WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the statistical value of a life is estimated at $6.9 million -- that's 11 percent less than a few years ago. Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, and Peter Coy, economics editor at BusinessWeek, talk about the new estimate and how it affects the environment.

Elaine Berg, President and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network, talks about the change in New York's organ donation registry.

Daniel Rosenblum, Vice President and Director of Corporate & Policy Programs at the Japan Society, discusses karoshi and the Japanese work ethic.

Jennifer Merritt, Career Journal Editor at the Wall Street Journal, offers practical advice on how companies can cope with inflation. A question for the Bored At Work Network: What’s the smartest thing your company is doing to cope with inflation? And what’s the dumbest? See past comments HERE.

Drew Tignanelli, president of The Financial Consulate, offers practical advice on the very first steps to take if you're laid off.

Taylor Lincoln, Research Director at Public Citizen, breaks down who is giving to Obama's and McCain's campaign and how much.

Is narcissism underrated? New York Times reporter Jan Hoffman talks about the benefits and detriments of the double edged sword of selfishness.

Ross Douthat, senior editor at the Atlantic Magazine, and Reihan Salam, associate editor at the Atlantic and senior editor at New America, discuss their book Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream.

Murray Weiss, Criminal Justice Editor for the New York Post, talks about how the Brooklyn manager of Blue Pig, a Brooklyn Heights ice cream parlor, was busted for double-charging customers' credit cards. Robert Siciliano, CEO of ID Theft Security, talks about how to protect your credit.

Assemblyman (D-86th District) Richard Brodsky discusses a proposal by the M.T.A to raise fares and tolls for next year to offset a budget gap of $900 million.

The New York Times' Marc Santora and Village Voice senior editor Wayne Barrett comment on former mayor Rudy Giuliani's recent foray into the world of real estate - and what it may mean for a potential gubernatorial bid.

WNYC, in a joint investigation with ProPublica, a non-profit investigative news organization, recently discovered that New York State legislators have been aggressively promoting the exploration of natural gas in New York's Macellus Shale, a type of gas-rich sediment. WNYC reporter Ilya Marritz, who investigated the practice, and ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten discuss the environmental controversies of natural gas exploration.

Starchild, sex worker activist for the Erotic Service Providers Union and Outreach Director for the Libertarian Party of San Francisco, supports the proposal in San Francisco to decriminalize prostitution.

Want to join the Bored at Work Network? Well, it's most likely that you're already a member. Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of BuzzFeed, explains how the most influential information network on the planet works. A question for the Bored At Work Network: What’s the smartest thing your company is doing to cope with inflation? And what’s the dumbest? Comment below! Pass this link to your friends, relatives and colleagues in the workforce. We’ll do a radio segment on it on Wednesday. (By the way, don’t get yourself fired: be anonymous or evasive about your identity or your employer’s if needed to protect yourself!)

Con Edison spokesman Michael Clendenin talks first about the heat wave's effects on energy consumption and the blackouts in Brooklyn then City Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens) talks about his proposal to have Con Ed provide “smart meters” to all NYC customers by 2011.

Last week, listeners submitted their photos to the Brian Lehrer Show flickr pool under the theme "Change for the Better, Change for the Worse." There were over almost 350 entries - 25 or so of which will be selected to be part of the Slideluck Potshow presentation at McCarren Park on August 2nd. Today, author, musician and New Yorker James McBride discusses the submissions, and a look at the stories behind some of the photographs from the BL Listener-Photographers.

Jeffrey Young, a staff writer at The Hill newspaper, analyzes McCain's recent “no” vote on the Medicare bill.

Legislation is on the table in Albany that would decriminalize prostitution from children under a certain age. Carol Smoleski, executive director of ECPAT-USA, breaks down the issue.

It wouldn't be summer without the threat of shark attacks. Dr. John Carlson, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains our fascination with this toothy fish.

Christopher Lee, national reporter for the Washington Post updates us on Congressman Charles Rangel's recent tiffs with the press.

Benjamin Shute, Co-Owner of Hearty Roots, a farm in upstate New York, talks about whether local farmers are rolling in the dough.

With the first rollout of tax rebates not quite finished, Democrats are pushing further economic stimulus ideas. Vincent Reinhart, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and Economic Policy Institute's John Irons join us to give their perspectives on the matter.

NIH has canceled plans to test its AIDS vaccine due to concerns about its safety and effectiveness. Laurie Garrett, Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations discusses the latest in the fight against AIDS.

Yesterday, Al Gore delivered a speech in Washington calling for America's energy to be carbon-free in the next 10 years. Andrew Revkin, reporter with the New York Times and Joseph Romm of the Center for American Progress talk about the impact of Gore's speech.

Are the presidential candidates recent efforts to reach out to voters of color actually working? Christopher Smitherman, Cincinnati chapter president of the NAACP, and Pilar Marerro from La Opinion, weigh in on the issue.

Staying home for vacation is one thing, but recreating an out-of-country experienece takes it to a whole new level. Wall Street Journal Reporter Mary Pilon wrote about Karen Ash and others who are experiencing the far away from home, right at home.

Ben Smith, co-founder of Room Eight, discusses a grand jury subpoena issued to silence his blog, where he writes about New York politics. Attorney Paul Alan Levy also joins us to talk about bloggers' First Amendment rights.

You’ve seen them down on Canal Street, but do you know how they got here? Counterfeit goods are everywhere, but who’s behind the fake goods industry? Dana Thomas, European Editor of Portfolio and author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, and Susan Scafidi, author of the blog counterfeitchic.com and visiting professor at Fordham Law School, join us to talk about the business and law of counterfeits both here in New York City and online.

Should New Yorkers be taxed for making purchases from Amazon.com, even though the online retailer has no physical presence in the state? Governor Paterson is fighting Senator Schumer and other New York lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the issue. Tax counsel Joseph Henchman joins us to sort through online taxes. We also discussed this in April.

When kids don't use it, they lose it, according to the YMCA Center for Summer Learning. The YMCA's Marty Forth explains why kids lose math and reading skills over the summer, and what can be done to prevent it. College of Staten Island professor of education Ken Gold chimes in to talk about summer's place in American public education. Do you think kids would be better off with year-round schooling? Comment below!