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The Brian Lehrer Show Archive


February 2005

Social Security Part 5: Boom or Bust?

Monday, February 28, 2005

As the baby boomers approach retirement age, economists and politicians are focusing on reforms to the social security system and what will be left after the bubble of the boomers has passed through. Economists Peter Diamond and Andrew Samwick discuss when the problems will start and how to fix them.


Wife Defined

Friday, February 25, 2005

We've come a long way since 1963 and the launch of The Feminine Mystique. The feminist movement has allowed women to move away from the domestic sphere into the workforce, redefining their lives and yet the definition for the word wife remains the same.


White Boy Learns Spanish

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Brian takes his second Spanish class from writer and film maker Nelson Denis. This time they explore the world of Latin music. Brian will learn the difference between Reggetón, Merengue, Salsa and Tejano music, how to pronounce the words, and maybe even learn a dance step or two.


Teachers' Pet Peeves

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

A new survey finds that dealing with parents outranks testing, funding and discipline on the list of challenges teachers face. Parents are encouraged to become involved with their children's educations, so where do they draw the line?


Building Blocks

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Architectural critic for the New Republic, Martin Filler has been studying the rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center site. As a result of his research he believes that both Daniel Libeskind, architect of the Freedom Tower and Michael Arad, designer of the Memorial, have been made obsolete participants in the rebuilding effort.


Presidential Pop Quiz

Monday, February 21, 2005

It's Presidents Day: How much do you really know about the 43 men who've held that title? Author Cormac O'Brien returns to the show to quiz listeners on their knowledge of the "Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents."


Big Apple in the Classroom

Friday, February 18, 2005

This was a busy week for Chancellor Joel Klein. Midweek Judge DeGrasse upheld the recommendations made by a panel in favor of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, and soon after it was announced that a large financial grant was given to support achievement in New York City high schools. And finally the Department of Education announced a new approach to dealing with gifted and talented children.


New York 51: District 3

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Christine Quinn is squarely in favor of Judge Ling-Cohan’s ruling for gay marriage in New York. And the openly gay City Councilwoman finds herself at odds with the Mayor Bloomberg, who wants to wait and see how the Court of Appeals rules before sanctioning same-sex marriage. Today Christine Quinn talks about District 3 and this landmark court decision.


George's Book Club

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

In early November the former Soviet dissident and political prisoner Natan Sharansky was invited to the White House to talk to the president about his new book. The book then became a must read within the administration, and Sharansky's thoughts on freedom and democracy have made their way into various speeches, including George Bush's inaugural address.


Christo Superstar

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Thanks to "the Gates," Central Park today is nearly as orange as Independence Square in Kiev was last November, and New Yorkers are loving it. Have creators Christo and Jeanne-Claude revived the idea of public art? And what did Jeanne-Claude mean when she told CBS "It's only a work of art, nothing else"?


Prima Donna

Monday, February 14, 2005

For eight years, Donna Hanover was the first lady of New York. After she and Rudy Giuliani split up, she rediscovered love with a high school sweetheart and is now happily remarried. According to Hanover, many of the best flames are old ones.


What the FAA Knew, What the Administration Did

Friday, February 11, 2005

According to a classified report by the 9/11 Commission, the FAA had repeated warnings in the summer of 2001 that terrorists were planning to hijack a plane inside the US. Why is the administration blocking the release of more classified reports? Commission vice-chair Lee Hamilton has some ideas.


Rx Appeal

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Some physical therapy patients are frustrated when they learn their insurer won’t cover the last stage of treatment. But all is not lost when coverage is denied. The Attorney General’s office and Citizen Action have advice on how to appeal a claim.


How Healed is "Healed"?

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Does OrthoNet, a physical therapy benefits manager, have an informal policy of considering a patient "healed" when they have only recovered 4/5ths of function? Some physical therapists think they do, but OrthoNet denies the charge. Today the company explains.


Is 80% the new 100%?

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

WNYC’s Fred Mogul has discovered that some physical therapy patients are not getting the insurance coverage they believe they are entitled to. Some HMOs appear to follow an informal policy of covering a client’s treatments only until the client is considered “80% cured”.


Is God Registered to Vote?

Monday, February 07, 2005

Jim Wallis believes that religion and morality are as much a part of a liberal value system as a conservative one. In his book God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It, he argues that the conservatives in America have hijacked the language of faith to advance their agenda while liberals have largely ignored it to their political peril.


Up to the Job?

Friday, February 04, 2005

New York is on the brink of adopting a "workplace readiness" exam that would test skills like writing and teamwork. Next week the New York Board of Regents will consider how to integrate the exam into the high school curriculum.


About Last Night

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Last night George Bush delivered his first State of the Union address since his re-election. Today we get reaction from two local Congressmen from opposite sides of the aisle on the blueprint set by the President and discuss his mandate.


Chertoff Under the Microscope

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Today the Senate considers Michael Chertoff’s nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security. Now a New Jersey judge, Chertoff was chief counsel to the Senate committee investigating Whitewater in the 1990s. He also helped design the Patriot Act.


The Road Ahead

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Harlan Ullman is a Navy man, a Washington insider (he's friends with Colin Powell), and is considered to be an architect of the policy of "shock and awe". Despite the relative success of Iraq's elections, he says America’s road ahead in Iraq will be tough.