The Brian Lehrer Show

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is running against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul for governor of New York, and a new poll shows the county executive is just ten points behind the governor. Jimmy Vielkind, New York State Issues reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Bahar Ostadan, Nassau County government reporter for Newsday, talk about the state of the race, including the role President Trump is taking as he and Blakeman are scheduled to attend an event together on Long Island.

Photo: Garden City, N.Y.: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is formally named the GOP candidate for New York State Governor as the New York Republican State Committee Nominating Convention in Garden City, N.Y. on Feb. 11, 2026. (Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

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End-of-life doulas are becoming an increasingly common part of how Americans approach death, helping people to navigate the dying process outside of traditional medical care. Alexandra Schwartz, staff writer at The New Yorker and co-host of the Critics at Large podcast, talks about the rise of death doulas, what they actually do, and why more people are rethinking how they want to die. And Virginia Chang, Ph.D., end-of-life doula and author of Preparing For End of Life For Dummies (Wiley 2026), talks about her approach to her work.

Photo: Pauline Ramsey is on hospice care through Heartland Hospice. She has pancreatic cancer. Her nurse is Carly Bond and her aide is Nadege Filsaime. (Susan L. Angstadt via MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle & Getty Images)

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Summer's wrapping up, but if your PTO is high and your budget is low, you can still make the most of it here at home. Hannah Frishberg, culture reporter for WNYC/Gothamist, shares some of the best ways to have an epic staycation in New York City.

Photo: People relax at a man-made beach during a heat wave in Manhattan on July 02, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Teo Armus, reporter for The Washington Post focused on politics, demographics, voters and immigration, offer political analysis of the latest primary election results, including in Wisconsin and Michigan, and what they might signal about the midterms this fall.

Photo: Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (C), celebrates with her husband Tom Weber (L) and daughter Siobhan Hellendrung (R) during a primary election-night party at First Avenue on August 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the state's primary election. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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New York City Council member Lincoln Restler (District 33, Greenpoint, Northside Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Vinegar Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Navy Yard) talks about his bill, which he expects to pass, that will bring back year-round outdoor dining after the Adams administration had heavily restricted it.

Photo: People dine al fresco, or open air, in Hell's Kitchen on July 21, 2020 in New York City. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

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Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, PA-C, OB/GYN physician assistant, reproductive health advocate and author of We Deserve More: Why Reproductive Healthcare is Broken--And What You Can Do About It (Jossey-Bass, 2026), explains the symptoms of postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious psychiatric emergency that affects about 1-2 mothers per 1,000 births, as the trial of a Massachusetts mom has brought the condition to the forefront. Plus NSV talks about the overall problems with postpartum health care in the United States.

Stock illustration by Lin Shao-hua via iStock/Getty Creative

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Writer, YouTuber and science communicator Hank Green was found to have used AI in his work, disappointing the AI-skeptics in his fanbase. Marina Bolotnikova, senior reporter for Vox's Future Perfect section, talks about one big lesson to come out of the controversy: you need a personal AI policy.

Stock illustration by Mikhail Seleznev via iStock/Getty Creative

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Over the past several years, a license-plate tracking company called Flock has partnered with over 40 percent of police departments nationwide, allowing local law enforcement to track people's whereabouts across state lines. Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media, unpacks how officials, including ICE, are using the technology, and why anti-surveillance activists on both sides of the are pushing back against the cameras.

Photo: A Flock camera records passersby on July 9, 2026 in Jefferson, Ga. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Lena H. Sun, Washington Post national reporter focusing on health, provides an update on the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak and the response from U.S. public health agencies.

Photo: Spinach is displayed for sale on shelves at a Target store on July 23, 2026 in Austin, Texas. The cyclosporiasis outbreak, an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, has spread across multiple states and remains under investigation by federal health officials after the first known illness onset was reported in early May. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the steep drop in ELA test scores on last year's state test among city students, and what stakeholders think might be the cause of the decline.

Photo: A student in the library reads a book after receiving candy and a red envelope in a cultural celebration of the Lunar New Year at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 on February 02, 2022 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

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