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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:

Goodbye Regents Exams? Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

New York State is changing high school graduation requirements. Michael Elsen-Rooney, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, explains what is happening to the Regents exams and the unanswered questions that remain about requirements for diplomas.

Photo: Algebra I Regents exam practice material is used in math class on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Lansingburgh High School in Troy, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

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Climate Week Begins Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Amy Westervelt, climate journalist and host of the Drilled podcast, and author of BROUGHT TO YOU BY: How Corporations Warped the Truth, Conned the Public, and Broke Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2026), previews the UNGA climate priorities, plus discusses her recent ProPublica investigation into how fossil fuel companies have funded climate research at top universities, and how the same companies have contributed to science misinformation and climate change denial.

Photo: Demonstrators carry placards as they take part in a climate protest under the slogan "No 50°C summers!" in Lausanne on September 19, 2026. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)

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Learning to Drive in New York and New Jersey Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

With New York ranked the best state in the country for teen drivers for the third year in a row, and New Jersey coming in third, according to a new WalletHub study, listeners call in to share their stories of learning to drive as a teen, teaching a teen to drive, and where in New York and New Jersey the road test is easiest.

Photo: Rear view of car with handwritten sign reading Student Driver, warning other drivers that the person operating the vehicle is learning to drive, Dublin, California, May 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: Public Charge; Vision Zero; Apps Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

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

What to know about the Trump administration's new "public charge" rule, which will make it more difficult for immigrants applying for visas and green cards if they have used public benefits like SNAP or Medicaid (First) | The Mamdani administration's new Vision Zero plan (Starts at 24:25) | Are you tired of having to download so many apps? (Starts at 48:55)

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Family Sues Texas AG and Doctors Over Abortion Ban Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, talks about her reporting on the lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which claims a woman died from pregnancy-related conditions because of the abortion ban. Plus, how states with abortion bans are seeing increasing pregnancy-related deaths.

Photo: Abortion rights adovcates gather in front of the J Marvin Jones Federal Building and Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, on March 15, 2023. (MOISES AVILA/AFP via Getty Images)

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AI and NYC Jobs Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Greg David, contributor and reporter covering fiscal and economic issues for The City Reporter and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the effects of AI on NYC's job market and overall economy.

Photo: An AI ad is displayed on the 2 train on September 14, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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How Much Surveillance Are We Comfortable With? Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Surveillance technology isn't just used by major corporations; it's also used by our fellow phone-wielding citizens. Willy Staley, story editor at The New York Times Magazine, talks about how the rise of social media and boom in private surveillance technology like Ring cameras and Meta glasses have started to shift social norms surrounding how we think about privacy.

Photo: Amazon-owned Ring home security camera systems are displayed for sale at a store on February 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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What's in Your Storage Locker? Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

David Owen, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the business of storage lockers and why so many Americans have them.

Photo: Stop and Stor, Self storage warehouse, Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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How MAGA Has Overtaken Foreign Policy for Personal Gain Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), shares her reporting on how influential figures in MAGA world, including private citizens looking for personal gain, and others peddling anti-Democratic values, have become the primary way the U.S. does foreign policy, and are realigning the world order.

Photo: USA President Donald Trump speaks as USA Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and USA Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand behind during the press conference at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkiye on July 8, 2026. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The Mamdani Administration's New Vision Zero Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

After a spate of hit-and-run deaths earlier this year, the Mamdani administration has released its new Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic fatalities. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, reports on what's in the plan and how safety advocates are responding.

Photo: On September 15, 2026, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces new street safety measures aimed at preventing automobile accidents and pedestrian injuries. (Photo courtesy of City Hall/Office of the Mayor)

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