The last eighteen months or so of Jada Pinkett Smith’s life have been… well, complicated. But complicated is nothing new for the multi-hyphenate who now hosts Red Table Talk and has a new book, Worthy, her gripping memoir tracing her origins in Baltimore to her throne as reigning queen of refusing to fit into anyone’s idea of who she should be. Pinkett Smith shares her perspective as a young girl from her grandmother’s garden, as a young woman at Baltimore School of the Arts, where one of her closest friends was Tupac Shakur, and as a starlet in the heady 1990s heyday of opportunity for Black actresses. Her exhilarating highs came with devastating lows; Pinkett Smith has shared openly about her depression and even suicidal ideation–in this wide-ranging interview, Pinkett Smith opens up about coming through those dark times, falling in, out, and in another kind of love with her life partner Will Smith, and, yes, her take on “The Holy Slap.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Lewis is like a literary Forrest Gump. He always seems to know where the biggest story of the year is going to be–and he’s usually halfway through a book about it when it breaks. This time he couldn’t have gotten the timing better: his book Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon came out the same day as Sam Bankman-Fried, the book’s subject, went on trial in the aftermath of the collapse of his crypto exchange, FTX, and Alameda Research. So thank goodness Michael is here, because there are enough acronyms in this fascinating story to make your head spin–not to mention getting your head around the blockchain. In this conversation Michael takes us from his first impressions to his hard-won insights into SBF and his motivations, mistakes, and the mayhem he’s been at the center of. He also takes the time to talk us through the Effective Altruism movement that underpinned SBF’s ideology and explains the ins and outs of FTX’s rise–and the details of how it collapsed, taking billions in net worths along with it. He also hints at how that money might not be so gone after all.  If you can’t get enough of this story check out Michael’s podcast Judging Sam, available wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of Unscripted, James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams, tell the story behind their explosive new book, which hits shelves this week. The jaw-dropping drama of billionaire Sumner Redstone, once the controller of a vast entertainment empire, is a chilling tale of a sexually aggressive, power-hungry man who competed ruthlessly with everyone — including his own daughter.   Want to be a know it all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bryan Cranston joins Katie Couric to talk about the surprise second season of his Showtime drama, “Your Honor,” premiering Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. If you haven’t seen the first season, the story, about the lengths parents go to for their kids, seemed pretty well wrapped up. Bryan talks about why he wanted to return to this tormented character and the ways in which he still draws from Walter White. Bryan also shares advice for people just starting out in the often crazy movie business, and confides in Katie about his own plans for when he’ll call it quits.  Listeners: This is the last episode of the regular Fall 2022 season of Next Question with Katie Couric. The podcast will take a brief hiatus and return March 23. But don’t stray too far! Katie will be sharing some live events and special bonus episodes right here in the Next Question feed. For more, go to KatieCouric.com and sign up for Katie’s daily morning newsletter, Wake Up Call.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quinta Brunson is having an incredible year. She and her ABC sitcom, Abbott Elementary, are racking up some serious awards and breaking ratings records. She single-handedly revived the dying network sitcom. The Hollywood Reporter named her Comedy Star of the Year. And she just played Oprah in ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,’ which came out the same month Quinta was interviewed by Oprah herself. How does Quinta deal with it all? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Quinta talk about the blur of success, the making of ‘Abbott,’ the real-life inspiration of her characters, her early years in Philly, why she loved her twenties, and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike White is the creator of HBO’s pandemic hit, The White Lotus. In its second season, which is about to wrap, the anthology series follows a group of wealthy vacationers and local workers at a stunning resort in Sicily. But before the lux world of The White Lotus, Mike White spent his time on the periphery, creating offbeat characters in movies like ‘Chuck and Buck,’ ‘The Year of the Dog,’ ‘The Good Girl,’ and ‘School of Rock.’ He has also had a few notorious and fairly successful stints on reality tv shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race. What does all of that have to do with the success of The White Lotus? Come find out on this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric! You can stream The White Lotus on HBO Max. The final episode of the second season airs Sunday, Dec. 11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Part 2 of our parenting deep-dive, Katie shares her conversation with clinical psychologist and parenting guru, Dr. Becky Kennedy. After exploring the historical, political, and cultural factors that make parenting today so impossible, Katie and Dr. Becky talk about the need to equip parents with support and training, just like you would any other critical job. “Parenting is the hardest and most important job in the world and it’s a job we have 24/7 for a lot of years,” Dr. Becky tells Katie. “And most jobs in this country that we value, that we think are important, we prioritize the people in those jobs getting training and resources. And parenting is the opposite. We’re like, just take this baby home from the hospital and we’re given nothing.” Dr. Becky shares her unique parenting philosophy, why she’s filling such a need at this moment, how to navigate screentime as people and parents, and so much more. Find out more about Dr. Becky Kennedy’s parenting support network, as well as her podcasts and her book, Good Inside: The Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be,” at GoodInside.