WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show

Open Phones: Remembering a Friend

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:20:44 -0400

To tie together some strands we've been following this week on obituaries, friendship, and the start of the Memorial Day holiday, we'll take your calls about a friend you've lost and how you mark their passing and the impact they had on you. Call us at 212-433-WNYC (9692) to commemorate a friend.

Coast Check Pre-Memorial Day

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:04:35 -0400

Janet Babin, WNYC reporter, has been making her way up the coast from Cape May to Montauk to see how the coastline is doing ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

The Next Phase in the War on Terror

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:23 -0400

Justin Vogt, senior editor for Foreign Affairs, and Jess Bravin, Supreme Court correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The Terror Courts: Rough Justice at Guantanamo Bay (Yale University Press, 2013), offer analysis of President Obama's speech on national security and counter-terrorism.

Top Gun: Air Force Fighter Pilot

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:25:08 -0400

Lt. Col. Dan Hampton, F-16 fighter pilot and now author of Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat(William Morrow, 2013) talks about his career as a decorated U.S. fighter pilot, and what the new age of drone-warfare means for pilots like him.

New York Aquarium Partially Reopens

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The New York Aquarium partially re-opens tomorrow. Jon Dohlin, director of the New York Aquarium, talks about what to expect and how the aquarium has recovered after damage from Sandy, plus how they'll prepare for the next storm.

Hate Crimes in the Village

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Kai Wright, editorial director of Colorlines, Nation contributor and author of Drifting Toward Love: Black, Brown, Gay, and Coming of Age on the Streets of New York (Beacon Press, 2009) talks about the spate of anti-gay violence in the West Village, considered the home of the gay rights movement.

Coast Check; Hate Crimes; War on Terror; NY Aquarium

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

WNYC's Janet Babin has been making her way from Cape May to Montauk checking in on the coast before of the Memorial Day weekend. She joins us from the road to report back on the post-Sandy coastline. Plus: Colorlines' Kai Wright discusses the recent hate crimes in New York; a fighter jet pilot discusses modern warfare; analysis of President Obama's speech yesterday about counter-terrorism and national security; and an update from the New York Aquarium.

Cyberwar

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:15:45 -0400

David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent at the New York Times, and the author of (now in paperback) Confront and Conceal: Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power (Broadway, 2013) talks about the use of cyberattacks in the conflict with Iran.

Excerpt: David Sanger's Confront and Conceal

Sanger Chapter 1 (PDF)Sanger Chapter 1 (Text)

Legal Weed: Economics

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:14:50 -0400

A May series on marijuana continues with the economics of the drug. Mark Kleiman professor of public policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, marijuana legalization consultant for Washington State, and co-author of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know [Oxford University Press], talks about the supply and demand side of legalizing marijuana, including what it means for geopolitics and patents and taxes.

Anthony Weiner: Candidate for Mayor

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:06:40 -0400

The New York City mayor's race just got another high-profile entrant. Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner discusses his bid for mayor and his plan for New York City.

Open Phones: Making Mid-Life Friends

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:56:16 -0400

Yesterday we heard about the "State of Friendship 2013" -- and the "mid-life friendship slump" for people in their 30s through 60s. Have you made a friend in the middle years? Call in 212-433-9692!

Airbnb Legal Questions

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:38:06 -0400

Ilya Marritz , WNYC reporter, discusses a recent case where an Airbnb host had to pay a $2400 fine for renting his apartment through Airbnb.

Ramapo School Board Vote

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:39:43 -0400

With conflict deepening and public school classes already being slashed, voters in East Ramapo rejected a school budget yesterday, one of the few districts in New York State to do so. We'll get the latest on the school board vote from Mareesa Nicosia, reporter at The Journal News.

Anthony Weiner; Cyberwarfare; Economics of Weed; Airbnb

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has announced he's running for mayor. He'll lay out his vision for the city. Plus: New York Times chief Washington correspondent, David Sanger, discusses cyberwarfare; the economics of pot; and WNYC's Ilya Marritz discusses the case of the man who was fined $2,400 for renting his apartment on Airbnb--and what it could mean for your summer rental plans.

Cost of Mammograms: Our Findings

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:10:05 -0400

The Brian Lehrer Show and Clear Health Costs partnered to bring transparency to health costs by asking you to report on the price of your last routine mammogram. Jeanne Pinder, founder and CEO of Clear Health Costs, discusses the data we've collected and what it tells us.

