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The Brian Lehrer Show

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What's On The Show

Wednesday:

  • Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including the war with Iran and partisan redistricting in the Garden State and around the country.
  • NYC Health and Hospitals plans to shut down a program at Bellevue Hospital that treats torture survivors, citing tenuous federal funding, among other things. Dr. Allen Keller, founder of Bellevue's Program for Survivors of Torture, and Ibrahim, former patient at Bellevue's Program for Survivors of Torture, discuss the impact of the program and why they're fighting to keep it open.
  • Jill Filipovic, attorney and author of several books, including OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2020), and Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center and a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explain what's behind the decline in fertility rates, and what actually works to incentivize a growing population.
  • Wes Jackson, president of BRIC, unveils the lineup for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival in Prospect Park, where the theme this year is "radical joy."

Recent Segments

Call Your Senator: Sen. Andy Kim on Iran & Redistricting

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Bellevue Hospital's Program for Torture Survivors Faces Closure

NYC Health and Hospitals announced plans to shut down a storied program at Bellevue Hospital that treats torture survivors, citing tenuous federal funding and the possibility of ICE raids at the hospital. Dr. Allen Keller and Ibrahim discuss the impact of the program and why they're fighting to keep it open.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Why U.S. Birth Rates Are Dropping

Jill Filipovic, attorney and author of several books, including OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2020), The U.S. fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025, according to provisional CDC data, marking a 23% drop since 2007. JF and KG explain what's behind the decline, the current Republican and far-right conservative policy plans to try and reverse those trends and what actually works to incentivize a growing population.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Radical Joy and Music in Prospect Park

Wes Jackson, president of BRIC, unveils the lineup for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival in Prospect Park, where the theme this year is "radical joy." 
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Health & Climate Tuesdays

The Push for Junk Food Warning Labels in New York State

As federal food safety oversight weakens, Mary Basset discusses her push to get Albany to pass three bills that would expand nutrition warning labels at chain restaurants statewide and crack down on junk food ads targeting kids.
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Medicaid and Medicare in Peril?

President Trump recently said it was "not possible" for the federal government to fund Medicaid and Medicare. Maya Goldman unpacks what that means for the millions of Americans who rely on those programs and the states who'll have to fill the gaps.
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Meet the New NYC Health Commissioner

Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, talks about his background and what he plans to prioritize in his new job.
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Global Warming Arrives "Faster and Stronger" Than Expected

David Gelles of the New York Times discusses changes to the Earth that are coming faster than anticipated due to rising global temperatures.
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Gov. Hochul Hopes to Delay Implementing Climate Law

Gov. Hochul has recently made it clear that she intends to try to postpone the implementation of New York's 2019 climate law due to affordability issues.
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Fixing the Hated Cross Bronx Expressway

Siddhartha Sánchez, and CP, talk about why they are against state-led plans to repair and widen the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Robert Moses-designed highway that has harmed residents' health for decades, and what they propose the state does instead.
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Vaccine Hesitation & Misinformation

Dr. Paul Offit talks about the changes to vaccine recommendations and conceptions of public health in the current HHS.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

The Consequences of EPA’s Endangerment Finding Repeal

In early February, the EPA repealed the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, a landmark regulatory move reversing the determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health. Pat Parenteau explains what happens next.
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What GLP-1s Know About Addiction

Dr. Dhruv Khullar talks about the effect GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, are having on curbing addictions and what researchers are studying about that phenomenon.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

What to Know About TrumpRx

Chelsea Cirruzzo, Washington Correspondent for STAT news, explains what the Trump administration's new prescription drug marketplace aims to do, and who might save money by using it.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

(Solar) Power to the People

Elizabeth Yeampierre, attorney and executive director of UPROSE, talks about Sunset Park Solar, a grassroots project seeking to bring green power to Sunset Park residents.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Getting Unhoused New Yorkers Inside in Bad Weather

Dave Giffen, executive director of Coalition for the Homeless, explains what the city can do to get the homeless population indoors and save lives.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

The Worst Measles Outbreak in 20 Years

Apoorva Mandavilli discusses how 2025 became the worst year for measles in the United States in more than two decades and how the country might lose its "elimination status."
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Changes to the Way the EPA Regulates Deadly Air Pollutants

NYT reporter Maxine Joselow shares her reporting that found the EPA will no longer measure the lives saved by regulating two air pollutants.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Making Sense of the New Nutrition Guidelines

Epidemiologist and nutrition professor Deirdre Tobias talks about the new nutrition guidelines released last week and how they could impact what American health and diets.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

100 Years of 100 Things

100 Years of 100 Things: You!

Our final installment in the centennial series: your stories.
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100 Years of 100 Things: The Fight for Gay Rights

Marc Stein walks us through the history of LGBTQ rights in the US, from the founding of the first, though short-lived, gay rights organization in 1924 in Chicago to today.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

100 Years of 100 Things: Cancer Research

Paul Goldberg discusses the century of cancer treatment advancements and how the U.S. government played a major part in funding the science for treatment, early detection and prevention.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

100 Years of 100 Things: Shortwave Radio

Katie Thornton, host of The Divided Dial, a series on WNYC's On the Media, talks about the new season of her 4-part series, about the history of shortwave radio.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

100 Years of 100 Things: Best Sellers

Tina Jordan, deputy editor of The New York Times Book Review, looks at the history of best-selling books and what that says out the past century of American culture.
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100 Years of 100 Things: New York Films

A look at the last 100 years of movies depicting New York City.
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100 Years of 100 Things: The NYC Skyline

As our centennial series continues, Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic for The New York Times, talks about the major changes to the NYC skyline across the past century.
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300 Years of Critiquing Capitalism

The New Yorker's John Cassidy, talks about his new book that traces the roots of criticism of today's global capitalism to its beginnings.
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100 Years of 100 Things: Yogi Berra

Celebrating Yogi Berra on what would be his 100th birthday.
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100 Years of 100 Things: The Legacy of Celia Cruz

As our centennial series continues, Felix Contreras, host and co-creator of NPR's Alt.Latino, talks about the life and legacy of music icon Celia Cruz, born 100 years ago.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

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The Brian Lehrer Show

Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.

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