The Brian Lehrer Show

Public school systems have poured large sums of money on tech hardware and software, but do more screens and apps actually help students learn? Jessica Grose, opinion writer at The New York Times, examines some of the downsides of tech's "incursion" into schools.

Burgess Everett, congressional bureau chief for POLITICO, brings the latest headlines from Congress, including the expected reauthorization of the FISA surveillance act, the foreign aid bills moving through Speaker Mike Johnson's Rules Committee, the Democrats' plan to hold the Senate in November, and more national politics.

David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, talks about what he calls the new 'Cold Wars'—emphasis on the 's'—as the U.S., China and Russia vie for dominance.

Kathy Hochul, governor of New York (D), talks about this year's just-about-done budget deal, which includes her priorities like housing, cannabis and more. Then, Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC/Gothamist, reacts to the governor's take on her wins in this year's budget.

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.

Toni Lyn Morelli, research ecologist at the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, explains how milder winters in the Northeast are contributing to an explosion of deer populations, which can cause car accidents and increase Lyme disease.

The Federal Education Department rolled out a new FAFSA form that was supposed to make things easier for students, but instead it has been plagued with problems. Erica Meltzer, national editor at Chalkbeat, talks about how the "bungled" rollout of the form has derailed some students' college plans. 

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) talks about her work in Washington, including what may happen next after Iran's strike on Israel, her bill for child care for police officers and more.

George Takei, actor, activist and writer, discusses his debut picture book, My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024).

EVENT: George Takei and BD Wong will be in conversation at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St. in Manhattan) TONIGHT (April 16, 2024) at 8 p.m. Details and ticketing information here.

Catherine Christian, former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, previews jury selection and the trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

The Art of Listening on Israel and Gaza (First) | Changes to the Census Include People of Middle Eastern and North African Descent (Starts at 37:30) | Gen Z Taking Up Trades (Starts at 58:15)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

The Vatican released a new document that detailed what it called 'grave violations' of human dignity, including the struggles of migrants, poverty and war but also gender theory, sex change and surrogacy. Francis DeBernardo, executive director, New Ways Ministry, reacts on behalf of LGBTQ Catholics, and discusses his critique of the church's teachings on issues like this.

The New York State budget was due on April 1st and lawmakers have still not come to an agreement. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what is reportedly in the budget, the remaining sticking points and whether late budgets are now the norm in Albany.

John Cassidy, New Yorker staff writer and columnist on politics and economics, talks about the better-than-expected jobs report, the worse-than-expected inflation report and how both parties are responding to the perception and reality of the U.S. economy.

Te-Ping Chen, Wall Street Journal work and work culture reporter, talks about her reporting on more young people are going off the college track in favor of the plumbing and electrical trades.

Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and editor, and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, where they talked about the controversy over the so-called "county line" on ballots, school budget cuts for 140 districts and more.

Faith Hill, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about the change in who's getting hired to baby-sit, no longer a mainstay of teenage girls.

Luke Broadwater, congressional correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the latest congressional news, including the pressure on Speaker Johnson from the right over FISA, spending, foreign aid, and more.

Emily Gould, novelist and writer forNew York Magazine, talks about the secret smoking habits of moms in New York City, plus, listeners expose their own smoking habits -- be it classic cigarettes, vaping, or even marijuana in the age of legalization -- why they hide it from their partners and children, and what lengths they go to to keep their smoking secret.

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 how the NYPD should engage with the homeless on the subway, mayoral control of schools and much more.

Judith Sloan, actor, writer, educator, and radio producer, and Najla Said, actor, writer, and activist, talk about their project called "Imperfect Allies," where they will host live events with a performance, and dialogue among audience members with different perspectives on the violence in Israel and Gaza.

→Information on upcoming events can be found here: https://earsay.org/

The White House says that President Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan could help 30 million borrowers. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter at theWashington Post, shares her reporting and unpacks the details.

Listeners talk about their experiences of the total solar eclipse.

Harry Siegel, editor at The City, FAQ NYC podcast co-host, and Daily News columnist, responds to top police brass calling him names after he published critical columns, and talks about the substance of his critiques of the NYPD.

Molly Webster, senior correspondent for Radiolab, previews the eclipse and offers a thought on why the moon deserves credit in this cosmic event.

