Brian is a brilliant interviewer and public intellectual. I no longer live in NYC yet I listen to his show weekly. It allows me to stay informed about the most important policy conversations and ideas. My favorite guest is Elie Mystal. Thank you for exposing me to his incisive and entertaining legal analysis.
I have always been a supporter of government fairness. However, here is a Medicaid practice that is clearly unfair. I don’t believe the general public is aware that home owners who are facing large expenses (like a retirement home) can recover such an expense for their children. Medicaid rules allow the owner to turn over ownership of that home to their children. If the owner of that home passes away within 5years the new ownership is their children’s. As far as I can tell there is no upper level income limitation. This is unfair to those who are in true need.
Brian is a national treasure. I can’t even put into words how much I respect and love this show. Hats off to the entire staff for such soulful, incredible programming. This is ideal radio. 🤍
Brian is always a funny guy and knowledgeable about our city. He seems wimpy, but asks tough questions at exactly the right moment. Always on our side!
The start of my day is totally out of sync whenever Brian is substituted by a someone else filling in for him while he’s taking a well deserved break to rest his vocal chords. That’s how integral listening to his fair- minded, commentry and decency is to restoring my equilibrium in these out of kilter Trump-assaulted times are on our otherwise fundamentally democratic way of life, Brian Lehrer deserves a Pulitzer Prize!!!🏆
I’ve been listening to The Brian Lehrer Show for decades, but now it’s even more important to me. It’s a one place that I am sure that what I am hearing is clear, unambiguous, and free of personal prejudice. Brian is infinitely.upbeat, understanding and very, very good at managing calls, particularly those that need stopping or redirecting Brian Lehr is a gem
Many thanks for your show. Please focus less on the so called genocide and focus more on the bravery and courage of Israel for living next to terror and facing hate from the entire world that no other nation would be subjected to. Please share stories of the hostages living and dead. The only people hurting the Gazan people are their own government.
Used to be a fair look at policy alternatives
Now a one sided Gaza obsession
Anti semitic racist perspective
No solutions
No alternative
or creative ideas for resolution of conflict
Another long-time listener (decades) sickened and devastated by Brian’s flagrant parroting of Israeli government talking points and overt dehumanization of Palestinians. I truly can not stomach it any longer.
I’ve admired Brian Lehrer’s reporting for a long time but tremendously disappointed in his conversation with guests discussing Palestine. Depriving women, children, elderly, and the sick of food, water, energy, medical supplies, and forcing people to evacuate their home, then bombing the homes and bombing them when they go to “safe” sites- using 2,000 pound bombs to find a Hamas fighter no matter the cost. Also this is not a “war” because the other side does not have bombs, tanks and all the equipment of a standing army. Hamas is a guerilla organization they can’t carpet Israel. Have you listened to reporting of doctors and relief workers? Listening to him today mouth the Israeli govt point of view was sickening. I’ve deleted the app.
Great show. Brian Lehrer is a top talent. He does a compelling, insightful, and informative show. But the podcast’s release schedule is extremely unreliable. You never know when or if the segments will be available, and they never come out in the order they were aired. Doesn’t the podcast audience deserve the same respect as the on-air and streaming audience?
Disgusted with the lack of transparency and real reporting/discussion on Gaza and the genocide occurring. As a news source and supposedly journalistic endeavor, they are aiding the genocide. Shame on you Brian. I have stopped listening to npr and any public radio, I am only listening to democracy now, they still have integrity. I would give you zero stars if I was able to.
I've listened to this show for twenty years but lately I cannot stomach the awful framing of this genocide. I had given WNYC a pass for blaming inflation on workers, but this is too far. I have doubled my giving to Democracy Now! instead.
I remember listening to The Brian Lehrer show during the march for Black Lives in 2020 and being impressed at what seemed to be fairly even-handed discussions. I tuned in today (2023-10-26) to listen to a segment with Robin Wright on Israel’s war against the Palestinians and was appalled. At a time when the UN and many international organizations are describing what’s occurring in Gaza as war crimes and likely genocide, Brian and Robin blithely repeated Israel’s proven false talking points, which the Biden administration has also been parroting. For example, Biden stated yesterday that he doesn’t trust the death counts coming out of Gaza. What they didn’t mention is that the US State Dept routinely cites the Palestinian Health Ministry and hasn’t once cast doubt on it. Israel has killed over 7,000 people, including 3,000 children and over 25 journalists. Over 731 entire families have been killed, and 1,700 are currently trapped underneath rubble. Robin would have us think that they’re all human shields. It’s despicable, and our news media is complicit in spreading these lies. For real news, I recommend Democracy Now. I’m done listening Brian.
