

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast
WNYC Studios
Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 31, 2024 • 23min
Joshua Green Compares Left and Right Populism in America Today
How will the modern political left impact the 2024 election season, and how has it evolved since its roots in the Occupy Wall Street movement after the 2008 financial crisis?
On Today's Show:Joshua Green, national correspondent for Bloomberg Businessweek and the author of The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics (Penguin Press, 2024), talks about the rise of the progressive wing of the Democratic party and where it goes from here.

Jan 30, 2024 • 21min
We Have Troops In Jordan? Why Exactly Is That?
Three U.S. service members were killed in Jordan this week, and now some Republicans are proposing that the United States should attack Iran.
On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), explains why we even have troops in Jordan and other places in the Middle East at all, and how this is all related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Jan 29, 2024 • 25min
Biden Confronts Enthusiasm Gap Among Black Voters In South Carolina
South Carolina's Democratic Primary is Saturday, February 3rd, and the Republicans hold theirs on February 24th.
On Today's Show:Meg Kinnard, national politics reporter at The Associated Press, writer of their "Ground Game" newsletter and a South Carolina resident, shares her reporting and analysis on the politics of the Palmetto State—including the issues that voters there care most about, and whether President Biden will garner the enthusiasm from Black Democratic voters as in 2020.

Jan 26, 2024 • 21min
Dean Jelani Cobb on Journalism School and the DuPont-Columbia Awards
Last night at Columbia University, they handed out this year’s DuPont-Columbia Awards for excellence in broadcast and digital journalism.
On Today's Show:The host of the ceremony, Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School at Columbia University and a staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about some of the winners and the work of journalists today.

Jan 25, 2024 • 22min
National Takeaways From The Special Election For George Santos's House Seat
Political observers have their eyes on the special election to replace George Santos in New York's 3rd Congressional district in case it serves as a bellwether for November's elections.
On Today's Show:Abby Livingston, Puck News reporter on political campaigns and Congress, talks about that and shares analysis of media buys and other spending by each candidate and their supporters.

Jan 24, 2024 • 24min
In A Way, It’s Day One For Nikki Haley, Plus Why You Should Watch A Trump Rally
A longtime GOP-beat politics reporter unpacks the New Hampshire primary results, and what it means for the Republican Party's ongoing nomination contest.
On Today's Show:McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), talks about the results from Tuesday's presidential primary in New Hampshire and its implications for the race for the presidency.

Jan 23, 2024 • 22min
NJ Rep. Mikie Sherrill on AI Deepfakes in Porn and in Politics
This election season, artificial intelligence technology could pose consequences for the political disinformation landscape.
On Today's Show:U.S. Representative (D, NJ-11) Mikie Sherrill talks about the latest issues at play in Congress, including aid for Israel and Ukraine, the southern border, the potential deal for an expanded child tax credit and more.

Jan 22, 2024 • 21min
Who Are The Houthis and Why Is The U.S. At War With Them?
There are many conflicts happening in the Middle East right now besides the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
On Today's Show:Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker and distinguished fellow at Woodrow Wilson Center and U.S. Institute of Peace, offers analysis of the hostilities, how the United States is involved and what else could go wrong.

Jan 19, 2024 • 22min
Maybe: Trump Was Found By A Jury To Have Committed Sexual Assault. Who Cares and Who Doesn’t?
Writer E. Jean Carroll is taking former President Donald Trump back to court, this time focusing on what damages, if any, Trump must pay Carroll for defaming her.
On Today's Show: Andrea Bernstein, journalist reporting on Trump legal matters for NPR, host of "We Don't Talk About Leonard" podcast from ProPublica & On The Media (previous podcasts: Will be Wild and Trump, Inc) and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), breaks down the first two days of the trial and what comes next.

Jan 17, 2024 • 24min
With A Child Tax Credit Deal Near, Why The US Supports Families Less Than Other Countries
A bipartisan deal is in the works to expand the child tax credit in a way that would largely benefit low-income families.
On Today's Show:Dylan Matthews, senior correspondent and lead writer for Vox's "Future Perfect" section, talks about how it would work, how advocates say it would lift children out poverty, the corporate tax cuts that are part of the deal and whether it will pass the divided Congress.