John Chell, chief of patrol at the NYPD, offers his take on current crime rates, subway safety and explains the department's recent social media strategy, which includes calling out journalists by name.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Judith Butler on Gender (First) | Robotaxis on New York City Streets? (Starts at 34:45) | English 'Loan Words' in Your Language (Starts at 57:40)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Brian and WNYC host Sean Carlson provide live coverage of the earthquake, including a press conference with Mayor Adams and other officials, calls from listeners all over (including near the epicenter), seismologists Antonios Marcellos (from Hofstra University) and Benjamin Fernando (from Johns Hopkins), and officials including MTA chair Janno Lieber and NYC Commissioner of Emergency Management Zach Iscol. 

In a lawsuit, the state of New Jersey is arguing against congestion pricing, citing environmental concerns. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, reports on how the state's lawyers presented their case in the courtroom this week, and how likely it seems to derail the toll program's June launch. Plus, a check-in on the state of infrastructure after the tristate area was hit by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake and updates from Governor Kathy Hochul.

Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post White House reporter and co-author of the bookNightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration Response to the Pandemic that Changed History (Harper, 2021), offers analysis of the U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza after President Biden apparently warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu the humanitarian situation in Gaza had to improve.

Alexander Gates, department chair and professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University and co-author of Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes New Edition (Facts-on-File Inc., third edition, 2006), discusses the preliminary information on New Jersey's 4.8 magnitude earthquake which occurred on Friday morning and was felt in the tristate area.

Skies will dim on Monday as the moon passes between the sun and the Earth. Joshua Winter, physics instructor at BASIS Independent Brooklyn with 20 years experience teaching astronomy topics, offers a short preview of the total solar eclipse after a reaction to today's earthquake.

Listeners who speak a second language call in to share which words in English are commonly used in that language, and what it might say about that culture.

Judith Butler, professor at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of several books, including Gender Trouble, and their latest, Who's Afraid of Gender? (Macmillan, 2024), talks about their pioneering academic work on the concept of gender and how fraught and misunderstood the topic has become.

Felix Salmon, chief financial correspondent for Axios, host of the Slate Money Podcast and author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal (‎Harper Business, 2023), talks about both Reddit and Truth Social going public and what that means for their investors and users.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC/Gothamist, talks about the deal taking shape on housing in the state budget; whether "squatters" are a real and growing issue and a state Court of Appeals decision that might upend NYC's property tax system.

Allison Kaplan Sommer, a journalist for Haaretz and the host of the Haaretz podcast, talks about Israeli response to the deaths of the WCK aid workers, the state of U.S./Israel relations, and other developments in the Israel/Hamas war.

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 analysis of a contentious interview with the Mayor on The Breakfast Club, plus more.

Sarah McCammon, NPR national political correspondent, co-host of the NPR Politics podcast and the author of The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church (Macmillan, 2024), shares her story of growing up within, and leaving, evangelical Christianity, and what her reporting shows of others like her and their impact on American politics and culture.

Michael Waters, writer and author of the forthcoming book The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024), explores the significance of middle names and what they say about our lives and our values.→ Middle Names Reveal More Than You Think

With Ramadan in full swing, Passover around the corner, and Easter this past weekend, we're in a particularly holy time of year. In light of this, listeners who have reconnected with the religion they grew up with call in and share why they've returned and how they are practicing as adults.

For decades, gun violence has been often associated with urban areas, in politics and in the media. Chip Brownlee, a reporter at The Trace, a non-profit news site covering gun violence, breaks down new data that shows rural areas are more likely to experience gun violence, and the role policies have played in the increase.

New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D, WF - 28th, Manhattan's East Side), chair of the Finance Committee, talks about the NY HEAT act, a bill she sponsored that its supporters say would cut emissions across New York State by pushing people away from natural gas and toward more energy-efficient alternatives.

As Donald Trump's rhetoric grows increasingly more inflammatory, debate surrounding whether or not to use the label 'fascist' heats up as well. Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking, 2019), discusses his latest piece, which explores whether or not Trump is a fascist, and what that label conceals or reveals about his campaign and his supporters.

Austin, Texas, is expected to add more apartment units than any other city in the country this year. Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the Work in Progress newsletter, discusses what’s happening in Austin, and what blue cities like New York can learn from it.