Below: Initial results from our data set. WNYC and Clear Health Costs will continue to report more in-depth findings over the next few weeks.

Obituary of the Day: Bernard Waber

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:21:18 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor, Bill McDonald, discusses one person's life featured on today's obit page. Today's person: Bernard Waber, the children's-book author and illustrator.

From the Obituary of Bernard Waber

Mr. Waber introduced Lyle to readers in 1962 in “The House on East 88th Street,” in which Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Primm and their young son, Joshua, are startled — and eventually smitten — when they find a young crocodile in the bathroom of their new house. They take the animal in and, for the next four decades, Lyle would take readers on adventures filled with life lessons on acceptance, inclusion and the importance of enjoying the journey. The covers of the books sometimes suggested they were best suited for ages 4 to 8, but Mr. Waber’s understated wit appealed to plenty of parents.

-- Read the full obituary here.

The obituary for physicist Heinrich Rohrer who "helped open the door to nanotechnology" is also featured today. His invention was used to make the world's tiniest stop-action film, "A Boy and His Atom":

Senator Olympia Snowe on Bipartisan Progress

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:08:30 -0400

Former Senator (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe, talks about her recommendations for bridging the partisan divide in Washington and what she learned during her time in office. She is the author now of Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress .

Excerpt: Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress

Introduction

When I announced I would not run for reelection to the Senate in February 2012, many people asked me the same question: Was I relieved? The implication was that I was weary of the increasing bickering of recent Congresses and that I was worn down by it.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve never backed down from a fight and I relish a good debate.

Some of these same well-wishers went on to express the hope that I would finally be able to relax.

No chance.

I have no intention of retiring. I love to work as much as ever.

But the Senate, as well as the, whose term ended in January 2013, was no longer a legislative body where the key issues facing the country could be resolved. I decided not to seek reelection only when I came to the sad conclusion that I could more effectively serve my country from outside the Senate than from within.

What motivated me to dedicate myself to public service for nearly two-thirds of my life was the chance to produce results for those people who entrusted me to be their voice and their champion. I found it exceedingly frustrating that an atmosphere of polarization and my-way-or-the-highway ideologies had become pervasive in our governing institutions, compromising our ability to solve problems at what was a time of monumental challenge for our nation.

The Senate as a whole simply was not doing the job granted to it under the Constitution. The Founding Fathers gave individual senators considerable power and influence, yet we were unable to offer solutions to problems on the floor of the Senate because we were prevented from proposing amendments. Few bills even reached the floor, and when they did, debate was frequently stifled or curtailed by overuse of the filibuster and other procedural gymnastics. Senate committees traditionally prepare bills that can and should be thoroughly talked through in debate, but in recent years that work has been bypassed. All too frequently, a bill was drafted behind closed doors and reported to the floor, then a quick up-and-down vote was forced on the entire proposal.

It was a stunning measure of our dysfunction that we were unable to pass a federal budget. After 2009, the last year in which a budget became law, the legislative branch failed year after year to fulfill basic functions. And year after year, Congress could only enact temporary provisions to keep the country running, let althe work essential to the nation’s long-term economic health like regulatory reform, changes to the creaking tax code, and reducing our crippling deficits and debt. How could we ever hope to balance a budget if we were never even able to pass one?

At the same time, our more extreme and more ideologically driven. Fair-minded legislators were reluctant to reach out across the aisle lest they bring on an intra-party challenge like the ones faced by Senator Bob Bennett in Utah, Senator Lisa Murkowski in Alaska, and Congressman Mike Castle in Delaware when he ran for the Senate.

Outstanding colleagues have had their distinguished careers derailed by a tightly organized subgroup within the main Republican Party that is more interested in taking down individuals with whom they don’t agree than in electing representatives who will find bipartisan legislative solutions to America’s problems.

Democrats were not immune to the new political reality. In, unions spent an estimated trying to defeat Senator Blanche Lincoln. She narrowly survived a primary run-off with Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter, but was defeated in the general election. I served with Blanche on the Senate Finance Committee and saw firsthand her tenacious commitment to her state.

Democrats even turned on a former vice presidential nominee when in 2006, Joe Lieberman lost a primary in Connecticut to a more liberal candidate, Ned Lamont, only to run and win as an independent. Joe had built a distinguished record on national security, but was viewed as too conservative and too close to then-President Bush. These were both instances of outstanding public servants being targeted by their own party.

