Liza Weisberg, supervising attorney at the ACLU of New Jersey where she focuses on democracy and voting rights, and Mike Hayes, WNYC and Gothamist New Jersey politics reporter and the author of The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and the Broken Promises of Police Ref...

Jeffery Mays, New York Times metro politics reporter, talks about how Black and Latino political leaders, and some of their constituents, are feeling as members of the Democratic Socialists of America have gained power throughout the city.

Photo: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 16: New York City Democratic Socialists (NYC-DSA) hold a rally in Union Square marking the start of a campaign to tax the rich and win universal childcare on November 16, 2025, in New York City, United States. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

 

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Kenny Minaya, commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services, talks about City Hall's plan to smooth the way for NYC's small businesses.

Photo: Zohran Kwame Mamdani announces “OPEN for Small Business”, a package of more than 50 regulatory reforms to reduce the paperwork and bureaucratic burden facing the city’s roughly 180,000 small businesses. Alongside an Executive Order that immediately implements several reforms, the package saves time, effort, and money for the small businesses that anchor New York’s economy and the one million New Yorkers they employ, at La Bodega in the Bronx on Monday July 20, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

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Classicist Mary Beard, professor emerita of classics at the University of Cambridge, co-host of the podcast "Instant Classics" and the author of many books, including her recent Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old (University of Chicago Press, 2026), and Dana Stevens, fil...

As the Democratic Socialists of America rack up electoral wins this primary season, the group is pushing an expansive definition of who counts as working-class. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Chris Maisano, professor at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, editor at Jacobin and for the journal New Labor Forum, discuss who counts as working class and why the definition matters.

Photo: High angle view of busy programmers working on computers and laptops while sitting around desk at office - stock photo via Getty Images

 

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Annie Lowrey, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Give People Money (Crown, 2018) and the forthcoming The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time―and How to Fix It (Ecco, 2026) talks about what makes the AI bubble different from ones in the past and what it m...

Jeremy Faust, emergency medicine physician, public health researcher and author of the Inside Medicine Substack, talks about the confirmation hearing for the potential new CDC director, and why some senators were surprised by her answers, plus why Defense Secretary Pete Hegs...

The award-winning podcast, "Switched On Pop" launches on Netflix. Co-hosts Charlie Harding, songwriter, associate professor at Berklee School of Music and an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt’s Music Performing Arts Professions, and Nate Sloan, musicologist and associate professor at the USC Thornton School of Music, join to break down their four-part series breaking down the different components of pop songs (intro, verse, chorus, bridge) and what makes a great pop song.  

Photo: Asian young man wearing headphones while looking through the window. Via Getty Images.

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Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants, and Leila Borzog, deputy mayor for housing and planning, talk about the so-called "rental ripoff" report the administration put together and the policy recommendations that came out of it.  Photo: NEW YORK, ...

Augustin Guibaud, PhD, fire expert in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, explains why Canada's forest fires present a unique challenge for experts and first responders—and how forest management can help prevent them in a ...

Katie Gaddini, sociologist, a visiting scholar at Stanford University, an associate professor of sociology at the Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL) and a research associate at the University of Johannesburg department of sociology, and the author of ...

Even though midterm elections are still underway, the 2028 conversation has already started. Inspired by a new piece from New York Magazine that points to Kamala Harris as the early frontrunner, thanks to her consistent lead in the polls, listeners call in to share who they'd support as the Democratic nominee in 2028.

Photo: TOPSHOT - People vote at a polling station in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on Election Day, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

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Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Representative Andy Kim, (D-NJ), speaks during a House Small Business Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, July 17, 2020. The hearing is titled "Oversight of the Small Business Administration and Department of Treasury Pandemic Programs." Photographer: Erin Scott/Bloomberg

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Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan borough president, talks about his priorities since he took office earlier this year, including on the Penn Station re-design, his choice to direct $50 million to arts and culture organizations and more news.

Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal during the 2026 New York City Pride March on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

 

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Marcia Brown, food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO, breaks down the latest news regarding the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, including why The Food and Drug Administration walked back cyclosporiasis test tied to Taylor Farms, a major lettuce distributor to Taco Bell and Walmart.

Photo: SALINAS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 17: A Taylor Farms sign is displayed at one of their facilities on July 17, 2026 in Salinas, California. Taylor Farms, a global fresh produce supplier, is allegedly connected to the recent cyclosporiasis outbreak. (Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)

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The House recently passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent -- though it's unclear if it'll pass the Senate. Listeners call in to share whether they are in favor of the change, which would mean no more changing clocks.

