Best Lerer Podcasts (2025)

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: COP30; Cost of Food; Tributes to the Penny 53:15

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22h ago53:15

53:15

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. COP30 Without the U.S. (First) | SNAP and the High Cost of Food (Starts at 23:41) | Tributes to the Penny (Starts at 43:57) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.By WNYC

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The Skyrocketing Cost of Health Care 28:30

2d ago28:30

28:30

As Congress debates whether to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, Hayden Rooke-Ley, lawyer and senior fellow at the Brown University School of Public Health, explains how the infighting is already driving up costs and narrowing networks.By WNYC

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What is Zohran Mamdani's Political Ideology? 29:58

2d ago29:58

29:58

New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani defines himself as a democratic socialist, yet his critics have seized on his leftist identity to paint him as an extremist. Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti, professor of political science and executive director of the Moynihan Center at The City College of New York, and author of 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment…

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Penny For Your Thoughts on the End of the Penny 9:06

7h ago9:06

9:06

The U.S. Mint announced it made its last penny this week, in order to save money. Listeners call in to talk about how they use pennies these days, if at all, plus share their favorite penny-related sayings.By WNYC

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Latino Voters Shift Back Toward Democrats 42:09

3d ago42:09

42:09

Eli Valentin, assistant dean of graduate studies at Virginia Union University’s Graduate Center in Harlem, contributing writer for City Limits and guest political analyst at Univision, talks about the meaning of the shift many Latino voters made, from voting for Trump in 2024 to voting for Zohran Mamdani and Mikie Sherrill just a year later.…

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Meet the Future First Deputy Mayor 25:07

4d ago25:07

25:07

Drawing on his deep city and state government experience, Dean Fuleihan, future first deputy mayor in the Mamdani administration and former budget director in the de Blasio administration talks about how he intends to help Mayor-elect Mamdani achieve his policy goals. Then, Laura Nahmias, senior reporter covering New York City and state politics at…

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Defining the Decade 22:12

4d ago22:12

22:12

Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School at Columbia University, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and the author of Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025 (One World, 2025), looks back at recent history and find the threads that connect the era of protests and backlash.By WNYC

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Ask Governor Murphy: November 2025 Recap 40:38

1h ago40:38

40:38

Nancy Solomon, host of the “Ask Governor Murphy” monthly call-in show, recaps her conversation with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.By WNYC

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SNAP and the Cost of Groceries 20:17

4d ago20:17

20:17

As SNAP recipients and many others struggle to afford the cost of food, Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, and Joe Hong, investigative data reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discuss their reporting on how grocery prices can vary between stores and neighborhoods and how grocery stores fared during the interruptio…

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Mamdani's Budget Challenges 25:52

4d ago25:52

25:52

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the challenge Mayor-elect Mamdani will face as he tries to fulfill his campaign promises while balancing the city's budge…

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The House Returns to Work 27:21

5d ago27:21

27:21

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives is set to return to work after a 54-day hiatus. Nicholas Wu, congressional reporter at POLITICO, talks about the upcoming vote in the House on the funding bill that would end the government shutdown, why some Democrats are furious at their Senate colleagues who broke ranks to cut a deal and more.…

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Sewer Socialism? Start Here, City Hall 13:03

5d ago13:03

13:03

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has pointed to "sewer socialism"—the early Milwaukee model where socialist mayors treated basic public infrastructure as central to serving working people—as part of the vision that guides him. Listeners call in to tell us which small public-works improvement, in that spirit, would make life better on their block.…

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Mayor-elect Mamdani Preps for Office 41:43

3h ago41:43

41:43

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the new hires Mayor-elect Mamdani has announced will be part of his administration, plus the news from Mayor Adams's final days in office.By WNYC

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COP30 Forges Ahead Without the United States 23:21

5d ago23:21

23:21

Paula DiPerna, policy consultant, author of Pricing the Priceless (Wiley, 2023) and co-author of Carbon Hunters: Reflections And Forecasts Of Climate Markets In The 21st Century (WSPC,2025), talks about the history of international cooperation on climate change, and Mark Hertsgaard, journalist and co-founder and executive director of Covering Clima…

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How Veterans Feel About Pete Hegseth 35:06

5d ago35:06

35:06

For Veterans Day, Paul Rieckhoff, independent national security, veterans affairs and political analyst, host of the Independent Americans podcast, founder & CEO of Independent Veterans of America, co-founder of American Veterans for Ukraine, and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), discusses how vets are viewing the changes …

