The Brian Lehrer Show

Last week, President Trump declared on Truth Social that he would place a 100% tariff on movies made outside the United States. Listeners who work in the film and TV industry call in to share what they think of the president's idea, and report on how much work has returned (or not) since the twin shocks of the pandemic and the 2023 strikes.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently said he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation nationwide. Jessica Steier, DRPH, PMP, CEO of Unbiased Science and host of the Unbiased Science Podcast and Linda Birnbaum, scientist emeritus and former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, as well as the National Toxicology Program and scholar in residence at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, parse fact from myth and what the science says about water fluoridation.

Michael Hill, WNYC Morning Edition host and Briana Vannozzi, anchor for NJ Spotlight News, recap and offer analysis of a conversation between New Jersey's Democratic candidates for governor.

Civil rights groups in New York City have filed a lawsuit challenging the NYPD's gang database, which these groups call discriminatory. Meanwhile, City Council and the Adams administration have clashed over the issue. Babe Howell, professor at CUNY School of Law, and Peter Moskos, professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, former Baltimore City police officer and author of Back from the Brink: Inside the NYPD and New York City's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop (Oxford University Press, 2025), debate the efficacy of the gang database

John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI (Macmillan, 2025), talks about his new book that traces the roots of criticism of today's global capitalism to its beginnings.

Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate covering courts and the law, previews the end of the Supreme Court term, plus remembers the late Justice Souter.

As our centennial series continues, listeners share memories of Yankee great Yogi Berra, who also played for and managed the Mets (about whom he said, "It ain't over 'til it's over").

Richard Buery, CEO of Robin Hood and chair of the Charter Revision Commission convened by Mayor Adams, talks about the commission's preliminary report, including a possible change to NYC's primary elections.

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.