The Brian Lehrer Show

Nancy Solomon, WNYC reporter and host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Topics include this year's budget deal, the new mansion tax, soaring electricity bills, and the governor's response to listener's concerns about ICE raids in the state.

Columbia University has announced it will use a controversial definition of antisemitism on campus, approved by the Trump administration. Arno Rosenfeld, enterprise reporter at the Forward and author of the Antisemitism Decoded newsletter, talks about the new definition and why some groups don't support it. Plus, Katie J.M. Baker, national investigative correspondent for The New York Times, discusses Project Esther, a project of the conservative Heritage Foundation that aims to suppress pro-Palestinian activism and what it labels antisemitism across America.

With two All-Star games this week, Barbara Barker, Newsday sports columnist and features writer, discusses WNBA star Caitlin Clark's injury, plus baseball's use of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, or "robo-umps."

Elie Honig, senior legal analyst at CNN, New York Magazine columnist, former state and federal prosecutor and author of Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With it (Harper, 2023) offers legal analysis of how the DOJ is functioning during President Trump's second term, plus the latest news on Trump's controversial nomination of Emil Bove to the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals and more.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, offers analysis of Curtis Sliwa's campaign interview and an assessment of his chances in the general election.

Listeners call in with the news from their blocks, neighborhoods, and communities.

The senate approved a rescission package of cuts to NPR and PBS along with foreign aid. LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO and executive chair of the board of New York Public Radio, and Sarah Gilbert, president and CEO of WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, talk about what comes next, both for larger stations like WNYC and smaller and more rural public radio stations.

Justin Schein, cinematographer and filmmaker, talks about his new documentary, "Death and Taxes," which examines inherited wealth and inequality in America.

Curtis Sliwa, Republican nominee for NYC mayor, WABC radio host and founder of the Guardian Angels, talks about his campaign for mayor.

As Emmy nominations were released this week, listeners share the TV shows they're watching, and how they find compelling content in the sea of available shows and streaming services.

Six years after the death of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, conspiracy theories still captivate the minds of Americans on both sides of the aisle. Last week, the Justice Department, FBI, and president Trump released a memo in an attempt to quell the MAGA movement's fixation with Epstein's case. Shawn McCreesh, White House reporter for the New York Times, explains how this plan backfired and why this case remains a part of the American imagination.

Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and democracy activist, plus host of The Atlantic podcast "Autocracy in America," chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative and a vice president of the World Liberty Congress, offers his take on how the United States of America can avoid backsliding into autocracy, plus discusses President Trump's change of tune toward Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that he'll be officially campaigning in the general election on an independent line, and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has met with the city's business leaders. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC and Gothamist's senior political correspondent, discuss how these developments will affect the race and other mayoral campaign-related news.

OMNY users are complaining about multiple or delayed charges after they tap to access subways and buses. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom, explains what the MTA says it's doing to remedy these issues, and discusses the coming end of the MetroCard (along with the beloved 30-day unlimited card).

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares her reporting on the deal struck between Big Tech and The American Federation of Teachers which offers artificial intelligence training and software to teachers in New York City public schools.

Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, chief of infectious disease for Island Infectious Diseases, the largest physician-owned Infectious Disease Specialist Group on Long Island, an infectious disease specialist and clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University and president of Parasites Without Borders and co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology", talks about two ongoing public health challenges, long COVID and the rise in measles cases.

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Topics this month include FEMA disaster relief, Trump's recent statements related to military aid for South Korea and Ukraine, and more.

Allison Pohle, reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering the travel and tourism industries, discusses the TSA's announcement that airline passengers no longer need to take off their shoes to clear airport security and what its decision could mean for traveler safety.

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, offers analysis of the interview with Jim Walden, who is running for mayor as an independent, and the state of the campaign.

Immigrants and advocates are alleging that conditions at a lower Manhattan ICE facility are inhumane, including no beds and not enough food. Arya Sundaram, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering race and immigration, shares her reporting on the story and what local elected officials have been able to find out is going on inside, and Adriano Espaillat, U.S. Representative (D, NY-13), shares his experience visiting the facility this morning.