The Brian Lehrer Show

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Extreme Weather and El Niño (First) | Back to School Report (Starts at  :30) | Goodbye, WQXR's Jeff Spurgeon (Starts at 1:03)

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Photo: Higher-than-normal sea surfaces (red) are visible in the central and eastern Pacific on June 8, 2026, a few days before El Niño was declared. (NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

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On this Summer Friday, we've put together some of our favorite recent interviews, including:

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the newly announced NYC AI policy for schools, plus other back-to-school issues.

Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels announce a moratorium on student-facing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in schools. Brooklyn STEAM Center. Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

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Gloria Steinem died yesterday at age 92. Carolyn Maloney, former Manhattan congresswoman, president of the NYS chapter of the National Organization for Women and founder of Sign4ERA reflects on the feminist icon's life and legacy, and talks about the work they did together on the Equal Rights Amendment.

photo: Gloria Steinem attends Equality Now 30th Anniversary Gala at Guastavino's on November 15, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

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Amidst rising inflation, ongoing wars in Iran and Israel, and the U.S. national debt climbing to a record $40 trillion, the global bond market is rattled. Mary Childs, host of the talk show podcast Mary in America, author of The Bond King, and former co-host of Planet Money, explains why bond yields are so high right now and what it all means for the global economy, and for your wallet.

c/o: Blue Arauz, via Pexels

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Caitlin Moscatello, author and contributor to New York Magazine, talks about the expense of youth sports and the investors who profit.

Photo: Members of the Guilderland travel team arrive to play a home game against Queensbury as Guilderland Youth Baseball starts up using safety procedures at Keenholts Park on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 in Altamont, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

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Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About Mythology, quizzes listeners on how well they know their Labor Day history.

Kenneth's blog
Kenneth's YouTube channel

image: Labor Day Parade, Union Square, New York, 1882 (Lithographie), 16 September 1882 (Author not known, but more than 100 years old, Image edited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Theodore Schleifer, covers billionaires and their impact for the New York Times, talks about the impact of dark money on the 2026 midterms, why the spending source is growing, and where it's being spent.

Photo: Stock image by fStop Images - Antenna via Getty Creative

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Eileen Markey, assistant Professor of journalism at Lehman College CUNY, longtime journalist covering the Bronx and author of the forthcoming book, All They Had: How The Bronx Survived a Death Sentence (Duke University Press, 2027), talks about the recent news of layoffs, shutdowns and shrinking of local news outlets in the Bronx, and how that impacts the borough.

Photo: The final issue of Norwood News (Courtesy Norwood News) 

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Many gaming companies have been moving towards subscription payment models and away from the sale of physical games, to the dismay of many players. Jason Schreier, reporter for Bloomberg News covering the video-game industry and co-host of the podcast Triple Click, unpacks what the death of physical games means for consumers, and what it can tell us about the future of the quarter billion-dollar industry.

Photo: A Nintendo 64 game console with the game "Mario Kart." (Jan Woitas/dpa via Getty Images)

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WQXR's longtime morning show host Jeff Spurgeon is retiring at the end of this week. He joins us to reflect on his long career at New York Public Radio's classical music station and what he hopes listeners will keep learning about classical music.

Photo: WQXR host Jeff Spurgeon (WNYC staff photo)

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John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker talks about how analysts, politicians, and every day people are calculating the cost of the Iran War.

Photo: A pedestrian walks past a billboard depicting US President Donald Trump inside a catering container, installed on a building along a street in downtown of Tehran on August 31, 2026. Iran attacked US military targets in the Middle East on August 31 in retaliation for American strikes on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first exchange of fire for a month in a war that has engulfed the region. (ATTA KENARE / AFP...

David Gelles, reporter on The New York Times climate team and leader of the Times' "Climate Forward" newsletter and events series, talks about his reporting on the economic effect of this summer's strong storms, and the weather effects of El Niño, which is happening but hasn't yet peaked.

Photo: Operator monitoring wind speed and direction in the Pacific at the Peruvian National Emergency Operations Center (COEN) regarding preparations for the arrival of El Niño and national multi-hazard drills. (Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Jon Ronson, journalist, filmmaker, "This American Life" contributor and the author of The Psychopath Test and his latest, The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men (‎Riverhead Books, 2026), talks about his new book, an exploration of the crisis in masculinity.

