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The Brian Lehrer Show

Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.

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The History of the 'Great Replacement Theory'

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/24

Ibram X. Kendi, professor of history and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, and the author of Stamped from the Beginning and his latest, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age (One World, 2026), talks about his new book charting the history of the idea that motivates many white nationalists, and how to counter it. cover image courtesy of the publisher

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Supreme Court's Mail-In Ballots Case

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/24

The Supreme Court appears likely to overhaul the way many states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day but are postmarked before the deadline. Carrie Levine, editor-in-chief of Votebeat, talks about what could change. Photo: A ballot dropbox in Arlington, Va. on Dec. 6, 2024. (Credit: Jack Walker/WNYC)

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How the War in Iran Might End; Robert Mueller's...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Loading... On today's show: Nate Swanson, Nate Swanson, former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025 and current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council, offers analysis of the war with Iran, and why he thinks Tehran may dictate the terms of the end of the war. Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents

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Robert Mueller's Legacy

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and and the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), draws on his experience working with Robert Mueller to reflect on his legacy after his death this past weekend at age 81. Photo: Displayed on a television screen in Times Square, Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation, May 29, 2019

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Pets and Relationships

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Listeners call in to talk about how their relationships have been impacted by pets -- either when one person in the relationship doesn't get along with a pet, or what happens to pets after a split. Photo: Young child and an old person are petting grey cute cat (Nenad Stojkovic, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons).

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Recapping the Senate's Weekend Session

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Alexander Bolton, senior staff writer at The Hill, discusses the major takeaways from the Senate's rare weekend session, including Republicans' push to pass the SAVE America Act, ongoing controversy over DHS funding, and more. Photo: The United States Capitol on May 4, 2004. (Photo by Kevin McCoy via Wikimedia Commons/C.C. 2.0)

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Mayor Mamdani's Office of Community Safety

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order last week to establish an Office of Community Safety. Ben Feuerherd, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering public safety and policing, talks about this new office and other public safety news, including Commissioner Jessica Tisch's move to change the way the NYPD publicly reports hate crimes. Photo: Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois appears with Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Credit: Michael Appleton/Office of the Mayor.

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How the War in Iran Might End

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/23

Nate Swanson, former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025, current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council and writer for Foreign Affairs, offers analysis of the war with Iran, and why he thinks Tehran may dictate the terms of the end of the war. Photo: The aftermath of a March 3, 2026 airstrike on Tehran. (Photo: محمدعلی برنو / Avash Media via Wikimedia Commons/CC 4.0)

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: The Gov & the Climate Law; DHS...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/21

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Gov. Hochul Hopes to Delay Implementing Climate Law (First) | The Growth of DHS Detention Camps (Starts at :40) | Opera and Democracy (Starts at 1:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Image: An original poster for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro (not stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Theater of War on the Radio: Cash and Carry

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

Actors Jesse Eisenberg, Rosie Perez, and David Patrick Kelly performed a reading of “Cash and Carry,” a personal essay written by David Sedaris for The New Yorker, to kick off a conversation with listeners about the challenges and joys of being neighbors, our duty to strangers, and the unique possibility of connection and disconnection in New York City. Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of

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Russia Is The 'Clear Winner' of U.S.-Iran War

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news, breaks down his latest reporting on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefitting from the United States' war in Iran, including how Russia is now earning an extra $150 million per day in oil sales due to the price surge since the start of the war and much more.Photo: In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends an expanded board meeting of

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How Russia is Benefitting from the Iran War; MTA...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

Loading... On today's show: Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news, breaks down his latest reporting on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefitting from the United States' war in Iran, including how Russia is now earning an extra $150 million per day in oil sales since the start of the war. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about the latest MTA news, including its lawsuit over federal funds for the Second

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A Year of Sports Betting

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), discusses his year-long foray into the world of sports betting, and his observation of how gambling has permeated "every nook and cranny" of American life in a very short amount of time. Photo: The fantasy sports website DraftKings is shown on October 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. DraftKings and its rival FanDuel have been under scrutiny after accusations surfaced of employees

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MTA Update: Lawsuits and New Subway Cars

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about the latest MTA news, including its lawsuit over federal funds for the Second Avenue subway construction and the transit union's lawsuit over staffing at booths. Plus, the MTA's plans for new subway cars for the numbered lines.Photo: MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, and MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessie Lazarus announce the release of an RFP for the R262 subway car class

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Have You Heard of 'Friction-Maxxing?'

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/20

Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of The Cut's Brooding newsletter, talks about her plan to "friction-maxx" this year in life and in parenting—that is, to build tolerance for "inconvenience" despite tech companies' attempts to make our lives smooth and frictionless. Photo: match, meet matchbox. Credit: Yann Segalen via Wikipedia Commons.

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National Politics; Transgender Care Stand-Off;...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/19

Loading... On today's show: John Heilemann, chief political columnist at Puck and host of their podcast "Impolitic with John Heilemann," and senior national affairs analyst for MS NOW, talks about the latest developments in national politics. Giulia Heyward, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, talks about the tug of war between the state and the federal government over transgender care for those 19 and younger. And Jack Turban, MD, MHS, adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Free to

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Federal vs State Over Transgender Care for Youth

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/19

Giulia Heyward, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, talks about the tug of war between the state and the federal government over transgender care for those 19 and younger. Then, Jack Turban MD, MHS, adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Atria Books, 2024), offers best practices for transgender care for those 19 and younger. Photo: Dusk view of entrance to new Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York - stock photo. Credit: Barry

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Protecting Aging Relatives from Scams

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/19

Paulette Perhach, freelance writer and writing coach, shares tips on how to prevent your aging relatives from getting scammed. Plus, we take calls from listeners with their stories and questions about protecting yourself and loved ones against financial fraud. => "How to Prevent Aging Parents and Relatives From Making Financial Mistakes" (New York Times, January 2026) photo: A woman over 90 years old makes a phone call with an iphone on 16.03.2025 in Norden (Lower Saxony). Photo: Matthias

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Thursday Morning Politics: The Widening War in Iran

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/19

John Heilemann, chief political columnist at Puck and host of the podcast "Impolitic with John Heilemann, " and senior national affairs analyst for MSNBC, talks about the latest developments in the war in Iran and the role Israel has played. Photo: Donald Trump at a United Nations event on Religious Freedom Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Photo: Shealah Craighead / White House)

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Ramadan in 2026

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/03/19

Faiyaz Jaffer, Ed.D, executive director of the Islamic Center and chaplain at New York University, talks about how communities in our area and around the world are observing Ramadan this year. Photo: Muslims gather in Times Square to perform the Tarawih prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on February 20, 2026, in New York City. The event, held annually in Times Square since 2022, includes Quranic recitations, congregational prayers, and the distribution of meals for iftar, the breaking of

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