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you are a parent, know one, or have been paying any attention at all, you’ll know that the pandemic was a breaking point for caregivers and mothers in particular. “Moms are the shock absorbers of society,” says New York Times journalist Jessica Grose. “Everyone realized that when things fell apart, moms were just expected to be there to pick up the pieces.” Well, moms have had enough. But are our policies, workplaces, and cultural norms progressing fast enough to give modern mothers — and fathers — the support they need? On this two-part episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie explores the impossibilities of modern parenthood with two experts who have been living it and writing about it: journalist Jessica Grose and clinical psychologist (and “millennial parenting whisper”) Dr. Becky Kennedy. Jessica’s new book, “Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood,” which is out Dec. 6, dismantles 200 years of unrealistic parenting expectations to empower all those who might be struggling out there. Jessica and Katie talk about that historical context, as well as solutions that are already being put into place, and how and where moms are finding reprieve. Finally, Dr. Becky talks about creating a safe space for parents to seek advice, support, and feel seen.  Find out more: Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood, by Jessica Grose Jessica Grose on parenting at the New York Times Good Inside: The Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, by Dr. Becky Kennedy Good Inside, Dr. Becky Kennedy’s membership-based parenting community Reshma Saujani on why there’s no better time to redesign the workplace for women [Next Question with Katie Couric] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie explores the subject of happiness. Because as a culture, we seem to be obsessed with achieving it. Just look to higher ed. Some of the most elite universities tout courses on happiness — the science of it, the value of it, the history and future of it. But the search for happiness has also seeped into our regular podcast consumption and our must-watch TV shows. So what’s the deal? Why is happiness the carrot dangling just outside of our reach? And what defines happiness anyway? To find out, Katie talks with one of those aforementioned happiness scholars, Arthur C. Brooks, whose most recent book is called “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, on Oct. 5, 2017, the New York Times published an article written by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. The headline read: “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” Fueled by the Hollywood stars in the story, Jodi and Megan’s reporting made the Me Too movement — started by Tarana Burke in 2006 — go viral. Now the reporters and their incredible investigation are the subjects of a feature film called “She Said,” which is based on the eponymous book they co-wrote in 2019. The movie stars Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan and not only focuses on the personal lives of the reporters and how they got the story no one else could, but also the lives of their sources — the regular women whose careers were cut short and lives altered because of Weinstein’s torment. “They wanted to break into the industry,” Megan tells Katie, “and instead they experienced attacks and harassment and abuse and to see in this movie the toll that has taken on their lives so many years later. I mean, it wrote them out of the industry.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and the New York Times reporters talk about the bizarre experience of seeing their lives unfold on screen, the power of journalism, the comfort of the newsroom, and the lasting impacts of Me Too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault has spent nearly sixty years chronicling history as a journalist, but when she was just 19 years old, she played a crucial role in making it. On January 9, 1961, she and her classmate Hamilton Holmes bravely walked onto University of Georgia’s campus becoming the first two Black students to integrate the school. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Charlayne about that historic day and a career that stationed the journalist at some of the most respected media outlets in the country, including the New York Times, the New Yorker, and PBS Newshour. No matter the outlet, Charlayne made it her mission to cover “Black people in ways they were rarely portrayed in the media — in their full humanity.” Katie and Charlayne talk about some of her most impactful stories, many of which have been collected into her new book, “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than two decades, Kelly Ripa has been welcomed into millions of people’s homes, kitchens, and even bedrooms, as the co-host of ABC’s daytime talk show “Live!” And it’s easy to see why: she’s funny, warm, and perpetually self-effacing. And those same endearing qualities come through in her writing, too. Her first book, “Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories,” is a collection of hilarious, revealing, and tender memoirish essays that highlight moments of transition in her life — from meeting her husband on a soap opera set, to her awkward tryout for “Live!”, to dropping her youngest child off to college and facing an empty nest. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Kelly talk about it all, including their shared frustrations working in the male-dominated media industry and what it was like for Kelly to set the record straight on a few false headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new movie “Call Jane” is a period piece about abortion and reproductive activism in the years before Roe vs Wade was enacted. But given our post-Roe world and the very real consequences of abortion bans across the country, the plot — about a suburban housewife who desperately needs an abortion but can’t get one in her state — sounds like it could be ripped from our 2022 headlines. What can a story about our past struggles teach us about our present circumstances? Why is levity a convincing tool in the fight for bodily autonomy? Can a movie like “Call Jane” affect the fast-approaching midterms? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with the movie’s director, Phyllis Nagy, and its star, Elizabeth Banks, about the movie’s poignancy, some of its blood-boiling scenes, and why the movie’s not just preaching to the choir. “Call Jane” is in select theaters starting Oct. 28. For more information about abortion access in this country, check out Katie’s six-part podcast series on the subject, Abortion: The Body Politic. Some of the real life Janes are featured in Part Two. You can stream the documentary “The Janes” on HBO Max now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are just a few weeks out from the 2022 midterms and there is a lot to unpack — makeup of the House, will the Senate flip, the very future of our democracy! To help us understand what is truly at stake this Nov. 8, Katie brings on three political strategists to break it all down. