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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:

FDNY Lessons Learned Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Joseph Pfeifer, retired FDNY assistant chief, founding director of the FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, and the author of Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11 (Portfolio, HC 2021, PB 2026), reflects on his experiences as the first FDNY chief to respond to the World Trade Center 25 years ago, and how the attacks led to changes in crisis response, and the lingering health effects of the aftermath of the attacks.

photo: May We Never Forget, 2011 (Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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The City's New Office of Worker Power Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Last week, Mayor Mamdani announced the creation of a new "Office of Worker Power." Julie Su, deputy mayor for economic justice, explains what that office will do, and unpacks some other organized labor initiatives her office has been working on.

Photo: Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. Su testified before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee about the Biden Administration's proposed FY2025 budget for the Labor Department. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Constructive Disagreement Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Riverhead Books, 2018) and her latest, The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict (Riverhead Books, 2026), talks about the importance of conflict and offers a framework for resolving it constructively.

Book cover art courtesy of Riverhead Books

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Arturo O'Farrill Brings Music to Schools Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

On this first day of school for NYC public school students, composer, pianist, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill, also the founder of Belongó, talks about his work to bring music education to New York City schools, and for youth on Rikers Island.

Photo: Arturo O'Farrill (Photo by Shervin Lainez)

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The New York Governor's Race Heats Up Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC, discusses the latest news as Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman attempts to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul to be the next governor of New York.

Photo: US President Donald Trump greets New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman on stage as he delivers remarks at the Nassau County Police Academy Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York, on August 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images)

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Immigration Crackdown Shadows Haitian New Yorkers at West Indian Day Parade Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Ralph Thomassaint Joseph, Caribbean communities correspondent for Documented, recaps Brooklyn's annual West Indian Day Parade and how the immigration crackdown targeting Haitian New Yorkers affected the festivities. Plus, Councilmember Rita Joseph, representing parts of Flatbush and Crown Heights, calls in to share how her constituents have been dealing with the changes.

Photo: Parade participants attend the 59th annual West Indian American Day Parade on September 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

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Islamophobia, Then and Now Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Asma Khalid, co-host of the BBC's The Global Story and former NPR White House correspondent, talks about the rise in Islamophobia following the 9/11 attacks and how it has changed over 25 years.
=> "Islamophobia Has Corroded American Values" (Atlantic, Aug 18)

Photo: Children counter-protesting a rally organized by people opposed to Park51, the so-called Ground Zero mosque, Sunday, August 22, 2010. (Photo by: David Shankbone)

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Back to School Rituals Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Listeners call in to share how heading back to school is going, including any preparatory rituals they observe and kids’ attitudes about going back if they’re old enough to remember lockdown.

Photo: Students arrive at PS 36 on Amsterdam Avenue on the first day back to school for New York City public school students September 8, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Monika Graff/Getty Images)

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Tuesday Morning Politics: State of Iran War; Home Stretch to Midterms Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MS NOW, writer for MS NOW and staff writer for The Atlantic, talks about the latest developments in national politics, including the state of the Iran war and the midterms.

Photo: US Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan Abdul El-Sayed attends the Labor Day parade in Detroit, Michigan on September 7, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

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The CDC and Measles Deaths Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

New York Times science and global health reporter Apoorva Mandavilli talks about the new CDC director's challenge of Pennsylvania's report of two measles deaths in the state.

Photo: The exterior of CDC′s Tom Harkin Global Communications Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by: James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Wikimedia Commons)

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