The Brian Lehrer Show Archive
April 2007
Yards to Go
Monday, April 30, 2007
Brooklyn’s skyline is set for big changes. We look at the arguments against the Atlantic Yards development in the new documentary "Brooklyn Matters." Plus: CBS news analyst Jeff Greenfield and senior diplomatic reporter for The Washington Post Karen De Young react to former CIA Director George Tenet’s comments about the war in Iraq.
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Listening to the Placebo Effect
Friday, April 27, 2007
Last night eight Democratic presidential hopefuls met onstage in the first debate of the 2008 campaign. We’ll play excerpts, get insider reaction, and take your calls. Also: a psychotherapist talks about the medicalization of depression and his experience in a clinical trial.
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Rejection Made Clear
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Have you ever applied to buy a co-op and been rejected? Have you ever been told why? City Council member Hiram Montserrate is sponsoring a hotly contested bill that would require co-op boards state their reasons when they turn you away. Also: the science and politics of the world's most deadly diseases, Jesus in Judaism, and what our listners will be looking for when the Democrats debate.
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Troop Standoff
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The political standoff in Washington, D.C. has collided with the military standoff in Iraq. With the President and Congress staring each other down over a timeline for withdrawal, we’ll examine military implications of troop surge versus troop withdrawal, and the state of current war politics. Plus: the changing nature of class distinctions among African-Americans, a look at the World Bank, and when is it okay to boo at the ballgame?
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News and Nuance
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Virginia massacre and the Supreme Court abortion ruling both put some politicians in an awkward position and may help shape public opinion. Slate's Jacob Weisberg and Gallup's Frank Newport discuss the nuances of public attitudes toward abortion and guns and how they may now change. Also, writers and PEN World Voices participants Pico Iyer and Suketu Mehta on living and writing at home and away; a roundtable on the mayor's plans for NYC in 2030; a call-in on Russell Simmons' call to clean up rap; and the 40th district council election redux.
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Planning Ahead
Monday, April 23, 2007
Mayor Bloomberg’s Earth Day proposals: Are we ready to do traffic and housing and more in new ways? Hear from Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, the architect of so many Bloomberg development plans. Also, a critique of Putin’s Russia; USA Today’s Susan Page on the week’s news; and scientist Richard Dawkins on being the world’s most prominent atheist.
Earth Day Edition: Living Green
Friday, April 20, 2007
As concern over climate change grows, more Americans are living greener. We celebrate Earth Day with a special edition dedicated to environmental living. Find out why New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman thinks being green is the new red, white and blue. Also, we talk to architect Maya Lin about designing green buildings. Plus: a debate on green consumerism.
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UpHill Battle
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will testify before the Senate today to answer questions about the firings of U.S. attorneys. Hear excerpts of his testimony and find out how it will affect the administration. Plus: what abortion providers will do now that specific procedures have been banned for the first time. Also, we examine gun laws, the Cho tapes, and genetic enhancement.
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A Big Case About Minimum Wage
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A home health aide from Queens gets her day at the Supreme Court. Take a look at the legal, moral and economic issues raised by the case of Evelyn Coke who wants to be covered by the minimum wage laws. Also, dealing with mental illness on campus; and hate speech versus free speech: where do we draw the line?
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Speaking of Taxes
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Christine Quinn wants renters to have the same tax rebate that homeowners get. Find out what else the City Council speaker is looking for in next year's budget. Plus: Financial advisor Suze Orman answers last-minute tax-day questions; Jackie Mason's comments on Barack Obama; Virginia gun laws; and What's On Your News Radar.
Taxing Times
Monday, April 16, 2007
The new debate in the Democratic Congress is over what next year’s income tax rules should be. Can middle class Americans be spared the bracket creep of the Alternative Minimum Tax? Also, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.
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The Sikhs of New York
Friday, April 13, 2007
Last fall, five Sikhs won seats on the Queens County Democratic Committee—making them the first to win elected office in New York. We’ll learn more about the city’s Sikh community and discuss why April 13 is World Turban Day. Also: new takes on the war epic. Is there an Iliad or Gilgamesh of today?
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Legacy Admissions
Thursday, April 12, 2007
With tax day fast approaching, tax policy is up for debate in the new Democratic Congress. We'll talk to former Reagan budget official Bruce Bartlett about the legacy of trickle-down economics; and foreign policy crtic Chalmers Johnson on the legacy of trickle-down economics. Also, we cover the 2nd Ave. subway, Snoop Dogg ponders Imus, and dance theater dealing with the lasting effects of lynching.
Does Not Commute
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
New Yorkers have the highest average commute time than other Americans, but they also enjoy it more, according to an article in this week's New Yorker. Find out how traveling to work changes your life. Plus: Conservative author Christopher Buckley on his satirical novel about aging boomers and their kids. Also, we discuss New York's carbon rating, Bernie Kerik, the rent vs. buy debate and hear from playwright Edith I. Freni.
Defying Denial
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Holocaust Remembrance Day is coming up in a year when Holocaust denial is in vogue in a government that just joined the nuclear club. Meet Mordecai Paldiel, a director of Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Memorial. Also, Italian journalist Carlo Bonini who first discovered that some claims of an Iraqi nuclear program were based on forgeries; and Brooklynite Okwui Okpokwasili at P.S. 122’s Best of the Boroughs Festival.
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The Human Hive
Monday, April 09, 2007
Identity is harder to define in a digital age. Technology expert John Henry Clippinger says the internet and social networks are changing the very meaning of individualism. Plus: The Don Imus flap; looking for a pattern in the city’s recent building collapses; whether Hillary Clinton should act like the underdog in the Democratic primary; and a live-action thriller talk show host from Staten Island.
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Where the Wind Blows
Friday, April 06, 2007
Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that global warming is real and caused by humans. Now the same panel is just out with an assessment of the impact on poor countries. We’ll look at the new findings. Plus: When the U.S. should engage with its stated enemies, which presidential campaigns our listeners are donating to, and what New York’s housing market tells us about immigration and race.
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Minority Rules
Thursday, April 05, 2007
At some selective schools, certain Asian-Americans are categorized as “over-represented minorities.” We talk about what that means for education and racial justice in America. An expert on the middle east discusses Syria and the Iraq war, and we explore hydropower on the Hudson. Also, proving diversity is better than homogeneity; and listeners vote for the most important stories in the news this week.
Finding the Middle
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
What does it take to be middle class in New York City? $75,000 a year for a family of four, according to a new survey of New York City leaders. Daily News columnist Errol Louis guest hosts and takes calls about being middle class in Gotham. Also, husbands who take their wives’ last names; grading restaurants; and should the NAACP widen its focus to fight for social justice, as well as civil rights?
Pet Peeves
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
The Daily News has unearthed more details about Detective Michael Oliver, the main shooter in the Sean Bell case, including an alleged history of brutality. Find out the implications for the case. Plus: what you need to know about feeding your cats and dogs as the pet food recall continues to expand.
Blogosfear
Monday, April 02, 2007
Is the blogosphere sexist and uncivil? Writer and game developer Kathy Sierra got death threats after some of her posts, starting a huge conversation among bloggers. We’ll bring the online debate on air. Also, is a constitutional crisis inevitable over the Iraq war?
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