The Brian Lehrer Show

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Who is Pope Leo XIV? (First) | Legendary sportscaster Bob Costas (Starts at 44:20) | Felix Contreras on the legacy of music icon Celia Cruz (Starts at 1:05:47) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about a deal that will allow the MTA to install speed cameras on bridges and tunnels in the city, plus more on how the new budget might affect Gov. Hochul's reelection campaign next year.

With Mother's Day coming up on Sunday, listeners call in to share the best and unique gifts they've received for Mother's Day and suggest gift ideas for last-minute shoppers.

In president Trump's first administration, he stated that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are "not money". Now, he heads his own crypto company. David Yaffe-Bellany, technology reporter for The New York Times, covering the crypto industry, shares his reporting on the ways the Trump family has financially benefitted from embracing the industry in these first few months of his second presidency.

Catholics around the world are getting to know the new pontiff, Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States. David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, and Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, editor-at-large and columnist at Commonweal, talk about the direction the former Robert Francis Prevost, a native Chicagoan, might take the church.

Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, interim co-CEO of PEN America, and Mia Couto, Mozambican author and recipient of this year's PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, discuss the work of PEN America promoting free expression and this year's 61st annual Literary Awards Ceremony at Town Hall.

As our centennial series continues, Felix Contreras, host and co-creator of NPR's Alt.Latino, talks about the life and legacy of music icon Celia Cruz, born 100 years ago.

WNYC Morning Edition host Michael Hill and David Cruz, senior political correspondent and anchor, and moderator of Chat Box and Reporters Roundtable at NJ Spotlight News, recap and offer analysis of a conversation between New Jersey's Republican candidates for governor: State Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Assemblymember Jack Ciattarelli and former radio host Bill Spadea.

Rick Seltzer, senior writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education who writes their Daily Briefing newsletter, talks about the latest news in the fights between Columbia, Harvard and other universities and the Trump administration, and how the funding cuts are hitting the schools so far. Plus, Max Kozlov, science reporter covering biomedical research at Nature, talks about his reporting on the research topics that the Trump administration's NIH has cut funding to, especially areas the administration finds "problematic," like those related to LGBTQ+ health.

Bob Costas, sportscaster and talk show host, reflects on his recent Baseball Digest lifetime achievement award and the state of baseball and other sports today. =>EVENT: Bob Costas will discuss his wide-ranging career - and how sports have changed with Howard Bryant at The 92nd Street Y on Sunday, May 11 at 7 pm. (Ticket information)

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, including the match-up of former Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Adams, what voters were saying about the mayoral race at AOC's recent town hall and more news.

Communication blackouts, delayed flights, staffing shortages -- New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport has been in crisis mode for the past week. Pete Muntean, CNN correspondent covering aviation and transportation, pilot, and flight instructor, takes us behind the scenes of the "multi-day" meltdown at Newark, and explains what's caused these problems for travelers and staff alike.

Mary Ziegler, UC Davis law professor and the author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession (Yale University Press, 2023) and Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction (Yale University Press, 2025), talks about her book about "fetal personhood," as well as the news on mifepristone.

Listeners call in to share their stories of weaning themselves their "smart" cell phones, from setting limits to abandoning them completely.

Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Food and Drug Administration would require all new vaccines to be tested against placebos and to develop new vaccines without using mRNA technology. Christina Jewett, reporter covering Food and Drug Administration for The New York Times, explains what that will mean for future vaccines, including COVID-19 booster shots, plus more FDA-related news headlines.

As our centennial series continues, Bob van der Linden, commercial aviation curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, looks at the past 100 years of civilian air travel.

Mariana Simões, investigative journalist covering climate and the environment for City Limits, shares her reporting on how cuts to staff working on environmental justice issued within the Environmental Protection Agency are affecting community groups in New York City.

Rent-stabilized tenants may see increases of up to 7.75% on two-year leases, after the Rent Guidelines Board held a preliminary vote on rent increases. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what comes next for landlords and tenants with rent-stabilized apartments.

Kimberly Adams, senior Washington correspondent for Marketplace and the co-host of the Marketplace podcast “Make Me Smart,” talks about the latest news on tariffs, including the end of the de minimis exemption, which may lead to higher prices for consumers. Plus, Arthur Dong, teaching professor of strategy and economics at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, offers analysis of the US-China relationship as Beijing is considering whether it should begin to negotiate with President Trump on trade.

Scott Bok, former board chair of the University of Pennsylvania, longtime CEO of the M&A advisory firm Greenhill & Co., and the author of Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy and Timing (Wiley, 2025), talks about his life and facing crises on Wall Street and, most recently, his resignation from the Penn Board in December 2023. =>EVENT: New York Public Library's Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Event Center at 455 Fifth Avenue, tonight 6-7PM