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Samantha Delouya, CNN Business reporter, shares her reporting on young New Yorkers moving in with seniors, nuns, and other unlikely roommates as the city's median asking rent hits $4,200.

Photo: Christina Vögerl (r) sits with her convent sisters in the convent of the order "Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family" at the laid table. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Dan Kaufman, journalist and author of The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics (W. W. Norton & Company, 2018), reports on the movement against data centers in Wisconsin, a major hub for the centers, and how it's turning into a major issue there and elsewhere ahead of the midterms.

Photo: Protesters gather for a statewide data center day of action at the Wisconsin State Capitol on February 12, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Joe Timmerman/Catchlight/Wisconsin Watch via Getty Images)

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The Brooklyn Democratic Party passed a series of rule changes last week which reformers are calling a 'power grab' by the old guard, aimed at keeping the party's existing leaders in power, despite the protest of several prominent democrats. Gwynne Hogan, senior reporter at The City Reporter, and Jeff Coltin, editor-in-chief of City & State NY, unpack the saga, and what it tells us about the role of local party chapters in the city's changing political landscape.

Photo: Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn delivers remarks. (Ben Fractenberg at The City Reporter)

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Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, talks about how the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have re-shaped the First Amendment and press freedom in the United States, and how this is still affecting speech today.

Photo: A salesman in an electronics store in Mexico City watches the World Trade Center in New York City collapse September 11, 2001. (Susana Gonzalez/Getty Images)

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Suresh Shahi, editor for Khasokhas, talks about how the Nepalese community in Queens is coping with devastating floods in Nepal, and how they are helping friends and family members back home.

Photo: People salvage belongings from their home following flash floods at Devighat in Nepal's Nuwakot district on August 31, 2026. Nepal was burying on August 31 some of the hundreds of bodies retrieved after a deadly, tsunami-like flood crashed through the Himalayan region, sweeping away villages and leaving thousands still missing. (Arun SANKAR / AFP via Getty Images)

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Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Inside Meta's settlement over social media addiction (First) | The big business of sports grows even bigger (Starts near 49:30) | Tributes to the late Dolly Parton (Starts near 1:12:40)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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Nick Taylor-Vaisey, Politico’s Ottawa bureau chief and the lead author of Canada Playbook, talks about the escalation in the trade war with Canada.

Photo: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario, on August 22, 2026 after trade talks with the US collapsed. (Photo by Dave Chan / AFP via Getty Images)

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Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, talks about the lawsuits against the Mamdani administration by a group representing minority-owned grocery stores, which argue that the city's plan to open city-owned grocery stores will hurt their businesses. Then, Walter Wuthmann, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering public safety and the legal system, explains the details of the Mamdani administration's lawsuit to try to stop a law passed by the City Council that would give public school paraprofessionals $10K bonuses—and what it has to do with the way the city bargains with all of its public sector un...

Annie Lowrey, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time―and How to Fix It (Ecco, 2026), looks at the data on the amount of time Americans spend filling out paperwork and following up it to access things they are entitled to—and what could lessen the burden.

Photo: Bundles of old files in an old filing cabinet in the attic of the Entiat National Fish Hatchery in Washington in the United States. (Photo by Julia Pinnix/USFWS via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)

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This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the New York Times' "Metropolitan Diary" column. Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera and son of Metropolitan Diary founder, Arthur Gelb, and Ed Shanahan, editor of the New York Times' "Metropolitan Diary" column, talk about the history of the column and why it's become such an institution. Plus, listeners share their own "Metropolitan Diary" stories. 

Photo: Times Square in 1977. (Photo by Derzsi Elekes Andor via Wikimedia Commons)

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Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for The Washington Post, talks about what's in the landmark settlement with Meta over child safety on its apps, like Facebook and Instagram, and what it could mean for social media in the future.

Image:  Mark Zuckerberg F8 2018 Keynote (Anthony Quintano from Honolulu, HI, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, talks about Mayor Mamdani's plan to repair the crumbling BQE.

