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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:

Brian Lehrer Weekend: AI Classrooms; PEN Word Voices; ED Admissions May 02, 2026

Show notes

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

AI Creeps Into the Classroom (First) | PEN World Voices & Global Free Expression (Starts at 35:49) | Why Hospital Admission Is Getting Harder (Starts at 1:05:28)

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The Latest on Iran Negotiations May 01, 2026

Show notes

Farnaz Fassihi, United Nations Bureau Chief for The New York Times, reports on the latest in the negotiations around the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Photo: A pro-Iran demonstration in Iran on March 31, 2026. (Credit: 110 and 135/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 1.0)

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A Plan to Force 'Super Speeders' to Slow Down May 01, 2026

Show notes

Lawmakers in Albany are going back and forth over a bill that would require so-called "super speeders" — drivers who get caught speeding more than 16 times per year — to install speed governors in their car. J.K. Trotter, associate editor for Streetsblog NYC, explains the problem, the legislation, and his reporting on one NYPD cop who has racked up more than 500 speeding tickets.

Photo: A speeding camera sign in Huntsville, Ala. pictured May 7, 2015. (Credit: formulanone/Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0)

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The 'New Era' in the Politics of Birth Control May 01, 2026

Show notes

The Department of Health and Human Services recently released new guidance that prioritizes childbirth over contraception. Mary Ziegler, UC Davis law professor and the author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession (Yale University Press, 2023) and Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction (Yale University Press, 2025), explains what's in the guidance and why she believes that the Trump administration is launching the most serious effort in decades to curb contraception.

Photo: Birth control pills and pregnancy tests sit on a pharmacy shelf. (Credit: Sarahmirk/Wikimedia Commons BY CC 4.0)

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The New York Times Picks the Greatest Living Songwriters May 01, 2026

Show notes

The New York Times released a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters. Lindsay Zoladz, pop music critic at The New York Times and the writer of the music newsletter The Amplifier, talks about the luminaries on the list, and shares who she wishes could have been included but were left off.

Photo: Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at BC Place on December 06, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

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TPS for Haitians and Syrians Hangs in the Balance Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases where the Trump administration is attempting to end TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the US. Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, and Daniel Berlin, policy director of Protection Pathways at the International Rescue Committee, offer their take on why the program should stay legal, as well as talk about the humanitarian crisis they say is ongoing in Haiti.
Photo by Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons): Panorama of the west facade of United States Supreme Court Building at dusk in Washington, D.C., United States of America

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NY & NJ Work Requirements for SNAP Benefits Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The Trump administration’s work requirement changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, officially took effect this month. Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explains what has changed for SNAP recipients in New York and New Jersey.

Photo by Lance Cheung/U.S. Department of Agriculture via Wikimedia Commons: A farmer's market in Baltimore tests out wireless payment through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

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Behind the Scenes at USAID Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Nicholas Enrich, former civil servant who worked at USAID under four administrations and the author of Into The Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID (Summit Books, 2026), talks about the effects of DOGE cuts on USAID, and of his efforts to publicize them and what the cuts meant for countries receiving U.S. assistance.

Photo courtesy of United States Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons: USAID packages being delivered by United States Coast Guard personnel.

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When Dad's Wisdom Comes From ChatGPT Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Halle Newman, writer, talks about her recent piece for Slate, "My Dad Used to Have All the Answers. Now He Asks ChatGPT," and the people who outsource their advice-giving to generative AI.

Photo: close-up of a man using a laptop. Credit: SHVETS via Pexels.

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PEN World Voices & Global Free Expression Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, co-chief executive officer of PEN America, and Dinaw Mengestu, novelist and writer and president of PEN America, talk about free expression around the world and the World Voices Festival underway.

Photo: A shelf of books. (Credit: Desnathas via Wikimedia Commons BY CC 4.0)

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