The Brian Lehrer Show

Last week the MTA released its proposed $68.4 billion capital plan, which laid out what it needs for crucial infrastructure maintenance and some upgrades, but with congestion pricing indefinitely paused, it's unclear where the money will come from. John "Janno" Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), talks about the plan and how the MTA may pay for it.  

Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talks about what we know so far about the news that Mayor Adams has been indicted. Then, a reaction from Christine Quinn, president & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families in New York City. And, Elie Honig, senior legal analyst at CNN, New York Magazine columnist, former New Jersey and federal prosecutor and author of Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With it (Harper, 2023), offers legal analysis of what we know so far about the case against Mayor Eric Adams.

As our centennial series continues, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, history, race and public policy professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, director emeritus of the Schomburg Center, author of The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America (Harvard University Press, 2nd ed. 2019), reviews the past century of crime and incarceration.

Every week, Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference in which reporters are free to ask questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps this week's news conference with clips and analysis. Topics this week include: resignations from schools chancellor David Banks and other Adams administration members, the latest on investigations into mayor Adams and his orbit, and a record slowdown in EMS response times.  

Ruth Igielnik, polling editor at the New York Times, dives into the mindset of undecided voters as they navigate the tumultuous political landscape. She reveals how emotional campaigning influences their choices, especially amid economic worries and rising inflation. Personal stories, like that of a young airport technician, highlight their quest for systemic change. Surprisingly, many prefer Trump's economic stance despite uncertainty about his plans. Igielnik shines a light on the complexities of polling these voters in today's polarized climate.

Ari Berman, voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones and author of Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024), talks about how Trump-aligned Republicans in certain states are working to sow confusion over vote counting, and other related chicanery that could affect the outcome of the November election. 

Valerie Volcovici, reporter at Reuters covering U.S. climate and energy policy from Washington, DC., talks about the climate priorities at the UN General Assembly and during Climate Week NYC, which is also happening this week.

Lynne Peeples, science writer and the author of The Inner Clock: Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms (Riverhead Books, 2024), reviews the latest science on our internal "clocks" and how to use them to improve sleep and learning.

NYPD officers shot at a man wielding a knife at a subway station in Brooklyn, leaving four people injured. Critics and observers are wondering how an attempt to enforce a relatively minor fare-evasion offence spiraled out of control. Tiffany Cabán,  NYC Council Member (District 22, Astoria, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Woodside and Rikers Island) discusses this incident as well as her call for Mayor Eric Adams to resign amid a web of scandals and investigations.

J. Ann Selzer, unaligned public opinion researcher and president of the Des Moines, Iowa-based polling firm Selzer & Company, talks about the latest polling in Iowa that shows the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump narrowing, and talks about the issues that make the race competitive in the state of Iowa. And Alexandra Samuels, senior editor at Texas Monthly, does the same regarding Texas.