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The Brian Lehrer Show — News
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.

Copyright: © WNYC

Latest Episodes:

Democratic Primary Debate: NY-12 Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, recaps the NY1 and WNYC debate she co-moderated with Brian Lehrer and Errol Louis with the candidates in New York's 12th congressional district, who are running in this month's primary for the Democratic nomination to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

Photo: Voters cast their ballots at the Community Presbyterian Church on election day in Merrick, New York, on Nov. 4, 2025. (James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

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Who Counts as a New Yorker? Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

Listeners weigh in on the perennial debate, which was reignited recently thanks to Jennifer Lopez's controversial opinion shared in her appearance on Subway Takes.
Photo: Danny Lyon July 1974, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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How Improv Might Help People Trust the Science Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

As trust in science and institutions has eroded, Laura Lindenfeld, PhD, executive director, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and professor of communication at Stony Brook University, explains how improv (and the actor Alan Alda), is helping scientists improve their communication skills with the hope of winning back the skeptics.

Photo: Teacher With Male And Female Drama Students At Performing Arts School In Studio Improvisation Class. Photo by monkeybusinessimages.

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Wild NYC - Wildflowers Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Clara Holmes, plant ecologist at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, talk about the challenges facing local wildflowers and native plants and how to preserve them.

=> NYC Native Plants (NYC Parks)

Photo: Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass - native wildflower with grasslike leaves and small blue-violet flowers. Grows in open sandy meadows in low wet spots. Uncommon in NYC and locally rare. {Marielle Anzelone)

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Bill Bradley on Knicks Fever and More Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Bill Bradley, two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. Senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, reflects on his own championship season, and more.

Photo: NEW YORK - CIRCA 1970: Bill Bradley #24 of the New York Knicks in action against the San Francisco Warriors during an NBA basketball game circa 1970 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Bradley played for the Knicks from 1967-77. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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Trump Administration Subpoenas Local Hospitals for Trans Kids' Medical Records Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

In an ongoing push to end gender affirming care for minors, the Trump administration has requested the medical records of trans youths at both NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares her reporting on how the hospitals are complying with the subpoena and the broader reaction from parents, politicians, and trans-rights advocates.

Photo: Medical records in file cabinet at doctor's office. (Photo by fotofrog/Getty Images)

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Doctors' Perilous Fight Against Ebola in the DRC Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak, doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are treating symptomatic patients and facing shortages of crucial protective and diagnostic equipment. Amy Maxmen, PhD, public health correspondent and editor at KFF Health News, reports on the situation.

MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - MAY 24: Community members watch as health workers wearing protective equipment prepare for a safe burial operation in the community of Mongbwalu on May 24, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern," as the death toll and number of confirmed cases continue to rise. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo's eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)

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What Flag Are You Flying? Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

As Flag Day and America's 250th approach, Pride month is underway, and the World Cup is about to kick off. Listeners call in to share what flags they are flying, and what they mean.

Photo: Flags of different countries waving in the wind. Photo by: Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

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Democratic Primary Forum: NY-7 Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn borough president, Claire Valdez, NYS assembly member (37th district, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood), union organizer and artist, and Julie Won, New York City council member (district 26), discuss the key issues in their campaign to be the Democratic nominee in New York's 7th Congressional district.

Photo: An election ballot box is seen at a polling site in upper Manhattan where people cast their vote for the 2020 U.S Presidential Election, in New York City, United States on November 03, 2020. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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New York City's Slowing Job Growth Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

New York City's unemployment rate is higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, and job growth has stalled. James Parrott, senior fellow and senior advisor at the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, talks about factors contributing to these economic concerns.

Photo: A 'help wanted' advertisement is displayed in Manhattan on January 09, 2026, in New York City. The Labor Department reported on Friday that employers added 50,000 jobs in December, bringing the unemployment rate down to 4.4% (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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