The Brian Lehrer Show

Listeners who live in or have ties to European Union countries call in to talk about how voters in the EU parliament elections voted this year and why.

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 Gov. Hochul's "pause" of congestion pricing, mopeds, Trump voters, and more. 

George Latimer, Westchester County Executive challenging U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D, NY 16) in the June 25th primary, talks about his primary campaign and the issues at stake in the election.

Mo Rocca, host of the podcast Mobituaries, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, discusses his new book, Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs (Simon and Schuster, 2024) and profiles people whose big achievements came at the age many of their peers were stepping back.  

Fewer kids are riding the bus to school today than in decades past, and those who do tend to be from lower-income families. Lora Kelley, associate editor at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter,  talks about how the design of the iconic yellow school bus hasn't changed much over the years, and how who rides the bus might affect a push for innovation on board, as listeners share their memories and stories.=> "The Uncertain Future of the Yellow School Bus" (The Atlantic Daily, 5/24/24)  

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix, Arizona as a test of America's ability to respond to the climate crisis, as well as the challenges to democracy.

Maria Torres-Springer, NYC deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, talks about a groundbreaking ceremony for an offshore wind project at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the plans for wind power for the city. Plus, what comes next for the mayor's housing plan called "City of Yes" now that the City Council approved the first part of the plan.

Katie Merz, artist and professor of drawing at the Cooper Union School of Art, talks about the art she is creating for WNYC's upcoming centennial, and takes calls from listeners who share what they see as the most iconic NYC-related image, place or object. 

A new poll by the National True Cost of Living Coalition found that 65% of Americans are financially struggling, and don't anticipate that changing in their lifetimes. Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and co-chair of National True Cost of Living Coalition, discusses the poll's findings, the implications of widespread financial hardship, and the coalition's upcoming measure to develop a true cost of living metric. 

Last week, President Biden issued an executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border when crossings surge. Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), discusses the executive order, how it might impact New York City and more.