The Brian Lehrer Show

Katie Honan, senior reporter at The City Reporter and co-host of FAQ NYC, talks about Mayor Mamdani's meeting with President Trump, plus his first "Mayor's Management Report."

Photo: President Donald Trump and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani walk out following their meeting at Gracie Mansion on September 21, 2026, in New York City. (Spencer Platt via Getty Images)

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To mark the fall equinox, we hear from listeners about what signs they look for to know that fall is starting and summer is ending in New York.

Photo: An autumn day in Central Park. (Linda Fletcher [Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International] via Wikimedia Commons) 

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Mark Leon Goldberg, editor-in-chief and publisher of UN Dispatch and host of the podcast "Global Dispatches," previews the UNGA as world leaders gather at the United Nations.

Photo: Khalilur Rahman, president of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly UNGA, announces the opening of the 81st session of the UNGA at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 8, 2026. (Zhang Fengguo/Xinhua via Getty Images)

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New York State is changing high school graduation requirements. Michael Elsen-Rooney, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, explains what is happening to the Regents exams and the unanswered questions that remain about requirements for diplomas.

Photo: Algebra I Regents exam practice material is used in math class on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Lansingburgh High School in Troy, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

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Amy Westervelt, climate journalist and host of the Drilled podcast, and author of BROUGHT TO YOU BY: How Corporations Warped the Truth, Conned the Public, and Broke Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2026), previews the UNGA climate priorities, plus discusses her recent ProPublica investigation into how fossil fuel companies have funded climate research at top universities, and how the same companies have contributed to science misinformation and climate change denial.

Photo: Demonstrators carry placards as they take part in a climate protest under the slogan "No 50°C summers!" in Lausanne on September 19, 2026. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)

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With New York ranked the best state in the country for teen drivers for the third year in a row, and New Jersey coming in third, according to a new WalletHub study, listeners call in to share their stories of learning to drive as a teen, teaching a teen to drive, and where in New York and New Jersey the road test is easiest.

Photo: Rear view of car with handwritten sign reading Student Driver, warning other drivers that the person operating the vehicle is learning to drive, Dublin, California, May 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

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Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

What to know about the Trump administration's new "public charge" rule, which will make it more difficult for immigrants applying for visas and green cards if they have used public benefits like SNAP or Medicaid (First) | The Mamdani administration's new Vision Zero plan (Starts at 24:25) | Are you tired of having to download so many apps? (Starts at 48:55)

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Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, talks about her reporting on the lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which claims a woman died from pregnancy-related conditions because of the abortion ban. Plus, how states with abortion bans are seeing increasing pregnancy-related deaths.

Photo: Abortion rights adovcates gather in front of the J Marvin Jones Federal Building and Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, on March 15, 2023. (MOISES AVILA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Greg David, contributor and reporter covering fiscal and economic issues for The City Reporter and director of the business and economics reporting program and Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, talks about the effects of AI on NYC's job market and overall economy.

Photo: An AI ad is displayed on the 2 train on September 14, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Surveillance technology isn't just used by major corporations; it's also used by our fellow phone-wielding citizens. Willy Staley, story editor at The New York Times Magazine, talks about how the rise of social media and boom in private surveillance technology like Ring cameras and Meta glasses have started to shift social norms surrounding how we think about privacy. 

Photo: Amazon-owned Ring home security camera systems are displayed for sale at a store on February 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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