The Brian Lehrer Show

Andrea Bernstein, and Ilya Marritz, who cover Trump legal cases for NPR, discuss news on the ongoing investigations into former President Donald Trump as well as his business including the implications of the Supreme Court's denial to block the release of White House materials related to January 6. 

Listeners provide a snapshot of life, in terms of what sort of COVID precautions they are taking now and why, by talking about how they spent this past cold winter weekend: outside with friends, a crowded bar, or another solo Sunday to "ride out the surge."

With hopes of reducing energy emissions, pollution and unethical labor practices in the global fashion industry, a new bill in the state legislature would require large apparel and footwear brands to disclose their environmental impacts and supply chains. One of the the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act's sponsors, New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-34) and Maxine Bédat, founder and director of The New Standard Institute, discuss the function of transparency in creating sustainable clothing.   

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Laurence Tribe on Supreme Court Reform (First) | Why College Enrollment is Dropping (Starts at 33:37) | <strong>#BLTrees: A Year in the Life (Starts at 73:56) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here

With college enrollment down by more than 1 million students since the start of the pandemic, national higher education reporter at the Washington Post, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel discusses possible causes for the dip and its disproportionate impacts including the allure of a job-seeker's market, concern over COVID and family obligations like childcare.  Plus, an overview of a related high-profile higher education lawsuit alleging that some schools artificially inflate tuition costs despite large endowments. 

President Biden was sworn in on this date one year ago. Amanda Carpenter, columnist at The Bulwark, director of Republicans for Voting Rights, author of Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us (Broadside Books, 2018), and Jamil Smith, senior correspondent at Vox and co-host of the podcast Vox Conversations, discuss the president's accomplishments, challenges and successes, and what comes next.

As more Broadway shows temporarily shutter or end their runs completely following widespread cancellations in December's omicron surge, theater workers of all kinds call in with their experiences straddling multiple shows and taking on last minute fill-ins during a hectic time in the industry. 

Laurence Tribe, University Professor and professor of constitutional law emeritus at Harvard Law School, discusses the Supreme Court and U.S. democracy, previewing his participation in the 92nd St. Y's conference on Thursday.

Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University, host of the podcast FAQNYC, and author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2013), talks about the latest in New York City and State politics, looking ahead to the governor's race now that former mayor Bill de Blasio isn't running and concern over subway safety following a fatal incident over the weekend. 

Dorry Segev, a professor of surgery and epidemiology and associate vice chair of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, and researcher of the COVID-19 vaccine responses in immunocompromised people, talks about the developing COVID-19 treatments in immunocompromised patients.

Eric Adams is asking heads of city agencies to review the fines they issue business and offer recommendations on how to reform the penalty system. Business owners call-in with their stories about the most unfair fine they've received from the city.  

Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZero Media and the author of Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism (Portfolio, 2018) and the forthcoming The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World (Simon & Schuster, 2022), offers his analysis of the biggest geopolitical risks likely to play out in 2022. Covid, climate and Chinese economic policy flow through the list with wide-ranging impact on global supply chains, mounting debt and a disconnect between energy demand and politics. Plus, tension between Russia and western NATO allies through Ukraine, the challenge of regulating big tech, corporations losing the culture wars and how it all affects the upcoming midterm elections in the United States.  

The majority of the New York City Council members are new and are part of a class that is the most diverse and progressive in city history. Over the next year Brian Lehrer will get to know all 51 members. This week, Councilmember Erik Bottcher talked about his priorities for District 3 (which covers Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Flatiron, Hudson Square, Times Square, the Theater District, the Garment District and Columbus Circle), like the need for more robust mental health services, and why he's "had it" with the way New York City deals with trash.  On our weekly district show and tell, @ebottcher brought Julius’ Bar (NYC's oldest gay bar) + talked about the 1966 "Sip-In” when members of the Mattachine Society protested the state law that prohibited bars from serving drinks to gay people. pic.twitter.com/xQ0ESUnvVS — The Brian Lehrer Show and A Daily Politics Podcast (@BrianLehrer) January 18, 2022

Meridith McGraw, national political correspondent for Politico, talks about how Donald Trump is charting out his midterm strategy, from holding more rallies to monitoring key Senate races.

Joy Bivins, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, talks about first year leading the Center, also to catch the final week of their Subversion & The Art of Slavery Abolition exhibition and discusses the collection originated by Arturo Schomburg with it's value in teaching Black history.