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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: California Billionaire Tax, Alabama Solution, Central Park Cyclists Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

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

California Billionaire Tax (First) | Alabama Solution (Starts at 28:29) | Central Park Cyclists (Starts at 43:15)

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Theater of War On the Radio: ICE in Our Schools Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Recent reporting in The New Yorker examines how schools, teachers and students in Minneapolis are being impacted by the recent actions of federal immigration enforcement agents. But conversations about how to navigate ICE's presence on and around school property are taking place among educators around the country. The Trump administration has also defended certain enforcement actions in court, leading to an uncommonly poetic court ruling lambasting ICE practices that circumvent judicial oversight.

Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors. Today's installment features Sam Waterston, Julianne Moore and Daphne Rubin-Vega performing The New Yorker's reporting, and the judicial ruling.

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Trump Threatens War With Iran Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (MIniver Press, 2024), breaks down the latest as the Trump administration repeats its calls for Iran to end its nuclear program while sources tell CNN that the U.S. military is prepared to strike the country as early as this weekend.

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The Year of the Fire Horse and Your Lunar New Year Celebrations Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

As Lunar New Year celebrations kick into full swing, we speak with Master Pun-Yin, Feng Shui Consultant and Chinese Zodiac expert, about the significance of the year of the fire horse and hear from callers about their new year's traditions.

Image by Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons.

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Will NYC Schools Meet the New Mandate for Smaller Classes? Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

New York State passed a law limiting class size for city schools, but the city is struggling to fund it. Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the roadblocks schools are encountering as they try to comply with the law.

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The Trump Administration Broadens ICE's Powers Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

On Wednesday, the Trump administration issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to detain lawful refugees who have yet to secure permanent U.S. residency. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), discusses the latest news, including his reporting on how the agency's bureaucracy works.

Photo: Observers film ICE agents as they hold a perimeter after one of their vehicles got a flat tire on Penn Avenue on February 5, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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Mamdani's Budget and Tax Hike Proposals Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the city's fiscal woes and Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget proposal, which includes a property tax hike.

photo:  Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani releases the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Preliminary Budget. City Hall. Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

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The Texas Senate Race and Its National Impact Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

J. David Goodman, New York Times Texas bureau chief, talks about the candidates vying for their parties' nomination in the primary races for U.S. Senate in Texas, and the national implications of the outcome of the now-underway voting. Then, Scott Nover, media reporter for The Washington Post, talks about the dispute between Stephen Colbert and the FCC over an interview with one of the Democratic primary candidates, James Talarico.

Photo by Patrick Feller via Wikimedia Commons.

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Oscar Docs: The Alabama Solution Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

This year, we hear from the creators of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman talk about their film "The Alabama Solution," which documents abuses in the Alabama state prison system using cellphone footage recorded by incarcerated men over several years.

"The Alabama Solution," photograph by Courtesy of HBO.

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Facing The News Together With 'Theater Of War' Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

The production group Theater of War invites top-notch actors to perform readings of works of real, hard-hitting journalism. Bryan Doerries, artistic director of 'Theater of War', previews Thursday evening's live program on WNYC, in which actors Sam Waterston, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Julianne Moore will read reporting from Minneapolis, about how schools and educators are navigating the incursion of immigration enforcement actions in schools. Learn more at our 'Theater Of War On The Radio' page.

Graphic courtesy of Theater of War.

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