The Brian Lehrer Show

This week on the Brian Lehrer Show, we discussed several stories related to economic mobility in the United States, from a new study that shows the links between geography and class; to advice segments on how to survive and escape poverty. This special podcast compiles all of those segments into one file. Be sure to subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show podcast on iTunes, and tune in every day at 10am on WNYC and WNYC online.

Beau Friedlander, Brooklyn-based writer talks about his Harper's article, "A Brief History of Scent" which looks at the way in which we smell, and what makes for a truly awful stink. We're trying to find NYC's worst smell. What smell has made an impression on you this summer? Tweet #WorstNYCStink // loadSurvey( "whats-worst-stink-new-york-city", "survey_whats-worst-stink-new-york-city"); Excerpt: Beau Friedlander from "A Brief History of Scent" (Harper's, August 2013) The smell of a place at a particular moment could be said to follow the same rules as any perfume, but with a far greater degree of complexity. Typically, a perfume is composed of some head notes (bright smells that dissipate quickly), heart notes (heavier molecules that define the overall smell), and a bottom note (a smell such as sandalwood, which doesn’t dominate a fragrance but may stay on your clothes for days). On a midsummer afternoon after a light rain, the smell of my block in Brooklyn might include petrichor as a heart note. But that would only be the simplest part: there would be head and heart notes of gasoline, rotting food, fallen leaves, pollen, flowers, car exhaust, a great variety of feces from organisms sharing the space, and perhaps bottom notes from the soil, grime,and soot ground into pavement, with an occasional contribution from the East River when the wind is right. My own Wythe Avenue smell-of-rain moment would compare to an isolated attempt at synthetic petrichor about as well as a Big Ten marching band to a tin whistle.

Katie Hafner, author of Mother, Daughter, Me: A Memoir (Random House, 2013), talks about what happened when her mother moved in with her and her teenage daughter, and takes calls from listeners who also have experience. // MOTHER DAUGHTER ME Excerpt Chapter 1 (PDF) MOTHER DAUGHTER ME Excerpt Chapter 1 (Text)

Bob Butler, reporter at KCBS Radio in the Bay Area, gives context to the new movie "Fruitvale Station" as he's covered the real life Oscar Grant story the movie is based on. He's joined by Wesley Morris, writer for Grantland and 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner, who examines the movie with a critical eye and in the context not only of Oscar Grant, but also of Trayvon Martin and President Obama's speech.

Usually at this point in a mayoral election, the focus is on local issues, grassroots advocacy, and coalition building. This is not your usual mayoral election. David Chen, City Hall bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses the issues central to the mayoral race that have been overshadowed by Anthony Weiner's texting saga. Listeners: What non-sexting issue is getting crowded out? Interest groups, this is your moment. Call 212-433-9692 and tell us what we'd usually be talking about in a "normal" election year. Reading List: The Non-Sexting Stories of the Week NYCHA Sleepover Several mayoral candidates spent a night in public housing. Minimum Wage Challenge Local officials live on minimum wage for a week. The "Unbanked" A proposal from Scott Stringer to help those without access to financial services. Brooklyn DA's Race David Chen on the narrowing field. Wayne Barrett on Bill Thompson New WNYC contributor's first deep-dive into the mayoral race.

As we near the end of July, we'd like to hear from you about your summer checklist. Tell us one local thing you've always wanted to do that you finally got around to, and one thing you're still hoping check off the list before summer's end. Call us at 212-433-9692 or comment below!  

Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine staff writer, talks about the economist who thinks there might not be a full recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and that the American Dream's time has passed.

We've convened an all-star panel of political watchers to tackle a key question of the Bloomberg legacy: Did Bloomberg Make Us Richer? The online conversation -- using Branch -- took place during the first part of this week, now pick up the question on-air with Stu Loeser, Mayor Bloomberg's former spokesperson, and Errol Louis of NY1. If the below isn't displaying, visit the conversation on the Branch website.

It's a summertime tradition: Brian leaves for vacation this afternoon -- what recent book should he read while he's out? We'll also take suggestions for music to listen to, and play some of the suggestions that have already come in. Post your picks below -- remember, recent books and music only. → UPDATE: Thanks for the great music suggestions -- listen to the playlist below! Brian's Recent Songs Vacation Playlist from blshow on 8tracks Radio.

Emily Yoffe, Dear Prudence columnist for Slate, takes listener questions for the last time on the show this summer on thorny ethical issues and offers her advice. This week, she'll take questions on issues that come up when your personal life and your professional life collide.  Need advice?  Post your question in the comments below. Have advice for your fellow listeners? Post it below!

Kate Nocera, BuzzFeed reporter discusses last night's House vote that failed -- by a surprisingly close vote -- to curb the NSA's authority to collect personal information, and what it tells us about attitudes towards the agency post-Snowden.

Tom Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the MTA, talks about transit improvements and interruptions as the MTA prepares its next budget. 

Yesterday, after reports that another woman had claimed to have had an intimate online relationship with him, mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner held a press conference with his wife and admitted his indiscretions extended beyond his 2011 resignation from Congress. Today, the Brian Lehrer Show took your phone calls with reactions to the news.  During an interview on The Brian Lehrer Show after announcing his candidacy in May, Weiner said his sexting was "behind me."  Below: Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, at a press conference yesterday: [View the story "Weiner Backers: Has Anything Changed?" on Storify]

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, President Obama spoke about how young people have a different view of race than his generation. "[A]s difficult and challenging as this whole episode has been for a lot of people, I don’t want us to lose sight that things are getting better," he said. "Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race." We take calls from young people, parents, and others – how do young people view race differently from previous generations? Does it have to do with just being young, or with societal progress? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or call in to 212-433-9692.

McDonald's and Visa have released a sample budget for low-wage workers and critics say it's unrealistic. Deyanira Del Río, co-director of the New Economy Project (formerly NEDAP), explains how to budget a minimum wage salary - and listeners offer advice on living on $7.25 an hour. McDonald's and Visa released a sample monthly budget for minimum wage workers on a new financial planning website. It relies on a worker having two jobs and a $600 allowance for rent. Deyanira Del Rio recommends setting up an appointment with one of NYC's Financial Empowerment Centers by calling 311. And for assistance with economic justice issues, like debt collection, call The New Economy Project's hotline at 212-925-4929.