The Brian Lehrer Show

Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), shares her reporting on how influential figures in MAGA world, including private citizens looking for personal gain, and others peddling anti-Democratic values, have become the primary way the U.S. does foreign policy, and are realigning the world order.
Photo: USA President Donald Trump speaks as USA Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and USA Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand behind during the press conference at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkiye on July 8, 2026. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a spate of hit-and-run deaths earlier this year, the Mamdani administration has released its new Vision Zero plan to reduce traffic fatalities. Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, reports on what's in the plan and how safety advocates are responding.
Photo: On September 15, 2026, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces new street safety measures aimed at preventing automobile accidents and pedestrian injuries. (Photo courtesy of City Hall/Office of the Mayor)


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

William Cohan, co-founder of Puck News and author of many books, including Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth About Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street (Portfolio, 2026), tells the story of one Wall Street titan's rise and fall and what it says about the larger system.
Photo: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on September 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Concrete may be the world's most widely used building material, but it isn't widely considered a stimulating topic of conversation. John Wilson, filmmaker and creator of "How To with John Wilson", discusses his new documentary, "The History of Concrete," about the hidden side of a material that's more fallible than we might think and why we should care.
Photo: A scene from THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE, a Magnolia Pictures release. (Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-5, Upper East Side) talks about the latest developments in the City Council and takes calls from listeners, in the latest installment of a new monthly series.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.