Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast
Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.
What to know about July student loan changes
On July 1, there will be changes to the student loan repayment system that change the situation for new and old borrowers alike.
On Today's Show:
Cory Turner, NPR education correspondent and senior editor, shares what's changing, and how those impacted can navigate the changes.
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Trump redesigns America’s birthday party
As the country gears up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the plans that President Trump has in mind are raising eyebrows.
On Today's Show:
Michael Scherer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about his reporting on the conflicts over the 250th anniversary celebration.
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What the World Cup means at a time of global conflict
As top athletes from around the world gather for the World Cup, many are representing nations embroiled in military conflict.
On Today's Show:
Franklin Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization (Harper Perennial, new edition 2026), talks about the new edition of his book and looks ahead to the start of World Cup.
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Where science, politics and improv theater collide
As trust in science and institutions has eroded, the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science is teaching scientists how to better communicate their work to lay people.
On Today's Show:
Laura Lindenfeld, PhD, executive director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and professor of communication at Stony Brook University, explains how improv can help bridge the science gap, and how science communication intersects with politics.
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Bill Bradley talks NBA finals and politics
With basketball fresh on everyone's mind, someone with his feet in both the sports world, and the political world, discusses.
On Today's Show:
Bill Bradley, two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, his take on national politics, and more.
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Ben Rhodes on America’s defining speeches
Speeches have an important history in the United States, not only for their historical impact, but for their role in shaping a national identity.
On Today's Show:
Ben Rhodes, contributor to MS NOW, the co-chair of National Security Action and an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts through public speeches, from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump.
What happened this week between Congress and the President
It's been a consequential week in D.C., as some issues, like war powers, have driven a wedge between President Trump and members of Congress, including some Republicans.
On Today's Show:
Elana Schor, senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the news out of Washington this week, including how some Republican senators are standing up to President Trump on war powers, the $1.8 billion dollar payout fund and more.
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Martha Raddatz on heroes she has known and the Iran War stalemate
As the Trump administration continues to use the US military for geopolitical leverage, a look at the work of boots-on-the-ground service members.
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David Remnick on the Democratic Party’s “identity crisis”
Ahead of the midterms, a look at some key races.
On Today's Show:
David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest regarding the midterm elections, the Democratic Party's identity crisis and more.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani takes listener questions
The far-left politics of NYC's new(ish) mayor have drawn national attention, and raised questions about the future of Democratic politics.
On Today's Show:
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani takes questions from listeners and talks about this week's news in the city, and other issues important to New Yorkers, including childcare, trans healthcare and more.
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Trump wants many green card applicants to leave the country
The Trump administration announced that those seeking green cards would need to apply from their home countries, not within the U.S. as many had been able to do.
On Today's Show:
Allan Wernick, legal advisor to CUNY Citizenship Now!, CUNY's free immigration law service program, offers the latest guidance on who will be affected by the change.
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The case for getting involved in state politics
A recent Supreme Court decision weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
On Today's Show:
Daniel Squadron, co-founder of The States Project, former New York State senator and author of the forthcoming book The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union (Zando, 2026), talks about the interplay between state legislatures and the redistricting fights happening now.
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Dem divides on display in our Goldman-Lander primary forum
On our radio show, we're kicking off a series of forums for candidates running for Congress in consequential, local races.
On Today's Show:
Dan Goldman, US representative (D, NY-10), and Brad Lander, former NYC comptroller and former mayoral candidate, discuss key issues as they campaign in the June primary election to be the Democratic nominee for Congress for New York's 10th congressional district.
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Sen. Chris Murphy on solving our 'crisis of the common good'
On today's show: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., talks about his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2026), and the underlying crises that have resulted in our current politics.
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The Trump Administration's Military Options 'On the Table' for Cuba
As the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign against Cuba, a look at what it means for the geopolitics of the region.
On Today's Show:
Nahal Toosi, Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump and his aides have grown frustrated that their posture towards Cuba doesn't seem to be working, and what sort of military action might be on the table.
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Barney Frank's argument for incrementalism
Remembering Barney Frank and his recent advice for Democrats.
On Today's Show:
Hear excerpts from our 2015 interview with the former Massachusetts Congressman, followed by Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and staff writer for The Atlantic, who talks about the late Barney Frank's advice for Democrats, including his defense of incremental change.
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Andrew Weissman on Trump’s $1.8 billion settlement with himself
A legal expert weighs in on the ways President Trump has used the legal system to evade accountability and enrich himself.
On Today's Show:
Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and author of Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America (Little, Brown, 2026), talks about the changes to the legal system needed to preserve US democracy.
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Goodbye Late Show with Stephen Colbert (and CBS itself?)
CBS has canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
On Today's Show:
As the final episodes air Bill Carter, editor at large for LateNighter.com, discusses what its loss says about today's media landscape.
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Trump asked Black voters “what do you have to lose?” Now they know.
President Trump and some of his administration officials have made recent 'gaffes' that could impact the GOP's prospects for the midterms in November.
On Today's Show:
David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), offers analysis of FBI director Kash Patel's performance during Congressional testimony, plus how he says President Trump's recent gaffes may hurt the GOP.
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Elon vs. Sam; Plus fighting “competitive authoritarianism”
A New Yorker journalist has been reporting on the AI dispute between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, as well as developments around the new PM of Hungary.
On Today's Show:
Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking Press, 2019), talks about his recent reporting.
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Getting to yes vs. getting to no nukes in Iran
President Trump has claimed that the US will sign a nuclear deal with Iran, but there are major obstacles standing in the way.
On Today's Show:
Nate Swanson, former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025 and current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council, offers analysis.
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Why stocks shrug off inflation and the war
Between the impact of AI on the job market, and geopolitics on the energy market, the current economic situation is a lot to make sense of.
On Today's Show:
Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of Marketplace, talks about the latest economic news, including recent data on inflation, jobs and productivity, the effects of President Trump's tariffs and more.
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Why Democrats could get more midterm votes but lose the House anyway
As the November midterms start ramping up, a look at some recent polling, and some redistricting battles that could impact the outcomes.
On Today's Show:
Mara Liasson, NPR national political correspondent, talks about the latest national political news, including what's happening in foreign policy as President Trump travels to China and a deal to end the Iran war is still not happening. Plus, she discusses the redistricting wars and what a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found about the president's approval ratings.
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She named 'critical race theory' and 'intersectionality' and would like to explain
As academic terms like "critical race theory" have been reshaped by their use in political spheres, a conversation with someone who helped originate those ideas.
On Today's Show:
Civil rights scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, co-founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, founder and executive director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, distinguished professor and Promise Institute chair for human rights at UCLA Law School and Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher professor at Columbia Law School, and the author of Backtalker: An American Memoir (Simon & Schuster), talks about ke...
Now what? Janai Nelson after arguing the SCOTUS voting rights case
Today, SCOTUS released a decision in a gerrymandering case in Virginia, blocking Democrats from an election map with 4 more likely blue districts.
On Today's Show:
Janai Nelson, president-director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, talks about the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v. Louisiana, which they say gutted the Voting Rights Act. Plus, her reaction to the news that the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved redistricting ballot measure that would have been a boon to Democrats.
Abortion pill rights, voting rights and the constitution according to Melissa Murray
Yesterday, the Supreme Court temporarily reinstated a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine.
On Today's Show:
Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, MSNOW commentator and the author of The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader (Simon & Schuster, 2026), explains the Constitution and how all the problems inherent in the founding are contained in it, not solved by it.
Did SCOTUS revive Jim Crow districting?
The Supreme Court's recent voting rights decision could fundementally change not only the nation's electoral landscape, but how the maps themselves are drawn.
On Today's Show:
Nick Corasaniti, New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections, talks about the possibility of "endless redistricting wars," and how this may affect this year's midterm elections and beyond.
What TPS recipients might experience if they're sent back to Haiti
The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases where the Trump administration is attempting to end TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the US.
On Today's Show:
Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, and Daniel Berlin, policy director of Protection Pathways at the International Rescue Committee, offer their take on why the program should stay legal, as well as talk about the humanitarian crisis they say is ongoing in Haiti.
SCOTUS considers mass deportation of people here legally
The Supreme Court was busy today, hearing oral arguments over an immigration case, and issuing opinions on a number of other issues.
On Today's Show:
Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged (Random House, 2019), offers legal analysis of today's arguments before the Supreme Court over Temporary Protected Status for certain refugees, and reacts to the Louisiana redistricting decision.
NOTE: Today's discussion took place Wednesday morning, before SCOTUS's oral arguments bega...
Sen. Cory Booker: The 60 day war gives Congress a chance
With an abundance of national news, a look at how Democrats in the Congress are thinking about the nation's priorities.
On Today's Show:
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ), author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), talks about his ongoing efforts to gain support for a war powers resolution to stop the war in Iran and the approaching 60-day deadline, plus other national news.
How the president and White House correspondents are now more like you
Should the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner be thought of as an assassination attempt, or an attempted mass shooting?
On Today's Show:
Brian Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter and the author of several books, including Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for America (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024), offers his perspective of the shooting at this weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Weekend Special: NYC Mayor Mamdani’s First 100ish Days, and Lessons from LaGuardia
Mayor Mamdani's populist politics and affordability agenda have brought him national attention, as well as comparisons to his predecessor, Fiorello La Guardia.
On Today's Show:
We present a live conversation in The Greene Space with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and WNYC’s Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin, about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next.
Debate: Should Dems appear with Hasan Piker?
A debate is underway among Democratic party leaders over whether to engage with influential, controversial streamer Hasan Piker.
On Today's Show:
Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coalition.
Just say yes to psychedelics research
President Trump has signed an executive order in support of research into whether psychedelic drugs could be used in mental health treatments.
On Today's Show:
Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor of the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, talks about the use of psychedelics for mental illness and the effects of President Trump's executive order speeding up research.
Inflation, Iran, Israel and the midterm elections
With congressional elections coming up in November, how are certain national (and international) issues impacting the polls?
On Today's Show:
David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections.
Europe’s leaders pledge to not forget Ukraine
With the war in Iran taking up much geopolitical attention, how has focus changed on other conflicts of global importance?
On Today's Show:
Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, covering Europe, discusses his reporting on how European leaders are trying to keep the focus on helping Ukraine, even as the war with Iran is diverting attention and resources.
What Viktor Orbán's loss in Hungry could mean for Vance in 2028
JD Vance is in the spotlight after a number of international stories involving the vice president.
On Today's Show:
Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's loss and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.
Vance vs. Pope Leo on what’s a just war
In a now-deleted social media post, President Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV.
On Today's Show:
Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of the forthcoming Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (St. Martin's, 2026), talks about the range of responses from Christians.
“Voluntary intoxication” and the Swalwell allegations
Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell.
On Today's Show:
Jane Manning, director at Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan D.A. is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws.
Why did Melania weigh in on the Epstein files?
Prompted by unfounded internet speculations, the First Lady made a public statement last week that she had no ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
On Today's Show:
Vicky Ward, investigative journalist, host of the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), talks about Melania Trump's announcement denouncing Jeffrey Epstein and delves into the relationship between the First Lady, Epstein, and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