Photo: This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after daylight saving time was implemented in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2022. The US Senate advanced a bill on March 15 that would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a "new, permanent standard time" that would mean brighter winter evenings. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

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House Republicans have resurrected President Trump's SAVE Act by shoehorning it into a military and agricultural budget framework. Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, discusses the renewed push for this legislation, which voting rights advocates say undermine Americans' access to the ballot, plus reacts to President Trump's Thursday night speech on voting.

Photo: UNITED STATES - JUNE 25: Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during the House Freedom Caucus news conference in the U.S. Capitol urging Senate action on the Save America Act on Thursday, June 25, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

 

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Greg David, a contributor and Ravitch fiscal and economics reporter at 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 recovery of the office-lease market despite corporate misgivings over having a socialist mayor, plus the World Cup economic effect, and more.

Photo: Modern office buildings with illuminated windows in Manhattan business district - stock photo

 

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Rebecca Picciotto, Wall Street Journal reporter covering the residential rental market and housing policy, talks about the big bipartisan federal housing bill, now a law, despite President Trump's refusal to sign it -- what's included and what effect in might have in spurring the creation of more homes.

Photo: Low angle view of male construction workers framing a new house - stock photo

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Heading into the second month of summer 2026, listeners weigh in to share their nominees for this year's "song of the summer." 

Stock photo by margouillatphotos/iStock via Getty Creative

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

Gov. Sherrill Tries to Control NJ's Utility Bills (First) | What's Unseen at the Grocery Store (Starts at :18) | 10-Question Quiz: 2026 World Cup (Starts at :45)

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

 

Image:  The New Fred Meyer on Interstate on Lombard (7404 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217). This version has additional correction to correct for poor white balance and slight counterclockwise rotation, 23 December 2004 (Original:  lyzadangerDerivative work:  Diliff, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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On this Summer Friday, we've put together some of our favorite recent interviews, including: The U.S. fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025, according to provisional CDC data, marking a 23% drop since 2007. Jill Filipovic, attorney and author of several book...

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR national correspondent covering immigration, talks about the latest on the fatal shootings by ICE agents and current policy directives for the department.

Photo: SCARBOROUGH, MAINE - JULY 14: People protest outside of a federal immigration office after a man was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, on July 14, 2026 in Scarborough, Maine. The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man from Colombia. (Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

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Katelyn Jetelina, founder and author of the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist, shares what you need to know about cyclosporiasis, the stomach bug that’s sweeping through dozens of states, including New York and New Jersey. 

Photo: Cyclosporiasis outbreak as a foodborne parasitic illness caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis as an outbreak with contaminated food or water resulting in explosive diarrhea and digestive illness.

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Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses how the new data available on inherited maladies can save lives but can also complicate the decision people make about treatment.

Photo: Female doctor sharing electronic test results with patient at clinic. Medical expert and woman are examining reports. They are sitting in examination room.

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Benji Jones, senior correspondent at Vox, talks about his summer project hunting for a new insect species in New York City.

Photo: (GERMANY OUT) New York, Manhattan: Central Park. (Photo by Hohlfeld/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

 

 

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Darializa Avila Chevalier, Democratic nominee for Congress (NY-13), organizer and sociologist, talks about her big win and what her priorities will be if she is elected to Congress in November.

Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King's Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of next week's primary, and the start of early voting on Saturday, as the pair campaigned for Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who are challenging incumbents in Democratic primary contests. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

 

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Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent at The Economist, discusses his latest reporting on what the Trump administration could potentially do to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing war with Iran.

Photo: This picture shows ships sailing near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan on July 13, 2026. The United States is "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz and will be paid for protecting it, US President Donald Trump declared on July 13, as Washington and Tehran once again fought over the vital waterway. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

 

 

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Listeners call in to try their hand at a 2026 World Cup quiz.

Photo: Crowd in sports stadium - stock photo via Getty Images

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Rossana Rosado, a commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), CUNY trustee, former New York Secretary of State, former editor, CEO and publisher of El Diario-La Prensa, and the author of memoir Bronx Attitude (Elite Voices/Halo, 2026), talks about her life and work.

Photo: Aerial photo of the University Heights Bridge in the Bronx, New York, linking the Bronx with Harlem over the Hudson River. There is a view of lower Manhattan far in the distance on a beautiful clear sunny day. Via Getty Images.

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