The Brian Lehrer Show

Noah Robertson, national security reporter for The Washington Post, shares his reporting on the group of current and former national security officials quietly advising states and members of Congress on how to prepare for possible federal interference in the November midterms.
Photo: People take part in a "No Kings: Vote Early" demonstration in Wilton Manors, Florida, on October 17, 2026. (Giorgio VIERA / AFP via Getty Images)

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California voters will have to decide on Prop 40, which is a one-time tax on billionaires in order to fund healthcare and education. Marisa Lagos, correspondent for KQED’s California politics and government desk and co-host of the show and podcast, "Political Breakdown," talks about the proposal, who is for and against it and the lengths California billionaires have gone to try to sink the tax.

Photo: Ultrasound Technologist Mayra Castaneda speaks in front of healthcare workers holding placards in support of the Billionaire Tax during a media briefing in Los Angeles on April 27, 2026. (Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)

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For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today, a mixed bag of questions on the news, politics and the city.

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Several tech leaders recently urged users not to abuse their AI agents, expressing concern for the well-being of bots when they're bullied or disparaged. Alok Jha, science and technology editor at The Economist, unpacks the idea of "AI consciousness," and whether it matters if you're mean to them.
Photo: David S. Soriano, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International via Wikimedia Commons.

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Each day during this pledge drive, we're talking fall food. As November fast approaches, Carla Lalli, video host and author of several cookbooks, including her latest, "Food is a Feeling" (Clarkson Potter, 2026), shares some of her favorite failsafe Thanksgiving sides, and offers advice on how to delegate.
Photo: HaJunkiyada, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International via Wikimedia Commons.

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