Jonah Engel Bromwich, reporter for The New York Times Styles section, discusses the history and current controversy over sexually explicit advertising on New York City's subway system.

Plenty of children had to endure years of having to see those Bodies and Doctor Zizmore ads.
— Koch Comics (@KochComics) August 16, 2019

How NYC's Subway Ads Got So Explicit

Newsmakers meet New Yorkers as host Brian Lehrer and his guests take on the issues dominating conversation in New York and around the world. This daily program from WNYC Studios cuts through the usual talk radio punditry and brings a smart, humane approach to the day's events and what matters most in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.  WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, On the Media, Death, Sex & Money, Nancy, and many others.

News

Politics

News Commentary

Daily News

Zohran K. Mamdani, New York State assemblymember (D, D-36, Queens), comments on the sticking points preventing New York State from passing its annual budget as well as his initiative to expand the fare-free bus proposal in light of congestion pricing.

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani on the State Budget

Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian, author of many books, including Team of Rivals and her latest, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (Simon & Schuster, 2024), writes about the life and times she shared with her late husband, Dick Goodwin, a speechwriter and advisor to JFK, RFK and LBJ.

Doris Kearns Goodwin's Personal Take on History

Catherine Christian, former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, previews jury selection and the trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.

The Former President on Trial in Manhattan

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.
The Art of Listening on Israel and Gaza  (First) | Changes to the Census Include People of Middle Eastern and North African Descent (Starts at 37:30) | Gen Z Taking Up Trades (Starts at 58:15)
If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Brian Lehrer Weekend: Listening on Israel & Gaza; MENA Added to Census; Gen Z Taking Up Trades

John Cassidy, New Yorker staff writer and columnist on politics and economics, talks about the better-than-expected jobs report, the worse-than-expected inflation report and how both parties are responding to the perception and reality of the U.S. economy.

How NYC's Subway Ads Got So Explicit

Download our free app to listen on your phone