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The Brian Lehrer Show

Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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    It's Official

    December 2, 2008
    We're officially in a recession and the holiday shopping season is underway. Hear why economist Benjamin Barber argues that hyper-consumerism led to the current financial crisis and that restoring faith in democracy is the way out of economic ruin. Plus, Alex Kuczynski on having a child through a surrogate and Michael Kinsley on creative capitalism.

The Dark Side of Black Friday

Benjamin Barber, distinguished senior fellow at the New York think tank Demos and author of Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole (Norton, 2007) discusses hyper-consumerism and the need to return to basic civic values.

Suite Deal

WNYC reporter Matthew Schuerman updates the story of Bloomberg aides demanding free luxury suites and other perks at the new Yankee Stadium.

NY Daily News Story with Email Excerpts

Baby Blues

Alex Kuczynski, New York Times style writer and the author of Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession with Cosmetic Surgery (Doubleday, 2006), talks about her recent NYT Magazine article "Her Body, My Baby" and her experience having a child through a surrogate.

Junior Senator

Glenn Thrush, senior Congressional correspondent for Politico.com, talks about potential replacements for Hillary Clinton in the Senate, once she's confirmed as Secretary of State.

Question of the Day: Who would you like to see replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate?

Creative Capital

Michael Kinsley, columnist for Time Magazine, discusses his new book Creative Capitalism: A Conversation with Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Other Economic Leaders (Simon & Schuster, 2008).

A recent Washington Post column, "Let the Guy Smoke"

Reading is Fundamental

Erin Bauer, English and literacy educator, advisor, and senior advisor for graduation at the High School for Global Citizenship in Brooklyn and Dolores Perin, associate professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University's Teachers College, talk about the issues raised in yesterday’s Radio Rookies piece.

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.

Just Launched! The Uncommon Economic Indicators Video Contest. All the details here!

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

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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.