Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times correspondent, talks about the palpable joy and connection in the city during the playoff run and after the Knicks championship win, and what this means for the team's long-suffering fans.

Photo: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

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

What does it mean that AI companies are scooping up office space in Manhattan? (First) | Why the Trump administration has requested the medical records of trans youths at NYC area hospitals (Starts at 40:10) | What to do in New Jersey if you're here for the World Cup (Starts at 1:15:45)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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As early voting is about to get underway, Rebecca Lewis, state bureau chief at City & State New York, and Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talk about the themes and competitive races in the June 23 primary election, where candidates for congress, state comptroller and various seats in the legislature will be on the ballot.

Photo: The NYS Senate begins the 2017 session of the NYS Legislature begins Wednesday Jan. 4, 2017 in Albany, NY. (Photo by John Carl D'Annibale /Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

 

 

 

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Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2024) previews the end of this year's Supreme Court term, including major cases concerning birthright citizenship, Temporary Protected Status and more.

Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 6: The U.S. Supreme Court is seen at sunset on June 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

 

 

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Michael Scherer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about his reporting on the conflicts over the 250th anniversary celebration.

Photo: LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: A detailed view of the special commemorative 250th anniversary American Flag flying during the spring training baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

 

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As visitors from around the world pour into North Jersey for the World Cup, local listeners share their recommendations for things to do outside of the attending the games.

Photo: A FIFA World Cup advertisement featuring the hashtag #WEARE26 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. FIFA oversees international soccer competitions, including the World Cup. From June to July 2026, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will jointly host the world's largest international soccer tournament. (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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AI companies are scooping up office space in Manhattan at a pace that is reminiscent of the dot-com boom in the late 90s. Wall Street Journal reporter Isabelle Bousquette talks about what the office leases mean for the job market, plus weighs in on other related issues.

 

Photo: Large group of programmers working on computers in the office. Focus is on three women from the back. Credit: skynesher

 

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Francis Farrell, reporter at the Kyiv Independent, talks about the technology Ukraine is deploying against Russia, and how it's affecting the war, plus how the strategies Russia and Ukraine are using on the battlefield are resonating in the Iran war. 

 

Photo: FPV kamikaze drone at sky. Drones at war - stock photo by Anton Petrus

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Franklin Foer, staff writer at the Atlantic and the author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization (Harper Perennial, new edition 2026), talks about the new edition of his book and looks ahead to the start of World Cup.

 

Photo: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: General view of the Adidas Trionda, official match ball of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at SoFi Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt McNulty - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

 

 

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After last night's thrilling comeback win, Knicks fans call in to share their mini "Knicks in five" poems, inspired by a fan's viral moment from last week where he cried "My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish. My Christian Dior — Knicks in four!"

Photo: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks celebrates after his team's 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, recaps the NY1 and WNYC debate she co-moderated with Brian Lehrer and Errol Louis with the candidates in New York's 12th congressional district, who are running in this month's primary for the Democratic nomination to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

Photo: Voters cast their ballots at the Community Presbyterian Church on election day in Merrick, New York, on Nov. 4, 2025. (James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

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Listeners weigh in on the perennial debate, which was reignited recently thanks to Jennifer Lopez's controversial opinion shared in her appearance on Subway Takes. 

Photo: Danny Lyon July 1974, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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As trust in science and institutions has eroded, Laura Lindenfeld, PhD, executive director, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and professor of communication at Stony Brook University, explains how improv (and the actor Alan Alda), is helping scientists improve their communication skills with the hope of winning back the skeptics.

 

Photo: Teacher With Male And Female Drama Students At Performing Arts School In Studio Improvisation Class. Photo by monkeybusinessimages.

 

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As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Clara Holmes, plant ecologist at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, talk about the challenges facing local wildflowers and native plants and how to preserve them.

=> NYC Native Plants (NYC Parks)

 

Photo: Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass -  native wildflower with grasslike leaves and small blue-violet flowers. Grows in open sandy meadows in low wet spots. Uncommon in NYC and locally rare. {Marielle Anzelone)

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Bill Bradley, two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. Senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, reflects on his own championship season, and more.

 

Photo: NEW YORK - CIRCA 1970: Bill Bradley #24 of the New York Knicks in action against the San Francisco Warriors during an NBA basketball game circa 1970 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Bradley played for the Knicks from 1967-77. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

 

 

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In an ongoing push to end gender affirming care for minors, the Trump administration has requested the medical records of trans youths at both NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares her reporting on how the hospitals are complying with the subpoena and the broader reaction from parents, politicians, and trans-rights advocates.  

