Brian recently visited China on a trip for journalists sponsored by the Committee Of 100. He and his fellow travelers will be posting reflections on the blog over the next week.

Five American journalists went on a one week trip to China sponsored by the Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese-Americans founded by I.M. Pei, Yo-Yo Ma and others with a foot in both worlds who are dedicated to having our two countries understand each other better. They conduct and sponsor tours like this for journalists each year. I want to start by thanking the C-100 for leading an ambitious and supremely organized trip, introducing us to so many many top people in different walks of life, and exposing us to so many different points of view about China (and us!) It was a very rich experience and I'm sure it will add great value to all our readers/viewers/listeners through the more sophisticated understanding we will now have of China (and us.)

Brian recently visited China on a trip for journalists sponsored by the Committee Of 100. He and his fellow travelers will be posting reflections on the blog over the next week.

WNYC host Brian Lehrer, WQXR host Terrance McKnight, and On the Media co-host Brooke Gladstone talk about how they celebrate Thanksgiving and share some of their favorite holiday recipes.

A new draft makes sense to my notions of fairness, smart decision-making and national unity. But I have a hard time getting too passionate about imposing a draft.

Back in February The Brian Lehrer Show, which appears on our co-producing station WNYC, began a series. It was called “The End of War,” and it featured conversations about whether or not war is inevitable. On the last day of the series, we’re talking with host Brian Lehrer and John Horgan, the author of “The End of War,” the book that inspired the series.

Is war inevitable? That question has been put to professionals from all backgrounds in the new Brian Lehrer Show series "End of War," which questions the conventional wisdom behind explanations for mass violence. Celeste sat down with Brian Lehrer, host of our co-producer WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show," and John Horgan, author of "The End of War," to discuss what – if anything – can be done to stop future wars.

Brian Lehrer and Caitlin Thompson welcome you to the podcast -- launching on January 11th.

Sometimes political truth is stranger than political fiction, but the fiction is always more fun.

For that reason, It's A Free Country brings you Video Club with Brian Lehrer, in which our veteran analysts looks at the fun-house mirrors of our government's (in)action: television and the silver screen. What did the writers get right, and where did they flop? Why were the fictional characters more sympathetic, or more detestable? How did the political theater play out in real life? More often than not, it's the reality that looks funny.

Sometimes political truth is stranger than political fiction, but the fiction is always more fun.

For that reason, It's A Free Country brings you Video Club with Brian Lehrer, in which our veteran analyst looks at the fun-house mirrors of our government's (in)action: television and the silver screen. What did the writers get right, and where did they flop? Why were the fictional characters more sympathetic, or more detestable? How did the political theater play out in real life? More often than not, it's the reality that looks funny.

To launch our new club, Brian watches the budget debacle unfold on The West Wing Season Five in an episode called "Shutdown." Then, Brooke Gladstone, co-host and managing editor of WNYC's On the Media,  gives her take. You'll get a chance to weigh in as well. 

I thought we might take the opportunity to take the president up on a challenge he posed in his speech in Tucson: