Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

With AI technology and its accompanying data centers taking up some of the spotlight as a midterm issue, we look at how it's playing out in a key house race. On Today's Show: Timmy Facciola , founder of the local news outlet Judge Street Journal, which focuses on New York politics, unpacks Mike Lawler and Cait Conley's positions on AI and data centers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the DSA and other ideologies on the political left begin to gain footholds in elected offices including NYC's mayoralty, we look at what 'socialism' really is, in practice. On Today's Show: Bhaskar Sunkara , president of The Nation , founding editor of Jacobin , publisher of Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy , former vice-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America and the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality (Basic Books, updated 2026) and co-author of The Blueprint: How Socialism Can Work in the Real World (Verso, 2026), talks about today's socialism and its response to today's issues. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With affordability as a central political issue this midterm season, how are candidates in a key New Jersey race addressing it? On Today's Show: Timmy Facciola , founder of the local politics news outlet Judge Street Journal, talks about several 'pocketbook issues' that came up in the debate between U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler and his Democratic challenger Cait Conley, including energy, tariffs, and housing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The free market supposedly sets fair prices based on supply and demand. How are algorithmic pricing models helping profiteers charge more for the same? On Today's Show: Lindsay Owens , president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative and the author of Gouged: The End of a Fair Price–and What That Means for Your Wallet (Viking, 2026), talks about the proliferation of "junk fees" and the hidden risks of loyalty programs, plus the use of data and algorithms to hike prices. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With right wing voices taking aim at transgender athletes, who they say create unfairness in women's sports, a look at the Trump administration's cuts to Title IX enforcement. On Today's Show: Maggie Mertens, journalist, author of Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women (Algonquin, 2024) and host of "The Forecast: Seattle’s Weekly Women’s Sports Show" on KVRU 105.7FM, talks about her Slate article on the Trump administration's stated goal of "protecting" women's sports, while cutting the staff at the Department of Education that would investigate violations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The national discussion about sexual assault on campus has been revived in the wake of a scandal at Cornell. On Today's Show: Alexandra Brodsky , civil rights lawyer and author of Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash (Henry Holt 2021), unpacks a recent lawsuit against Cornell University accusing the administration of negligence in their investigation and handling of a reported gang rape Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With a host of geopolitical issues including military conflicts, trade wars and more, a look at the legacy of outgoing UN Sec. Gen. António Guterres. On Today's Show: David Gelles , reporter on The New York Times climate team who leads The Times’ 'Climate Forward' newsletter and events series, talks about Guterres' efforts to achieve results in combating climate change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Longstanding discussions about gun control in the US and the 2nd Amendment may be missing some of the important pieces of the conversation. On Today's Show: Malcolm Gladwell , host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of several books, including his latest, The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic (Little, Brown and Company, 2026), asks why the U.S. suffers from higher rates of gun violence than any other wealthy country. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a big week for international politics, we look at one of the key geopolitical relationships of our era. On Today's Show: Ishaan Tharoor, global affairs columnist at The New Yorker and Edward Murrow Press Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, talks about this week's UN General Assembly, the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jingping and President Trump's take on globalism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For today's policy deep-dive ahead of the midterms, we look at the redrawing of electoral district lines, gerrymandering and fair representation. On Today's Show: Dan Vicuña , senior director of voting rights and redistricting at Center for Inclusive Democracy, discusses how this year's redistricting efforts may make the midterms elections less representative, and what each party is arguing with respect to redistricting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Focus groups are often a good way to pair political opinions with voters' identity and demographics in ways that polling can't. On Today's Show: Sarah Longwell , political strategist, CEO and publisher of The Bulwark, host of The Focus Group podcast and the author of How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), talks about what she's learned from focus groups on building an opposition to MAGA Republicans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This midterm year, several candidates have included a version of "Medicare for All" in their campaigns. On Today's Show: Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about how health care policy is playing out in the midterm elections, including which Senate candidates are running on "Medicare for all," and which candidates have different approaches. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, the United Nations General Assembly gavels into session as numerous conflicts around the world draw international attention. On Today's Show: Mark Leon Goldberg , editor-in-chief and publisher of UN Dispatch and host of the podcast "Global Dispatches," previews the UNGA as world leaders gather at the United Nations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show: Shefali Luthra , reproductive health reporter at The 19th, breaks down a lawsuit against Texas AG Ken Paxton, which claims a state abortion ban led to a woman's death. Then, we look at the rising numbers of pregnancy-related deaths in states with similar bans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new article argues that the Trump administration's foreign policy approaches are more about enriching officials than national security or prosperity. On Today's Show: Anne Applebaum , staff writer at The Atlantic , historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), shares her reporting on how influential figures in MAGA world, including private citizens looking for personal gain, and others peddling anti-Democratic values, have become the primary way the U.S. does foreign policy, and are realigning the world order. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a midterm year, many in the political sphere have ideas about the direction of their party. On Today's Show: Adam Jentleson, former chief of staff to Senator John Fetterman and a former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid and the author of Supermajority: How Democrats Can Build Lasting Power (WW Norton, 2026), argues Democrats need a supermajority in Congress and offers advice for achieving it, and suggestions for what legislation to enact if it's achieved. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A recent essay from a leader in the AI industry raised concerns about the threats that this technology poses to humanity. On Today's Show: Will Oremus , staff writer at The Atlantic , discusses the uproar over the warnings of potential threats to humanity from unregulated AI, then Andrew Prokop , senior politics correspondent at Vox, talks about possible government actions to prevent disaster from the purposeful or inadvertent consequences of AI harm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the Republican National Convention, have the political conditions in battleground midterm states changed? On Today's Show: Stephen Fowler , political reporter with NPR's Washington desk, and Lisa Lerer , national political reporter for The New York Times , talk about the politics of the midterm elections, after Republicans held a convention. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The September 11th, 2001 terror attacks were an inflection point for New York, and for the United States. On Today's Show: Hillary Rodham Clinton , former U.S. Senator (D-NY, 2001-2009), First Lady, Secretary of State and the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party (2016), reflects on what's been learned in the 25 years since 9/11. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Disaster response around the world can draw on the lessons of 9/11. On Today's Show: Joseph Pfeifer , retired FDNY assistant chief, founding director of the FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, and the author of Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11 (Portfolio, HC 2021, PB 2026), talks about the lessons learned from the 9/11 response, and the heroes who stepped up that day and after. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.