The Brian Lehrer Show

Sam Levine, commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) talks about his priorities in his new role, including the mayor's executive orders related to plans for "rental rip-off" hearings, banning junk fees and regulating delivery apps, which he says are depriving workers of tips.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill has been inaugurated in New Jersey. Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talks about what to expect, and the challenges she will face as she begins her term.

Ahead of Thursday's Oscar nominations, listeners call in to share their picks for the major categories, including best documentary.

Amy Davidson Sorkin, staff writer at The New Yorker, looks back at the first year of Pres. Trump's second term and where we are now in the context of Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, today.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Center for Building in North America, talks about his idea to bring down NYC's sky-high grocery prices -- which is to make it easier to build more grocery stores.

Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at The New York Times, discusses how 2025 became the worst year for measles in the United States in more than two decades, after a small town in Gaines County, Texas, first reported a cluster of measles cases in unvaccinated children in January.

Listeners call in to answer the question "how cold is it?" And share tips for staying warm and safe.

Matt Steinglass, Europe editor at The Economist, explains the recent news in President Donald Trump's remarks on acquiring Greenland, including that the U.S. will impose tariffs on eight European countries until the U.S. acquires the country, and Europe's response.

Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news of the day including the growing rift between President Trump and Congressional Republicans, the latest on the possible extension of health care subsidies, and more.

Gloria Browne-Marshall, professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, civil rights attorney, Emmy award-winning writer and author of A Protest History of the United States (Beacon Press, 2025), talks about the exercise of what Dr. King called the American "right to protest for right."

Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century (Basic Books, 2022), talks about what was accomplished, as well as the inequality that remained unaddressed.

Jessie Gómez, Chalkbeat Newark reporter covering Newark Public Schools, talks about what to expect from New Jersey's new governor on education issues.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Why New York City's Nurses Are on Strike (First) | Exit Interview With NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin (Starts at 34:55) | Betting on Everything (Starts at 1:04:42) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) , recaps this week's news from the DOJ – including the investigation into Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, the resignation of six prosecutors over the Renee Good shooting, and the recent raid of a Washington Post journalist's home – and offers analysis about what it might say about the state of judicial independence.

This week, President Donald Trump responded to a heckler by using profanity. Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter, professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School, discusses the recent rise of politicians using profanity when addressing constituents.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the latest legal turn in the controversial sale of 5,000 rent-stabilized apartments owned by Pinnacle, the current bankrupt landlord, to another company that has a sketchy record of maintaining apartments.

By threatening to take control of Greenland, President Trump has undermined a once-strong alliance with Denmark. Now, several NATO countries are deploying small numbers of troops to Greenland. Margaret Talbot, staff writer at The New Yorker, reports on anxiety and anger in Denmark and Europe.

The West Park Presbyterian Church, a 135-year-old Upper West Side landmark, could soon have its landmark protections strip, allowing developers to turn the lot into luxury housing. Mark Ruffalo, award-winning actor and activist, and Peg Breen, president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, discuss the community's effort to save the building from the wrecking ball, and hear from callers about their own connections to the space, which has served as an arts and community center for decades.

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now a cryptocurrency entrepreneur. But his recently launched crypto token—which he claimed would combat antisemitism—crashed almost immediately, fueling scam accusations. Leo Schwartz, senior writer at Fortune, talks about the former mayor's curious venture.

Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist focused on American conservative and far-right movements and author of the Substack Firewalled Media dot com, talks about the shoddy screenings hopeful applicants to become ICE agents receive, which became clear when she was offered a position after applying at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring expo - despite her public profile as a journalist critical of ICE and the Trump administration. => "You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof." (Slate, Jan 13, 2026)