President Joe Biden gestures as he speaks about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden at the White House, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Washington.

Biden's Executive Actions on Guns; Reimagining Vaccine 'Passports'; Quitting Social Media; Ask the Mayor

The Brian Lehrer Show | Apr 9, 2021

Coming up on today's show: 

  • Champe Barton, reporter at The Trace, a non-profit news site covering gun violence, talks about Pres. Biden's executive actions on preventing gun violence and their impact in New York and New Jersey.
  • Leana Wen, MD, emergency physician, professor at George Washington University, contributing columnist for The Washington Post, CNN medical analyst, and former Baltimore Health Commissioner and the author of the forthcoming book Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health (Metropolitan Books, 2021), shares her thoughts on how to re-frame vaccine passports so they are less divisive, and explains how she believes proof of vaccination can give people more freedom, not less. Plus, she discusses the latest on the race between the variants causing new case spikes and vaccine distribution.
  • Jia Tolentino, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the recent trend of people who have recently quit, or taken a break from, social media platforms and takes calls from listeners about their experiences.
  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC.

Transcripts are posted to the individual segment pages as soon as they are available.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE Detention

In 2025, ICE began detaining people at immigration hearings, an unprecedented step. The staff writer Jonathan Blitzer shares the story of one detainee whose life was turned upside down.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

How an Empire of Craft Stores Pushed an Agenda of Christian Nationalism

All Of It with Alison Stewart |

Flood Watch issued for NYC as rain and storms move in after picture-perfect weekend

Spotty rain showers and a potential thunderstorm are expected to begin Monday afternoon before several days of rain and storms.
Gothamist |

Exploring an Olympics Bid for New York

NYS Assemblymember Robert Carroll talks about his vision for a joint upstate/downstate bid for the Winter Olympics.
The Brian Lehrer Show |
YOU ARE ONLINE