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie is joined by her former podcast co-host (and current Democratic political and media strategist) Brian Goldsmith, as well as Lis Smith, who is a 20-year veteran of Democratic political campaigns -- from Barack Obama 2012 to Pete Buttigieg 2020 -- and Republican political consultant Mike Murphy who, with David Axelrod, hosts the political podcast “Hacks on Tap”. The group walks through the biggest issues driving voters to the polls, the impact of Roe, the races that could change up Congress and how all of this affects what’s to come in 2024. Check out Lis Smith’s new memoir, “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Hamm has been busy. On a fall visit to New York City, while shooting the next season of The Morning Show, and amid actual morning show visits to promote his new comedy, Confess Fletch, Jon stopped by the studio to chat with Katie -- blissfully -- face-to-face. On this episode of Next Question, they discuss the challenges of rebooting an iconic character, Jon’s early years as a struggling actor in LA, and how he broke out of the Don Draper shackles.  Katie and Jon also bond over their cancer losses and Jon shares some of his therapy journey. Naturally, Katie can’t help but dig into Jon’s personal life. Find out what he divulges. Catch Confess, Fletch, on digital video on demand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geena Davis has been a face we have come to know on screen for 40 years. And despite being in the public eye for so long, Geena is one of those actors who has cleverly obscured herself and her personal life behind the scenes. But now, she’s putting her whole self out there with a memoir called Dying of Politeness. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Geena talk about her “throwback” childhood, girlhood trauma, and some of her most iconic roles. They talk about the feminist thread that has shaped Geena’s career, the inescapable misogyny of Hollywood, and how she carved her own professional path in the second phase of life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie has always been vigilant about her health. Ever since her husband Jay died of stage four colon cancer in 1998, Katie has been a cancer screening advocate, sharing information about and helping to normalize seemingly intimidating procedures that can detect cancer early and save lives (you might recall Katie’s on-air colonoscopy?). When Katie realized she had missed a mammogram, she decided to take listeners into the procedure room with her to understand why it’s important for women like Katie, who has dense breasts, to get not only a mammogram but also an ultrasound. But then, Katie gets the news that no one wants to get. On this very personal episode, Katie — with the help of her doctors and daughters — takes listeners behind the scenes of her cancer diagnosis, treatment and long term plan. Katie also introduces listeners to cancer survivor and activist, Michele Young, who beat the odds and is changing the breast cancer screening system. Also, check out Ellie and Carrie Monahan’s podcast, All Each Other Has, wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no better — or funnier — way to launch a new season of Next Question with Katie Couric than an interview with comedian and actor, Billy Eichner. Billy is best known for his 2010s cult-favorite pop culture quiz show, Billy on the Street. And after regular side-kick appearances on the small and big screens, he is now leaping confidently into starring-man status in the groundbreaking and hilarious boy-meets-boy comedy, Bros (opening in theaters September 30). Billy is the first openly gay man to both write and star in a gay romcom from a major movie studio and while there’s a lot riding on the success of this movie, Billy proves he’s enjoying the sometimes turbulent ride. Katie and Billy talk about the long journey to Bros, the importance of supportive parents, some of his all-time favorite Billy on the Street clips and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After deep-diving into the history and future of abortion access with her investigative series Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie Couric is eager to return to her favorite format, the intimate interview. In fact, she’s brimming with questions. Big questions about how to find happiness and purpose in life. Pressing questions about the future of the GOP and if there’s any common ground to be found in our polarizing politics. Intimate questions about health, dating, parenting and love. And a million more questions for a whole new slew of interesting creators, thinkers, scientists, authors, activists and plenty of high profile actors. On this season of Next Question: new guests, new topics, same curious Katie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Question with Katie Couric is launching an all new season on September 29th. In the meantime, Katie shares a delightful conversation she had with the ever charming and talented, Michelle Pfeiffer. They talk about the Showtime series, The First Lady, and what it was like to not only become Betty Ford, but also to really get to know her (and step into her pretty spectacular 70s wardrobe). Michelle also shares her decades-long journey to entrepreneurship and what it was like to create a “clean,” unisex fragrance line, Henry Rose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2002, journalist Ken Auletta tried to expose Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse of women in a New Yorker profile he was writing about the powerful film mogul, but his sources were unwilling to go on the record. It would take another 15 years for the full story to come to light through Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s reporting for the New York Times and Ronan Farrow’s for the New Yorker. For his new book, “Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence,” Auletta revisits the story that got away and offers up a fascinating portrayal of Weinstein’s life and career. And for this bonus episode, he talks with Katie about what exactly motivated Weinstein to commit such horrific acts, the culture of complicity that enabled him, and the current state of the #MeToo movement that his toppling set in motion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this mid-season bonus of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares an urgent conversation she had with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the President. Katie has called on Dr. Fauci to help her and her listeners navigate all of the endless questions and concerns throughout the pandemic. For this latest episode, they dig into the recent covid surge, latest subvariant, and the emergence of yet another infectious disease outbreak – monkeypox. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie’s special series, Abortion: The Body Politic, has wrapped, but we wanted to give the very last word to a special group of people — people who have had abortions. These first-person stories reveal the lengths people have always had to go through to get an abortion — enduring unnecessary waiting periods, lengthy travel, parental consent needs, manipulative partners, unsupportive family members, shame, guilt, and more. These abortion stories span decades, cultures, race, faiths and gender. They reveal how common abortion is and yet how consistently stigmatized. This episode is dedicated to abortion storytellers everywhere whose voices and personal experience help normalize abortion for all.  