The Brian Lehrer Show

John and Margo Catsimatidis (Thos Robinson/Getty Images)

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.

Listen to the whole show

Transportation Meltdown

Did you make it to work this morning? If you did, it was no thanks to the MTA. Gridlock Sam aka Sam Schwartz, transportation engineer and Daily News columnist, sorts out why things went so horribly wrong with our public transportation system this morning.

Fighting Crime

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, talks about the execution style shooting that took place over the weekend, and how his city has reacted.

MTA Update

WNYC reporter Fred Mogul on the status of the transit system.

Shock in Newark

Clement Price, professor of political science at Rutgers University in Newark, talks about why the murders of three Newark teenagers is so shocking to the city. Then the director of Youth Services for Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO), Dale Goodwin, talks about their efforts to work with young people in Newark.

Clement Price's bio

MTA Update

WNYC reporter Beth Fertig on the status of the transit system.

Another Mogul for Mayor?

John Catsimatidis owns and runs Gristedes and Red Apple supermarkets. He's made major donations to the campaigns of both Clintons. Now, though, he's announced that he intends to run for mayor as a Republican and self-fund his campaign. He tells us more about why he wants to run the city.

Tolliver Twist

In his new book Michael Tolliver Lives: A Novel (HarperCollins, 2007), Armistead Maupin revisits the characters from his "Tales of the City” serial, the ground-breaking novels and PBS miniseries set in 1970’s San Francisco.

Michael Tolliver Lives is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Armistead Maupin's website

MTA Update

WNYC reporter Chris Reilly on the status of the transit system.

How Can We Fix the Subways?

Robert Paaswell, Distinguished Professor and Director of University Transportation Research at City College, examines how the subways can be upgraded to survive a downpour.