Companies that want to test autonomous vehicles on New York City streets have received a major boost as Mayor Eric Adams announced a new permitting program. Sam Schwartz, former longtime "Gridlock Sam" columnist at the Daily News, former NYC traffic commissioner, president and CEO of Sam Schwartz Pedestrian Traffic Management and author of No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future (Public Affairs, 2018), reacts to the news.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Congestion Pricing Moves Ahead (First) | The Dark Side of Children's Television (Starts at 28:30) | A 'Funner' Guide to Language Usage (Starts at 52:50)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Kara Swisher, tech journalist, host of the podcasts "On with Kara Swisher" and "Pivot" and the author of Burn Book: A Tech Love Story(Simon & Schuster, 2024), tells her story as it overlaps with that of the tech industry, and what's gone right and where it's gone wrong.

Congestion pricing has cleared one of its biggest hurdles, and is now headed to the Federal Highway Administration where it is likely to be approved. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about which fares made the cut and what comes next.

New York State legislators have left town for the holiday weekend without passing the budget before the April 1 deadline. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what the sticking points are, and what is likely to make it into the more than $200 billion budget.

Maria Torres-Springer, NYC deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce, talks about both the city's plans to combat the housing crisis, and what the city is hoping Albany will include in its budget that will spur more housing construction.

While Nickelodeon has been a staple in family television for decades, peaking in the late 90s and 2000s, the new documentary series "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" recently exposed the abusive working conditions women and children experienced while working for the network. Kate Taylor, senior correspondent at Business Insider, discusses her reporting featured in the documentary.

On Wednesday, the MTA approved new tolls to drive into the busiest parts of Manhattan — including $15 for most passenger cars. Listeners call in to share how congestion pricing will impact them.

Peter Ford, founder of SkyRock Advisors, a port and maritime infrastructure advisor, and a member of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy advisory board, and Brian Buckman, professional engineer and founder and CEO of Buckman Engineering, discuss the local maritime and bridge infrastructure—how it's built and regulated—and the systems in place to prevent an accident like the collision in Baltimore from happening here.

Josh Gosfield, artist and illustrator, talks about his new zine, The Atlas of Emotions, which maps the inner world emotions.

Laura Davison, politics editor at Bloomberg News, talks about a new Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll that shows President Biden seemed to have gotten a bump in some swing states after the State of the Union, and that taxing the rich is a popular position among swing-state voters.

Lee Bollinger, First Amendment scholar, law professor and former president of Columbia University and the co-editor (with Geoffrey Stone) ofRoe v. Dobbs: The Past, Present, and Future of a Constitutional Right to Abortion(Oxford University Press, 2024), and Mary Ziegler, UC Davis law professor and the author of Abortion and the Law in America: A Legal History, Roe v. Wade to the Present (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and a contributor to Roe v. Dobbs: The Past, Present, and Future of a Constitutional Right to Abortion (Oxford University Press, 2024), talk about the new book and Tuesday's oral arguments at the Supreme Court to determine access of the abortion drug mifepristone.

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 shooting death of an NYPD officer, a subway pushing fatality, the public safety infrastructure, a WNYC/Gothamist report on sexual abuse at Rikers Island, and more.

WNYC/Gothamist reporters Samantha Max, who covers public safety, and Jessy Edwards, who covers incarceration and public safety, talk about their investigation into alleged sexual abuse on Rikers Island, which came to light after women filed hundreds of lawsuits due to the Adult Survivors Act.

Early voting for New York's presidential primary is underway. Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, shares information on who can vote, where it takes place, what's on the ballot and how people who want to register a protest vote against President Biden can do so since New York's ballots don't have the "uncommitted" option.

Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English language and literature, linguistics, and education and the author of Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words (Crown, 2024), offers her guide to English usage, where the 'rules' started and how to use them.  Her weekly chats about language on Michigan Public Radio are available as a podcast called “That’s What They Say.”

The New York State budget deadline of April 1st is quickly approaching. Jo Anne Simon, New York State Assembly member (Assembly District 52), talks about several climate-related bills, including one related to fracking and one dubbed the "Stop Climate Polluters Handout Act," plus other legislative priorities.

The CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, announced he will step down this year amid a management scandal. Lori Aratani, reporter covering transportation issues for The Washington Post, breaks down what's going on at the fraught airline company and just how safe it is to fly.

A recent op-ed in The New York Times laments a decline in quality of dating apps. Listeners call in to share what their experience with online dating has been like recently and how they are coping with changes to the algorithms that fuel the apps.

Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent for USA Today, talks about the news from Washington including the United State's shifting policy on a ceasefire for Israel and Palestine, updates about aid to Ukraine, and more.  