This episode includes stories from Busy Philipps, Gloria Steinem, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and more.  More about the organizations mentioned in this podcast:  We Testify Shout Your Abortion Physicians for Reproductive Health ReproAction Action items: How to find, contact, and donate to your local abortion fund Learn about abortion laws in your state How to get abortion pills in any state How to share your abortion story [Also, We Testfy] Support reproductive justice organizations, like Sister Song and Latina Institute for Reproductive Rights Check out Vote Save America about how to take action at the ballot.  Follow all the organizations and people featured in this series!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, Daisy Edgar-Jones got everyone’s attention as Marianne in the hit BBC adaptation of the Sally Rooney novel, “Normal People.” The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination and, at 24, pegged her as one of the most exciting young actors working today. She now stars as Kya Clark, aka “the Marsh Girl” in another book to film adaptation, the much anticipated “Where the Crawdads Sing” based on the bestselling novel by Delia Owens. For this bonus episode of Next Question, she sits down with Katie to talk not only about how she transformed herself into Kya, but also about her early life growing up in London as an only child, her path to acting, and what she plans to do next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abortion: The Body Politic started on the ground, visiting two abortion clinics 15 minutes away from each other in two very different states: Missouri and Illinois. On this last episode, we check back in with someone who works in those two clinics to understand the immediate impact the Supreme Court decision had on their patients. Then we consider, what now? Katie interviews Rep. Jayapal (D-WA) who has been a legislative leader in the fight for reproductive rights to understand what lawmakers can do to protect abortion now and in the future. Finally, we hear from a new generation of activists, actors (like Busy Phlipps), musicians (like MILCK and Amanda Shires), and TikTokers about how they are using their platforms, social media and art to not only normalize abortion but also share information (when that information could be criminalized), and, perhaps, change hearts and mind one person at a time.  More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Planned Parenthood National Advocates for Pregnant Women ReproAction Rep. Pramila Jayapal Paula Ávila-Guillén Gen-Z For Change @OliviaJulianna Busy Philipps MILCK Whole Woman’s Health Action items: How to find, contact, and donate to your local abortion fund Learn about abortion laws in your state How to get abortion pills in any state How to share your abortion story [Also, We Testfy] Support reproductive justice organizations, like Sister Song and Latina Institute for Reproductive Rights Follow all the organizations and people featured in this podcast! Books and more: Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It’s Different Than You Think), by Reshma Saujani It’s time for Republican women to speak up for reproductive rights, by Kathryn Kaufman, The Washington Post This Will Only Hurt A Little, by Busy Philipps Amanda Shires demands more artists stand up for abortion rights, Rolling Stone Take It Like A Man, by Amanda Shires We Won’t Go Back, by MILCK, BIIANCO, & Autumn Roe (feat. Ani DiFranco) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 5 of Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie looks abroad for models of progress — and regress — when it comes to reproductive rights and abortion access. What are the trends and how does the U.S. now compare? We check in with the Center for Reproductive Rights to find out. Perhaps no region has seen more progress than Latin America. Human Rights lawyer and one of the founders of the Green Wave movement, Paula Ávila-Guillén, shares her experiences on the front lines of the decades-long fight for reproductive justice and what Americans can learn from our sisters to the South. We also hear from an activist in Mexico who is helping people across the border access abortion care they can no longer get in the United States. And academic, Lina-Maria Murillo gives us context for the unique relationship the United States and Mexico share when it comes to abortion access. There’s no denying the fact that many of the countries we are highlighting are largely conservative and Catholic. What does the progress these Catholic countries have made say about our own complicated assumptions about religion and abortion. We hear from several leaders of faith from a Jewish Rabbi to a Baptist Reverend and leaders from organizations like, Catholics for Choice and SACRED, about how they have worked reproductive rights and abortion access into their faith practice. More information on this episode’s guests and resources Center for Reproductive Rights Women’s Equality Center Paula Ávila-Guillén Las Libres Lina-Maria Murillo Physicians for Reproductive Health Catholics for Choice Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice SACRED: A Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity Sister Song Books and more: When Abortion Was a Crime, by Leslie J. Reagan A Complicated Choice: Making Space for Grief and Healing in the Pro-Choice Movement, by Reverend Katey Zeh Guests include: Paula Ávila-Guillén, human rights lawyer, Green Wave activist Veronica Cruz, founder of Las Libres Leah Hoctor, senior regional director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights Lina-Maria Murillo, professor at Iowa focusing on reproductive rights along the borderlands Jamie Manson, Catholics for Choice Katey Zeh, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Rabbi Kelly Levy, Congregation Beth Israel, Austin, Texas Kenyetta Chinwe, Sister Song, SACRED See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 4 of Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie examines how abortion is explored and reflected in popular culture and Hollywood. Because whether we realize it or not, the movies we have loved and the TV shows we watch represent the collective imagination of our culture at particular moments in time. And for much of the past 50 years, that collective imagination was riddled with problematic abortion tropes that perpetuates stereotypes about the procedure and the people who seek it out. But the good news is that in the past decade, more showrunners and filmmakers — and even studios — telling more abortion stories and even taking some risks. Katie takes listeners to the front row of a new comedy show about abortion, aptly named, “Oh God A Show About Abortion,” from comedian Alison Leiby. Filmmakers Gillian Robespierre (“Obvious Child,” 2014), Rachel Lee Goldenberg (“Unpregnant,” 2020), and Dawn Porter (“Trapped,” 2016) share the origin stories of their narrative-busting movies and what more Hollywood and creatives need to do in the long fight toward reproductive rights.  