President Joe Biden gestures as he speaks about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden at the White House, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Washington.

Biden's Executive Actions on Guns; Reimagining Vaccine 'Passports'; Quitting Social Media; Ask the Mayor

The Brian Lehrer Show | Apr 9, 2021

Coming up on today's show: 

  • Champe Barton, reporter at The Trace, a non-profit news site covering gun violence, talks about Pres. Biden's executive actions on preventing gun violence and their impact in New York and New Jersey.
  • Leana Wen, MD, emergency physician, professor at George Washington University, contributing columnist for The Washington Post, CNN medical analyst, and former Baltimore Health Commissioner and the author of the forthcoming book Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health (Metropolitan Books, 2021), shares her thoughts on how to re-frame vaccine passports so they are less divisive, and explains how she believes proof of vaccination can give people more freedom, not less. Plus, she discusses the latest on the race between the variants causing new case spikes and vaccine distribution.
  • Jia Tolentino, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the recent trend of people who have recently quit, or taken a break from, social media platforms and takes calls from listeners about their experiences.
  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC.

Transcripts are posted to the individual segment pages as soon as they are available.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

WNYC Homepage - Top Stories

NJ Gov. Sherrill: If state police were too aggressive at Delaney Hall, we'll look into it

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill took call after call Wednesday night from people who told her state police had been overly aggressive in violent clashes with protesters outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center this weekend.
Ask Governor Sherrill |

I.C.E.'s "Wartime Recruitment" Campaign

Hiring at the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency.
On the Media |

Who is ICE detaining at NJ's Delaney Hall? Not as many criminals as DHS suggests.

More than 10,000 people have been detained at the facility. Most have no criminal background.
Gothamist |

Ask the Mayor Recap and More News From City Hall

Elizabeth Kim discusses the issues Mayor Mamdani talked about in his first "ask the mayor" segment.
The Brian Lehrer Show |
YOU ARE ONLINE