The Brian Lehrer Show Archive

Roadblocks on the Digital Highway

Friday, March 28, 2008

City-wide wireless internet connections promised to bridge the digital divide, but were the plans overly ambitious? Plus, updates on the Sean Bell trial and the Tibet uprising. And a chat with Barack.

Crowd Sourcing Project: Dig in and tell us what angels or devils you find in the details of the congestion pricing plan!

Policing the Mentally Ill

Thursday, March 27, 2008

In November of last year an emotionally ill 18-year-old was shot by police officers who thought he was holding a gun. It turned out to be a hairbrush. A mental health advocate, a policy consultant, and an NYPD spokesman unpack the debate over how best to police the mentally ill. Plus, Doug Rushkoff returns for the last installment of “Open Source Living,” and we continue our discussion on congestion pricing.

Crowd Sourcing Project: Dig in and tell us what angels or devils you find in the details of the congestion pricing plan!

Animal Minds

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The latest research shows it’s not just chimps and dolphins that exhibit extraordinary intelligence. Virginia Morell is the author of this month’s National Geographic cover story on the animal mind. Plus, the countdown to the congestion pricing vote continues with Councilmember Lew Fidler, who opposes the plan. And: what's your favorite nickname for New York City?

Crowd Sourcing Project: Dig in and tell us what angels or devils you find in the details of the congestion pricing plan!

The Power of One

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

If the printing press gave voice to the individual, and the telephone gave rise to two-way communication, then the ever-expanding tools of the internet are amplifying group communication like never before. Author Clay Shirky talks about the power of organization that the internet gives to an individual.

Crowd Sourcing Project: Dig in and tell us what angels or devils you find in the details of the congestion pricing plan!

Bursting Bubbles

Monday, March 24, 2008

Alan Greenspan — wise man or “Mr. Bubble”? MSN Money columnist William Fleckenstein offers a "revisionist history" of the former Fed chairman in his new book Greenspan's Bubbles. Plus, using Buddhism to weather the emotional storms of divorce, Congestion pricing goes down to the wire, and is it time to sell your gold?

School News

Friday, March 21, 2008

From the debate over “mayoral control” to protests over large cuts in the education budget, this has been a busy week for New York City public schools. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein discusses this week’s events and where we go from here. Plus: two prominent local Reverends discuss the role of politics at the pulpit and a briefing on the economy.

In Comptrol

Thursday, March 20, 2008

What does trouble in the financial markets mean for New York as the budget deadline looms? New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli runs the numbers. Plus, Doug Rushkoff returns for the next installment of “Open Source Living” and former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami on continuing peace efforts.

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war. Click here for a selection of Iraq war coverage from the Brian Lehrer Show and WNYC archives.

Red Ink

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Layoffs and interest rates and Bear Stearns, oh my! We get the latest economic news from New York Times business editor and columnist Gretchen Morgenson. Plus: in finance and out of work. We open our phones for people who used to work on Wall Street—until the credit crunch hit. We want to know what—and how--you’re doing now. And: art (talk) therapy by phone, and what we talk about when we talk about Islam.

Barack Obama at Church

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Senator Obama is facing criticism over remarks made by his pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. We take a closer look at the tradition of black liberation theology and the role of the black church in politics. Also: live coverage of Senator Obama's speech on race, and we open the phones for listener reaction.

The Spendin’ o’ the Green

Monday, March 17, 2008

Young adults in today’s Ireland have a standard of living far above that of their parents and grandparents. On St. Patrick’s Day, David McWilliams, author of The Pope's Children: The Irish Economic Triumph and the Rise of Ireland's New Elite looks at how Ireland’s economic boom has shaped the country’s society and culture. Also: Day One of the Paterson administration, State Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) looks ahead; the latest on the tumult in the financial markets; Iraq -- five years later; and more on the midtown crane crash.

Silly Season, Seriously

Friday, March 14, 2008

Today is all about the news that unfolded while the Eliot Spitzer story broke. We catch up on some of the important stories that flew under the radar.

We get an update on new developments in the Sean Bell trial. The battle over FISA rages on in Washington. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank guides us through silly season in the Democratic presidential race. And, we examine the legacy of Dungeons & Dragons. Plus, we open the phones for your under the radar stories.

Home Rule

Thursday, March 13, 2008

A proposed California law mandates that only parents with state-recognized teaching credentials can educate their children at home. We look at the national repercussions of the California proposal and the growing trend of home-schooling today. Plus, the next in our “Open Source Living” series with media thinker Douglas Rushkoff and the case for redoing Florida.

End of an Era

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Brian begins his show early to cover Eliot Spitzer's resignation as Governor of New York.

Revelation Number Nine

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Eliot Spitzer’s governorship is in turmoil. What are the implications for New York State? Hear legal and political analysis—plus listener calls. And why do first ladies stand by their men--at the podium? Also: NPR’s Scott Simon on Windy City, his novel about Chicago—where he says politics is a contact sport.

Acquisitiveness Training

Monday, March 10, 2008

Their first book, Women Don’t Ask, created a sensation. Now, Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever follow up with Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want. Also, Brooke Gladstone on the record about the rules for going “off the record;” Just how safe is how our drinking water; and should we ban plastic water bottles?

Extraordinary Rendition

Friday, March 07, 2008

In February 2003, an Egyptian man named Abu Omar was kidnapped off the street in Milan, Italy, starting a four-year ordeal that landed him in various secret prisons throughout Europe. Peter Bergen wrote about Omar and the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” program in this month’s Mother Jones. Plus, a new film looks at life on the street in Queens’ “Iron Triangle” neighborhood. And, some Irish are sick of “Danny Boy” – we follow up with your thoughts on what other songs make you cringe.

Shoulder Pad Feminism

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Maureen Dowd, op-ed columnist for the New York Times, sees a “duel of historical guilts” in the Democratic primary. Some women feel that voting for Barack Obama is a betrayal of their gender, and their opposition to him may be hardening. Plus a conversation with media thinker Douglas Rushkoff; Albany round-up and banning "Danny Boy."

Wages of War

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Columbia University’s Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says the Iraq War will up costing three trillion dollars by the time everything is added up. He and Linda Bilmes of Harvard’s Kennedy School offer their account of the war’s cost in The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict. Plus, Clarence Page and Marie Cocco on yesterday’s primaries; and should “colorblind” casting be a two-way street?

Coaching Through Controversy

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Rutgers Women’s Basketball Coach C. Vivian Stringer won her 800th game last week. In her new memoir she talks about the hurdles she’s overcome to win. Plus, with oil prices at historic highs, Americans are starting to cut back on gasoline consumption. We’ll hear from a Wall Street Journal reporter, and listeners, on how prices at the pump affect driving habits.

A Nation of Inmates

Monday, March 03, 2008

For the first time in history, more than 1 out of every 100 American adults is in prison. We break down the numbers, examine just how we became the world's number one incarcerator, and take a look at New York’s prison system. And we do the Texas two-step in anticipation of Tuesday night’s primary. Plus, the truth behind nail-biting.