More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Abortion Onscreen study Abortion Onscreen Database Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health We Testify TV Shows, movies and more: Stream Obvious Child on Prime and Hulu Stream Unpregnant on HBO Max Oh God, A Show About Abortion, by Alison Leiby Unpregnant, by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan Stream Trapped on Prime Watch The Racial Politics of Abortion on YouTube Planned Parenthood’s Secret Weapon (Washington Post) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Part 3 of Abortion: The Body Politic focuses on Roe and its unraveling. The last living Roe prosecutor, Linda Coffee, shares her recollections of that historic Supreme Court case and how she found out she had won. We learn of  the immediate failings of Roe, especially for Black women, and the birth of the Reproductive Justice movement. Experts trace the politicization of abortion, the belated moral-issue grab by evangelicals,  the violence that hit abortion doctors and clinics in the 1990s, and the anti-abortion strategy that forever altered American politics. We hear first-person experiences of long-time abortion doctors as well as fresh medical students who share why they felt inspired to join the cause. We also hear from two abortion storytellers about their experiences navigating a convoluted system that can be particularly apathetic to the needs of those seeking later abortions. More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Access Reproductive Justice Boulder Abortion Clinic The Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Physicians for Reproductive Health The Doula Project Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Books and more Roe v. Wade’s secret heroine tells her story [Vanity Fair] Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present, by Mary Ziegler Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment, by Mary Zeilger Reproductive Justice, by Loretta Ross and Rickie Solinger Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right, by Randall Balmer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2 of Abortion: The Body Politic, we step into the past, long before Roe, and trace the roots of today’s abortion’s debate to understand  — if abortions have always happened and the majority of Americans have always believed they should be legally accessible — why is abortion such a contentious, even volatile, issue in this country. In this journey, a new narrative of reproductive resistance comes to the surface. Women, particularly Black, brown and indigenous, have always made choices that are best for their bodies, families, and lives — no matter the obstacles men have placed before them. In these stories of resistance we also hear first-hand accounts of surprising allies in underground abortion access, courage in the face of limited reproductive choices, and a relentless push for bodily autonomy. The illegal period before Roe is a mirror to our impending, post-Roe future. It’s vital that we pay attention. More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Guttmacher Institute The Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Boulder Abortion Clinic Books and more: Reproductive Justice, by Loretta Ross and Rickie Solinger When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973, by Leslie Reagan The Janes, available to stream now on HBO Max Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement Before Roe V. Wade, by Daniel K. Williams See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1 of Abortion: The Body Politic, we explore the current state of abortion access. Katie Couric visits who abortion clinics that straddle the Missouri-Illinois border. They are only 15 minutes but — because of Missouri’s state-imposed restrictions — worlds apart. We also find out what types of abortion are available today, how people access them, and what it is like to  get an abortion in today’s charged climate. We hear from abortion fund organizers, doctors in restrictive and progressive states, and people from all over the country, many of whom are already living in a post-Roe world. We also find out what is at stake for the upcoming Supreme Court decision that is expected to reverse the landmark 1973 decision that guaranteed the right to a safe and legal abortion.  More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Organizations: Guttmacher Institute ARC Southeast Physicians for Reproductive Health We Testify Advocates for Youth Books and more: You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion, by Dr. Meera Shah  Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present, by Mary Ziegler Unpacking the Roe draft bombshell with Mary Ziegler - Next Question with Katie Couric The Body is Not an Apology, by Sonya Renee TaylorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forty-nine years ago, the landmark Roe v Wade decision guaranteed women the right to a safe, legal abortion. This June, the Supreme Court is expected to gut that historic ruling, triggering restrictive abortion laws in at least 23 states. While the United States is on the precipice of stepping back this women’s health right, the rest of the world has seen a trend of liberalizing abortion laws over the past 25 years. In this limited, narrative series from Next Question with Katie Couric, we explore the history — and future — of abortion in this country. In this 6-episode series, Katie takes listeners inside abortion clinics, front row at an abortion comedy show, and shares intimate, first-person experiences of people — from the illegal period to now — who have had abortions and the stories of those who have cared for them. There’s never been a more urgent time to understand how we got here and how reproductive rights can apply to everyone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suddenly it feels like everyone is talking about the metaverse, doesn’t it? But what exactly is the metaverse? Wikipedia describes it as “a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection,” but the only real consensus seems to be that it’s going to be, well, huge. Google, Apple, Snapchat, and Microsoft have all made major investments and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg even renamed his company, Meta. For this episode of Next Question, Katie decides to find out what all the fuss is about firsthand and takes a trip into the metaverse with Wall Street Journal tech columnist Joanna Stern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You probably know Melissa Gilbert best from her time playing Laura Ingalls for nine seasons on the classic NBC television show, “Little House On the Prairie.” She’s done a lot since then – she’s continued to act, tried her hand at directing, served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild, and even briefly ran for Congress. But a dozen or so years ago, she left her native Los Angeles to live with her husband, the actor and director Timothy Busfield, in rural Michigan and eventually ended up settling in a rustic, fixer-upper cottage in the Catskills Mountains. It was a pretty radical lifestyle change for Melissa and it sparked a number of realizations about her old life – and the way she wants to live now. For this episode of Next Question, she sits down with Katie to talk about this new phase of her life, the challenges – and rewards – of growing older, and her new book, “Back to the Prairie.