NYC NOW - 5 Things with Brian Lehrer

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Janae talks with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer about 5 things going on in New York City news.

Five Things in New York City News with WNYC's Brian Lair, and an update for M&F line subway commuters. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jena Pierre. It's bitterly cold out there, so New York City officials are increasing outreach to homeless residents to connect them to shelter. The city is declaring a cold blue from 4 p.m. Friday afternoon to 8 a.m. Saturday afternoon to 8 a. morning. Officials say New Yorkers who see someone living outdoors can contact 3-1-1 to request outreach assistance. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Essex County officials say a cold blue will be in effect from 8 at night until 8 in the morning every day through Tuesday. Newark,

East Orange, and Irvington have all opened emergency shelters and warming stations to help residents escape the cold weather. New York City law enforcement officials are holding a gun buyback event in Brooklyn this weekend. They say buyback events are one of their key ways of removing guns from the streets and reducing shootings. The program will be at St. Paul's Community Baptist Church on Hendrick Street in East New York. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, officials will give those who turn in operable handguns and rifles a $500 bank card and Apple AirPods. Those who turn in 3D printed guns will get a $200 bank card. Officials say no idea is required and all transactions are anonymous.

Up next, Five Things with Brian Lear. That's after the break. NYC. It's time now for our segment Five Things with WNYC's Brian Lair. Hey, Brian. Hi, Janay. So I see that the first few things we're talking about today. involved Mayor-elect Zoramam Dani, and this first one also includes Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump.

Right. You know, we are at an unusual moment in time when Donald J. Trump, and now as vice president, are saying nicer things about the Democratic mayor-elect than New York's Democratic senators are. Our listeners have probably heard about, you know, the Trump-Mam-Dani meeting that many are calling a bromance. Oh, yeah. Even if it's a one-day stand bromance, Trump's a Trump. said things like, we agree on a lot more than I would have thought, and that some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have. A lot of people were surprised by that quote,

and here's the news hook, breaking news. Now, J.D. Vance is getting into the say nice things about Mamd. Act. He told NBC News this week, quote, obviously I'm not a communist, and I think he is, that wasn't the nice part, but the fact that he focuses so aggressively on the affordability question in New York City, which does have one of the worst affordability crises anywhere in the world, is smart. And at least he's listening to people. Most politicians, it's a very low bar, but they don't even listen to people. Is that the nice part?

That was the nice part. Did that not qualify to your ear? I guess so. Meanwhile, I can find no reporting on Senator Schumer or Senator Gillibrand, for that matter, meeting in person with Mom Dani since the election like Trump has. and Schumer continues not to disclose who we voted for. Okay, but your thing number two is that Mamdani seems to be pulling any punches with respect to Schumer, and he even saved Hakeemperies, the House Democratic leader from a primary from the left.

Yes, unlike his new loving Uncle Donald, Momdani is not using his election to go on a retribution tour. Despite Schumer's coolness toward the mayor-elect, Mom-Dani declined when asked in an interview to call for Schumer to be replaced as the Democratic leader in the Senate, as many in the Mamdani socialist or progressive camp are calling for, Mamdani says he only cares about being a good mayor. And he just saved Jeffries from a socialist primary challenge. Mamdani convinced the local DSA chapter not to endorse city council member Chi Jose, who wanted its endorsement to run against Jeffries. So Osse backed off a primary

altogether after that. It's another sign that Mamdani is not out to just throw us against them political bombs, but to build a governing coalition. But Brian, what about those Mamdani allies who would like to see Schumer and some other older Democrats give up their seats to a younger generation? Does Mamdani represent generational change to them? Well, not necessarily, even though you hear that a lot. And this may be controversial, but hear me out on thing number three. There's this narrative that I'm not sure I'd buy about younger Democrats trying to over