As the same take-it-or-leave-it divisions have been echoed in the media, more and more constituents told me they simply no longer watched the news. I understand why so many Americans are fed up with government. Thealmost universally derided as the worst ever. It was the most polarized body since the end of Reconstruction, according to , and I grew embarrassed by its partisan bickering, inactivity, and refusal to address the vital challenges facing America. Our job approval ratings were deservedly terrible—in some surveys the percentage of Americans who approved of the Congress’s performance plummeted into historically low single digits.

When someTom Coburn (R-OK) inat a, he replied, “I want to know who those.” Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) published a chart that showed that our popularity was on a par with that of Hugo Chavez and significantly less than perennial favorites like bankers, lawyers, and the Internal Revenue Service.

I’m not a person who tends to rhapsodize about the past and how things used to be better, but I know enough Senate history to understand that thetypical. Earlier in my own career, and throughout its history, the Senate has transcended its divisions, risen to the occasion as an institution, and earned its status as the “world’s greatest deliberative body,” a description that in recent times is of.

Senate’s rebuttal of President Franklin Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court with sympathetic justices in 1937. FDR took it for granted that the loyal Senate, controlled by his vice president, John Garner, would rubber-stamp his legislation that was designed to thwart any Supreme Court challenge to New Deal legislation. Instead, individual senators did what the Constitution mandated them to do and stood up to the President, and the deliberative body did what it was allowed to do when it conducted unlimited debate, both in Judiciary Committee hearings and on the floor of the Senate. Several senators made impassioned speeches in favor of judicial independence, including Josiah Bailey of North Carolina, whose powerful oratory changed other senators’ minds. Seduced by his own overwhelming popularity, Roosevelt overplayed his hand and was ultimately thwarted by a bipartisan coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats.

Historian Robert Caro describes this episode in Master of the Senate, part biography of Lyndon Johnson. In 2005, Harry Reid drew the passage to my attention when he sent me a photocopy of it, along with a handwritit reminded him of me. It is the kind of friendly and collegial gesture that senators ofother.

Harry’s note coincided with a systematic Democratic filibuster of President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees, which was a corrosive force in the Senate. The Republican Majority Leader sought to break the logjam by exercising the so-called nuclear option, by which a “cloture” motion to end a filibuster could be passed by a simple majority rather than a sixty-vote threshold.

A cloture motion ends debate at once and moves the issue straight to a vote. Making this process easier was perceived by many, myself included, to be a severe diminution of the rights of the minority. Fourteen like-minded legislators, Democrats—we were known as the “Gang of 14”—came together in a bipartisan spirit to forestall the nuclear option by agreeing we would support a filibuster of judicial nominees under “extraordinary circumstances.” The agreement was the very manifestation of consensus-building and the power of trust. It is not always the rules that require changing but rather how we use them.

When I departed the Senate in 2013, its landscape not only was very different from what it was in 1937, but had even changed substantially from 2005. More recently, legislative outcomes are of, and positions have usually solidified along party lines before a bill even reaches the Senate floor. Today, people rarely rush from Senate offices and cloakrooms to the floor and the galleries to hear a consequential speech. We might take solace from the fact that it wasn’t always like this in Congress, nor does it have to be this way in the future. I came to Washington inan impact (when I became a member of the House that year, I joined a cross-party women’s caucus whose work yielded real practical results), and possessed of the same spirit, I intend to continue this effort now on another stage.

The bottom line is that Congress retains the same potential intime in its history. But it requires hard work to realize that potential, and legislators have to grapple with the major questions by working with the President, with the other side, and with members of their own party with whom they might disagree. In recent years, the in monolithic opposition; senators collaborate less; they hold separate conferences and caucuses and they meet less ofthan in the past.

The Senate’s path out of dysfunction leads through increased bipartisanship and cross-party consensus-building. With the same spirit as before, only now working outside Congress, I’ll maintain my fight for these improvements and lend my voice and experience as a consensus-builder and act as a catalyst for change. It is imperative we make certain there is a real political benefit and reward to be gained for bipartisanship so we can break what has become the equivalent of the parliamentary gridlock in Congress.

In January 2013, I concluded of service in public office, in the Maine House and Senate and in the United States House and Senate. I know what we have to do to fix Washington, beginning with a call to action to empower the millions of Americans who believe that bipartisanship offers the best way forward at this tipping point for America. Through the power of social media we must mobilize from the grassroots upward to send an unmistakable message to our lawmakers that there is popular support for seeking common ground rather than destructive divisiveness.

Polls in earlywanted their legislators to compromise, but with the parties’ deep divisions, and without a receptivity to consensus-building, it is virtually impossible to get anything d. Power resides with the people through the ballot box, and we must attract and support candidates of both parties who are committed to pragmatic problem-solving.

In order to help ensure that candidates better reflect the ideological pragmatism of most Americans, we should encourage more states to follow the practice of open primaries. Campaign finance reform, including rolling back Citizens United, is essential to leveling the electoral playing field, and eliminating so-called Leadership PACs would help to abate the perpetual fund-raising our lawmakers are engaged in, which is a major distraction from conducting legislative business. We will also increase the amount of time members of Congress spend in Washington by instituting five-day workweeks at least , instead of the abbreviated Tuesday-to-Thursday legislative schedule. The other week would be reserved for members of Congress to spend time in their states or districts.

I propose in this book a number of procedural and rules changes that would rightly focus Washington on the essence of public service: working for the people our government was formed to serve. mandate that if Congress fails to pass a budget or appropriations bills are not completed, its members don’t get paid—simple as that. We should curtail the ability of Senate leadership to either block or force through legislation without meaningful debate or amendments. The filibuster reforms that were adopted inin the right direction but they were temporary and more must be done. At the same time we can act on the principles that have helped make America economically strong, which is why I believe a balanced budget amendment is an imperative.

As I said at my announcement that I would not seek reelection, by these and other means I will work from outside the Senate to make sure that the institution, and the government of which it is an integral part, do not continue to be crippled by the dysfunction I felt compelled to leave behind in 2013.

The State of American Friendship

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:57:05 -0400

Tim Walker, co-founder of Lifeboat, a new organization that explores the "art and science of friendship," stops by to discuss the findings of their recent "State of Friendship Report."

Senator Olympia Snowe; Cost of Mammograms; State of Friendship

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) says a partisan atmosphere in Washington inspired her not to run for re-election. She talks about her recommendations for moving beyond the divide in Congress and her approach to politics in her new book, Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress. Plus: Jeanne Pinder, founder and CEO of Clear Health Costs, returns to discuss the data on the cost of mammograms collected with WNYC. Then, a report on the “State of Friendship”; and New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald discusses one person’s life featured on today’s obit page.

Khaled Hosseini: And the Mountains Echoed

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:45:37 -0400

Khaled Hosseini a goodwill envoy for UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency) and author of the novel The Kite Runner, talks about his new book, And the Mountains Echoed.

→ Reading Tonight: Khaled Hosseini at Barnes & Noble Union Square | Tonight| More Information

In the studio: Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini discussing his new book And The Mountains Echoed #wnyc twitter.com/BrianLehrer/st…
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 21, 2013

Excerpt: Khaled's Hosseini's And The Mountains Echoed

Approved Excerpt From ATME (PDF)Approved Excerpt From ATME (Text)

Are You Leaning In?

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:41 -0400

Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg book, Lean In, came out ago and inspired another chapter in a national dialogue on women in the workplace. Katherine Goldstein, innovations editor at Slate, talks about her own lean in circle and takes your calls on whether you've started to see the issue differently. Barbara Kass, a listener and therapist, talks about a book group she formed to read the book. And listener Amy talks about what leaning in means in a male-dominated workplace.

Obituary of the Day: Barbara Brenner

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:07:49 -0400

Bill McDonald, New York Times obituaries editor, discusses one life featured on today's obit page. Today: Barbara Brenner, who advocated on behalf of breast cancer victims as head of Breast Cancer Action.

From the Obituary of Barbara Brenner

Ms. Brenner was among the first to question what she called the “pinkwashing” of America: the proliferation of pink ribbons and products carrying labels stating that part of the purchase price would go to breast cancer research. Her group started a campaign, “Think Before You Pink,” urging consumers to look into how much money was donated and where it went.

In posts on her blog, Healthy Barbs, she attacked another breast cancer group, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, for teaming up with KFC to produce pink buckets of chicken. Fried chicken, she said, promotes obesity, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.

Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, called Ms. Brenner “a dear friend,” but added, “I didn’t agree with her, probablytime.”

-- Read the full obituary here.

Is the I.R.S. Vindictive or Overwhelmed?

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:00 -0400

The Cincinatti field office of the IRS targeted Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny -- but did they do so unfairly, or because they were overwhelmed in their efforts to manage applications for tax exempt status? Susan Page, Washington bureau chief at USA Today and Nicholas Confessore, politics reporter for the New York Times covering lobbying and campaign finance discuss the story and the details about how the IRS manages 501(c)(4) "social welfare" groups.

The DoJ vs. Leakers vs. Reporters

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:02:19 -0400

Details continue to emerge about how the Justice Department is investigating leakers and the reporters they collaborate with (including a long report in the Washington Post about Fox's James Rosen). Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker discusses the effect on journalists and the balance between revealing sensitive information and preserving freedom of the press.

Read: DoJ's Application for a Search Warrant of James Rosen's Email

DoJ vs. Reporters; Khaled Hosseini; Are You Leaning In?

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Details continue to emerge about the way the Justice Department is going after leakers and the reporters they work with. The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza discusses the effect on journalism. Then, best-selling author Khaled Hosseini on his latest novel, And the Mountains Echoed, which traces 's journey through the generations and around the world. Plus, New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald on the obituary of the day.

Obituary of the Day: William Fine

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:47:27 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald joins us every day during the drive to discuss one life featured in the obit page. Today: journalist and publisher William M. Fine, who helped shape New York's drug laws.

From the Obituary of William M. Fine

His biggest impact on history resulted from a dinner party conversation with Rockefeller in early 1972, according to Joseph E. Persico, a former Rockefeller aide, in his book “Imperial Rockefeller” (1982).

At that party, Mr. Persico wrote, Mr. Fine told Rockefeller that his son had been a drug addict and that he himself yearned to do something to fight addiction. He was already chairman of Phoenix House, a drug rehabilitation program.

Rockefeller suggested that Mr. Fine visit Japan, where there was very little addiction, and report to him. Rockefeller focused on one aspect of Mr. Fine’s report: Japan’s imposition of life sentences on drug dealers.

Mr. Fine praised the Japanese for being “willing to give up the soapbox movement on human rights in order to rid the public of the evil abuses of drugs.”

-- Read the full obituary here.

Law and Politics

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:53:49 -0400

Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer for The New Yorker, CNN legal analyst, and author of (soon in paperback) The Oath: the Obama White House and the Supreme Court (Anchor, 2013) talks about the stop-and-frisk lawsuit, the IRS vs. 501(c)(4)'s, Eric Holder on the hot seat, and other national legal news.

Yahoo! For Tumblr

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Yahoo agreed to purchase the blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion. Sam Biddle, blogger for Valleywag, explains the site and the purchase. Do you use Tumblr?

What Makes Your Library Special? Nominate it Now!

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The "NYC Neighborhood Library Awards" nomination process gets underway with Charles H. Revson foundation president Julie Sandorf and chairman Reynold Levy. Today through July 1, New Yorkers can share why their NYC branch library should win awards as The Brian Lehrer Show explores the issues facing public libraries today with a range of guests.

→ Fill out the online nomination form here!

(Survey Guidelines)

Tweet #MyLibrary

On The Path to City Hall

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Brigid Bergin, WNYC reporter, talks about the latest in the mayoral race, including campaign finance and talks of whether Anthony Weiner might become an official candidate. Also, Andrew Wolf, contributing editor for The New York Sun, and Editor and Publisher of the Bronx Press Review and Riverdale Review newspapers in Bronx County, talks about his piece urging Anthony Weiner to run and his view that Weiner will add energy to the Democratic ticket for mayor.

Jeffrey Toobin; 2013 Mayoral Race; NYC Library Awards

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker talks about the federal stop and frisk trial and the legal issues raised by the case here in New York City, as well as other national legal news. Then, WNYC’s Brigid Bergin talks about the latest in the mayoral race, including Anthony Weiner’s status. Plus: the launch of the nomination process for the “NYC Neighborhood Library Awards”; and a life featured on today’s New York Times obit page.

Sen. Gillibrand: Military Justice; Food Stamps Cuts; More

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:35:23 -0400

Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Senator (D), talks about her proposed legislation to deal with the crisis on military sexual assault and fighting cuts to food stamps.