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve been watching TV lately, you’ve probably noticed that Jean Smart is having something of a moment. While she’s been working steadily and building an enviable acting career for more than four decades, her recent one-two punch as washed up Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance on the HBO Max Series, “Hacks,” and as Kate Winslet’s mother, Helen Fahey, in “Mare of Easttown,” has finally and fully awakened the world to the genius that is Jean. For this episode of “Next Question,” she sits down with Katie to talk about her long career, what it feels like to receive all this dizzying attention at 70 years old, the recent and sudden loss of her husband of more than thirty years - fellow actor, Richard Gilliland - and the upcoming second season of “Hacks.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Something major happened this week: A leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court indicated the court will strike down Roe versus Wade. The landmark 1973 decision ruled that the Constitution protects a pregnant person’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. While that protection has been chipped away almost relentlessly for decades, resulting in abortion access that is very much dependent on your zip code, the overturning of Roe could be the most consequential opinion in decades. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with abortion law expert Mary Ziegler about the leak, the draft’s damning language, and the impact of the conservative court on rights beyond abortion. Katie also takes the opportunity to tease an upcoming, in-depth and intimate series on abortion — something she has been working on for months in anticipation of the official ruling expected in late June. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You probably know Molly Shannon best from her iconic Saturday Night Live characters - quirky Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher, proud (and limber!) 50-year old Sally O’Malley, and Delicious Dish co-host Terri Rialto. There’s so much more to her story though. From losing her mom and sister in a tragic car accident at the age of 4 and growing up with her adventurous, fun-loving dad to coming into her own as a comedian and actor and becoming a mother herself, her life is proof positive that humor and joy can comingle with pain and sorrow. She shares it all in her new memoir, “Hello, Molly!” and in this week’s episode of Next Question. It’s a candid, heartfelt – and yes – very funny conversation you don’t want to miss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been some scary headlines going around about the climbing rates of alcohol use, particularly among women, during the pandemic. One study found that heavy drinking among women increased 41 percent! What’s behind these numbers and how do women find the help they need? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie invites her friend and award winning broadcast journalist Elizabeth Vargas to co-host and help find some understanding about why women are drinking more than ever, why women drink, and what recovery looks like.. Elizabeth knows about this first hand and wrote about her issues around alcohol, addiction and anxiety in her memoir, Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction. Elizabeth and Katie talk to two women — Khadi Oluwatoyin and Emily Paulson who hit their own rock bottoms and not only found their way out, but also made recovery spaces for people like them — Black Girls Sober Club and the Sober Mome Squad, respectively. Katie and Elizabeth also talk to long-time clinical social worker and interventionist, Dr. Louise Stanger, on how to help someone you love who may be suffering through addiction. If you or anyone you love is struggling with alcohol use, you can call the national drug and alcohol treatment hotline at 1-800-622-HELP (4357). Find out more about the people and organizations mentioned: Sober Black Girls Club Sober Mom Squad Alcoholics Anonymous Dr. Louise Stanger, Certified Interventionist Women, Alcohol and COVID-19, by Dr. Dawn Sugarman See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve binged much TV this pandemic, you might have happened upon a new reality TV show on Netflix called “My Unorthodox Life.” The show is centered around Julia Haart, a high-powered CEO and fashion designer with a penchant for short skirts and sky-high heels. In between design meetings and runway shows, Julia is also seen managing her growing — and grown up — kids, in a straight-talking, cool-mom kind of way. Their lives appear glitzy, fashionable, busy, and champaign-filled. But it’s a far cry from the world Julia left in 2013. Until she was 40 years old, Julia lived in an extreme ultra Orthodox Jewish community in upstate New York. If you’ve ever watched the show and wondered how this all happened, Julia is finally sharing her full story in her memoir, Brazen, which is out now. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie finds out how Julia went from a communist Russian childhood, to married off at 19 and living under the strict rules of her Orthodox community, to jet-setting, designing shoes and dresses for celebrities and, up until a few months ago, being the head of Elite World Group, one of the largest global modeling agencies. It’s a journey you really have to hear for yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Katie shares an intimate conversation with Mackenzie Fierceton, the 24-year-old subject of a lengthy, riveting and much-shared profile in the New Yorker written by Rachel Aviv. Mackenzie grew up as a star student in a St. Louis suburb where she lived with her mother, a prominent local radiologist. Behind the facade of her seemingly privileged life though, Mackenzie was allegedly being abused by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. After one particularly violent episode, she ended up in the hospital for 22 days and was placed in foster care. Mackenzie eventually won a full scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania and a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford…and that’s when her story took yet another turn. After facing accusations that her depiction of her past was inaccurate, Mackenzie lost her Rhodes scholarship and is now in the midst of a legal battle with Penn. Beyond the specifics of Mackenzie’s harrowing story though, her experience raises a lot of questions about the thorny politics of higher education, our assumptions about race and class regarding abuse, and so much more. A word of caution to our listeners –  Katie’s conversation with Mackenzie touches on themes of