The Brian Lehrer Show

School is in full swing, which means many teachers have had to pay out of pocket for classroom supplies. And back-to-school shopping for parents and teachers this year came with the added complication of inflation. On this school holiday, we invite listeners to share how much shopping for school has set them back this year.

The majority of the New York City Council members are new and are part of a class that is the most diverse and progressive in city history. Over the next year Brian Lehrer will get to know all 51 members. This week, Councilmember Shahana Hanif talks about her priorities for District 39, which includes parts of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront in Brooklyn. Catch up with all the interviews here.

Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky and publisher of The Rural Blog and Kentucky Health News, and Caroline Kitchener, national political reporter covering abortion at The Washington Post, discuss how "trigger abortion bans" are playing out across conservative states and how the issue might impact the midterm elections in those states.

Karen DeWitt, Capitol bureau correspondent for New York State Public Radio joins to discuss the current state of abortion in the New York gubernatorial race.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, 2021), talks about the latest news from Washington, including a spending bill that might be held up by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and the upcoming January 6th hearing.

Listeners call in to discuss whether or not they are making their dinner and drinks reservations earlier because of social shifts caused by the pandemic. Restaurant and bar workers weigh in on how the shift in time preferences has affected the service industry.

Dennis Walcott, chair of the New York City Council Redistricting Commission and CEO and president of the Queens Public library system, talks about the revised Council District maps and where the process goes from here.

Abby Wendle, producer at NPR's "Invisibilia" podcast and Cari Sietstra, Director of the Period Pills Project, join with a "thought experiment" on how so-called period pills could offer another option for those who do not wish to be pregnant in a post-Roe USA.

WNYC/Gothamist senior political reporter Brigid Bergin hosts a conversation about how parents' politics are shaped around their kids' futures.

Rep. Tom Malinowski On Schools, Parents And The Direction Of The CountryFirst, what has an incumbent Democrat in New Jersey heard from parents about their policy priorities in schools, and beyond? U.S...

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.

When COVID Gives You 'Brain Fog' (First) | Oxfam America CEO on the UNGA and Climate (Starts at 27:10) | Thanking a Stranger (Starts at 59:20)

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