The Brian Lehrer Show

Again, this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, David Borenstein, documentary filmmaker, talks about his film "Mr Nobody Against Putin."    photo credit: Pavel Talankin, courtesy of Kino Lorber

Listeners call in to talk about what they will be watching for at President Trump's State of the Union address tonight. Photo: President Trump delivering last year's State of the Union address. Credit: The White House via Wikimedia Commons.

NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo respond to Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget and tax hike proposals, as well as some recent policies, like restarting sweeps of homeless encampments. Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani releases the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Preliminary Budget. City Hall. Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

Again, this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, Ryan White, documentary producer and director, talks about his film "Come See Me in the Good Light." "Come See Me in the Good Light" is streaming on Apple TV and available for rent on Prime.   Image: Andrea Gibson in "Come See Me in the Good Light," now streaming on Apple TV. Courtesy of Apple TV.

Following a storm update, Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news, including Friday's Supreme Court tariffs ruling and this week's State of the Union address.Photo: Front Gate of the White House on a Warm Sunny Day (2018) by Mathieu Landretti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Queens and Brooklyn borough presidents Donovan Richards and Antonio Reynoso talk about how Queens and Brooklyn are handling the big snowstorm, including how the city is trying to help its most vulnerable residents. Photo: People walk along snow covered streets as snow falls during a blizzard on February 23, 2026 in Flatbush. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)  

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. California Billionaire Tax  (First) | Alabama Solution (Starts at 28:29) | Central Park Cyclists (Starts at 43:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Recent reporting in The New Yorker examines how schools, teachers and students in Minneapolis are being impacted by the recent actions of federal immigration enforcement agents. But conversations about how to navigate ICE's presence on and around school property are taking place among educators around the country. The Trump administration has also defended certain enforcement actions in court, leading to an uncommonly poetic court ruling lambasting ICE practices that circumvent judicial oversight. Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors. Today's installment features Sam Waterston, Julianne Moore and Daphne Rubin-Vega performing The New Yorker's reporting, and the judicial ruling. 

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), breaks down the latest as the Trump administration repeats its calls for Iran to end its nuclear program while sources tell CNN that the U.S. military is prepared to strike the country as early as this weekend.

As Lunar New Year celebrations kick into full swing, we speak with Master Pun-Yin, Feng Shui Consultant and Chinese Zodiac expert, about the significance of the year of the fire horse and hear from callers about their new year's traditions. Image by Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons.