The Brian Lehrer Show

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 books, including OK Boomer, Let's Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2020),  and Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center and a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explain what's behind the decline, the current Republican and far-right conservative policy plans to try and reverse those trends and what actually works to incentivize a growing population. Alex Mayyasi, a longtime contributor to Planet Money and the author of Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (W. W. Norton & Company, 2026), and Mary Childs, a co-host of NPR's Planet Money, offers insight into making decisions on getting and spending money and why markets work the way they do. Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's TED Radio Hour and author of Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being (Flatiron, 2026), talks about the impact on our bodies of our interactions with our phones and other tech -- and how to stay healthy and stay connected. Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families and the author of The Way We Never Were; Marriage, a History; and now, For Better and Worse: The Complicated Past and Challenging Future of Marriage (Viking, May 26, 2026), offers historical context for the institution of marriage and examines the attitudes and policies that can strengthen it. Martha Nussbaum, professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago and the author of The Republic of Love: Opera & Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2026), offers her analysis of opera as an arm of the Enlightenment, from Mozart to today.   These interviews were lightly polished up and edited for time, the original versions are available here: Why U.S. Birth Rates Are Dropping Planet Money: The Book Our Bodies & Our Tech Marriage in Context Opera and Democracy   Photo: Labor Day weekend crowds at Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York, September 2020. (Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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) /     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners call in to try their hand at a 2026 World Cup quiz. Photo: Crowd in sports stadium - stock photo via Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, talks about the Legionnaires' outbreak on the Upper East Side, including what the city is doing and what residents in the area should know. Photo: Townhouses along East 81st Street in the Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City - stock photo via Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about three bills Governor Mikie Sherrill signed to try to control utility costs for ratepayers, which have spiked recently as the state is struggling with demands on its grid from data centers. Photo: EAST BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 04: New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) delivers remarks at her election night watch party at the Hilton East Brunswick Hotel on November 4, 2025 in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Sherrill defeated Republican assembly member Jack Ciattarelli in a tightly contested race for New Jersey governor. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

US Representative Tom Suozzi (D NY3) talks about national politics and his call for Democrats to embrace patriotism and defend capitalism in the wake of DSA victories. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) speaks with members of the media outside the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Four Republicans Representatives join Democrats to sign a petition forcing a vote on legislation that will extend premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rosa Goldensohn, contributing writer at The City Reporter, discusses her story on the large number of New Yorkers scammed out of SNAP benefits and the state's failure to address the issue. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 13: A grocery store stands along a street in Brooklyn on July 13, 2026 in New York City. The Urban Institute released new data that found more Americans using credit cards and other means to cover their grocery bills as food prices continue to rise, along with other necessities. The study found that a cumulative 32% increase in food costs over the last five years has forced more than one in four working-age Americans into credit card debt to cover their grocery bills. According to the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for "food at home" - the cost of groceries - increased by 2.7% between May, 2025 and May, 2026. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This past Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly of an aortic dissection. Dr. Adham Elmously, an attending surgeon in the Section of Adult Cardiac Surgery at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, explains who is at risk, how to monitor for the condition and what symptoms to look out for. Photo: US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) arrives to attend a meeting by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to brief Senators on US military action in Iran, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on March 3, 2026. The United States hit hundreds of targets across Iran, and Israel expanded its bombing to Lebanon on Monday as President Donald Trump vowed to avenge the first US deaths in the war he launched to topple Tehran's ruling clerics. Iranian forces fired missiles and drones across the Middle East, killing people in Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in retaliation for the conflict that began February 28 with the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brock Colyar, a features writer at New York Magazine, talks about their cover story this week on NYC's "line culture" and how it's evolved. Photo: People wait in line to purchase the new Apple iPhone 3G outside of the Apple Store, Soho on July 11, 2008 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D-5, Upper East Side) talks about the latest news from City Council and takes calls from listeners. Photo:  Speaker Julie Menin speaking at a rally for Hands Off NYC (Photo courtesy of New York City Council) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elana Schor, senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news, including the U.S. strikes on Iran which hit more than 170 Iranian military targets on Tuesday and Wednesday and what comes next. Photo: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to members of the media as the Trump Cabinet briefs members of Congress on Iran at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ann Larson, a fellow with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register (One Signal/Atria, 2026), talks about what she learned about the economy and workers when she went from reporting on low-wage work to taking a job during the pandemic at a local supermarket. Photo: People shop near 'Sale' signs in the meats section of a grocery store on July 7, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners talk about their teens' summer jobs, the value of those jobs, and the current state of the summer youth employment market. Photo: Teenage workers man the cash register at Apponaug Village Creamery in Warwick, RI, on May 28, 2025. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them. Elie Mystal, justice correspondent at the Nation, assesses the Supreme Court's term (First) | Atlantic staff writer Rose Horowitch considers the question: are we in a 'postliterate' age? (Starts at 49:05) | The many insects of NYC (Starts at 1:17:25) If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S Representative (D NY 6) Grace Meng talks about her primary victory, the state of the Democratic party and where birthright citizenship stands after the Supreme Court ruled to preserve it last month. Photo: UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 3: Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., attends a "Women For Suozzi Rally," for former Rep. Tom Suozzi, Democratic candidate for New York's 3rd Congressional District, in Port Washington, N.Y., on Saturday, February 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo discuss the chapter's sweeping victories in last month's primary elections, their implications for the future, and their reflections on Mayor Zohran Mamdani's tenure so far. Photo: Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during the "Our Team, Our Year" Get Out The Vote (GOTV) rally at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on June 18, 2026. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Noah Shachtman, contributing editor at WIRED and contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, discusses his investigation into how Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan has surveilled his arenas and compiled databases of high-profile guests, allegedly tracking a trans woman, lawyers and protesters. Photo: NEW YORK, NY - June 30: General views around Madison Square Garden on June 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Andrea Renault/Star Max/GC Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As part of the yearlong series "Wild NYC," Marielle Anzelone, urban botanist and ecologist and the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, and Jessica Ware, entomologist and division chair of Invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History and co-founder of Entomologists of Color, talk about the moths, beetles, flies, and butterflies living around us and their role in making the ecosystem work. Photo: Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata), a striking damselfly species native to New York City. (Photo by Marielle Anzelone) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ilan Stavans, publisher of Restless Books, professor of humanities and Latin American and Latino culture at Amherst College and the author of A Nation Wrestles with God: American Prophets, Philosophers, and Firebrands (Restless Books, 2026), talks about the broad spectrum of American religious thought, from Cotton Mather to Lana Del Rey. Photo: KEYSTONE, SOUTH DAKOTA - JULY 03: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 03, 2026 in Keystone, South Dakota. Trump is holding a rally and fireworks show at Mount Rushmore, kicking off a weekend of 250th Independence Day celebrations across the country. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Post-COVID, New York state and city officials have enacted a range of measures and tax breaks to speed up the conversion of old office buildings into new apartment complexes. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist discusses the latest, including an extreme structural failure that recently happened at Pfizer's former headquarters in Midtown. Plus, Peter Varsalona, principal and building design group team leader at RAND Engineering & Architecture, talks about office-to-residential conversions, additions to existing buildings and the engineering considerations involved.   Photo: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani briefs the media with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Emergency Management Department (NYCEM) officials on a Structurally Compromised Midtown Building on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the NATO summit is underway, Drew Hinshaw, senior reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Joe Parkinson, chief, world enterprise team at The Wall Street Journal, share their reporting on the changing relationship between Europe and the USA under President Trump, especially in light of complications from the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Photo: ANKARA, TURKIYE - JULY 8: U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit pose for a family photo at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Binnur Ege Gurun Kocak/Anadolu via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NPR recently reported on a University of Michigan study that found that more than half of parents track their young adult children's locations. Listeners call in to share whether they do this or not, and if they do, if they think the benefits outweigh the potential costs. Photo: Australia, Queensland, Brisbane Central Business District, Ann Street Asian girl daughter man father woman mother family smartphone ignoring each other absorbed in. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Astead Herndon, host and editorial director at Vox, talks about the state of the midterm elections, including the fallout in Maine after an ex-girlfriend accused Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of rape, a tight senate race in Michigan and more. Photo: BLUE HILL, MAINE - JUNE 9: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his Primary Election event on June 9, 2026 in Blue Hill, Maine. Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee and will face incumbent Sen. Collins (R-ME) for Maine's U.S. Senate seat in the general election. (Photo by CJ Gunther/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Lange, New York City based writer, researcher, strategist, and political organizer, digs into the demographics of who voted for the DSA candidates in New York City's June primary, both for Congress and for state legislative offices, and what it tells us about political power in New York. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Congressional candidate Claire Valdez speaks during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at Kings 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)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the number of adults who report reading books has declined, Rose Horowitch, staff writer for The Atlantic, argues that we're living in a "post-literate world" and talks about what that means for society. Photo: 28 April 2023, Saxony, Leipzig: Visitors to the Leipzig Book Fair get an overview of the book offerings at the Penguin Random House publishing group's booth. At the spring meeting of the book industry, some 2,000 exhibitors from 40 countries present their new book products. Austria will be the book fair's guest country. Photo: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa (Photo by Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Julia Moskin, food correspondent for The New York Times, breaks down her deep dive into how global production of berries has tripled since 2000, becoming the fastest-growing category in American produce, and how that consumer demand is being met by farmers and distributors. Photo: 06 July 2026, Brandenburg, Beelitz: Blueberries are available for pick-your-own at the Jakobs-Hof in Beelitz during an event announcing the start of the 2026 blueberry season in Brandenburg. Photo: Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation magazine and bestselling author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, 2025), looks back at the recently concluded Supreme Court term. Photo: This photo taken on June 30, 2026 shows the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order denying birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants or temporary residents, upholding birthright citizenship. (Photo by Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about the DSA's evolving relationship to the Green New Deal and climate policy in general, as its members keep winning elections in big cities. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 21: U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks to members of the media as she arrives for the last votes of the week at the U.S. Capitol Building on May 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives has concluded its final votes before the Memorial Day recess. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mason Williams, historian and associate professor at Williams College, and the author of City of Fortune: Inequality and the Making of Contemporary New York (W.W. Norton, 2026), argues that New York's recovery from the 1970s fiscal crisis ushered in an era of deepening inequality. Photo: Pedestrians on the sidewalk pass jewelry stores (Midtown Jewelers and Diamond Center) on West 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, March 1979. (Photo by Peter Keegan/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inspired by Matthew Vines' op-ed in The New York Times titled "I'm Gay, Not Queer. It Matters," LGBTQ listeners share why they identify with the label "queer" and talk about their relationship to the term. Photo: TOPSHOT - Parade-goers make their way down 5th Avenue during the NYC Pride March on June 25, 2017. The NYC Pride March celebrates its 48th annual parade . / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History (HarperCollins, 2026) talks about the latest national political news, including how the America 250 celebrations went down in Washington, DC, as listeners share how they are feeling about the country today. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 1: People ride the Freedom 250 Ferris at The Great American State Fair on the National Mall with the Washington Monument in background as the sun sets during a record-setting heat wave in the region on July 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. Temperatures are expected to touch 100 degrees Fahrenheit over the next few days as celebrations for America's 250th birthday continue. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica Gould, education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the trade-offs facing one school as it seeks to comply with the lower class-size mandates, and how that will play out across the city. Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Principal Alice Hom surveys one of the classrooms at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 in preparation for the upcoming start of school on September 02, 2021 in New York City. All NYC public school students will return to in-person classes this month for the 2021-2022 school year, except for when COVID-positive kids must quarantine at home. Surveillance testing will be conducted every other week in each school building and will randomly test 10 percent of all students whose parents have consented. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dave Isay, founder and president of StoryCorps, talks about the new StoryCorps and NPR Morning Edition project called Connect250, where Americans from different parts of the country will speak to each other for a time capsule of this moment in time. Photo: A young and elderly farmer chatting on the field at sunset - stock photo Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After US striker Folarin Balogun was set to miss tonight's game against Belgium because of a red card in last week's game, President Trump called the head of FIFA to intervene and the suspension was suspended. Listeners call in to talk about the play, whether the initial red card was just and what they think of the president's move. Photo: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JULY 1:Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, United States. (Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the nation's 250th birthday, some 'Independence-minded' favorites: Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, co-directors (with David Schmidt) of "The American Revolution," talk about their 12-part docuseries for PBS on the nation's founding. Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and the author of American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (Random House, 2026), puts today's political conflicts in the historical context of tensions going back to the country's founding. Edward Larson, chaired professor of history and law at Pepperdine University and the author of Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (W. W. Norton & Company, 2025), talks about the change in thinking 250 years ago in the American colonies from British subjects protesting the crown to revolution. A. J. Jacobs, NPR contributor, essayist, and the author of The Year of Living Biblically, The Know-It-All, It's All Relative and The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning (Crown, 2024), offers his take on "originalism" by living like a "founding father" - tricorn hat and all.   These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here: Ken Burns on The American Revolution (October 31, 2025) American Conflicts: As It Ever Was (February 16, 2026) 1776's No Kings (November 24, 2025) A.J. Jacobs Lives Originalism (May 8, 2024)   image: This is a high-resolution image of the United States Declaration of Independence . This image is a version of the 1823 William Stone facsimile — Stone may well have used a wet pressing process (that removed ink from the original document onto a contact sheet for the purpose of making the engraving). (original: w:Second Continental Congress; reproduction: William Stone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Uberti, a reporter covering the intersection of financial markets and the economy for The Wall Street Journal, discusses Trump's 2025 financial disclosures, focusing on the more than $1 billion he made from his crypto businesses. Photo: Representation of cryptocracy coins with the $Trump meme coin and bitcoin falls roughly 33% since the start of 2026 after months of gains following the 2024 U.S. election. Seen in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Sol Warren, New Jersey reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about the latest from New Jersey, including the new state budget and Rep. Kean Jr's return to the public stage. Photo: WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 30: U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ) (C) arrives at the U.S. Capitol with his wife Rhonda Kean (R) on June 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sarah Pearsall, professor in the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University and the author of Freedom Round the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution (Doubleday, 2026), draws on the ideals in the Declaration of Independence to examine the global revolutionary spirit of 1776. Photo: 1776, Bonne Map of Louisiana and the British Colonies in North America, Rigobert Bonne 1727 – 1794, one of the most important cartographers of the late 18th century. (Photo by: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hannah Frishberg, WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture reporter, rounds up a slate of festive events to celebrate America's 250th Anniversary this July 4 weekend. Photo: People watch as fireworks light up the Manhattan skyline during the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks celebration on the East River at Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 4, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis / AFP) (Photo by ANGELINA KATSANIS/AFP via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Byford, special advisor to the Amtrak Board of Directors for the Penn Station Transformation and former New York City Transit president, talks about the latest effort to renovate Penn Station. Photo: Exterior view of the renovated Amtrak 7th Avenue and 32nd Street Penn Station ADA Entrance in New York on November 19, 2023. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, reports on the budget deal reached by the mayor and city council. Photo: Handshake agreement on a balanced $125.8 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Finance Chair Linda Lee, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget Sherif Soliman and members of the City Council today announce a handshake agreement on a balanced $125.8 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget. City Hall. Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thomas Wermuth, co-founder and director of the Hudson River Valley Institute, chair of Hudson River Valley History at Marist University and Iris De Rode , a Dutch historian specializing in the American Revolution, share some of the untold stories of New York's role in the American Revolution and discuss their book Fire & Freedom: American Revolution in New York (Cornell University Press, 2026). Photo: An officer oversees the U.S. Army military retreat to New York after the Battle of Long Island in 1776, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). This painting dates to 1899. (Photo by: Ivy Close Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical, and Nina Nazionale, director of library curatorial affairs and research at The New York Historical, talk about new information researchers discovered about a rare printing of the Declaration of Independence that is now on display at the museum. Photo: In Congress, July 4, 1776. : A declaration by the representatives of the United States of America, in general Congress assembled, United States. Continental Congress, 1776. (Photo by Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, The New York Historical) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that the Trump administration could end Temporary Protective Status for Haitians and Syrians. Jessica Bansal, TPS counsel for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and the National TPS Alliance talks about what lies ahead for TPS recipients, which includes people from countries other than Haiti and Syria as well, and Macollvie Neel, special projects editor at The Haitian Times, discusses what the Supreme Court decision means for New York City's Haitian community. Photo: UNITED STATES - APRIL 29: Temporary Protected Status holders along with union leaders and advocates rally as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Mullin v. Doe on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The case will determine whether the Trump Administration may terminate the TPS designations. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.