Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

LGBT+ police officers have been banned from marching in uniform in the NYC Pride Parade. The organizers say it's about making participants of color feel safe. Others say it's needlessly divisive. On Today's Show:Jonathan Capehart, member of The Washington Post editorial board, hosts the “Cape Up” podcast the Washington Post Live's First Look and host of The Sunday Show on MSNBC, talks about the decision to block uniformed police officers from NYC's Pride March.

Trump's GOP has demonstrated an eagerness to believe in conspiracy theories and to accept disinformation that bolsters their politics. How did it get that way? On Today's Show: Jon Meacham, journalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian, host of the new podcast "Fate of Fact" and the author of The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels (Random House, 2018), talks about what he's learned in his new podcast, which examines why so many conservative Americans have become receptive to disinformation and fans of conspiracy theories.

The pipeline of qualified Black talent isn't new. But after last year's racial justice conversations, diversity efforts have brought more POC into prestigious roles. On Today's Show:Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon, Jr. talks about his recent column that makes the case that the focus on inclusion and diversity that's led to what's been called a "Black Renaissance" is good for all Americans.

Today, a status update on some of the important legislation moving through Congress, including a commission to investigate the Capitol riot, and Biden's infrastructure and jobs plans. On Today's Show:Mara Liasson, NPR national political correspondent, brings us the latest national politics analysis.

A Nobel prize-winning economist discusses disproven ideas about the economy that just won't die, like inflation and monetary policy. Plus, his take on cryptocurrencies. On Today's Show:Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate in economics, New York Times columnist, distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and the author of (now in paperback) Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), shares his knowledge and talks about current policies.

House Democrats got 35 Republicans to vote for a commission to study the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Now, the bill is working through the Senate, where Mitch McConnell is working against it. On Today's Show:U.S. Representative (D NY-8th, Brooklyn and Queens) and House Democratic chairman, Hakeem Jeffries, talks about GOP opposition to a commission to study the Capitol riot on January 6, the status of the American Jobs Plan, and more national political news.

Kids today are rightly concerned about climate change. What can parents do when that concern becomes stress or anxiety about the future of the planet they're supposed to inherit? On Today's Show:Mary DeMocker, author of The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep (New World Library, 2018), talks about how to help kids deal with their climate anxiety and empower them along the way.

Why are some countries recovering from the pandemic faster than others, and how much of it has to do with the psychology of their citizens? On Today's Show:Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post columnist, host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, and the author of Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), discusses economic and public health recovery efforts from around the globe.

Last week, the CDC suddenly reversed its guidance on vaccinated people wearing masks indoors, taking many, including some at the White House, by surprise. So what's the politics behind the new guidance, and what are the public health considerations? On Today's Show:Nsikan Akpan, WNYC's health and science editor, and Annie Linskey, Washington Post national reporter covering the White House, talk about the CDC's change to its indoor mask guidance, including the political forces at play, and what it means for people's health. NOTE: In the interview, Akpan misidentified a statistic about breakthrough cases. As of the best available data at the time of the interview, there were 1,300 severe COVID cases -- those which result in hospitalization or death -- out of 115 million fully vaccinated people, or about 1 severe case for every 100,000 vaccinated people. The best available data on total breakthrough cases, mild or severe, indicated 9,245 infections out of 95 million fully vaccinated, or about 1 in 10,000 breakthrough infections.  

We've got a list of seven words we can't say on the radio, and a whole slew more we'd rather not say in polite company. On Today's Show:John McWhorter, Columbia University linguistics professor, host of the Lexicon Valley podcast at Slate and the author of Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever (Avery, 2021), joins to discuss his new book on profanity, where swear words come from and why they hold so much power.