Weekend Special: NYC Mayor Mamdani’s First 100ish Days, and Lessons from LaGuardia

Mayor Mamdani's populist politics and affordability agenda have brought him national attention, as well as comparisons to his predecessor, Fiorello La Guardia.  On Today's Show: We present a live conversation in The Greene Space with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and WNYC’s Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin, about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next.

A debate is underway among Democratic party leaders over whether to engage with influential, controversial streamer Hasan Piker. On Today's Show:Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coalition.

President Trump has signed an executive order in support of research into whether psychedelic drugs could be used in mental health treatments. On Today's Show:Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor of the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, talks about the use of psychedelics for mental illness and the effects of President Trump's executive order speeding up research.

With congressional elections coming up in November, how are certain national (and international) issues impacting the polls? On Today's Show:David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections.

With the war in Iran taking up much geopolitical attention, how has focus changed on other conflicts of global importance? On Today's Show:Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, covering Europe, discusses his reporting on how European leaders are trying to keep the focus on helping Ukraine, even as the war with Iran is diverting attention and resources.

JD Vance is in the spotlight after a number of international stories involving the vice president.  On Today's Show:Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's loss and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.  

In a now-deleted social media post, President Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV.  On Today's Show:Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of the forthcoming Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (St. Martin's, 2026), talks about the range of responses from Christians.

Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell. On Today's Show:Jane Manning, director at Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan D.A. is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws.

Prompted by unfounded internet speculations, the First Lady made a public statement last week that she had no ties to Jeffrey Epstein. On Today's Show:Vicky Ward, investigative journalist, host of the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), talks about Melania Trump's announcement denouncing Jeffrey Epstein and delves into the relationship between the First Lady, Epstein, and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

Two days into a ceasefire with Iran, we take stock of how the conflict has reshaped the region's geopolitics. On Today's Show:Ishaan Tharoor, a contributor to The New Yorker, formerly a foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, discusses Trump's approach to Iran, how the White House has 'never fully understood' the war it started, and what it could mean for the success, or failure, of the ceasefire.