The Brian Lehrer Show

Andy Kim, U.S. Senator for New Jersey, discusses pressing political issues and shares insights from his extensive experience in government. He dives into the state of democracy as midterm elections approach, examining the impact of voter registration legislation like the SAVE Act. Kim also critiques U.S. foreign policy regarding Ukraine and military aid, expressing concern for human rights. He addresses local issues too, including renewable energy challenges in New Jersey, highlighting the tension between environmental initiatives and political obstacles.

Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO of the MTA, discusses plans for congestion pricing and the future of Penn Station, tackling community accessibility issues in transit. Coral Davenport, a Trump deregulation reporter, dives into the complexities of regulatory repeal and its impact on worker safety and environmental policies. Sam Barzillay, co-founder of Photoville, explores the evolution of street photography, emphasizing emotional connections between photographers and their subjects, and the genre's historical significance.

Listeners share stories of navigating career pivots at moments when they felt their college degree took them as far as it could go.Support of WNYC’s coverage of economic mobility and opportunity is provided in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about how the Gates Foundation supports economic mobility and opportunity, visit usprogram.gatesfoundation.org.  

David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), looks at where the initial actions of the Trump administration align with the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, and what's still to come.

Mike Lawler, U.S. Representative (R, NY-17), talks about the issues facing his district and the country and his role as part of the Republican majority in Congress.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent comments on autistic Americans sparked massive backlash from the community last week. Now, there's news that the National Institute of Health's new autism study is collecting private medical records from Americans. Colin Killick, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, provides his perspective on the impact RFK Jr.'s rhetoric and latest actions are having on the autistic community during Autism Acceptance Month.   

Nick Reisman, Politico New York reporter covering New York state government and politics and co-author of the New York Playbook, talks about the issues holding up the New York State budget negotiations, due April 1.

Daniel Rober, associate professor and department chair of the Catholic Studies department at Sacred Heart University, talks about the leading contenders to be the next pope, the fraught process in the Vatican and the different directions the next leader of the world's Catholics might take the church.

Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, talks about Saturday's opening of the revamped Harlem Meer area of the park, plus other news.

Layla O'Kane, a senior director at Opportunity@Work, and Cole Napper, vice president of People Analytics at Lightcast, a labor market analytics company, talk about the latest data on career and career advancement opportunities for skilled workers without a college degree.→ State of the Paper Ceiling | Opportunity@Work