The Brian Lehrer Show

Jia Tolentino, staff writer at The New Yorker, author of Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion (Random House, 2019), discusses her reporting on the rollout of marijuana legalization in New York, specifically on those who are struggling to capitalize on a state program that promises dispensary licenses and on the seed money to those who have been adversely affected by the drug’s criminalization.

Ingrid Robeyns, philosopher, economist and the author of Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth (Astra House, 2024), expands on her idea of "limitarianism" and calls for a cap on extreme wealth.

In a presidential election year featuring two presumptive nominees that provoke feelings of ambivalence and fear in segments of the electorate, listeners discuss their favorite presidents -- those that inspired them to vote, engendered feelings of hope for the future, or possessed other qualities they look for in a leader.

Idrees Kahloon, Washington bureau chief for The Economist, talks about his recent reporting on the rise of illiberal leaders, plus responses to the death of Alexei Navalny, the Munich Security Conference, Israel and Gaza and 

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. How 2020 Changed Us; (First) | The AIDS Epidemic and Black Communities  (Starts at 33:20) | In Praise of Deep Friendship  (Starts at 1:02:15) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Russian opposition leader, anti-corruption activist and political prisoner Alexei Navalny has died. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker staff writer and the author of Surviving Autocracy (Riverhead Books, 2020), digests this news and offers analysis as Putin's war in Ukraine approaches its second anniversary.

During Lent, Christians commonly choose a Lenten sacrifice, abstaining from pleasures such as chocolate, sugar, alcohol, or even social media. Listeners observing Lent call in and share what they are giving up.

Louisa Chafee, director of the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), a non-partisan source of information on the budget and economy, talks about their review of the Mayor's preliminary budget and economic forecast.

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. → Eric Klinenberg will talk about the book "2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed" with Columbia history professor Kim Phillips-Fein on Monday, March 4th at 6:30pm at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue at 40th Street.  

This month we hear from the makers of the 5 films nominated for the Academy Award for best feature documentary. Today, writer and director Kaouther Ben Hania talks about her film which explores the life of a Tunisian mother and her four daughters.     →Check out the interviews with all the nominees.