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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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Will NYC Schools Meet the New Mandate for Smaller...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/20

New York State passed a law limiting class size for city schools, but the city is struggling to fund it. Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the roadblocks schools are encountering as they try to comply with the law.

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ICE's Expanding Powers; Smaller-Classes Mandate in...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/20

Loading... On today's show: On Wednesday, the Trump administration issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to detain lawful refugees who have yet to secure permanent U.S. residency. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), discusses the latest news, including his latest reporting on how the agency's bureaucracy works. New York State

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The Trump Administration Broadens ICE's Powers

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/20

On Wednesday, the Trump administration issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to detain lawful refugees who have yet to secure permanent U.S. residency. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), discusses the latest news, including his reporting on how the agency's bureaucracy works.

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As Goes Texas?; Mamdani's Budget and Tax Hike...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/19

Loading... On today's show: First, J. David Goodman, New York Times Texas bureau chief, talks about the candidates vying for their parties' nomination in the primary races for U.S. Senate in Texas, and the national implications of the outcome of the now-underway voting. Then, Scott Nover, media reporter for The Washington Post, joins the conversation to talk about the dispute between Stephen Colbert and the FCC over an interview with one of the Democratic primary candidates, James

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Mamdani's Budget and Tax Hike Proposals

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/19

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the city's fiscal woes and Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget proposal, which includes a property tax hike.

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The Texas Senate Race and Its National Impact

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/19

J. David Goodman, New York Times Texas bureau chief, talks about the candidates vying for their parties' nomination in the primary races for U.S. Senate in Texas, and the national implications of the outcome of the now-underway voting. Then, Scott Nover, media reporter for The Washington Post, talks about the dispute between Stephen Colbert and the FCC over an interview with one of the Democratic primary candidates, James Talarico. Photo by Patrick Feller via Wikimedia Commons.

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Oscar Docs: The Alabama Solution

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/19

This year, we hear from the creators of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman talk about their film "The Alabama Solution," which documents abuses in the Alabama state prison system using cellphone footage recorded by incarcerated men over several years. "The Alabama Solution," photograph by Courtesy of HBO.

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Facing The News Together With 'Theater Of War'

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/19

The production group Theater of War invites top-notch actors to perform readings of works of real, hard-hitting journalism. Bryan Doerries, artistic director of 'Theater of War', previews Thursday evening's live program on WNYC, in which actors Sam Waterston, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Julianne Moore will read reporting from Minneapolis, about how schools and educators are navigating the incursion of immigration enforcement actions in schools. Learn more at our 'Theater Of War On The Radio' page. Graphic

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The Epstein Files: Redactions and International...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/18

Loading... Coming up on today's show: The Department of Justice has faced backlash from members of Congress and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein following the release of millions of documents with inconsistent redactions of key names and details. Vicky Ward, investigative journalist and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), and David Enrich, deputy investigations editor

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History of Black History Month: The Second 50 Years

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/18

Karsonya Wise Whitehead, president of ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, professor of communications and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and the founding executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, & Social Justice, talks about the history of how Black History Month has been observed, from the 1970s to the present-day, including the museums and holidays dedicated to African-American history that have been

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What to Do About the Crumbling BQE

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/18

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist and author of the On the Way newsletter, and Ian Coss, host and creator of The Big Dig podcast from GBH News, talk about why New York City can't seem to fix the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which experts have warned is in danger of falling apart in certain stretches, and what the options are to fix the crumbling roadway.Note: Tuesday's event in The Greene Space is sold out, but there will be a live stream. Click the link for more

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The Epstein Files: Redactions and International Fallout

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/18

The Department of Justice has faced backlash from members of Congress and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein following the release of millions of documents with inconsistent redactions of key names and details. Vicky Ward, investigative journalist and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), and David Enrich, deputy investigations editor for The New York Times, talk about some of the

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Sen. Andy Kim; GLP-1s and Addiction; California's...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/17

Loading... On today's show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including his trip to the Munich Security Conference. Dhruv Khullar, practicing physician, associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College and contributing writer at The New Yorker, talks about the effect semaglutides, like Ozempic, are having on curbing addictions and what researchers are studying about that phenomenon. California's

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What GLP-1s Know About Addiction

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/17

Dhruv Khullar, practicing physician, associate professor of health policy and economics at Weill Cornell Medical College and contributing writer at The New Yorker, talks about the effect GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, are having on curbing addictions and what researchers are studying about that phenomenon. Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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Oscar Docs: The Perfect Neighbor

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/17

Again this year, we hear from the makers of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, documentary filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir talks about her film "The Perfect Neighbor" which uses police body cam footage to tell the story of a Florida community and the deadly consequences of "stand your ground" laws. Photo Courtesy of Message Pictures.

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A Proposed Billionaire Tax in California

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/17

California's richest residents are threatening to leave the state over a proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires. Suzanne Jimenez, chief of staff at SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, an architect of the proposal, explains how the tax would work. Photo: California Governor Gavin Newsom gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2026. Newsom opposes this proposal. (Photo by Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: Steven Fulop, Working Family's...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/14

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.What NYC's CEOs Want From the Mamdani Administration (First) | An Argument for 'Tax the Rich' (Starts at : 33) | Tow Truck Turmoil (Starts at 1:14)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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Love and Money

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/13

For Valentine's Day, Charlotte Cowles, financial advice columnist for The Cut, offers some personal finance advice for couples.Photo: Valentine's chocolates in Japan (Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Friday Morning Politics: DHS Shutdown; NYC's Troubled...

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/13

Loading... On today's show: Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of the forthcoming book The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026), talks about the latest national political news, including the pending shutdown at DHS and congressional pushback on tariffs. Liam Quigley, reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC, talks about his investigation into NYC's tow truck industry, where he found unscrupulous practices that have consequences for

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Why Fewer Immigrants Doesn't Mean More Jobs

The Brian Lehrer Show ·

2026/02/13

Binyamin Appelbaum, lead writer on economics and business for The New York Times editorial board and the author of The Economists' Hour (Little, Brown and Company, 2019) , talks about the use of robots and automation in farming jobs typically held by immigrants and why cutting immigration doesn't necessarily lead to more job openings.Photo caption: A worker drives in cattle to be milked at T-Bar Dairy in Porterville, California, on December 17, 2024. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty

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