The Brian Lehrer Show Archive

Counting the Uninsured

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Income is up in the United States, but the percentage of Americans with health insurance is down -- for adults and children. We examine the new census figures on income and the uninsured. Also, New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden with the last of his Thursday visits during the month of August. Tennis, anyone? and New York Times reporter Jim Dwyer explains how the NYPD's actions during the 2004 Republican National Convention have cost the city $700,000, and we take your suggestions on how to make New York City friendlier for tourists.

The Art of Education Spending

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Public school principals are getting more discretion on what subjects to spend their money on. How will the new system affect arts education now that the principals will be graded on more than just math and science? NPR Baghdad correspondent Jamie Tarabay takes calls on the state of the Iraq war. Also, we examine anonymous gay culture, and take listener calls on Hurricane Katrina, two years later.

Young Mr. Obama

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

In his new biography of Barack Obama, former Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendell “deconstructs” the Illinois Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, writing that his rise has been long-planned by Obama and his close aides. Also, we follow up on the continuing fallout over the Deutsche Bank fire, and look at why Governor Spitzer is suing the Bush administration over federally subsidized child health care. And would you take money to post advertising on your car? What about on your shirt? Plus your calls on fun ways to excersize.

Is Facebook a Waste of Time?

Monday, August 27, 2007

Facebook has mushroomed in popularity since it opened up beyond college students last September. Now almost half of the companies in a new poll say they are restricting access to the social networking site at the workplace. Does Facebook help or hinder employers? Also, why Alberto Gonzales is reportedly resigning, constitutional law professor Noah Feldman gives his take on the proposed Arab language and culture public school in Brooklyn, and we take calls on your out-of-body experiences.

Separating the Boys and the Men

Friday, August 24, 2007

How many men do you know who can cut metal, solder a circuit board or hammer a nail properly? Blogger Glenn Reynolds thinks it’s a problem that males today aren’t as handy as their fathers and grandfathers. Also, how one group of New York City teens is learning to deal with street harassment, revisiting Harry Potter-mania, and Andrew Keen says the internet is killing our culture.

The Powers of Separation

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Is “secularism” a stage of development that everyone will achieve? Columbia professor Mark Lilla says “no” in his new book and New York Times Magazine essay. He joins guest host Amy Eddings to talk about what that means for the so-called “clash of civilizations” between the Islamic World and the West -- and about just how secular the West really is. Also, cash bail for illegal immigrants, the dangerous school list, sports columnist William Rhoden returns, plus whatever happened to the “dog days” of August?

Are Schools Failing to Recycle?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Everyone recycles, right? Well, there's talk of some New York City public schools that are not separating their trash at all. We look at whether a city department is skirting its civic duty. Also, Elizabeth Edwards is being dubbed the vice presidential candidate for her presidential hopeful husband. We’ll ask her about her charged rhetoric against her husband's fellow candidates, and her take on the latest developments in the Iraq war. Also, what teens miss when they take on summer jobs, more scandal for Eliot Spitzer (but this time it's a verbal attack on his father), an update on the Deutsche Bank fire, and Councilman Bill DeBlasio, who wants to ban styrofoam lunch trays in public schools.

Adoption: A Different Approach

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Guest host Errol Louis looks at why some birth mothers are staying close to their children long after the adoption process. Also, the latest in our series on the New York City public housing developments, your calls on what The Bronx’s new slogan should be, an update on "Troopergate", and two City Councilmen tell us about their plans to clean up the city.

When the Tests Fail

Monday, August 20, 2007

Experts say 26,000 deaths a year could be prevented with proper screening for colon cancer. The right kind of screening can save lives, but over screening can make things worse. How to tell the difference? Also, we get reactions to the Democratic Presidential candidates TV debate, look at what to do with the old books you find hard to part with, and get two updates about this weekend's Deutsche Bank fire. Beth Fertig sits in for Brian.

DREAM Weaver

Friday, August 17, 2007

Congress continues to debate the “DREAM Act,” a proposal in Congress that would grant citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants if they complete college or join the military. We’ll hear one high school student's story. Plus hip-hop mogul turned self-help guru Russell Simmons on his twelve-step program for success and Dominic Carter of NY1 News tells his story in his memoir, No Momma’s Boy.

A Legacy of Violence

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Stacey Patton endured a harsh childhood and joins guest host Errol Louis to talk about her new memoir. She connects the legacy of slavery to the violence she experienced at the hands of her adoptive parents and argues that corporal punishment should not be used on children. Also: New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden, our special guest each week in August, on the guilty plea of a former NBA ref, and a remembrance of Phil Rizzuto. And, we take an in-depth look at the NYPD's new report on homegrown terrorism, discuss Suffolk and Naussau counties plans for county-wide Wi-Fi access, and take your calls on what to experience before you have children.

