Corey Johnson, Speaker of the New York City Council (and acting Public Advocate), talks about issues facing the City Council and takes calls from listeners. "I don't think it's a done deal," @NYCSpeakerCoJo tells @BrianLehrer re Amazon to Queens. Johnson cites opposition from @SenGianaris, his power in Senate majority, & role of Public Authorit ...…

New York Times columnist David Leonhardt talks about the ongoing federal government shutdown and what it shows about the strengths and weaknesses of the progressive movement. "As the summer of 2016 came around, it became clear that Hillary Clinton had a lot of weaknesses as a candidate, but it was too late, Democrats really hadn’t run a full ca ...…

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, The Brian Lehrer Show remembers his legacy with clips from Sunday’s Apollo Theater event hosted by Brian and All Things Considered's Jami Floyd, celebrating the contributions of some of the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement. Terrance McKnight, host for WQXR, emceed the event. Panelists included: Jane ...…

Blair DuQuesnay, an investment adviser for Ritholtz Wealth Management, author of the personal finance blog The Belle Curve and a recent New York Times op-ed column, talks about the under-representation of women in the finance industry, how women have been historically excluded from the field, and makes a call for change. One female investor tel ...…

Gabriel Debenedetti, New York Magazine national political correspondent, talks about the latest in national political news, including the contenders for the Democratic presidential nominee, news on the shutdown and Buzzfeed's recent reporting. On who is running for president: "These are definitely people that want to make a splash with an early ...…

Listeners call in to participate in an informal, unofficial, thoroughly unscientific poll of the Democratic presidential candidates who have declared they’re running so far (so only: Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Tulsi Gabbard and Julian Castro).

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Gov. Cuomo on the State of New York State (First) | 'Cat Person' Author Has More Stories to Tell (Starts at 28:40) | The Life of Frederick Douglass (Starts at 47:51) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.…

What do you wish you had known when you were 13, 25, 45? Listeners call in to give advice to their younger selves. 36 to teenager me: don’t try so hard, just have more fun. You’re cool enough. — Laura B Regan (@LBRdrunktweets) January 18, 2019 @BrianLehrer @WNYC I would tell myself to not stop free piano lessons I was offered. — Gricelidis Núñe ...…

Patricia Matthew, associate professor of English at Montclair State University and editor of Written/Unwritten: Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure (The University of North Carolina Press, 2016), breaks down the invisible work often taken on by professors of color to address campus diversity issues and how it harms their tenure prospects. ...…

Keegan Hamilton, Vice News reporter and host of the podcast "Chapo", and Jack Riley, former D.E.A. acting deputy administrator who led the task force that took down El Chapo and the author of the forthcoming Drug Warrior (Hachette Books, 2019), talks about the big news from the El Chapo trial this week, including that a witness said the former ...…

Keegan Hamilton, Vice News reporter and host of the podcast "Chapo", and Jack Riley, former D.E.A. acting deputy administrator who led the task force that took down El Chapo and the author of the forthcoming Drug Warrior (Hachette Books, 2019), talks about the big news from the El Chapo trial this week, including that a witness said the former ...…

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC, including the Sanitation Department's removal of public trash cans in Harlem, the public bus plan and how the City is doing in the midst of the government shutdown.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC, including the Sanitation Department's removal of public trash cans in Harlem, the public bus plan and how the City is doing in the midst of the government shutdown.

Sarah Archer, author of Midcentury Christmas and the forthcoming, The Midcentury Kitchen: America's Favorite Room, from Workspace to Dreamscape, 1940s-1970s (Countryman Press, 2019), talks about why Marie Kondo's take on tidying has captured America's imagination. "The thing that Marie Kondo does… is that it’s kind of a purge that makes the nex ...…

New York City police commissioner James O'Neill talks about 2018 crime statistics, the roll-out of neighborhood policing and issues facing the department. NOW: - @NYPDONeill on 2018 crime statistics and the roll-out of neighborhood policing. We are taking listener questions! What do you want to know? 212 433 WNYC, 212 433 9692 pic.twitter.com/V ...…

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo talks about his plans for New York in the next year, including a "Green New Deal," plus how the partial federal shutdown is affecting New York, the MTA and more.

Liz Robbins, metro reporter for The New York Times, explains why New York City will host two separate Women's Marches this weekend.

Peter Beinart, contributing editor at The Atlantic and professor of journalism at the City University of New York, discusses latest from Capitol Hill on the government shutdown and his take on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's strategy.

Alex Lichtenstein, editor of American Historical Review, and Cristobal Salinas Jr., assistant professor in the department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University discuss the lack of diversity in academic publishing and how it reinforces racism in academia and society…

Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker who writes the weekly online column, Letter from Trump’s Washington, discusses the latest political headlines, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meetings in the Middle East and William Barr's Senate confirmation hearing as Attorney General.

