The Brian Lehrer Show

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Brian Lehrer Weekend: A Defense of Liberalism; Health Insurance Changes; Tracking Your Kids

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Fareed Zakaria on Defending Liberalism (First) | Health Insurance Costs Are Rising. Here’s How to

Nov 14
58 min

How the 'Blue Tsunami' Looked in New Jersey

Matt Friedman, reporter for Politico New Jersey and author of the New Jersey Politico Playbook, talks about the election results in New Jersey, where the so-called "blue

Nov 13
36 min

Trump's Foreign Policy in the Lame Duck Era

Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic and host of their 'Autocracy in America' podcast, now in its fourth season, discusses her reporting on the Trump administrati

Nov 13
29 min

Moving to America

Ber Anena, Ugandan-born journalist and author of The Lies We Tell for America: A Memoir (Flatiron Books, 2026), tells the story of leaving Uganda for an MFA at Columbia d

Nov 13
28 min

Is AI making people act weird at restaurants?

Elizabeth Gunn, contributor to Grub Street and author of the food newsletter Consumed, talks about how AI and technology is making restaurant experiences more and more st

Nov 13
9 min

Brooklyn Building Collapse Rescue Continues

Jumaane Williams, New York City Public Advocate, provides an update on the fatal building collapse near Bedford and Flatbush Avenues in Brooklyn. Photo: TOPSHOT - First

Nov 12
16 min

Speaker Heastie on the Next Term

Carl Heastie, New York Assembly Speaker, talks about the election results and what to expect in Albany in the next term. Photo: New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heas

Nov 12
28 min

Ukraine War Negotiations Resume, What Comes Next?

Ukraine, Russia and the US have returned to the negotiating table after 9 months away from it. As Ukraine braces for another winter under Russian attacks on their energy

Nov 12
27 min

Mayor Mamdani in Puerto Rico

Mayor Mamdani recently traveled to Puerto Rico for the annual post-election SOMOS conference for New York politicos. Alana Casanova-Burgess, co-creator, host and producer

Nov 12
22 min

Who Loses Out When Parents Track Their Kids' Every Move?

Sarah Zhang, staff writer for The Atlantic, shares her reporting on the many surveillance apps and gadgets marketed to parents, and how they are fundamentally changing th

Nov 12
13 min

The Veterans Who Rode the Blue Wave Into Office

Allison Jaslow, Iraq war veteran, former army captain and former CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) talks about the veterans who were elected in the b

Nov 11
52 min

Health Insurance Costs Are Rising. Here’s How to Navigate It

Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society and co-founder of the Health Care for All New York Campaign talks about the jump

Nov 11
20 min

NYC DSA on Priorities in Congress and Albany

Voters sent several NYC Democratic Socialists of America members to Congress, and sixteen up to Albany. Grace Mausser, NYC-DSA co-chair, and Gustavo Gordillo, NYC-DSA co-

Nov 11
23 min

The Seniors Addicted To Their Screens

Internet culture reporter Jessica Lucas talks about the phenomenon of "iPad parents," adults whose adult children are fighting their screen addictions and battling feeds

Nov 11
11 min

Investigations Ahead for the Trump Administration

Matt Viser, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about the Democrats' plans for congressional investigations in the upcoming term, as well as Pres. Trump's response. Phot

Nov 10
21 min

The Democratic 'STEM' Wave Sends Record Number of Healthcare Professionals and Scientists to Congress

Lena H. Sun, national health reporter for at The Washington Post, talks about the record number of doctors, nurses and scientists heading to Congress come January, and wh

Nov 10
26 min

It's Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot

Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, answers questions from New Yorkers related to respiratory virus season and offe

Nov 10
19 min

Fareed Zakaria on Defending Liberalism

Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post columnist and the author of several books, most recently, Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present (W. W. Norton

Nov 10
23 min

The State of Your Commute

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom and Clayton Guse, WNYC/Gothamist editor on the transit and infrastructure desk discuss the lat

Nov 10
17 min

Monday Morning Politics: The Religious Left Who Won in the Midterms

Jason DeRose, religion and belief correspondent for NPR, talks about the Democratic candidates who are members of the clergy who won in the midterm elections, and the rol

Nov 9
46 min

Chart trend

Position in the Politics chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#53#105AugSepOctNov

#47

all-time peak

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Brian Lehrer Show ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 15, 2026).

#181 ▲ 8 News US

#67 ▼ 7 Politics US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Brian is a brilliant interviewer and public intellectual. I no longer live in NYC yet I listen to his show weekly. It allows me to stay informed about the most important policy conversations and ideas. My favorite guest is Elie Mystal. Thank you for exposing me to his incisive and entertaining legal analysis.

nmd2000 · Mar 2025

I’ve been listening to The Brian Lehrer Show for decades, but now it’s even more important to me. It’s a one place that I am sure that what I am hearing is clear, unambiguous, and free of personal prejudice. Brian is infinitely.upbeat, understanding and very, very good at managing calls, particularly those that need stopping or redirecting Brian Lehr is a gem

Lcilight · May 2024

Great show. Brian Lehrer is a top talent. He does a compelling, insightful, and informative show. But the podcast’s release schedule is extremely unreliable. You never know when or if the segments will be available, and they never come out in the order they were aired. Doesn’t the podcast audience deserve the same respect as the on-air and streaming audience?

aceisen · Dec 2023

The latest episode that Brian led so eloquently on migrants in NYC schools is cathartic and marvelously presented — a discussion of the history, energy and process of integrating new immigrants into the city school system. Without diminishing the difficulties, he emphasizes the assets they do bring and our capacity to welcome them. Additionally he played an excerpt from a recent speech by Mayor Adams that is much more welcoming of migrants to NY and more compassionate- a side of him that the local news media does not capture, while also acknowledging the crisis at a national level.

wldavidvreader · Sep 2023

I remember listening to The Brian Lehrer show during the march for Black Lives in 2020 and being impressed at what seemed to be fairly even-handed discussions. I tuned in today (2023-10-26) to listen to a segment with Robin Wright on Israel’s war against the Palestinians and was appalled. At a time when the UN and many international organizations are describing what’s occurring in Gaza as war crimes and likely genocide, Brian and Robin blithely repeated Israel’s proven false talking points, which the Biden administration has also been parroting. For example, Biden stated yesterday that he doesn’t trust the death counts coming out of Gaza. What they didn’t mention is that the US State Dept routinely cites the Palestinian Health Ministry and hasn’t once cast doubt on it. Israel has killed over 7,000 people, including 3,000 children and over 25 journalists. Over 731 entire families have been killed, and 1,700 are currently trapped underneath rubble. Robin would have us think that they’re all human shields. It’s despicable, and our news media is complicit in spreading these lies. For real news, I recommend Democracy Now. I’m done listening Brian.

RA in LA · Oct 2023

I have always been a supporter of government fairness. However, here is a Medicaid practice that is clearly unfair. I don’t believe the general public is aware that home owners who are facing large expenses (like a retirement home) can recover such an expense for their children. Medicaid rules allow the owner to turn over ownership of that home to their children. If the owner of that home passes away within 5years the new ownership is their children’s. As far as I can tell there is no upper level income limitation. This is unfair to those who are in true need.

Don from Morris County · Mar 2025

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