The Brian Lehrer Show

Coming on the heels of the Edward Snowden leaks, and a 300-page set of recommendations from a panel of presidential advisers, President Obama announced Friday a set of recommendations to change the way the NSA collects and stores data. Obama announced he is not ready to move data out of government hands, but is asking Congress to determine whether the so-called "metadata" should be stored by private companies, a third party, or remain with the NSA. Obama announced that the government will no longer collect data more than two steps, or "hops," away from the target. In other words, the government cannot gather data on someone who called someone who called someone who called a suspect. The president also asked that an outside panel have oversight over the private FISA court, and established a process for analysts to receive approval from the court that there is a "reasonable articulable suspicion" that an American's phone number is linked to terrorism, before their data can be queried. Obama also ended the practice of spying on foreign leaders without a specific national security purpose. But the White House has not published a list of which countries fall under that criteria.  On the Brian Lehrer Show, Karen Greenberg, Director of the Center on National Security at Fordham, offers analysis -- audio above. In giving a history of US spying and NSA, Obama says "even the United States proved not to be immune to the abuse of surveillance." — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014 Obama says he doesn't want to "dwell" on Snowden, but says that the disclosures have emerged have shed "more heat than light." — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014 Obama vows to curb the appetite of the NSA to gather data - will no longer be "indiscriminately reviewing" records. — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014 Steps/"hops" for surveillance down to two. Can no longer gather data on someone who called someone who called someone who called a suspect. — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014 Key element -- for now, NSA will keep metadata, but Obama calling for Congress to assess whether it should stay in private hands. — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014 Obama says US will no longer spy on foreign leaders - "unless there is a compelling national security purpose." Does not elaborate criteria. — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 17, 2014

Chris Christie has brought in a set of lawyers to investigate bridgegate. Andrea Bernstein, WNYC metro editor, talks about who's involved. Plus, she discusses her reporting on the Port Authority.  

Jane McManus, reporter for ESPN New York, discusses how the region is preparing security for New York's first Super Bowl.   List of prohibited items on Super Bowl game day. #NFL pic.twitter.com/7robOK8Xm9 — Jane McManus (@janesports) January 15, 2014

Keith Ellison, U.S. Representative (D-Minn.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the author of My Country, 'Tis of Thee: My Faith, My Family, Our Future (Gallery Books/Karen Hunter Publishing, 2014), talks about his experience as the first Black Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress and as one of the organizers behind the 1995 Million Man March.  

Can you explain what a bitcoin is? Our guest can. Ashlee Vance, technology writer for Bloomberg Businessweek, explains the current bitcoin craze: if it's possible to make money, where to spend bitcoins, the companies that have sprung up to service the virtual currency, and why the value fluctuates so wildly.

Is poor translation under-serving Spanish-language speakers and recent immigrants? Dr. Jane Delgado, Ph.D., M.S., President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health says that the controversy over poor translation is masking bigger concerns about the lack of features on the site. At the moment, CuidadoDeSalud.gov doesn't have a feature to shop for different plans in the same way the English site does. Delgado also says a big challenge is finding ways to best represent the "language of healthcare" to non-English speakers.

Lindsey Ganson, chief operating officer for Transportation Alternatives, co-author of the 2011 report "VISION ZERO: How Safer Streets in New York City Can Save More Than 100 Lives a Year"(PDF), talks about Mayor de Blasio's new working group to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in NYC to zero.  

John Herrman, Buzzfeed tech reporter, explains just how significant this week's net neutrality ruling was, and what open web advocates plan next.

Robert Gates is talking about his new book everywhere. But on yesterday's show, he said a few surprising things that deserve follow-up. David Sanger, New York Times national security correspondent and author of Confront and Conceal, discusses some of Gates's comments - on everything from Hillary Clinton to the war in Iraq, deals in Iran, criticizing a sitting president, and the NSA.

New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney takes us through New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's State of the State address, and discusses what's ahead for New Jersey in the coming year.   At last year's NJ State of State, @NJSenatePres fist-bumped @GovChristie. This year... Sweeney's on show at 10:25. pic.twitter.com/KZ1QBkwveF — Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) January 15, 2014

The A-Rod trial has revealed a lot about the particulars of a doping regimen. Steve Eder, investigative sports reporter at The New York Times, takes us through a day in the life of a major-league doper. Eder says it's difficult to know if everything in the report issued by the arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz, is 100% true as a lot of it relies on materials from Tony Bosch, a person some people think is unreliable. Bosch owned an anti-aging clinic and wore a white lab coat despite not being a medical doctor. “One of the things you see in the report from Horowitz is for the first time, Bosch’s testimony matched up with his clinic notes and blackberry messages," says Eder. "That’s what Horowitz has done to draw his conclusions.” But at the same time, Eder says Horowitz "refers to Bosch as a drug dealer in his report.” In one message, Bosch refers to Rodriguez's regimen as "meds," and the third-basemen replied "Not meds, dude. Food."  At any rate, Eder says, “Alex Rodriguez and his representatives say this was totally biased, totally unfair." Alex Rodriguez's (Alleged) Doping Tricks Below is the document that outlines Alex Rodriguez's alleged four-phase performance-enhancing drug diet (from the lawsuit Rodriguez filed to try to get his suspension overturned). "If this is all true," Eder says, "what it presents is almost an unprecedented look into what doping might look like.” Some of the wilder allegations include: Testosterone Lozenges (nicknamed "gummies"): "Sublingual" steroids are placed under the tongue. A-Rod was instructed to place a "troche" under his tongue just before game-time. Cream in the Morning, Cream at Night (nicknamed "pink food"): Two different types of "transdermal" creams, one applied in the morning and one in the evening -- or "a combination of the two above creams applied in the evening." Except on the days when drug tests were imminent! In April 2012, Rodriguez allegedly messaged Bosch to ask for advice as a drug test approached. Bosch told A-Rod if he was asked for a urine sample to "wait the longest you can and don’t use the pink until after." Two Shots a Day (At Least) In Phase One, Rodriguez was instructed to inject hormones under the skin in the morning and the evening, with an extra midday dose on Mondays and Friday. Vitamin C! Amid all the HGH, testosterone, and GHRP, good old Vitamin C oral doses.   // Alex Rodriguez Complaint (PDF) Alex Rodriguez Complaint (Text)

Mo Rocca, host of the Cooking Channel's "My Grandmother's Ravioli", panelist on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" (and lots more) discusses the new season of his show and takes listener calls.

Judith Dupré, architectural historian and the author of the updated Skyscrapers: A History of the World's Most Extraordinary Buildings (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2014), and Richard Cook, founding partner of COOKFOX Architects whose projects include the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park and the Stephen Sondheim theater, talk about the latest in building extremely tall buildings. →EVENT: Judith Dupré and Rick Cook are joined by architect Adrian Smith to discuss "Supertall, Supergreen" tonight at 6pm at NYPL 

As Secretary of Defense in both the Bush and Obama White Houses, Robert Gates played a role in the two defining wars of our time. Secretary Gates reflects on his career and the tensions between military policy and domestic politics. Then: on the heels of Bridgegate, what is the state of the state of New Jersey? New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney analyzes Chris Christie's SOTS address. Plus: What A-Rod's suspension reveals about professional doping regimens, a look at modern skyscrapers and Mo Rocca joins us to take listener calls.

Yesterday, we spoke with Matt Novak of Gizmodo's "Paleofuture" blog about Isaac Asimov's 1964 predictions for 2014. Now, we want to get your predictions for fifty years from now -- life in 2064. Post your predictions now, and Matt will be back at 11:40 on Tuesday to assess your predictions and talk about the state of futurism. Audio of part one with Matt Novak below. Comments page here.