The Brian Lehrer Show

Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University, host of the podcast FAQNYC, politics editor at The Grio and author of Black Ethnics (Oxford University Press, 2013), talks about the latest city political news, as Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams makes the media rounds as the Democratic nominee for mayor, and the sexual harassment investigation into Governor Cuomo wraps up.

Elie Honig, CNN senior legal analyst and author of Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr Broke the Prosecutor's Code and Corrupted the Justice Department (HarperCollins, 2021) talks about his new book examining the Bill Barr era at the DOJ, plus offers analysis of current legal issues.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez, retired director of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies and former assistant provost and dean of International Studies of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, and Frances Robles, national and foreign correspondent for the New York Times, break down the recent anti-government protests in Cuba as well as abroad in solidarity. Plus, listeners with connections to the island help report the story.

Iceland just released the results of a four-year study of more than 2,500 employees in different fields whose work weeks were reduced by one day. Anne Helen Petersen, culture writer and the co-author of the forthcoming book Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home,talks about the study's findings and whether shortening schedules could work in the United States.

U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8th, Brooklyn and Queens), House Democrats chairman, talks about the rollout of the child tax credit payments to families, budget talks on the Hill and more national political news.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, projected winner of the Democratic primary for NYC Mayor, talks about his primary win and his plans for office, should he win in November.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. NYC Takes the Prize... For Worst Traffic (First); The Ecological Cost of Air Conditioning (Starts at 26:23); Your No-Cook Recipes for Hot Days (Starts at 52:05) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

Henry Rollins, host at KCRW and former lead vocalist of the hardcore group Black Flag, discusses how Black Sabbath's 1971 album "Master of Reality" was shaped by its time and has influenced music for generations to come.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC.

Selwyn R. Cudjoe, professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and an expert in Caribbean literature and Caribbean intellectual history, discusses the reports that Jamaica plans to petition Britain for compensation for the slave trade in the former colony.

The city was in the midst of moving homeless people from hotels and into shelters, where the conditions are crowded, and COVID is a bigger risk, when a judge blocked the city's plan. Jacquelyn Simone, senior policy analyst for Coalition for the Homeless, talks about why this happened and what comes next for unhoused people here in the city.

Julia Preston, contributing writer for The Marshall Project, joins to discuss the latest in immigration news, including if and when President Biden might put a reversal to President Trump's deportation orders.

In recently released leaked audio, ESPN broadcaster Rachel Nichols implied that Maria Taylor was chosen for the job because she is Black and the network was “feeling pressure” about its “crappy longtime record on diversity.” Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times deputy Sports editor, joins to break down the situation and provide insight on what it's like to be a BIPOC woman covering sports. Plus, listeners call in to tell us their similar workplace experiences and why diversity in the workplace is important.   Read her article here.

If all goes well, the IRS will start depositing monthly payments this week into the bank accounts of millions of American families with children. Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post and author of the new book What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits (Mariner Books, 2021), breaks down what you need to know about the new monthly child tax credit payments and takes your questions.

Sam Schwartz, aka Gridlock Sam at the Daily News, former NYC Traffic Commissioner, president and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering, a transportation planning and engineering firm, and author of No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future (Public Affairs, 2018), discusses a new report which shows that New York City had the worst traffic in the country this past year and discusses the future of gridlock in the City.