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The Brian Lehrer Show

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
  • (<a herf="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/2591454436/" target="_blank">carbonnyc</a>/flickr)
    (carbonnyc/flickr)

    ADD Society

    Author Maggie Jackson says in her new book Distracted that today’s tendency to multi-tasking has us headed for a new Dark Ages, as human beings lose their ability to pay close attention. Plus, distraction on the highway. What's the effect of road signs on a driver's attention span: it's different than you may think (or hope). And, hiring practices at the Justice Department.

    Contribute Your "Grub" Photos!
    Coming off the heels of WNYCs Street Shots project, which drew 900+ photographers to participate on WNYC's Flickr page, the Brian Lehrer show wants to collaborate with its photographer-listeners. Contribute your photos to our photo group to participate in covering New York stories and to provide your perspective on the issues.
    Tomorrow, we’ll be doing several segments looking at food policy here in New York City, and we want you to participate in the discussion through photography. We’re asking our "Grub" photo group to join the conversation by contributing food-related pictures to the Flickr group. We’ll incorporate the pictures into our discussion, and may even bring a few of you on the air!
    Find Instructions and Join The Discussion Here!

Justice, Compromised

New York Times reporter Eric Lichtblau and David Lat, editor-in-chief of the blog Above the Law, explain yesterday's report on the Justice Department's illegal hiring practices, and why the damage extends beyond just a few crestfallen law students.

Read the entire report
The New York Times article
Eric Lichtblau's book, "Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice"

justlemmefinishthisonething...

Maggie Jackson, author of Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, thinks that all those little annoyances may in fact add up to spell the end of civilization as we know it. Hear her cure for an attention-deficit-society.

Driving Distracted

Think that all those road signs make you more aware while driving? Think again. In his new article in The Atlantic, John Staddon, Professor of psychology and brain sciences at Duke University, looks at how American roads may distract us from the real task at hand: not crashing.

What's your driving distraction? People on cell phones? Bikers? Too many signs? Comment below!

Grand New Party

Ross Douthat, senior editor of The Atlantic and Reihan Salam, associate editor at The Atlantic and senior editor at New America, join us to talk about their new book Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream in which they argue that it's time for Republicans to finally get over Reagan.

Water, Water, Everywhere

Tomorrow, water will flow from the East River like an urban Niagara Falls. Artist Olafur Eliasson's public art project, Waterfalls is expected to draw countless visitors to the city. Wall Street Journal contributor Matthew Gurewitsch discusses the allure.

more about Waterfalls
Bike route map to view Waterfalls

Supreme Court Rulings

Two significant Supreme Court rulings came down this morning. The justices ruled that the death penalty is unconstitutional in cases of child rape, and they capped the damages Exxon must pay to the victims of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Slate.com Senior Editor Emily Bazelon joins us to discuss the details.

Your Fab Cab

The Brian Lehrer Show

Who is in your fantasy Obama cabinet? Pick anyone!

Word from Abroad

The Brian Lehrer Show

John Burns, London bureau chief for the New York Times, reflects on his work in China, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, and Iraq.

Chief of Technology

The Brian Lehrer Show

Andrew Rasiej, founder of Personal Democracy Forum, talks about the potential presidential cabinet position of Chief Technology Officer. Who's in your fantasy cabinet? Visit our Fab Cab page and let us know.

Digesting Politics

A weekly podcast with Brian Lehrer and Andrea Bernstein

New Episode Posted November 13
Eavesdrop on Andrea Bernstein and Brian Lehrer, two of the most political savvy minds around, as they eat lunch and break down the week’s political activities.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

See video highlights from The Brian Lehrer Show plus Brian's weekly video picks.