The Brian Lehrer Show

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: NJ Utilities; Supermarket Work; World Cup Quiz Jul 18, 2026

Show notes

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

Gov. Sherrill Tries to Control NJ's Utility Bills (First) | What's Unseen at the Grocery Store (Starts at :18) | 10-Question Quiz: 2026 World Cup (Starts at :45)

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Image: The New Fred Meyer on Interstate on Lombard (7404 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217). This version has additional correction to correct for poor white balance and slight counterclockwise rotation, 23 December 2004 (Original: lyzadangerDerivative work: Diliff, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Summer Friday: Birth Rates; Planet Money; Tech & Bodies; State of Marriage; Opera & Democracy Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

On this Summer Friday, we've put together some of our favorite recent interviews, including:

The U.S. fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025, according to provisional CDC data, marking a 23% drop since 2007. Jill Filipovic, attorney and author of several books, including OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2020), and Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center and a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explain what's behind the decline, the current Republican and far-right conservative policy plans to try and reverse those trends and what actually works to incentivize a growing population.
Alex Mayyasi, a longtime contributor to Planet Money and the author of Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (W. W. Norton & Company, 2026), and Mary Childs, a co-host of NPR's Planet Money, offers insight into making decisions on getting and spending money and why markets work the way they do.
Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and author of Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being (Flatiron, 2026), talks about the impact on our bodies of our interactions with our phones and other tech -- and how to stay healthy and stay connected.
Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families and the author of The Way We Never Were; Marriage, a History; and now, For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage (Viking, May 26, 2026), offers historical context for the institution of marriage and examines the attitudes and policies that can strengthen it.
Martha Nussbaum, professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago and the author of The Republic of Love: Opera & Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2026), offers her analysis of opera as an arm of the Enlightenment, from Mozart to today.

These interviews were lightly polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here:

Why U.S. Birth Rates Are Dropping

Planet Money: The Book

Our Bodies & Our Tech

Marriage in Context

Opera and Democracy

Photo: Labor Day weekend crowds at Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York, September 2020. (Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).

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ICE Deportation Tactics Jul 16, 2026

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Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR national correspondent covering immigration, talks about the latest on the fatal shootings by ICE agents and current policy directives for the department.

Photo: SCARBOROUGH, MAINE - JULY 14: People protest outside of a federal immigration office after a man was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, on July 14, 2026 in Scarborough, Maine. The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man from Colombia. (Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

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Let Us Avoid Cyclosporiasis Jul 16, 2026

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Katelyn Jetelina, founder and author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist, shares what you need to know about cyclosporiasis, the stomach bug that’s sweeping through dozens of states, including New York and New Jersey.

Photo: Cyclosporiasis outbreak as a foodborne parasitic illness caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis as an outbreak with contaminated food or water resulting in explosive diarrhea and digestive illness.

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How Genetic Tests Can Influence Our Decisions Jul 16, 2026

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Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses how the new data available on inherited maladies can save lives but can also complicate the decision people make about treatment.

Photo: Female doctor sharing electronic test results with patient at clinic. Medical expert and woman are examining reports. They are sitting in examination room.

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Are There Undiscovered Insects in New York City? Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Benji Jones, senior correspondent at Vox, talks about his summer project hunting for a new insect species in New York City.

Photo: (GERMANY OUT) New York, Manhattan: Central Park. (Photo by Hohlfeld/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

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Darializa Avila Chevalier's Victory Lap Jul 15, 2026

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Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic nominee for Congress (NY-13), organizer and sociologist, talks about her big win and what her priorities will be if she is elected to Congress in November.

Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King's Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of next week's primary, and the start of early voting on Saturday, as the pair campaigned for Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who are challenging incumbents in Democratic primary contests. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Can Trump Reopen the Strait? Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent at The Economist, discusses his latest reporting on what the Trump administration could potentially do to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing war with Iran.

Photo: This picture shows ships sailing near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan on July 13, 2026. The United States is "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz and will be paid for protecting it, US President Donald Trump declared on July 13, as Washington and Tehran once again fought over the vital waterway. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

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10-Question Quiz: 2026 World Cup Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Listeners call in to try their hand at a 2026 World Cup quiz.

Photo: Crowd in sports stadium - stock photo via Getty Images

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Rossana Rosado's Bronx Attitude Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Rossana Rosado, a commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), CUNY trustee, former New York Secretary of State, former editor, CEO and publisher of El Diario-La Prensa, and the author of memoir Bronx Attitude (Elite Voices/Halo, 2026), talks about her life and work.

Photo: Aerial photo of the University Heights Bridge in the Bronx, New York, linking the Bronx with Harlem over the Hudson River. There is a view of lower Manhattan far in the distance on a beautiful clear sunny day. Via Getty Images.

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