On Monday, President Donald Trump warned pregnant women not to take Tylenol, claiming without evidence that it was a cause of autism. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and vice chair of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of Obstetrics, breaks down what the science says about painkiller use during pregnancy and listeners call in to share how they've been navigating new Trump administration guidelines for pregnant women.

Greg David, contributor covering fiscal and economic issues for THE CITY and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, and Patrick Spauster, City Limits housing and homelessness reporter, talk about Mamdani's proposed rent freeze and Andrew Cuomo's call for means testing for rent-regulated tenants, and the larger question of rent regulation to make housing in NYC more affordable.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy (Thesis, 2025), talks about her new book and explains why she says education protects democracy.

The prospect of a government shutdown is growing as Democrats are threatening to not help Republicans on the Hill pass a spending bill by the September 30 deadline. Deirdre Walsh, congressional correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, talks about the politics of the potential shutdown and related news from Congress.

Bill McKibben, environmental activist, founder of Third Act and author of many books, most recently: Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization (W. W. Norton & Company, 2025), discusses his new book, and reflects on his life's work, both as a climate activist and journalist. 

As part of the election series "30 Issues in 30 Days," Mike Hayes, WNYC/Gothamist reporter covering the New Jersey governor's race and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Reform (Kingston Imperial, 2023), talks about the issue of too little affordable housing in New Jersey, including court-required efforts to build more, and how the gubernatorial candidates' plan to comply.

Ry Rivard, reporter covering regional infrastructure for Politico, looks at the gubernatorial candidates' positions on climate change and energy policies in New Jersey.

In a new memoir, Yusuf Islam, also known as the singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, writes about how he converted his faith and changed his name after a near-death experience. Listeners call in to share stories of why they changed their name, other than marriage.

Greg Lukianoff, attorney, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the author of several books on free speech, offers his thoughts on how he says both the political left and right weaponize crackdowns on speech, and why he thinks that is a problem for everyone's rights.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the mayoral campaign trail, including an off-and-back-on-again town hall; growing frustration from some over Sen. Schumer's refusal to endorse Zohran Mamdani; a potential fight brewing over charter schools; and Mayor Adams's comments about bathrooms and gender identity.