Photo: View southwest along Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade from Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, June 2024 (Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Neil Gross, sociology professor at Colby College in Maine, and author of What Happened to College?: How Politics Broke Higher Education and What We Can Do to Fix It (Simon & Schuster, 2026), talks about his research into student attitudes toward politics and education and what's working to curb hyper-partisanship.

photo: At Columbia, the name "Alma Mater" refers to this statue in front of Low Library, and many legends are associated with it. The Low Library, in the dead center of the campus, is today not an academic library, but an administration building, 2011 (InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA...

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D-NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including his plan for children's healthcare, the war in Iran, and the state of a local immigration facility. 

Photo: Senator Andy Kim (credit: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio)

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Three e-bikers died in hit-and-runs last week in New York City, marking the worst week so far this year for deadly bike accidents. Ben Furnas, executive director of the street safety advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives, discusses their campaign to protect riders and pedestrians from deadly accidents through a range of street safety initiatives. 

Photo: Delivery person scooter accident aftermath with Police and Ambulance on Yellowstone Boulevard, Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Roni Caryn Rabin, health reporter at The New York Times, talks about a new study showing greater numbers of Americans suffering from the effects of cannabis use, as access to, and dosages of, the drug grow.

Photo: Marijuana flowers bloom at a cannabis dispensary in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 18, 2026. (Matt Hunt/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Ann Powers, NPR Music critic and correspondent, talks about the legacy of the country music artist Dolly Parton, and listeners call in to share their tiny eulogies, memories and favorite songs and facts about the late icon, who died this week.

Photo: Dolly Parton attends the opening of Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's new exhibit 'Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker' at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 19, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about new CDC data showing kindergartner vaccine exemptions at a record high, and the bipartisan doubts about Dr. Heidi Overton, Trump's nominee to lead the FDA.

Photo: As eight-year-old girl receives a polio vaccine, she watches a closed circuit television broadcast (showing Dr Jonas Salk as he inoculates a boy) of a training telecast for physicians and scientists, New York, New York, April 12, 1955. (PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

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Chronic flooding in Northeast Queens has prompted many residents to leave their neighborhoods altogether. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards discusses what the city is doing to bolster the sewage system and institute safety measures during floods, and unpacks the city's new potential plan to offer buyouts to homeowners in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Photo: A flooded intersection in Queens (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency)

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Jill Lepore, professor of American History at Harvard University, staff writer at The New Yorker, and the author of several books, including The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State (Liveright, 2026), talks about our reliance on data and algorithms and what it means for society and government.

Image: Composite image of Capital Building with binary numbers (TGI/Tetra Images via Getty Creative)

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Yeganeh Torbati, the Iran correspondent for The New York Times based in Istanbul and co-author (with Bozorgmehr Sharafedin) of Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran (Doubleday, 2026), reports on the latest developments in the Iran war as the cease-fire expires and Pres. Trump threatens an "economic D-Day."

Photo: Currency exchange office is seen as daily life continues amid persistent tensions between Iran and the United States in the Iranian capital Tehran, on August 24, 2026. US President Donald Trump said he had announced an unprecedented economic D-Day operations targeting Iran and threatened countries supporting the Tehran administration with...

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, and Nancy Jiang, journalism student and summer intern for The City Reporter, talk about the effects of NYC's "K-shaped" economy, with growing numbers of the very wealthy and the people qualifying for SNAP benefits. Plus, Greg explains the current turmoil in the bond market.

Photo: An EBT sign is displayed on the window of a grocery store on October 30, 2025 in the Flatbush neighborhood of the...

John Ourand, sports correspondent at Puck, talks about skyrocketing sports team valuations, a new private equity investment in the Yankees, and the potential 2027 MLB lockout.

Photo: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 9, 2026 in New York, New York. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)

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As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Kelly Vilar, CEO of the Staten Island Urban Center, discuss efforts to add more green spaces to underserved neighborhoods.

Photo: Marielle Anzelone and Kelly Vilar from the Pop UP Forest project they did together at Tompkinsville Park in Staten Island (by Marielle Anzelone)

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Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

Divisions Within Political Movements: The DSA (First) | Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty (Starts at 34:26) | The Elizabeth Street Garden, and More Housing News (Starts at 1:02:02)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Photo: New York City Democratic Socialists (NYC-DSA) hold a rally in Union Square marking the start of a campaign to tax the rich and win universal childcare on November 16, 2025, in New York City, United States. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)<...

On this Summer Friday, we've put together some of our favorite recent interviews, including: