The Brian Lehrer Show

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. An interview with presumptive Democratic NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani (First) | A 100-year history of the fight for gay rights (Starts at 10:50) | A history of NYC's machine politics and how they played out in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary (Starts at 40:00) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder of URL Media and CEO and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, reflects on the diverse electorate that powered Zohran Mamdani's upset win, especially South Asian voters, and what his win indicates about what New Yorkers want and need from their politicians.

Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation magazine and host of their legal podcast, "Contempt of Court," author of the New York Times best-seller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2023), and Bad Law: 10 Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, March 2025), offers legal analysis of the final SCOTUS opinions of the term, including on the so-called "birthright citizenship" case and more.

New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif (District 39, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington) talks about her win against a well-funded challenger in a high-profile race, as well as the coalition that voted for Mamdani, plus the policies she thinks resonated with voters.

Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny and a contributing opinion writer with the New York Times, talks about recent Supreme Court decisions including Medina v. Planned Parenthood, which permits South Carolina to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, and another decision from the shadow docket that allows the Trump administration to deport migrants to countries where they have no connections.

Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator (D-NY), talks about why she's referring to President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" as the "big, beautiful betrayal," comments on New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral primary race and more.

Will Bredderman, veteran political journalist covering New York City, talks about the history of matchups between New York City political party machines and highly engaged voters and how this dynamic created a victory for the Democratic Socialist assemblymember Zohran Mamdani against former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary race.

President Donald Trump’s order to strike Iran was without first seeking congressional approval. Carol E. Lee, Washington managing editor for NBC News, explains how U.S. presidents have been deploying the military more and more, without congressional authority and reports on the political fallout following that action.

Listeners who voted for Zohran Mamdani call in to share how they are feeling today, and their actual hopes for what he can accomplish if he goes on to become the mayor.

On the day after the primary election, Gothamist and WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim and Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, co-host of the podcast FAQNYC and the author of How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams (Cambridge University Press, 2024) offer analysis of Zohran Mamdani's likely win, his chances in the general election and the future paths Andrew Cuomo may take after this stunning upset.

The Adams administration announced earlier this week that the plan for affordable senior housing at the Elizabeth Street Garden was dead. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on how that happened, plus explains why some lawmakers and residents are skeptical of a proposed massive redevelopment - also including affordable housing - at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Red Hook.

Zohran Mamdani, New York State assembly member (D-36, Queens), talks about his big win in last night's Democratic primary election for mayor.

Listeners call in to share who they ranked in the primary election, including in races besides just the mayoral, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, shares her most recent reporting on the election, including the latest on what we know about early voting numbers.

As our centennial series continues, Marc Stein, the Jamie and Phyllis Pasker professor of history at San Francisco State University, director of the OutHistory website, author and editor of many books, including Queer Public History: Essays on Scholarly Activism (University of California Press, 2022) and The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History (NYU Press, 2019), takes us through the history of LGBTQ rights in the US, from the founding of the first, though short-lived, gay rights organization founded in 1924 in Chicago to today.

Listeners call in to share who they ranked in the mayoral primary election, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, shares her most recent reporting on the election, including the various campaigns' "get out the vote" efforts.

Black lung had largely been eradicated by the end of the last century. Now, the disease has reemerged in coal country, and federal cuts threaten at-risk miners. Kate Morgan, Pennsylvania-based freelance journalist, talks about her reporting on black lung for the New York Times. → How Black Lung Came Roaring Back to Coal Country

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the area through 8pm Tuesday. Zach Iscol, NYC Emergency Management commissioner, talks about what New Yorkers can do to stay safe.

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent shares her reporting on the early voting numbers so far, plus listeners call in to react to the mayoral candidate interviews from the first hour of the show.

On the day before the primary election, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former State Assembly Member Michael Blake, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, State Senator Jessica Ramos, former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, andWhitney Tilson, former hedge fund manager and philanthropist, make their final pitch to voters who haven't cast their ballots yet.

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: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019), discusses the latest news coming out of the Supreme Court, including President Donald Trump's legal battle for control of the California National Guard and more.