The Brian Lehrer Show

Eric Levitz, senior correspondent at Vox, shares his theory for why the Biden campaign is struggling in the polls with younger voters, as well as Black and Latino voters -- traditionally groups that vote for Democrats. 

Martin Lewis, senior lecturer in history at Stanford University, and author of the book The Myth of Continents: A Critique of Metageography,  explains why determining what makes a continent a continent involves both physical and human geographical criteria, and why people around the world don't agree on how many there are. 

James Comey, former director of the FBI and author of non-fiction, including A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, and the crime novels Central Park West (2023) and his latest, Westport (Mysterious Press, 2024), talks about his new career as a crime novelist and offers his take on the Trump trial.

Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US, shares her investigative series on "Big Oil," including more on an alleged "deal" offer from former President Donald Trump to big oil that could save industry $110 billion in exchange for campaign donations.

Roger Cohen, Paris bureau chief of The New York Times and author An Affirming Flame: Meditations on Life and Politics (Knopf, 2023), discusses Spain, Norway and Ireland's decision to recognize a Palestinian state as well as the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The Brian Lehrer Show observes the Memorial Day holiday with a selection of favorite interviews:Eric Klinenberg, professor in the social sciences and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and the author of 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed (Knopf, 2024), tells the story of New York in 2020 through the lens of seven New Yorkers, and talks about the ongoing effect of that traumatic year.George Takei, actor, activist and writer, discusses his debut picture book, My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024).Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and the author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (Random House, 2022), talks about the real lessons to learn from the life and work of Abraham Lincoln.Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for The New Yorker, documentary film director, and the author of The Loneliest Americans (Crown, 2021), shares his thoughts on what he calls the "ideology of the internet," and the tangible effects it has on culture, democracy, institutions and our day-to-day lives.While Hart Island has a reputation for being the burial grounds of New York's unwanted, those laid to rest on the island each have stories and loved ones. Joe Richman, founder and executive producer of Radio Diaries, discusses the Radio Diaries series "The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island" and Susan Hurlburt, shares stories of her son Neil Harris Jr., also known as Steven, who was buried on the island. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here:How 2020 Changed Us (Feb 16, 2024)George Takei on 'My Lost Freedom' (Apr 16, 2024)What We Should Learn from Lincoln (Oct 19, 2022)Jay Caspian Kang on 'The Ideology of the Internet' (Mar 15, 2024)Stories from Hart Island (Nov 8, 2023) 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.The Expanding Market for Weight-Loss Drugs (First) | Anne Lamott on Love (Starts at 25:00 ) | Searching for Something in Our Childhood Homes (Starts at 38:00)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

With beach season getting started, Chris Allieri, founder of the NYC Plover Project, and Aydon Gabourel,  founder of Laru Beya Collective, talk about their work in the Rockaway Beach community. 

It's impossible to ignore the chatter about Ozempic, Wegovy, and other weight-loss medications that have hit the market in the last few years. This week, Hims & Hers -- a telehealth company known for discreetly treating erectile dysfunction, balding, and other sensitive conditions -- announced the launch of their own off brand weight-loss injection, sparking a boost in their stock prices. Melissa Lee, Host of CNBC's Fast Money, takes us into the marketplace for GLP-1 agonist drugs, Ozempic dupes sold online, and what the popularity of these drugs on Wall Street means for patients.   

It's "NYC Small Business Month" and Kevin D. Kim, commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services, talks about the upcoming Small Business Expo, the services the department offers small business owners and what the "City of Yes" could mean for city storefronts and more.