED)

Mar 3, 2026 • 14min
Rep. Pat Ryan on War in Iran
U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (D, NY-18) offers his take on the war with Iran, the upcoming vote in the House on war powers and more.Photo: An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes yesterday, on March 3, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. The United States and Israel have continued the joint attack on Iran that began on February 28, resulting in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Mar 3, 2026 • 22min
Trump's War With Iran
Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), offers analysis of the war with Iran after President Trump said he was not opposed to boots on the ground and a military leader said more U.S. casualties are expected.
Photo: Firefighters work at the scene of an airstrike that destroyed shops and residences on March 2, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Mar 2, 2026 • 10min
10-Question Quiz: Women's History Month
For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is Women's History Month.

Mar 2, 2026 • 13min
Iran After the Death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker, talks about what might come next for Iran after its Supreme Leader was killed in an Israeli air strike, as the war continues to widen and the country remains divided politically.
photo: Pedestrians pass a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 2, 2026 in central Tehran, Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Mar 2, 2026 • 11min
Why Epstein's Associates Looked the Other Way
After Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex crimes in Florida in 2008, plenty of prominent people remained friendly with him. Lisa Miller, domestic correspondent for The New York Times Well section, offers analysis of why no one seemed to speak up when they witnessed his concerning and even criminal behavior.
Photo: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images: New protest art referencing the Epstein files and President Trump was installed on 3rd Street SW along the National Mall. People look at and sign the artwork on Monday, January 19, 2025.

Mar 2, 2026 • 10min
Finding Your Style: Derek Guy on the Essentials
Derek Guy, menswear writer and editor at Put This On, popular on social media as "the menswear guy," talks about the essentials of how to build a wardrobe. Part of our short series on personal style.
Photo: Portrait of American attorney & former US Attorney General Elliot Richardson (1920-1999) in his office, Washington DC, November 1987. (Photo by Janet Fries/Getty Images)


