The Brian Lehrer Show

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

Gov. Hochul Hopes to Delay Implementing Climate Law (First) | The Growth of DHS Detention Camps (Starts at :40) | Opera and Democracy (Starts at 1:15)

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Image: An original poster for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro (not stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Actors Jesse Eisenberg, Rosie Perez, and David Patrick Kelly performed a reading of “Cash and Carry,” a personal essay written by David Sedaris for The New Yorker, to kick off a conversation with listeners about the challenges and joys of being neighbors, our duty to strangers, and the unique possibility of connection and disconnection in New York City.

Join WNYC and Theater Of War for a series of programs hosted by Kai Wright and TOW artistic director Bryan Doerries that re-imagine works of journalism in innovative and engaging ways, including performances by acclaimed actors. 

Listeners called in to share stories of neighbors helping neighbors, or deciding not to, and reflected on the particular character of New Yorkers' approach to those who need help.

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Joshua Keating, senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news, breaks down his latest reporting on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is benefitting from the United States' war in Iran, including how Russia is now earning an extra $150 million per day in oil sales due to the price surge since the start of the war and much more.

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin

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McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), discusses his year-long foray into the world of sports betting, and his observation of how gambling has permeated "every nook and cranny" of American life in a very short amount of time.

Photo: The fantasy sports website DraftKings is shown on October 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. DraftKings and its rival FanDuel have been under scrutiny after accusations surfaced of employees participating in the contests with insider information, (Scott Olson/Getty Images).

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Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, talks about the latest MTA news, including its lawsuit over federal funds for the Second Avenue subway construction and the transit union's lawsuit over staffing at booths. Plus, the MTA's plans for new subway cars for the numbered lines.

Photo: MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow, and MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Jessie Lazarus announce the release of an RFP for the R262 subway car class at the Railcar Acceptance and Testing Facility on Thursday, Mar 19, 2026. The contract will be for the largest such order in MTA history. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

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Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of The Cut's Brooding newsletter, talks about her plan to "friction-maxx" this year in life and in parenting—that is, to build tolerance for "inconvenience" despite tech companies' attempts to make our lives smooth and frictionless.

Photo: match, meet matchbox. Credit: Yann Segalen via Wikipedia Commons.

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 Giulia Heyward, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, talks about the tug of war between the state and the federal government over transgender care for those 19 and younger. Then, Jack Turban MD, MHS, adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Atria Books, 2024), offers best practices for transgender care for those 19 and younger.

Photo: Dusk view of entrance to new Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York - stock photo. Credit: Barry Winiker, Getty Images.

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Paulette Perhach, freelance writer and writing coach, shares tips on how to prevent your aging relatives from getting scammed. Plus, we take calls from listeners with their stories and questions about protecting yourself and loved ones against financial fraud. 

=> "How to Prevent Aging Parents and Relatives From Making Financial Mistakes" (New York Times, January 2026)

photo: A woman over 90 years old makes a phone call with an iphone on 16.03.2025 in Norden (Lower Saxony). Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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John Heilemann, chief political columnist at Puck and host of the podcast "Impolitic with John Heilemann, " and senior national affairs analyst for MS NOW, talks about the latest developments in the war in Iran and the role Israel has played.

Photo: Donald Trump at a United Nations event on Religious Freedom Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Photo: Shealah Craighead / White House)

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Faiyaz Jaffer, Ed.D, executive director of the Islamic Center and chaplain at New York University, talks about how communities in our area and around the world are observing Ramadan this year.

Photo: Muslims gather in Times Square to perform the Tarawih prayer during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on February 20, 2026, in New York City. The event, held annually in Times Square since 2022, includes Quranic recitations, congregational prayers, and the distribution of meals for iftar, the breaking of the fast at sunset. New York City has an estimated over 800,000 Muslims and is the largest municipal Muslim population in the United States. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

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