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Phone-Free Schools 12:12

3h ago12:12

12:12

It's been a few months since schools in New York State started with a new rule: no smart phones allowed. Teachers, parents and students call in to talk about how it's going so far, and what the school day is like without the distraction of cell phones.By WNYC

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Reimagining Teaching Science 23:37

6d ago23:37

23:37

Jared Fox, education consultant, former NYC secondary science teacher and the author of Learning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories from the Science Classroom (Beacon Press, 2025), guides teachers in taking science education beyond the classroom, drawing on his experience teaching science in Washington Heights.…

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Listeners Sound Off on the Senate Agreement to End the Shutdown 16:05

31m ago16:05

16:05

Listeners call in to talk about their feelings on the Democratic senators who broke ranks to vote with Republicans to re-open the government.By WNYC

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Funny Women of The New Yorker 14:07

6d ago14:07

14:07

Liza Donnelly, writer and cartoonist at The New Yorker and the author of Very Funny Ladies: The New Yorker's Women Cartoonists, 1925-2021 (Prometheus, 2022) and the substack "Seeing Things," discusses the short documentary film she directed, "Women Laughing," about cartoonists at The New Yorker and their artistic processes.…

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Rep. Suozzi on the Shutdown & Election Results 26:11

7d ago26:11

26:11

U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D NY3) talks about the latest on the longest shutdown in history, how it now might end and the election results.By national_news, donald_trump, snap_benefits, government_shutdown, democrats, republicans, politics, new_york, local_wnyc

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The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan 20:52

7d ago20:52

20:52

Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, breaks down the latest news from Sudan, where the country has been experiencing a civil war since April 2023 amid a power struggle between its army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).…

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How Democratic Socialism Won in New York City 48:36

7d ago48:36

48:36

Micah Uetricht, editor of Jacobin Magazine, and Susan Kang, associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on local politics, talk about how the democratic socialist theory of change brought forth Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayoral race, and what to expect from a socialist mayor…

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Brian Lehrer Weekend: The Mamdani Coalition; Mikie Sherrill; A.J. Jacobs' Life Without AI 1:17:37

9d ago1:17:37

1:17:37

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Researcher and strategist Michael Lange on the broad coalition that propelled Zohran Mamdani to victory in the NYC mayoral election (First) | A post-election interview with New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherril (Starts at 46:55) | A.J. Jacobs tries life without A.I. (Starts at…

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Your Post-Election Refresh 11:06

10d ago11:06

11:06

Hannah Frishberg, New York City arts and culture reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares some non-politics related activities for the weekend as listeners share how they're shifting their attention away from the mayoral race and back to cultural activities or other forms of civic engagement.By WNYC

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The New NYC Comptroller(-Elect) 27:08

3d ago27:08

27:08

Mark Levine, Manhattan borough president and Comptroller-Elect, talks about his election victory, the transition from Manhattan borough president to citywide office, and more.By WNYC

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1
Thrillist: Meet the Innovators

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The Road Untraveled: VC Perspectives with Brian Hollins

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1
Seed to Harvest

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1
Brian Lehrer Weekend: COP30; Cost of Food; Tributes to the Penny 53:15

1
The Skyrocketing Cost of Health Care 28:30

1
What is Zohran Mamdani's Political Ideology? 29:58

1
Penny For Your Thoughts on the End of the Penny 9:06

1
Latino Voters Shift Back Toward Democrats 42:09

1
Meet the Future First Deputy Mayor 25:07

1
Defining the Decade 22:12

1
Ask Governor Murphy: November 2025 Recap 40:38

1
SNAP and the Cost of Groceries 20:17

1
Mamdani's Budget Challenges 25:52

1
The House Returns to Work 27:21

1
Sewer Socialism? Start Here, City Hall 13:03

1
Mayor-elect Mamdani Preps for Office 41:43

1
COP30 Forges Ahead Without the United States 23:21

1
How Veterans Feel About Pete Hegseth 35:06

1
Phone-Free Schools 12:12

1
Reimagining Teaching Science 23:37

1
Listeners Sound Off on the Senate Agreement to End the Shutdown 16:05

1
Funny Women of The New Yorker 14:07

1
Rep. Suozzi on the Shutdown & Election Results 26:11

1
The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan 20:52

1
How Democratic Socialism Won in New York City 48:36

1
Brian Lehrer Weekend: The Mamdani Coalition; Mikie Sherrill; A.J. Jacobs' Life Without AI 1:17:37

1
Your Post-Election Refresh 11:06

1
The New NYC Comptroller(-Elect) 27:08