Hospitals Without Borders

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Medical tourism is not just for face lifts anymore. American insurance companies are starting to save money by sending patients overseas. How will this impact U.S. healthcare? Join guest host David Cruz with the CEO of a hospital in Bangkok that treats 60,000 Americans a year. Also, illegal immigrants and the Newark shooting, two guerilla gardeners tell you how to turn an abandoned lot into a community garden and what is your secret i-pod shame?

The Bridge & Tunnel Crunch

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Guest host David Cruz talks to “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz about the philosophy of infrastructure funding. When it comes to maintaining the City, are federal dollars a case of too little, too late? Also: is playing with your children a universal value—or is it just a part of American middle class culture? Also, we take a look at Latina sexuality with the editor of a new collection of erotica; Newark City Councilman Ron Rice Jr. calls for more strict enforcement of immigration laws; we get an update on federal support for congestion pricing; and we discuss the dying art of album liner notes.

She Works Hard for the Money

Monday, August 13, 2007

We’ve all heard the statistics: women get paid 75 some-odd cents for every dollar a man earns. Except that doesn’t seem to hold true in cities like New York, where young women are now outearning their male peers. Guest host David Cruz takes a look at why the big city means big bucks for young women. But is the news all good? Also: Karl Rove resigns and Iowans weigh in on the Republican presidential candidates; Democrats debate gay issues; we take your calls on political strife within your family; and will the environment be saved by a glass orb that sits on your desk?

They Think, Therefore They Lose

Friday, August 10, 2007

What’s the problem with France? One of the country’s new cabinet ministers says French people think too much. An American journalist living in Paris and a French journalist living in New York compare notes with guest host Marty Goldensohn. Also, Vauhini Vara of The Wall Street Journal and Lifehacker.com’s Gina Trapani on 10 things your IT department won’t tell you.

By the Numbers

Thursday, August 09, 2007

300, 500, 756. If you’re a baseball fan, you know the numbers well. New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden takes a look at the meaning of the milestones for the country--and the game. We take a look at new revelations about what Governor Spitzer’s office withheld from the state attorney general. Also, Lee Sander, chief executive of the MTA, talks about yesterday's transportation breakdown, we continue our public housing series, we take your calls on summer reading, and find out what republicans are doing in South Carolina to ensure their state has the first presidential primaries in the South.

That was then; this is now

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Is John Catsimatidis the next Michael Bloomberg? The Gristedes supermarket magnate talks about selling food in New York--and his possible run for mayor in 2009. Also, Cory Booker's mayoralty in crisis over crime, and Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin on gay culture then and now.

Biden on Biden

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Joe Biden was the only Democratic candidate to skip the YearlyKos bloggers convention last weekend. He joins us to talk about this, his memoirs, and issues from Pakistan to the Supreme Court. Also, why are there so many bank branches in New York and what does it mean for our neighborhoods; do voters understand enough about economics to make good choices; and we look at how taste can trigger memory.

Welcome to Bloglyn

Monday, August 06, 2007

Stats from the web show Brooklyn is the bloggingest borough. On our next program, a diverse group of Brooklyn bloggers compare notes on why there's so much to write about in Kings County, New York. Also, excerpts from—-as well as your reactions to--the Republican presidential debate, the latest on what’s ailing honeybees, the other scandal brewing in Albany, and a review of the Yearly Kos blogger convention.

Obama’s Osama Policy

Friday, August 03, 2007

Barack Obama’s anti-terrorism speech this week is drawing fire from some other Democratic presidential hopefuls for his threat to invade Pakistan, if Pakistan doesn’t rid the mountains of al Qaeda camps itself. We’ll take a closer look at how Obama would go after Osama. Also, how the web is making it easier for closeted gay men to live a secret double life, a look at Guliani's health care plan proposal, stricter permit laws being proposed for shooting film or photographs in NYC, and a debate about the governor’s veto of a bill that would have steered women on welfare to higher paying jobs.

View the results of our SUV count

SUV Counting: The Results

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Drumroll, please: the results are in on our group journalism project for which over 400 of you counted the SUV’s and other cars on your block. We crunch the numbers and talk about what they mean. Also, Richard Gere on the Dalai Lama coming to New York and the Buddhist notion of emptiness; New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum on the crackdown on illegally-tinted windows and New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden is our weekly special guest for the month of August, with so much about sports making front page news.

View the results of our SUV count

A Hotel Grows in Brooklyn

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

There’s a hotel boom in the city, and Brooklyn is the new frontier. The borough is becoming a haven for travelers who want to avoid the costs, and the crowds, of Manhattan. We look at why it’s happening now. Also, Wayne Barrett believes "Choppergate" has been overblown, Dow Jones' new owners, and we talk to the director of a musical about finding and losing things in the city.

We're counting on you!
...to help us get a snapshot of SUV use in the New York area. Go outside your house or building, and count the number of SUVs and total number of cars. Post the results in this comment page and we'll talk about the results on Thursday. The count ends at 1 pm today! (Read the full instructions.)