The latest episode that Brian led so eloquently on migrants in NYC schools is cathartic and marvelously presented — a discussion of the history, energy and process of integrating new immigrants into the city school system. Without diminishing the difficulties, he emphasizes the assets they do bring and our capacity to welcome them. Additionally he played an excerpt from a recent speech by Mayor Adams that is much more welcoming of migrants to NY and more compassionate- a side of him that the local news media does not capture, while also acknowledging the crisis at a national level.
If you were to make a list of the upcoming topics on any given Brian Lehrer show, I’d read them and think, those aren’t really my cup of tea. But I’ve learned over years of listening to Brian Lehrer every day that he can make absolutely any topic scintillating. Parking meter rules, senate races, zoning restrictions: I’m rapt. Somehow he is able to hear what a listener says, encapsulate it, and ask a meaningful, enriching question that gets to the heart of the matter and allows those of us listening at home to learn more about the world we live in. He doesn’t allow his own experience or beliefs to stand in the way of curiosity; a true listener, a gifted interviewer, a student of humans and their systems.
I don't know how Brain does it, but he's been consistently excellent ever since I started listening. He's well-informed and compassionate about the topics he covers, and he presents his ideas with fairness and intellectual rigor. I feel fortunate to have discovered this podcast a few years ago; it's a real treasure.
There are few people in broadcast journalism as professional, humane and insightful as Brian. And he’s funny too! He covers the spectrum of topics, with NYC often being part of the story. He is the definition of an adept moderator who is informed enough to add to the discussion and never afraid to ask the tough questions, and get to the heart of a discussion. He has few peers in the business. He is a real treasure.
Brian Lehrer has been an important part of my days since 2001 - shortly after 9/11. He is an amazing interviewer and encyclopedic resource on all things NYC.
As many listeners say, “Brian is a national treasure.” Literally the only thing you should listen to even if you need a news break, Brisn makes even the heaviest topics seem not as horrible. Thank you, Brian for all that you do!
This podcast/WNYC show is so insightful and timely! Thank goodness it exists, I hope for many more seasons. Brian and his team are clearly brilliant and take care to invite guests of many different experiences and backgrounds.
Rare to find such kindness and warmth in such an intelligent person. I love this podcast because of the topics, but more importantly, because of the brilliant host. His guests are top notch too.
The show has become an echo chamber that promotes division in our city, state and country. The show was once more locally sourced to but now funnels people from major corporate cable networks that drive on profits and not on adequately informing the public on issues that matter across all ages, races, backgrounds. It’s a tragedy what has happened to the show and to the WNYC network.
BL is masterful at facilitating important conversations and navigating the wide range of views and opinions of his guest and listeners who call in. Bravo to him and his staff!
When AOC said that Biden should eliminate the filibuster, I was surprised that your guest didn’t clarify that Biden does not have the power to do that. The power to eliminate the filibuster comes back to Joe Manchin (and others), which is where AOC started her rant. She talked herself into an illogical pretzel and i would have liked your show to untangle it with facts and process clarification.
I learn so much from Brian Lehrer and his guests. I’m often compelled to follow up what I learn on the show with further research. I truly wish others would follow the show, too, so that we all can become better informed. Brian Lehrer is a human treasure. Thank you.
The best of the best of looking into what is prevalent in news and giving the best most reasonable view the only person who gives you both sides of the coin
Informative. Fair-minded. Inquisitive. Intelligent. Challenging (but politely so). Eager to give fair time to opposing views. Level-headed. Calm. Fact-based. Fact-seeking. Letting experts talk. Letting callers talk. Respectful. Guiding. Moderating. Thoughtful. And wryly (and slyly) humorous. A true NYC civic treasure. If only Brian Lehrer were more Met fan than Yankee fan, he’d be perfection personified.... ;-)
I’ve been listening to the Brian Lehrer Show for decades. Decades! I have seen his political viewpoints change over the years. He used to be unbiased and would bring on guests who would cover both sides of the political spectrum. It would allow his audience to decide for themselves. The topics were interesting and his show is what made me want to learn about the ins and outs of politics. But after 2016 election, his show has drastically gone down hill. By 2020 a sold-out liberal leftist show that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. There is one-sided opinions, very liberal guests, constant Trump bashing, anger, fear-mongering. He did a whole show after the BLM riots about why NYC police would be defunded and how some of the criminals who were arrested for breaking in businesses should be let off. Well, guess what? His show worked. The NYC police department was defunded and crime has risen drastically. Hope he feels good about that. That’s when I was done with Brian. It’s a sad breakup that I wish didn’t have to happened. But I’m going to get my news somewhere else. Also, said goodbye to NPR too. Yet again they can’t seem to cover the news with unbiased information.
I’ll simply reiterate what so many others have said: Brian is so kind, respectful and witty. Asks all the right questions and listens without prejudice to all sides. How lucky are we NY?
Brian is NYC’s MVP. He represents the highest standard of intelligent and civil discourse. If every news interviewer aspired to his level of integrity, our country would a whole lot better off.
