The Brian Lehrer Show

For your weekend listening, in case you missed it: Legal analysis of the felony convictions of the former president in the "hush money" trial in Manhattan. If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Andrea Bernstein, journalist reporting on Trump legal matters for NPR, host of many podcasts including "Will be Wild" and "Trump, Inc." and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), reports on the guilty verdict for President Trump from her vantage point from the courtroom, and as a longtime reporter on the former president and his business dealings.

Lincoln Restler, New York City Council Member (District 33: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill and Williamsburg), talks about the latest conflicts between the Council and the mayor, safety issues on McGuinness Boulevard and more.

Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of the forthcoming The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction, offers legal analysis of the Manhattan jury's guilty verdict of Donald Trump in his so-called "hush money" trial.

Warren Lehrer, writer and designer and author of Riveted in the Word (EarSay in collaboration with AltSalt, 2024), talks about his new e-book, a story about a woman's journey to recovering the ability to speak after a stroke, and Laura Boylan, M.D., Bellevue Hospital neurologist and adjunct professor, department of neurology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explains what aphasia is and how treatment and rehabilitation has evolved. More information on upcoming book events at the Center for Book Arts and Topaz Arts here: https://earsay.org/

Richard Ocejo, professor of sociology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and the author of Sixty Miles Upriver: Gentrification and Race in a Small American City (Princeton University Press, 2024), examines the effect on racial and income balance in the Hudson Valley's Newburgh, NY, of an influx of wealthier remote workers from NYC and its suburbs.

Curtis Bashaw, entrepreneur running in the New Jersey Republican Senate primary, talks about his campaign for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate and his stance on issues important to primary voters.

Donald Trump's hush money case is currently being deliberated by the jurors after hearing weeks of arguments. Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, lead prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel's Office, the co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), and co-host of the podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump, explains the central questions the jury is discussing as well as what impact the jury's decision, whatever it may be, could have on our legal system and future political campaigns.

With this legislative session wrapping up next week, Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about what is likely to be included in the next "big ugly" collection of final legislation. Plus, he explains why Republicans outside of the city are filing lawsuits against even-year elections.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, Americans are less likely to feel close to people in their country or community. Listeners with ties to countries abroad weigh in on the poll results and offer comparisons to other countries.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including the NYPD responses to mental health crises, the "balance of power" with the City Council, and more.

Eric Levitz, senior correspondent at Vox, shares his theory for why the Biden campaign is struggling in the polls with younger voters, as well as Black and Latino voters -- traditionally groups that vote for Democrats.

Martin Lewis, senior lecturer in history at Stanford University, and author of the book The Myth of Continents: A Critique of Metageography, explains why determining what makes a continent a continent involves both physical and human geographical criteria, and why people around the world don't agree on how many there are.

James Comey, former director of the FBI and author of non-fiction, including A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, and the crime novels Central Park West (2023) and his latest, Westport (Mysterious Press, 2024), talks about his new career as a crime novelist and offers his take on the Trump trial.

Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US, shares her investigative series on "Big Oil," including more on an alleged "deal" offer from former President Donald Trump to big oil that could save industry $110 billion in exchange for campaign donations.

Roger Cohen, Paris bureau chief of The New York Times and author An Affirming Flame: Meditations on Life and Politics (Knopf, 2023), discusses Spain, Norway and Ireland's decision to recognize a Palestinian state as well as the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The Brian Lehrer Show observes the Memorial Day holiday with a selection of favorite interviews: Eric Klinenberg2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything ChangedGeorge TakeiMy Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II StoryJon MeachamAnd There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American StruggleJay Caspian KangThe New YorkerThe Loneliest AmericansJoe RichmanSusan Hurlburt These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here: How 2020 Changed Us (Feb 16, 2024) George Takei on 'My Lost Freedom' (Apr 16, 2024) What We Should Learn from Lincoln (Oct 19, 2022) Jay Caspian Kang on 'The Ideology of the Internet' (Mar 15, 2024) Stories from Hart Island (Nov 8, 2023)

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. The Expanding Market for Weight-Loss Drugs (First) | Anne Lamott on Love (Starts at 25:00 ) | Searching for Something in Our Childhood Homes (Starts at 38:00) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

With beach season getting started, Chris Allieri, founder of the NYC Plover Project, and Aydon Gabourel, founder of Laru Beya Collective, talk about their work in the Rockaway Beach community.

It's impossible to ignore the chatter about Ozempic, Wegovy, and other weight-loss medications that have hit the market in the last few years. This week, Hims & Hers -- a telehealth company known for discreetly treating erectile dysfunction, balding, and other sensitive conditions -- announced the launch of their own off brand weight-loss injection, sparking a boost in their stock prices. Melissa Lee, Host of CNBC's Fast Money, takes us into the marketplace for GLP-1 agonist drugs, Ozempic dupes sold online, and what the popularity of these drugs on Wall Street means for patients.