.@sengillibrand says recent rise sexual assault in military may mean more incidents, or that spotlight on issue has allowed more to report.
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 17, 2013

Men are victims in more than half of sexual assaults in the military, per @sengillibrand wny.cc/10VBa78
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 17, 2013

Does Sheldon Silver need to go? @sengillibrand doesn't take stance, but says she is "disappointed" + "angry" over handling of Lopez case.
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 17, 2013

Brian: If Hillary Clinton doesn't run for president, any chance of you running in 2016? @sengillibrand: "No. And I think Hillary will run."
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 17, 2013

Obituary of the Day: Geza Vermes

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:12:19 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald joins us every day during the drive to discuss one life featured in the obit page. Today's person is the religious scholar Geza Vermes.

From the Obituary of Geza Vermes

Dr. Vermes had long been frustrated that only a handful of scholars had direct access to the scrolls, and he eventually made his frustrations public. In 1977, he said that their handling was “likely to become the academic scandal par excellence of the 20th century.” More than a decade passed, but the scrolls eventually became more easily accessible in their original form and through photographs.

The scrolls helped deepen Dr. Vermes’s interest in Judaism and in how perceptions of Jesus changed as Christianity spread. He argued that the messianic Jesus worshiped by modern Christians was largely created in the first three centuries after he died. In 1973 he wrote “Jesus the Jew,” the first of several books in which he placed Jesus in the tradition of Jewish teachers.

“When it came out, it sounded like a very provocative title,” Dr. Vermes recalled in 1994 of “Jesus the Jew.” “Today it is commonplace. Everybody knows now that Jesus was a Jew. But in 1973, although people knew that Jesus had something to do with Judaism, they thought that he was really something totally different.”

-- Read the full obituary here.

Context and a TV Show: The Office

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:53:07 -0400

NBC's "The Office" comes to an end. We talk to cultural critic Linda Holmes, culture blogger for NPR's Monkey See, and management expert Tim Sullivan, editor at Harvard Business Review and author of The Org: The Underlying Logic of the Office, about the show's impact.

Screening Room: Some of the Best Office Moments

Joe Nocera on Dow 15,000 and Gun Death 4,000

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:45:12 -0400

Joe Nocera, op-ed columnist at the New York Times and Money Talking contributor, discusses the implications of the Dow hitting 15,000 and his continuing series focusing on gun violence.

Gatsby From Afar

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:24:06 -0400

Evan Osnos, China correspondent for The New Yorker, talks about what international readers and movie-goers learn about the U.S. from The Great Gatsby. LISTENERS: Did you read The Great Gatsby before moving here? Does what it says about American culture still hold true? Call 212-433-9692, or leave a comment here.

Sen. Gillibrand; Joe Nocera; The End of "The Office"; Gatsby Abroad

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. Senator from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, discusses her push for legislation to address the sexual assault crisis in the military. Plus: New York Times op-ed columnist Joe Nocera on the latest out of Washington; analysis of the impact and the end of the show "The Office"; the New Yorker's China correspondent, Evan Osnos, on reading The Great Gatsby abroad; and another installment of the obituary series with Bill McDonald, the obituaries editor of the New York Times.

Obituary of the Day: Thomas M. Messer

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:22:26 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald joins us every day during the drive to discuss one life featured in the obit page. Today: museum director Thomas M. Messer.

→ From the WNYC Archives: Thomas Messer Interviewed on "Views on Art" (1967)

From the Obituary of Thomas M. Messer

"It was due to Tom’s charm, grace, diplomacy and — and this is a point that none of us should ever forget — his love of great art that Peggy gave her collection and palazzo to the Guggenheim and not to the Tate,” Peter Lawson-Johnston, who was the Guggenheim’s president during Mr. Messer’s directorship, said at a celebration of Mr. Messer’s 90th birthday in 2010. He added: “Here we are, three decades later, with Guggenheims in Bilbao, Berlin, Venice, and soon to be Abu Dhabi. The foundation for all this was laid by Tom Messer. And I can tell you, he laid that foundation under budget.”

-- Read the full obituary.

Who's Spying on Whom? Bloomberg, AP and Justice Dept.

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:36:45 -0400

Eric Holder was grilled on Capitol Hill yesterday about Benghazi, prosecuting leakers, and more. Amidst the testimony, he also clarified his position on prosecuting banks. Heidi Moore, finance and economics editor at The Guardian, rounds up some of the latest economic news, from Holder's comments, Bloomberg terminal "snooping," JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon on the hot seat, and what the Justice Department's handling of the AP's phone records means for journalism in general.

