The Brian Lehrer Show - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

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:

Memorial Day; Life Advice; Susan Page; Moral Injuries; The Mets May 25, 2026

Show notes

For Memorial Day, a new interview on its history, and some recent favorites:

Kenneth C. Davis, author of the "Don't Know Much About History" series and most recently, The World in Books: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction (Scribner, 2024), shares the history of how Americans have observed Memorial Day and its history
Jodi Kantor, New York Times investigative reporter, co-author of She Said (Penguin, 2019) and author of How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work (Hachette, 2026), expands on her Columbia University commencement address where she tried to answer the question, “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?”.
Queen Elizabeth II interacted with American presidents from Truman through Trump. Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Queen and Her Presidents (HarperCollins, 2026), relates her history with U.S. leaders throughout her reign.
Michael Valdovinos, a clinical psychologist, veteran, trauma expert and the author of Moral Injuries: When Good Conscience Suffers in a World of Hurt (Harper, 2026), talks about recognizing and healing "moral injuries" that occur not from physical trauma, but from acts that violate the conscience, and are now understood to affect those on the battlefield, and in all walks of life.
A.M. Gittlitz, an organizer and writer and the author of Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team (Astra House, 2026), looks at the way class and politics and baseball intersect with the story of the Mets baseball franchise.

The first interview was recorded for today. The others were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here:

Advice for Finding Your Life's Work (April 22, 2026)

The Queen & the Presidents (April 14, 2026)

Moral Injuries on the Battlefield and Beyond (April 24, 2026)

A 'People's History' of the Mets (March 31, 2026)

photo: Spring Time at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia on April 9, 2024 (Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brian Lehrer Weekend: National News With Kai and Carter; Hantavirus Fact and Fiction; How Belief in God Has Changed May 23, 2026

Show notes

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

National News With Kai and Carter (First) | Hantavirus Fact and Fiction (Starts at 29:48) | How Belief in God Has Changed (Starts at 44:40)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mamdani's First "Neighborhood-Level" Housing Plan May 22, 2026

Show notes

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses Mayor Zohran Mamdani's “South of Prospect Plan," which aims to rezone the commercial corridors of McDonald and Coney Island avenues south of Brooklyn's Prospect Park, as well as surrounding blocks, for taller buildings and more housing development.

Photo: Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. (Credit: Jim.henderson/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Growing Concern Over Military Strikes Against Cuba May 22, 2026

Show notes

Nahal Toosi, Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump and his aides have grown frustrated that the U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba, which includes depriving the island of fuel, doesn't seem to be working and what sort of military action might be on the table.

Photo: A person waves US and Cuban flags during a "Free Cuba" rally in Miami, Florida, on April 26, 2026, to call for the departure of the Castros and the Communist Party from power in Cuba. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What the Everlane-Shein Sale Means for the Future of Sustainable Fashion May 22, 2026

Show notes

Everlane, the brand built on "radical transparency" and sustainable basics, is reportedly selling to ultra-fast-fashion giant Shein for $100 million. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (Penguin, 2012) and The Conscious Closet (Plume, 2019), talks about her piece in The Atlantic, "Everlane, Shein, and the Limits of the Ethical Consumer," on what the sale reveals about so-called sustainable fashion and the limits of ethical consumerism.

Photo: A customer checks a tag at the new Shein fast fashion retail at its opening day in the BHV department store in Angers, western France, on February 25, 2026. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why New York Bagel and Pizza Recipes May Change May 22, 2026

Show notes

Julia Moskin, food reporter for the New York Times, talks about New York's proposed ban on potassium bromate, a flour additive that gives New York pizza and bagels their distinct textures—and a possible carcinogen in humans.

Photo: ESPN invites fans to get a bite of the NBA action at PopUp Bagels ahead of season tip-off on October 22, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ESPN)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Community Safety, Beyond Policing May 21, 2026

Show notes

Renita Francois, deputy mayor for community safety, talks about her job leading the newly established Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, focused on violence prevention.

Photo: Members of a violence prevention team gather near a hookah lounge where three people were shot dead and 10 others wounded following a shooting at the Taste of the City lounge in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, early Sunday on August 19, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thursday Morning Politics: Barney Frank, Incrementalism, and Aging in Office May 21, 2026

Show notes

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and staff writer for The Atlantic, talks about the late Barney Frank's advice for Democrats and other national political news of the day, including his analysis of how President Trump is changing as his second term continues, and why he thinks the president's age is less scrutinized than his predecessor's.

Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Air Force One on May 20, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

National News With Kai and Carter May 21, 2026

Show notes

Kai Wright, host of the podcast Big Lives, and Carter Sherman, co-hosts of the new Guardian US video podcast Stateside With Kai and Carter, talk about recent stories in the news, including their take on the Supreme Court's voting rights decision, an ICE arrest that turned violent and more.

Photo: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents patrol Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport on March 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who Are You Fundraising For? May 21, 2026

Show notes

Reshma Ketkar, co-founder of the group We Start Here and the lead organizer for Stories without Borders, talks about the work the group We Start Here does to help people organize fundraising events for organizations that are important to them. Plus, listeners call in to talk about local fundraisers they've worked on, who they are supporting and why.

Photo: A donation box at the entrance to the library. At the Fleetwood Area Public Library in Fleetwood, PA Thursday morning January 27, 2022. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Related Podcasts