The Brian Lehrer Show

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, reviews a slew of bills signed by Governor Hochul at the end of 2025 and previews the State Assembly's upcoming legislative session.

Juan Manuel Benitez, professor of local journalism at Columbia Journalism School and member of the New York Editorial Board, and Elizabeth Glazer, founder of the journal Vital City and former director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, talk about the news from the new mayor's first few days in office.

William Neuman, former New York Times bureau chief in Caracas and the author of Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela (St. Martin's Press, 2022), offers context to the US invasion of Venezuela and capture of its leader Maduro. Plus, he talks about what might come next, as President Trump has said the US will "run" the country, and how oil figures into the story.

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: Stephen DubnerFreakonomics Marion NestleWhat to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters Edward LarsonDeclaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters David RemnickThe New YorkerMarshall Curry These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: 20 Years of Freakonomics (Nov 26, 2025) Eating Well Today (Dec 9, 2025) 1776's No Kings (Nov 24, 2025) The New Yorker: A Movie (part 2, Dec 4, 2025)

Brian Lehrer hosts special coverage of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inaugural speech, with analysis from Dr. Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams (Cambridge University Press, 2024), and Harry Siegel, FAQ NYC co-host, editor at The City and Moynihan Public Scholar at City College. Plus, listeners call in to share their hopes and concerns for the future of NYC. Click here to watch the full event, including the inaugurations NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, as well as musical performances, poetry readings and other speeches.

On this New Year's Day: Elizabeth KimBen MaxJeffery MaysNew York TimesJimmy WalesThe Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That LastJay Caspian KangThe New Yorker These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Mayor Adams' Legacy (Dec 3, 2025) Wikipedia Founder on Building Trust (Dec 11, 2025) Is 'Online Reading' Still Reading? (Dec 11, 2025)

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: Christopher EisgruberTerms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech RightSeth BerkleyFair Doses: An Insider’s Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine EquityClay RoutledgePast Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful LifeRachel Louise EnsignThe Wall Street JournalIlya MarritzThe Boston Globe These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Princeton President Talks Campus Speech and Politics (Oct 1, 2025) Pandemic Preparedness Alert (Oct 28, 2025) Gen Z Wishes It Were 1997 (Aug 26, 2025) Americans are Economically Stuck (Oct 16, 2025) The Future of Academia (Nov 17, 2025)

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of PoliticsJoyce VanceGiving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a DemocracyJared FoxLearning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories from the Science ClassroomRandi WeingartenWhy Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of DemocracyPeter Harnik These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: What is Zohran Mamdani's Political Ideology? (Nov 14, 2025) A Democratic Manifesto (Oct 27, 2025) Reimagining Teaching Science (Nov 11, 2025) Fighting Fascism with Education (Sep 26, 2025) From Railroad to Rail-Trail (Oct 7, 2025) and The Best Places to Bike Outside the City (Oct 8, 2025)

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in to answer trivia questions about the past year in politics, culture, and more.

In our annual news quiz, listeners call in for some trivia about the past year in politics, culture, and more.

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites: Jelani CobbThe New YorkerThree or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025Irin CarmonNew YorkNotorious RBGUnbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in AmericaMarina LopesPlease Yell at My KidsThe AtlanticJulia IoffeMotherland: A History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to AutocracyLiza DonnellyThe New YorkerVery Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists, 1925-2021 These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Defining the Decade (Nov. 13, 2025) The Perils of Pregnancy in America (Nov. 6, 2025) Grandparenting as Paid Labor? (Oct. 10, 2025) Russia and Feminism (Oct. 25, 2025) Funny Women of The New Yorker (Nov. 10, 2025)

Listeners share the best gifts they've ever received and what made them so special.

Listeners offer their picks of what they loved and hated this year in the world of film, literature, podcasting, performance, and more.

Christians call in to share the religious meaning of the holiday for them and what "Christian politics" mean as they come into the spotlight under the Trump administration. Then, listeners tell stories of moments that defined their common humanity with people from different backgrounds.

Listeners share which of their favorite businesses closed in 2025, and shoutout new spots where they plan on becoming regulars.

Derek Kravitz, reporter and deputy editor for Consumer Reports, discusses an investigation into third-party grocery delivery service Instacart's algorithmic pricing experiment.

Shop Listener is back for the 2025 holiday season. Listeners call in to shout out the "experience" holiday gifts they sell.

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about how in the ten years since the Paris Agreement, as he says the "climate story is the China story" now. Plus, Jael Holzman, senior reporter at Heatmap, reports on how the Republican Party has turned fully against renewable energy sources, including offshore wind projects.

Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State, talks about Mayor-elect Mamdani's latest deputy mayor appointments, and the inauguration plans.

The flu season has hit and cases are still rising. Michelle Morse, M.D., interim commissioner of health at the NYC Department of Health and an internal medicine and public health doctor, talks about how to stay healthy this holiday season.