The Brian Lehrer Show

Gilbert Cruz, editor at The New York Times Book Review, shares the five fiction and five non-fiction books from this year that made it into The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2024. 

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 the Campaign Finance Board's decision to not provide his campaign matching funds, increased numbers of injuries and deaths due to police chases, and more. 

Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate in economics and New York Times columnist, reflects on his impactful career. He discusses the evolving public sentiment from hope to distrust, influenced by events like the Iraq War and the 2008 financial crisis. Krugman analyzes the rise of cacistocracy and the populist movements on both ends of the political spectrum. He also addresses misconceptions surrounding inflation and examines healthcare challenges in the U.S., offering insights and hope for the future amidst a complicated political landscape.

As 2024 comes to a close, listeners call in with tributes to their favorite musicians, writers, actors and other public figures who passed away in 2024.

Andrew Tangel, enterprise reporter covering aviation safety and regulation for The Wall Street Journal, breaks down the latest news about the unidentified drones flying over the tri-state area and what the federal response has been so far. 

Liz Krueger, New York State Senator (D, WF - 28th, Manhattan's East Side) and chair of the Finance Committee, makes the argument that fossil fuel companies, not taxpayers, should be the ones to pay to clean up the greenhouse gases they released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, plus other ways New York State legislators are battling climate change.

Brittany Kriegstein, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, shares her coverage of the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, as well as the less reported stabbing death of a migrant teenager near Wall St. earlier this month, plus her experience covering shootings across New York City, to dissect how important a victim's profile is to whether or not justice is served.

Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Chief Washington correspondent for STAT News, dives into the fallout from the tragic shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, igniting a national conversation on healthcare reform. She tackles the complexities and inequalities in the U.S. health system, highlighting life expectancy disparities and the Affordable Care Act's subsidy negotiations. The discussion also covers the blame game in healthcare, pharmacy pricing challenges, and rising concerns over Medicare Advantage plans amidst political dynamics. Cohrs sheds light on the pressing need for actionable solutions.

As our centennial series continues, Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and former press secretary for Governor McGreevey, looks back at a century of the Star-Ledger, once the Newark Star-Ledger, which ends its print edition in February.

Listeners call in to share any news they learned at holiday parties over the weekend...and which topics in the news were the most discussed.