turn to gerontocracy in the party. I wonder if that's just a cover among progressives for their real interest in ideological change in the Mamdani mold, not generational change. I mean, there's nothing wrong with ideological primaries. That debate is a good thing in a democracy and let the people decide. But I don't see those same Democrats saying Bernie Sanders, 84, is too old, or Elizabeth Warren, 76, or Maxine Waters, 87, while some much younger Democrats, like Congressman Richie Torres from the Bronx, one of the youngest members of Congress at 37, also Dan Goldman from Brooklyn, who's 49, will be primaried because of their less progressive records on issues. Then you get someone like Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts who'll be 80 next year and is running for

re-election. He's a progressive who's being primary by a more centrist Democrat, Seth Moulton. But guess what? What? Moulton, too, is saying it's time for generational change. But there, too, it appears the real issue is center versus left. It's just from the other direction. So I'm beginning to suspect that younger challengers who actually have ideological differences with older incumbents, and there's nothing wrong with that, are using the public susceptibility to ageism as a wedge when age is not really what they're running to change. All right, Brian, let's switch gears here. Earlier this week, folks around the world recognized World AIDS Day, and you dedicated a segment of your show to the topic on Monday. How were you able to help raise awareness with your listeners?

Well, Janay, just by saying World AIDS Day, we were spotlighting a new Trump era issue. The New York Times had an article on Thanksgiving Eve with the headline, Trump administration will no longer commemorate World AIDS Day. It says the State Department warned employees not to use government funds for the occasion and to, quote, refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, unquote, from the State Department memo. You know, it reminded me of that education policy in Florida that got nicknamed Don't Say Gay. Don't say World AIDS Day. I will take a wild guess that it's because AIDS is a disease generally associated with gay and bisexual men and poor people of color around the world. So maybe now commemorating World AIDS Day is seen as DEI, while other awareness days the administration still commemorates are not. And sadly, this happens to come at a moment when there is a potentially history-altering breakthrough prevention treatment for HIV and AIDS that it would be good. if the government promoted a lot. Yeah.

All right. Finally, Brian, your thing number five is on a lighter note. You're having a photo contest on your show? Yep. It's become a Brian Laird Show, holiday season tradition. Our annual Best Photo Sitting on Your Phone Contest. And listeners, I'll give the web address to submit at the beginning and the end of this minute.

Go to WNYC.org slash best photo to submit your name and upload the best picture on your phone from 2025. You know, we're looking for the most beautiful, most spectacular, most creative, most revealing, most thought-provoking, anything like that photo you took in 2025. Preference, if you're not a professional photographer, we'll pick a few winners who will get featured on WNYC's Instagram, plus spreading rights for your New Year's Eve party, of course, and a chance to come on the air and talk about their picture with me and our judging partners at Photoville. The submission deadline is the end of this weekend, the end of the day, Sunday night. Again, to submit the best photo sitting on your phone in 2025, just go to

WNYC.org slash best photo. That's pretty cool. Brian, let me quickly ask, what's the best photo on your phone? The best photo on my phone might be one I took just a few weeks ago in the Bronx where the fall colors on some of the trees rivaled any. anything you would see in New England. I really love that shot. And it reminded me that Fall Follage Peak in New York City does not come in October like people may traditionally think it comes in November. Yeah. Yeah. I have seen it from upstate to right here in New York City. Thanks so much. That's WMYC's Brian Lair. Have a great weekend, Brian. You too, Jene. Thanks for having me.

All right, before we go, if you take the F or M train, listen up. Starting on Monday, the MTA is launching a good old-fashioned subway switcher room that will permanently alter a small stretch of each line. The lines are swapping tracks across eight stations between Long Island City and Midtown. The MTA says this will speed up trains on the E, F, M, and R lines, which are all slowed down because of a bottleneck at Queens Plaza. MTA chair, Janelle Lieber, says riders will have to adapt to the change. They're real benefits, and I know that people will start to recognize them,

although obviously everybody needs to adjust their routine accordingly. The change will be in effect weekdays between 6.30 in the morning and 9.30 at night. On weekends and overnights, the old route will be back in place. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. I'm Jenae Pierre. Have a great weekend. We'll be back on most. one day.