Sheila Oliver, lieutenant governor of New Jersey and commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, recaps Governor Phil Murphy's State of the State address.

Sheila Oliver, lieutenant governor of New Jersey and commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, recaps Governor Phil Murphy's State of the State address.

Andrea Stewart-Cousins, newly designated incoming State Senate Majority Leader (D-35), responds to the governor's State of the State address and talks about legislative priorities for the new term. Then State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-27) talks about passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) which adds gender identity as a prot ...…

The Sentencing Project’s executive director Marc Mauer and senior research analyst Ashley Nellis, co-authors of The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences (The New Press, 2018), argue against any sentence longer than 20 years.

U.S. Representative (NY-19, Upstate New York, including the Hudson Valley and Catskills) Antonio Delgado talks about his first weeks in Congress and the latest news from Capitol Hill.

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, and the Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School, recaps what we've heard so far as William Barr is grilled by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in his confirmation hearing to become the next attorney ...…

Brian X. Chen, lead consumer technology writer and author of the Tech Fix column for The New York Times, previews the year ahead in tech.

New York State Senator (D 20th, Brooklyn) Zellnor Myrie talks about the bills he sponsored to reform New York's voting laws.

Mayor de Blasio announced a proposal to require businesses with five or more employees to provide two weeks of paid vacation. Sherry Leiwant, co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, and Felix Salmon, chief financial correspondent for Axios and host of the Slate Money podcast, discuss the policy and how the U.S. compares to the rest of ...…

Kristen Roupenian, author of the short story "Cat Person," included in the new collection, You Know You Want This: Cat Person and Other Stories (Soho Press, 2019), talks about her latest book. "The vitriol of some of the more male responses was surprising, though maybe it shouldn’t have been, when you put it in the larger context of what it's l ...…

Juan Williams, political analyst for Fox News and the author of What the Hell Do You Have to Lose?: Trump's War on Civil Rights (PublicAffairs, 2018), examines the claims that people of color bear the brunt of the shutdown and of low-wage immigrant labor. "66% percent of Black people… favor a path to legal citizenship. The President plays on an ...…

Grace Meng, U.S. Representative (D - NY6), talks about the new Democratically controlled House and the latest on ending the shutdown.

David Blight professor of American history and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University, talks about his book Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (Simon & Schuster, 2018). EVENT: Catch David Blight speaking at John Jay Homestead in Katonah, NY on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6:30; a ...…

David Blight professor of American history and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University, talks about his book Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (Simon & Schuster, 2018). EVENT: Catch David Blight speaking at John Jay Homestead in Katonah, NY on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6:30; a ...…

FiveThirtyEight’s politics editor Sarah Frostenson discusses her predictions for how the current government shutdown will resolve itself and its impact on communities around the nation.

New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone made news on the show this week when he said he refused to stop taking donations from the fossil fuels industry even though he now chairs the energy committee. Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a grassroots movement that is demanding immediate action from the United States Congress to add ...…

New York City Mayor,Bill de Blasio, takes calls from listeners and discusses his progressive proposals in his State of the City speech. @BrianLehrer Rationale for new plan for East River Park resiliency redesign. Why close the entire park for 3 years, which is never, ever 3 years - probably more like 5-6 years. #AskTheMayor — Stanley Zucker (@s ...…

Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and Gzero Media, host of the new public television weekly show, Gzero World, and the author of Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism, previews the top political risks ahead for 2019. Plus a conversation about the latest international news and the evolving role of the U.S. in global affairs.…

Andy Byford, president of New York City Transit, talks about the new proposal to repair the Canarsie Tunnel and other transit issues. When asked about MTA reform, Byford on @BrianLehrer says whoever owns the MTA they need to let him do his thing. "Unshackle me, release me from the various bureaucracies that hold us back. We know what needs to b ...…

Arturo O'Farrill, jazz pianist, composer, and director for the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, talks about his upcoming appearances in The Greene Space, called "Radical Acts & Musical Deviancy," and plays some live improvisational jazz.

Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to his top legislative priorities for the first 100 days of the new session in Albany. .@NYGovCuomo is calling into the @BrianLehrer Show on @WNYC.Lehrer is doing a live taping before about 100 people today. Cuomo is on speaker phone.And meanwhile, @BilldeBlasio is giving his State of the City address on the Upper W ...…

New York State Senators Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan, 28th district), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and John Liu (D 11, Queens), talk about the first day of the new session, now with the Senate under Democratic control and what that means for New Yorkers.

Rosalind Helderman, Washington Post political enterprise and investigations reporter, talks about the news - inadvertently revealed through a court filing - that President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared 2016 polling data with a reported Russian intelligence associate - and what that means for Mueller's investigation.…