

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

Jul 22, 2024 • 32min
100 Years of 100 Things: Fossil Fuels
Continuing our centennial series "100 Years of 100 Things," Michael E. Mann, presidential distinguished professor and director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania and author of several books, most recently,Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis (PublicAffairs, 2023), walks us through the impact that fossil fuels have had on the climate—and the temperature record—of the past 100 years.

Jul 22, 2024 • 18min
Reaction to Biden, Plus Homelessness and NIMBYism
Christine Quinn, president & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families in New York City, reacts to the news that President Biden has dropped out of the presidential campaign, especially in her role as a Democratic delegate, and talks about the protests against the homeless shelter in Bensonhurst and other related news.

Jul 22, 2024 • 46min
Biden Drops Out: Reactions From Congress, Dem Voters and a Biden Reporter
Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. Representative (D, NJ-12), co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, and Adriano Espaillat, U.S. Representative (D, NY-13), react to the news that President Biden has dropped out of the presidential race. Plus, Gabriel Debenedetti, national correspondent at New York Magazine and author of The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama (Henry Holt and Co., 2022) reports on the news from his position as a reporter steeped in Biden world, and Democratic voters call in to share their thoughts and feelings on this huge shakeup to the campaign.

Jul 21, 2024 • 1h 21min
Brian Lehrer Weekend: Rev. Barber; Sanitation Commissioner; Weird Al
Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Poverty in Black and White (First) | The City's First Official Trash Can (Starts at 35:37) | "Weird Al" Yankovic Celebrates 10 Years of "Mandatory Fun" (Starts at 1:04:11)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Jul 19, 2024 • 16min
"Weird Al" Yankovic Celebrates 10 Years of "Mandatory Fun"
10 years after his comedy album "Mandatory Fun" became the first comedy album in history to hit number 1 on the Billboard charts, "Weird Al" Yankovic, musician, comedian, and actor, looks back on his career parodying hit pop songs, previews his latest single "Polkamania!", and takes calls from his multi-generational fanbase.

Jul 19, 2024 • 15min
Why NYC Cars Are Deadlier Than Guns
Clayton Guse, WNYC/Gothamist editor on the NYC Accountability desk, and Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, break down the latest city data that show more New Yorkers were killed by drivers during the first six months of 2024 than those who were fatally shot over the same period.

Jul 19, 2024 • 30min
Leader Jeffries Talks Biden Politics
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8th, Brooklyn) talks about the debate engulfing the Democrats on whether President Biden should stay in the race, plus reacts to Trump's speech at the RNC and listeners share their views.

Jul 19, 2024 • 20min
Friday Morning Politics: Trump's Speech at the RNC
Charlie Sykes, founder of The Bulwark, MSNBC contributor and author of How the Right Lost Its Mind (St. Martin's Press, 2017), recaps President Trump's speech and the whole week at the Republican National Convention.

Jul 19, 2024 • 18min
What the Massive Tech Outage is Affecting Locally and Globally
Brittany Kriegstein, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, and Tom Warren, senior editor and author of "Notepad" for The Verge, talk about the effects of the massive tech outage, including critical infrastructure, apps, travel and more -- as callers share issues they're finding with work, travel, and making purchases.

Jul 18, 2024 • 29min
The City's First Official Residential Trash Can
Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, talks about the NYC Bin, the City’s first "official trash can" which will be mandated for use by residential buildings with 1-9 units in a continuing effort to deprive rats of access to garbage.