Former president Donald Trump faces a hush money trial and a deadline to secure a half-billion-dollar bond in a separate civil business fraud case. Catherine Christian, former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's office and currently a lawyer in private practice at Liston Abramson LLP, offers analysis of Trump’s ongoing legal troubles.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Defining 'Blackness' Through Literature (First) | Responding to Fear on the Subways (Starts at 30:40 ) | A Tour of New York City's Endangered Languages (Starts at 1:13:30)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher university professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, host of "Finding Your Roots" on PBS and the author of The Black Box: Writing the Race(Penguin Press, 2024), talks about his new book that examines the history of Black self-definition through literature.

Gov. Murphy signed legislation to improve the way New Jersey towns are held accountable for developing affordable housing. Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist reporter covering equity and access to opportunity in New Jersey and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), explains the new system and talks about the way Millburn, NJ, is failing to comply.

In honor of Women's History Month, Tanya Lee Stone, director of the Writing Program at Champlain College and author of several books about unsung heroes and missing histories for young readers, most recently, Remembering Rosalind Franklin: Rosalind Franklin and the Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA(Christy Ottaviano Books, 2024) discusses her latest nonfiction picture book on a female pioneer in science and listeners call in to shout out the histories of other notable women in science.

Misinformation on social media—some of it seeded by groups that are anti-reproductive rights—is leading women away from using birth control. Lauren Weber, health and science accountability reporter at The Washington Post, explains how it is affecting women's choices and access to reproductive care.

Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, columnist for The Guardian and former MSNBC host, talks about leaving MSNBC and starting his new network, plus the war in Gaza and long-term solutions and the U.S. presidential primary campaigns.

NYC Council Members Carmen De La Rosa (District 10, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill), chair of the council's labor committee, and Pierina Ana Sanchez (District 14, University Heights South-Morris Heights, Mount Hope, Fordham Heights, University Heights North-Fordham, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights-Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge-Marble Hill), chair of the council's housing committee, share details of their campaign for a capital investment that would direct more money toward permanently affordable housing.

Ross Perlin, co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA) and the author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York (Grove, 2024), talks about the many languages spoken in New York that are at risk of disappearing.EVENTS:

Franklin Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses how rising anti-Semitism on both sides of the political spectrum threatens Jewish Americans safety and prosperity, and the consequences for our broader republic.

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 on subway safety, a sexual assault allegation against the mayor and more news.

With the NCAA basketball tournament, Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, sports writer and co-author of Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League(Hachette, 2021), talks about the effect of Caitlin Clark on basketball and women's sports.

*Note: Caitlin Clark is the current leading NCAA Division I scorer, passing Pete Maravich's record.  Two other women players scored more points: Pearl Moore for a non-Division I team and Lynette Woodard  who played for the University of Kansas before the NCAA included women's sports.

Two cases before The National Labor Relations Board —one from Dartmouth College and another from the University of Southern California — are questioning whether student athletes have the right to unionize. Billy Witz, reporter covering college sports for The New York Times, reports on the story and the larger implications any decision on either case could have for student athletes everywhere.

*Note: Caitlin Clark is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer.

José Andrés, a Michelin-starred chef, Emmy-winning television host, founder of the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen and the author of Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon(Ecco, 2024), talks about his work on the ground in Ukraine and Gaza with World Central Kitchen and his new cookbook.

This year, South Korea recorded a national birth rate of 0.62 babies per woman, breaking its own record for the country with the lowest birthrate in the world. Anna Louie Sussman, freelance journalist covering gender, economics, health, and reproduction, and Meera Choi, sociology Ph.D. candidate at Yale University researching heterosexual refusal in South Korea, explain the reason why Korean women are opting out of having children -- even if it results in the eventual extinction of Korean people on the planet.

On Thursday, the South Fork Wind project was completed, comprised of 12 turbines about 30 miles off Montauk, that have the ability to power 70,000 homes. Marie French, who covers energy and the environment for POLITICO New York, talks about the impact of New York's first wind farm.

Harry Siegel, editor at The City, "FAQ NYC" podcast co-host, and Daily News columnist, and Dean Meminger, reporter and anchor for Spectrum News/NY1 covering criminal justice, talk about the city and state responses to crime and mental illness on the subways.

Ashwin Vasan, MD, PhD, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, talks about the city's plan to increase life expectancy, which has taken a hit since COVID, including what conditions they are targeting in order to lengthen the life spans of New Yorkers.