Legal Weed: Science of Marijuana

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:46:48 -0400

A May series on marijuana continues with a look at the science of the drug. Mark Kleiman, professor of public policy at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, marijuana legalization consultant for Washington State, and co-author of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press), talks about the science of THC and cannabinoids and their effects on marijuana users.

Cloning for Embryonic Stem Cells

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:32:39 -0400

Arthur Caplan, professor and the director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU School of Medicine, discusses the news that scientists have successfully used cloning to produce human embryonic stem cells--and discusses the ethical issues it raises.

Four Freedoms Park: New York's Newest Monument

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:34:40 -0400

William vanden Heuvel, Chairman of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and head of the board of directors for the Four Freedoms Park, discusses the new monument to FDR on Roosevelt Island's southern tip.

Stem Cell Development; Four Freedoms Park; Science of Weed

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

A group of scientists have successfully created embryonic stem cells from skin cells. Bioethicist Arthur Caplan of NYU explains the development and the questions is raises about human cloning. Plus, The Guardian’s Heidi Moore sorts through two “snooping” stories: Bloomberg’s and the AP’s; our May series on marijuana legalization continues with the science behind the drug and what it means for public policy; the details on the new tribute to FDR on Roosevelt Island; and one person’s life featured on the obit page in the Times today.

Obituary of the Day: Billie Sol Estes

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:56:18 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor, Bill McDonald, discusses one person's life featured on today's obit page. Today: Texas con man Billie Sol Estes.

From the Obituary of Billie Sol Estes

The rise and fall of Billie Sol Estes was one of the sensations of the postwar era: the saga of a good-ol’-boy con man who created a $150 million empire of real and illusory farming enterprises that capitalized on his contacts in Washington and the gullibility and greed of farmers, banks and agriculture businesses.

He was a Bible-thumping preacher who gave barbecues for governors and senators, rode his bike to work in Pecos, Tex., and his airplane to Washington, and was named one of America’s 10 outstanding young men of 1953 by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. Later, autographed photos of John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and others lined his walls.

-- Read the full obituary here.

Mars and Venus at Work

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:17:24 -0400

Author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, John Gray, and workplace gender expert, Barbara Annis, talk about their new book Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots between Men and Women in Business and the likely suspects for gender-based misunderstandings in the workplace.

In the studio, @barbara_annis and John Gray (author of Men are from Mars...) taking gender and the workplace. twitter.com/BrianLehrer/st…
— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) May 15, 2013

Excerpt: Work with Me by Barbara Annis and John Gray

Excerpt Work With Me (PDF)Excerpt Work With Me (Text)

The IRS Scandal, In Context

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:27:39 -0400

The FBI has launched an investigation into IRS agents targeting certain conservative 501(c)(4) groups that had words like "tea party" and "patriot" in their name. Some see a politically-motivated scandal, some see efforts to reign in improper use of the "social welfare" designation. NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley discusses the mounting pressure on the Obama administration and what comes next.

The Impact of the Roberts Court

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:45:27 -0400

Marcia Coyle, chief Washington correspondent for The National Law Journal, frequent guest on the PBS NewsHour, and author of The Roberts Court: The Struggle for the Constitution, looks at the ideological divides on the Supreme Court and how they play out on cases involving guns, health care, corporate "citizenship" and racial preferences.

IRS Scandal; Roberts Court; Gender at Work; Daily Obit

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The White House is on the defensive this week. Hear about the latest on the various controversies in Washington. Plus: Supreme Court watcher Marcia Coyle on her new book The Roberts Court; John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and his co-author Barbara Annis of the new book on gender-based misunderstandings in the workplace; and New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald on the obituary of the day.

Obituary of the Day: Dr. Joyce Brothers

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:38:51 -0400

New York Times obituaries editor, Bill McDonald, discusses one person's life featured on today's obituary page. Today's person is Dr. Joyce Brothers.

JR Inside Out: The Power of Public Street Portraits

WNYC, New York Public Radio — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:04:30 -0400

The artist "JR" is known for his large-scale close-up photo portraits, plastered on walls around the world from Times Square to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Now he's launched "Inside Out," a project that allows participants from around the world to make their own street portraits. JR discusses the project, made possible by the TED prize, and the new documentary about his work, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

→ Screening: Inside Out: The People’s Art Project airs May 20th at 9pm ET/PT on HBO. More Information