 

Photo: Medical records in file cabinet at doctor's office. (Photo by fotofrog/Getty Images)

 

 

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Amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak, doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are treating symptomatic patients and facing shortages of crucial protective and diagnostic equipment. Amy Maxmen, PhD, public health correspondent and editor at KFF Health News, reports on the ...

As Flag Day and America's 250th approach, Pride month is underway, and the World Cup is about to kick off. Listeners call in to share what flags they are flying, and what they mean.

 

Photo: Flags of different countries waving in the wind. Photo by: Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

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Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn borough president, Claire Valdez, NYS assembly member (37th district, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood), union organizer and artist, and Julie Won, New York City council member (district 26), discuss the key issues in their campaign to be the Democratic nominee in New York's 7th Congressional district.

Photo: An election ballot box is seen at a polling site in upper Manhattan where people cast their vote for the 2020 U.S Presidential Election, in New York City, United States on November 03, 2020. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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New York City's unemployment rate is higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, and job growth has stalled. James Parrott, senior fellow and senior advisor at the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School, talks about factors contributing to these economic concerns.

Photo: A 'help wanted' advertisement is displayed in Manhattan on January 09, 2026, in New York City. The Labor Department reported on Friday that employers added 50,000 jobs in December, bringing the unemployment rate down to 4.4% (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Ben Rhodes, contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, co-host of Pod Save the World, an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts through public speeches, from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump.

Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to supporters during his farewell speech at McCormick Place on January 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

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Christina Norman, chief creative officer at The Moth, and Juan Rodriguez, senior manager, community engagement at The Moth, talk about their new workshop for potential storytellers, related to their new project with the National September Memorial and Museum for the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The Moth & The 9/11 Memorial & Museum Information Session, virtual, June 10 at 7pm.

Photo: The Corn Moon rises behind the skyline of lower Manhattan as the Tribute in Light is tested ahead of the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City on September 8, 2025, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn via Getty)

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

Ask the Mayor  (First) | Queer Saints (Starts at 30:16) | New Slang (Starts at 51:45)

If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

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Elana Schor, senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the news out of Washington this week, including how some Republican senators are standing up to President Trump on war powers, the $1.8 billion dollar payout fund and more.

Photo: Martin Falbisoner, US Capitol and Grant Memorial, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Chair and executive director of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Sarah Sayeed, and the "People's Artist" at the CEC Yazmany Arboleda, talk about this year's round of citywide participatory budgeting for projects in each borough and how and where to vote.

 

Photo: Paul Stein, Hooping at New York City Dance Parade, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Sarah Kliff, investigative health care reporter for The New York Times, talks about her reporting on the booming business of autism treatment clinics, where she found allegations of fraud, and even harm to the children the centers aim to help.

Photo: Karen Lajmoraki, L, an instructional assistant, works with Steven Moshuris, R, an autistic student who uses an iPad as a communication device, at Belle View Elementary School on April 11, 2012, in Alexandria, VA. This is an autism classroom where students are using iPads as communication devices and also to work on social skills and conversation. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Co-hosts of WNYC's Radiolab Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller preview their live Tribeca Festival event where they will explore how and why we get goosebumps and how we experience sweetness.

 

Photo: Kai Oberhäuser memoryonsounds, Microphone (Unsplash), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons 

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U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13) and challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier, an organizer and activist, discuss the key issues in their campaign to be the Democratic nominee in New York's 13th Congressional district.

 

Photo: diego_cue, Harlem - New York (NYC) - USA, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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New Jersey reporters for WNYC and Gothamist Michael Sol Warren and Mike Hayes recap this month's "Ask Governor Sherrill" call-in show, hosted by Michael Hill, including the discussion on the Delaney Hall ICE facility, this week's primary election results and more.

Photo: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill holds hold a press conference regarding Delaney Hall, located in Newark, N.J., with Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, and Deputy Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, at New Jersey State Police Newark Station in Newark, N.J. on Sunday, May 31, 2026. (Office of Governor / Tim Larsen)

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Martha Raddatz, ABC News' chief global affairs correspondent and 'This Week' co-anchor and the author of The Hero Next Door: Stories of Patriotism and Purpose (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2026), highlights the courage and heroism of members of the U.S. military.

Photo: Kyle Osterhoudt, U.S. Military Academy, Celebration Time: Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy celebrate as the Army's newest officers during a commencement ceremony at West Point, N.Y., May 24, 2025. For the Class of 2025 Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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