The Brian Lehrer Show

President Trump's U.S. Department of Agriculture has purged the agency's website of information related to climate change, extreme weather resilience and sustainable farming practices among other important topics. Now, one of New York's largest organic farming associations is suing the USDA. Emily Atkin, editor-in-chief of the HEATED newsletter, unpacks the story.

Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy and author of 'How to Win at Travel,' shares invaluable travel wisdom, especially for families. He highlights the safest times for pregnant women to fly and offers smart tips for traveling with infants, like understanding airline policies and the significance of 'baby moons.' Kelly emphasizes the importance of convertible car seats, early passport applications, and engaging tactics to keep kids entertained during flights, ensuring that family travel can be fun and stress-free.

Every day during this pledge drive, listeners can try their hands at a quiz. Today's topic is American history, with some NY/NJ history questions sprinkled in.

As our centennial series continues, Elaine Tyler May, professor emerita of American Studies and History at the University of Minnesota and the author of several books, including America And The Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation (Basic Books, 2010) and Fortress America: How We Embraced Fear and Abandoned Democracy (Basic Books, 2017), reviews the history of birth control, from Margaret Sanger to Dobbs. 

Elon Musk and DOGE are slashing the size of the federal workforce in what they say will bring big savings to taxpayers. Stephen Fowler, political reporter with NPR's Washington desk, reports on the typos, exaggerations and shoddy math in DOGE's receipts.

LaFontaine Oliver, the President and CEO of New York Public Radio, discusses the alarming threats public radio faces from political developments. He delves into the shrinking bipartisan support for federal funding, emphasizing the precarious future of local media. Oliver outlines how cuts in federal funding impact public broadcasting's ability to serve communities. He also highlights the importance of local fundraising and encourages listeners to become active supporters, stressing that every contribution plays a crucial role in sustaining public media.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.A hundred year history of the Equal Rights Amendment (First) | How potential cuts on the federal level would affect housing in New York City (Starts at 17:20) | Michelle Singletary's tips for planning group trips (Starts at 31:25)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Throughout this pledge drive, we're ending the show each day with travel tips. Today, Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post, gives advice on how to financially manage group vacationing and make it as equitable as possible for all parties involved.

Every day during this pledge drive, listeners can try their hands at a quiz. Today's topic is New York and New Jersey history. 

Anand Giridharadas, journalist, publisher of the newsletter The.Ink, analyst for MSNBC, and the author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy (Knopf, 2022), shares his thoughts on the state of American democracy and what protest actions can be taken by those opposed to President Trump's current policies.