The Brian Lehrer Show

Regina Garcia Cano, Andes correspondent at The Associated Press, discusses the Trump administration's latest escalation against alleged drug boats from Venezuela, as the most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier is expected to reach the waters off the country in a few days in a show of American power.

Kyle Chayka, staff writer at The New Yorker covering technology and Internet culture, discusses how songs generated using artificial intelligence are dominating top music charts and streaming services like Spotify, sometimes without the knowledge of listeners. => "That New Hit Song on Spotify? It Was Made by A.I." (The New Yorker, November 12, 2025)

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about the latest political news in the city, including what Mayor Adams is up to in his last few weeks in office, Mayor-elect Mamdani's transition plans, and the congressional primary races that are starting to take shape.

Yinka Adegoke, editor of Semafor Africa, talks about the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa and the U.S. boycott.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including ACA subsidies, the New Jersey election results, USAID and more.

Listeners who have attended a "Friendsgiving" so far this year call in to share what was on the menu, and where the conversation went - especially if it involved politics.

John "Janno" Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the latest news from the MTA and working with the incoming mayoral administration.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently approved a gas pipeline and delayed the implementation of the All-Electric Buildings Law. Liz Moran, policy advocate for Earthjustice's Northeast office, explains why climate advocates are angry with the governor over these recent moves that they see as giveaways to fossil fuel companies.

Jasmine Gripper and Ana María Archila, New York Working Families Party co-directors, reflect on Mayor-elect Mamdani's win and the WFP role in the election, their policy priorities and next year's primaries.

Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news from Congress, including the shutdown winners and losers, the upcoming vote in the House on the Epstein files and more.

Ilya Marritz, journalist working with The Boston Globe, talks about his new series, The Harvard Plan, in conjunction with The Boston Globe and On the Media, that looks at how the Trump administration has interfered with Harvard, and how it will affect academia and scientific research going forward.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. COP30 Without the U.S. (First) | SNAP and the High Cost of Food (Starts at 23:41) | Tributes to the Penny (Starts at 43:57) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

As Congress debates whether to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, Hayden Rooke-Ley, lawyer and senior fellow at the Brown University School of Public Health, explains how the infighting is already driving up costs and narrowing networks.

New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani defines himself as a democratic socialist, yet his critics have seized on his leftist identity to paint him as an extremist. Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti, professor of political science and executive director of the Moynihan Center at The City College of New York, and author of 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of Politics (Mondadori, 2024) explains the core principles of the various strains of thought on the left to paint a clearer picture of what Mamdani believes in and how he'll govern as mayor.

The U.S. Mint announced it made its last penny this week, in order to save money. Listeners call in to talk about how they use pennies these days, if at all, plus share their favorite penny-related sayings.

Eli Valentin, assistant dean of graduate studies at Virginia Union University’s Graduate Center in Harlem, contributing writer for City Limits and guest political analyst at Univision, talks about the meaning of the shift many Latino voters made, from voting for Trump in 2024 to voting for Zohran Mamdani and Mikie Sherrill just a year later.

Drawing on his deep city and state government experience, Dean Fuleihan, future first deputy mayor in the Mamdani administration and former budget director in the de Blasio administration talks about how he intends to help Mayor-elect Mamdani achieve his policy goals. Then, Laura Nahmias, senior reporter covering New York City and state politics at Bloomberg News, offers political analysis of the role Dean Fuleihan will play in Mayor-elect Mamdani's City Hall.

Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School at Columbia University, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and the author of Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025 (One World, 2025), looks back at recent history and find the threads that connect the era of protests and backlash.

Nancy Solomon, host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

As SNAP recipients and many others struggle to afford the cost of food, Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, and Joe Hong, investigative data reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discuss their reporting on how grocery prices can vary between stores and neighborhoods and how grocery stores fared during the interruption of SNAP benefits. Plus, listeners share their observations of how food prices vary, and tips on how to save money on groceries.