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The Brian Lehrer Show

Monday, July 28, 2008
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    The City’s Changing Face

    The white population in U.S. cities declined steadily in past decades, but now that trend is reversing. How are urban centers coping with the changing racial mix? Plus, a baseball statistician predicts the outcome of the Presidential election.

    July is Photo Month! Our new challenge is to submit your pictures on the theme of "STRESS." What makes you stressed out? What makes you relax? Do you thrive on stress? Go out and take pictures that capture the stress (or lack thereof) in your life! Submit your shots to our Brian Lehrer Show Flickr Page now (more detailed instructions here) and we'll discuss the results on the air this week!

    See The Backstory on Our Change Photos at the WNYC Culture Blog!

Swinging for the Oval Office

Thus far this political season, Nate Silver has been one of the most accurate poll crunchers. His secret? He applies the methodology of baseball statistics to the bewildering world of presidential polling numbers; the man behind the Five Thirty Eight political blog, as well as Managing Partner of Baseball Prospectus, joins us to discuss both.

Don’t Bank on Business Loans

Michael Darda, Chief Economist and Director of Research at MKM Partners, talks about how banks are reducing business loans.

Young Adult Literature

Author Margo Rabb was overjoyed to hear her novel was being published - until she discovered that it would be sold as a "Young Adult" book. She explains why having her book Cures for Heartbreak in the children's section brought her a suprisingly rewarding response.

What book changed your life as a teenager? Comment below!

Read Margo's essay, "I'm Y.A. and I'm O.K." in the New York Times.

Culture Clash in Metropolis

White flight is shifting in reverse, as some urban cities are experiencing an increase in white populations. The Wall Street Journal's Conor Dougherty joins Andrew Beveridge, sociology department chair at Queens College, and Lance Freeman, author of There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up, to discuss what this trend means for New York.

Read Conor Dougherty's Wall Street Journal article, "The End of White Flight."

A Loss of Venti Proportions

In the wake of Starbucks' announcement of 600 store closings, there has been an outcry of loyal customers protesting the closing of their neighborhood location. David Cruz, host of Newark Today at WBGO, and Chadwick Matlin, Staff Reporter for The Big Money, Slate's soon-to-be-released business site, discuss the closings and take your calls.

Slate.com's "Save Your Starbucks!"

Perils at the Beach

Tom McLoughlin, Chief Lifeguard at the Sandy Hook unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, talks about this weekend's deadly riptides and lightning strikes, and what measures beachgoers should take to stay safe.

Uncommon Indicators

The Brian Lehrer Show

The Brian Lehrer Show wants to hear how the economy is affecting the little things in your daily life. Share your stories and photos of the downturn.

Cast your vote for our video contest semi-finalists.

The Rocky Road Ahead

The Brian Lehrer Show

Ray Young, the chief financial officer of General Motors, talks about GM’s bankruptcy.

Then, Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, and Greg Williams, former owner of the recently closed Huntington Chevrolet in Huntington Station, NY., discusses the effect GM’s bankruptcy has had on dealerships and their employees.

Tweet If You Use Twitter

The Brian Lehrer Show

Farhad Manjoo, Slate's technology columnist and the author of True Enough: Learning To Live in a Post-Fact Society talks about what Twitter means and how different groups use it.

What's your take on Twitter? How do you use it? Comment below!

Don't Say That, Literally

The Brian Lehrer Show

John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island")

What would be on your list of banned words or phrases? Comment below!

From Denmark with Love

The Brian Lehrer Show

Jesper Grunwald, senior managing editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, talks about the Danish economy, biking to work, and why the Danes are allegedly the happiest people in the world.

Squatting, Then and Now

The Brian Lehrer Show

As former squats in the East Village make the transition to coops, making homes from abandoned housing is again an issue. Andrew Reicher executive director of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, Frank Morales an Episcopal priest involved in East Village/Lower East Side squatting and homelessness activism since the late '70s, and Rob Robinson, a leader of the Housing Campaign of Picture the Homeless, discuss the return of squatting.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

Check out some recent video clips of interviews with guests and Brian Lehrer's weekly Web video picks.