The Brian Lehrer Show

Summer brings fun to the cultural calendar. In this membership drive mini-series, we run through some of can't miss things to see and do this summer. Today, Ryan Kailath, WNYC/Gothamist arts and culture reporter, shares some of opportunities to watch movies under the stars.

Meg Jay, developmental clinical psychologist and the author of The Defining Decade and her latest, The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age (Simon & Schuster, 2024), offers advice for navigating the extremes of trivializing and over-medicating the struggles of young adults today.

Each day during the spring membership drive, The Brian Lehrer Show is inviting listeners to try their hand at quiz questions, this time loosely based on the titles of radio shows that air on WNYC. Today's quiz questions are about the First Amendment, inspired by the title "1A."

David Banks, NYC Schools Chancellor, talks about his testimony before the House committee on antisemitism and how NYC public schools are responding to the heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Frank Bruni, New York Times op-ed columnist and the author of The Age of Grievance (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the effect he sees of "grievances" big and small motivating so much of our politics -- on both the left and the right.

Summer brings fun to the cultural calendar. In this membership drive mini-series, we run through some of can't miss things to see and do. Today, Ryan Kailath, WNYC/Gothamist arts and culture reporter, shares some of the big festivals in the parks.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, inviting questions from reporters on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, summarizes this week's questions and topics, including the police killing of Win Rozario in Queens and more.

Each day during the spring membership drive, The Brian Lehrer Show is inviting listeners to try their hand at quiz questions, this time loosely based on the titles of radio shows that air on WNYC. Today's quiz questions—about New York people, places and things—are inspired by the title "New Yorker Radio Hour."

Nicholas Kristof, opinion columnist for The New York Times and author of several books, including the new memoir Chasing Hope (Penguin Random House, 2024), reflects on his long career covering tough stories, including war, genocide and addiction, and explains how he remains optimistic despite it all.

Donald Trump's former "fixer" Michael Cohen, took the stand in the former president's hush money trial this week. 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), offers analysis and reports on the latest.

No-Mow May has become increasingly popular as a way to help pollinators during springtime. Allyson Chiu, reporter covering climate solutions for the Washington Post gives tips about the best practices—and listeners call in to report on the status of their lawns.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times Magazine and author of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (One World, 2021), discusses the right-wing campaign to roll back civil rights gains under the guise of colorblindness.

Michael Hill, host of WNYC's Morning Edition, and Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist reporter covering New Jersey, offer analysis of the debate between Democratic candidates for Senate in New Jersey.

Tara Rosenblum, anchor, host and reporter for News 12, and Chris McKenna, reporter at The Journal News and lohud.com, recap the debate between Westchester County Executive George Latimer and incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who are vying for the Democratic nomination in New York's 16th Congressional district. Watch the debate here.

Julia Carpenter, freelance writer and reporter, offers advice for listeners on either side of a financial divide in their friendships.

Mark Hertsgaard, journalist and co-founder and executive director of Covering Climate Now, and the author of Big Red’s Mercy: The Shooting of Deborah Cotton and A Story of Race in America (Pegasus, 2024), shares the story of Deborah “Big Red” Cotton, an African American racial justice activist, who forgave the young Black men who shot her when they fired into a second line parade in New Orleans, a shooting in which Hertsgaard himself was injured -- and what that shooting and her response to it taught him about race and violence in America.

Advocates have been pushing for nine years for the Medical Aid in Dying Act, but the New York State legislature has been hesitant to act. David Leven, executive director emeritus and senior consultant to End of Life Choices New York, and Corinne Carey, senior campaign director for NY/NJ for the group Compassion & Choices, discuss what the bill would involve and why they support it.

Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent for USA Today, talks about the news from Washington and beyond, including the Biden administration's policy toward sending weapons to Israel.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them: The Complicated Reality of Egg Freezing (First) - Luis Miranda's 'Latino Spirit' (28:00) - A.J. Jacobs Lives Originalism (58:00) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Ahead of Mother's Day, Liana Finck, illustrator and author of several books, most recently, How to Baby: A No-Advice-Given Guide to Motherhood, with Drawings (The Dial Press, 2024), discusses her non-parenting “parenting guide” and listeners call in to share what surprised them the most about motherhood.