physical and sexual abuse, which may be difficult for some listeners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this bonus episode, I’m excited to share my conversation with New York Times journalist and The Daily co-host, Sabrina Tavernise. Sabrina recently spent three weeks in Ukraine and has delivered a series of dispatches offering a searing glimpse of what life is like there right now on the frontlines. Her time in the region actually extends all the way back to the 1990s when she first made her way to Russia as a freelance journalist and then as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times based in Moscow. So much of the coverage of the war in Ukraine concentrates on the day to day, but I really wanted to take advantage of Sabrina’s rich perspective and sophisticated understanding of the region. So, for this conversation, we dug deep and covered everything from what life was like in Russia just after the wall came down and Putin’s rise to power to how Russians today perceive this war and how things might play out in the months ahead. I hope you enjoy our talk as much as I did….(oh, and if you hear barking, Sabrina’s dog Clementine also made an appearance!)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Scott is a familiar face, having starred in some truly bingeable TV, including “Parks and Rec,” the cult-fave “Party Down,” “Big Little Lies,” and now the psychological thriller, “Severance” from Apple TV. Adam is one of those actors you feel like you know. But going into this conversation, Katie realized she didn’t really know anything about him. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Adam talk about his cuss-loving hippie mom, his fondness for forts, and his youthful, almost delusional, drive to become an actor. They dive into the uncanny timeliness of “Severance” and also go back to Adam’s youth and his Harrison Ford ah ha moment. No doubt, you’ll come away loving Adam Scott just as much as you thought you did.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may be in the golden age of true crime television. Our latest obsession? The Silicon scammer. The bad entrepreneur. The failing founder. From “Super Pumped” (about Uber founder Travis Kalanick), to “We Crashed” (about WeWork founder Adam Neumann), to “The Dropout” (about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes), it seems audiences can’t get enough of the heart-pounding rise and gut-punching fall of these brilliant, young, white, mostly male moguls. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie explores what it was like to become one of the more enigmatic tech billionaires, Elizabeth Holmes. “I got to go to work everyday and play this enigma and then go home to my family,” says Amanda Seyfried who stars as Holmes in the Hulu series, “The Dropout,” based on the podcast of the same name. Amanda and Katie talk about nailing the look, reaching the depths of Elizabeth’s voice, and how Amanda found ways to identify with the now-convicted, former Theranos founder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Reshma Saujani started Girls Who Code in 2012, she was on a mission to close the gender gap in technology. Now, she’s on a new mission: to bridge the support gap for women and bring more moms back to the workforce. “Women are in crisis. And I think we realized that no one is coming to save us,” Reshma says. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Reshma Soujani talks about her new book, “Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work and Why It’s Different Than You Think.” They talk about the origin story of the book, the state of women’s professional progress, the impact the pandemic has had on their careers, mental health, and lives, and why there’s no time like the present to redesign the workplace. “Never waste a good crisis,” Reshma says. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part 2 of Next Question’s deep dive into long COVID, Katie tries to get some answers. Why is the healthcare system so routinely dismissing the experiences of long COVID sufferers? Why is it so difficult to get care? What does the long COVID community need? And what is the government doing about it? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie unpacks the systemic issues that are impeding patients’ care and conveys the urgent needs of the long COVID community to elected officials.  More about the groups and resources mentioned in this episode: Survivor Corps Body Politic Mount Sinai Post COVID Care Center More about some of the guests mentioned in this episode: Yale Prof. Dr.  Akiko Iwasaki (Twitter) Yale Prof. Dr. Harlan Krumholz (Twitter) Chimére L. Smith Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, Aphro Chic ABOUT - AphroChic | Modern Soulful Style Diana Berrent, Survivor Corps More information on long COVID: The CARES for Long COVID Act Yale researchers unlock secrets through study of long-term effects of COVID [Yale Daily News] Is long COVID worsening the labor shortage [The Brookings Institute] Science and tech spotlight: Long COVID [The Government Accountability Office] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years after COVID came to this country and shut it — and the world — down, Americans are eager to move on from this historic and devastating pandemic. The United States alone has lost close to one million people and nearly 80-million Americans have been infected with the virus. While we’re all understandably sick of COVID-19, some of us are still just sick. Experts say long COVID is an alarming “parallel pandemic” and one that is not getting the attention or urgency it needs. By some estimates, as many as half of people infected with COVID-19 will face lingering symptoms. And yet, long COVID is still so unknown. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric — part 1 of a two-part series — Katie attempts to understand long COVID — what it is, what it can do to the body, who is affected, and how it is upending lives. More about the groups and resources mentioned in this episode Survivor Corps Body Politic Mount Sinai Post COVID Care Center   More about some of the guests mentioned in this episode Yale Prof. Dr. Akiko Iwasaki [Twitter] Yale Prof. Dr. Harlan Krumholz [Twitter] Chimére L. Smith Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason [Aphro Chic] Diana Berrent, Survivor Corps   More information on long COVID The CARE for Long COVID Act The COVID-19 Long Haulers Act Yale researchers unlock secrets through study of long-term effects of COVID [Yale Daily News] Is long COVID worsening the labor shortage [The Brookings Institute] Science and tech spotlight: Long COVID [The Government Accountability Office]   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new season of Next Question with Katie Couric launches with a satisfying dive into the movie industry with the brilliant Jessica Chastain. Jessica is up for another Oscar for her transformative performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. And in this intimate conversation, the pair talk about how Jessica broke into an industry that had “no idea what to do with [her],” the “acting Godfather” who helped her, and how she spent decades getting Tammy Faye to screen (and how she perfected that signature look and sound). Katie and Jessica also discuss the pervasiveness of the movie industry’s boys club, Jessica’s personal fight for gender equality, and how the movie business is evolving — and the ways it still needs to. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After diving deep into Katie’s past last season, with the release of her memoir, “Going There,” Next Question with Katie Couric is taking its new season into the future. With her signature curiosity, Katie explores some of the biggest and most pressing questions of the moment, from what the future of women and work looks like, to how tech can help inspire sobriety, and what is the metaverse anyway? With the help of some of her favorite people, from actors and authors to scientists and activists, Katie investigates how our historic present can help us live — and be — better. New season starts March 3, 2022. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WARNING: This episode contains information about suicide, which may be upsetting for some people. If you or anyone you know needs it, the suicide life line is there to help: 1-800-273-8255.You might remember Rep. Jamie Raskin for the impassioned speech he made during President Trump’s impeachment hearing last year. “They thought they were going to die,” he said of his daughter and son-in-law who were with him on the day of the insurrection, when a violent mob stormed the Capital. That day — Jan. 6, 2021 — also happened to be the day after Rep. Raskin and his family buried their 25-year-old son, Tommy. This emotional confluence of personal grief and national terror is the focus of Rep Raskin’s new book, “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of the American Democracy.” On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Rep. Raskin talk about “the worst week” of his life, what he has learned from the country’s “self coup,” where our Democracy is now, and what 2024 may hold. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can acknowledge that we’ve hit COVID fatigue. We’re sick of hearing about it, worrying about it, and living among it. But when nearly 2,300 people are still dying from COVID every day, checking in with the CDC director on the state of affairs is more necessary than ever. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Dr. Rochelle Walensky talk about where we are right now, our endemic future, the much-needed overhaul of our public health care system, and when our long (inter)national nightmare will end (and what that will look like).  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ongoing pandemic is overwhelming hospitals, schools, and individuals across the country. The recent Omicron surge has brought the highest rate of COVID cases to the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. To say 2022 is already exhausting is an understatement, which is why Katie is sharing an urgent conversation she had with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Adviser to the President and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Dr. Fauci discuss the big testing push, the details of the under-five vaccine, and what the continued politicization of the pandemic is doing to our collective health. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy New Year, Next Question listeners! Since you're most likely forced indoors, recovering from or avoiding Omicron, we have a little treat for you: A special bonus episode of Next Question! While the podcast prepares for our next big season (coming March 3), Katie is giving her listeners a sneak peek of a new upcoming podcast hosted by the nation’s doctor, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In this preview episode of “House Calls With Dr. Vivek Murthy,” Dr. Murthy interviews Padma Lakshmi, an Emmy-Nominated food expert, television host, producer and New York Times best-selling author. The pair discuss the weight of the pandemic, the country's polarization and how to better connect with ourselves, our community and our country during these historically tough times. Look out for “House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy” in 2022.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question, Katie is sharing some interviews from her whirlwind, nine-city book tour, where she brought her memoir, “Going There,” to life and also shared the stage with some very special guests. On Nov. 13, Katie traveled to San Francisco and was joined at The Masonic by Leslie Jordan, actor, singer and another Instagram fave. Katie and Leslie talk about his childhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee, spending the pandemic with his mother, his surprise viral fame, and new music career. Follow all of Leslie’s activities and antics on Instagram. Also, find out more about that new duets album, “Company’s Coming.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question, Katie is sharing some interviews from her whirlwind, nine-city book tour, where she brought her memoir, “Going There,” to life and also shared the stage with some very special guests. On Nov. 15, Katie traveled down to Nashville and was joined at the Ryman Auditorium by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. The country music star and actor/activist talked with Katie about their meet-cute story, the ah-ha moments that set them on their paths, and their new joint non-profit that helps feed those in need, with dignity. Brad ends the conversation with a song! You can check out Brad and Kim’s enterprise — The Store — in Nashville or online. And there’s still time to catch Kim’s Hallmark movies this holiday season! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question, Katie is sharing some interviews from her whirlwind, nine-city book tour, where she brought her memoir, “Going There,” to life and also shared the stage with some very special guests. On Nov. 8, Katie traveled down to Atlanta and was joined at the Atlanta Symphony Hall by Ina Garten, cook, Food Network host, author, and Instagram fave. Katie and Ina talk about Ina’s Instagram celebrity and how to use the social platform for good, especially during the pandemic. They also talk about Ina’s new projects, including a new show and a memoir (!), as well as how she comes up with new food recipes, the roast chicken that apparently sends couples into engagement, and meal Ina will never forget. Look out for Ina’s new show called “Be My Guest” in 2022 and follow Instagram for more comfort food and drink. Speaking of drinks, here’s the giant cosmopolitan recipe if you’re curious (and thirsty!) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question, Katie is sharing some interviews from her whirlwind, nine-city book tour, where she brought her memoir, “Going There,” to life and also shared the stage with some very special guests. On Oct. 30, Katie traveled down to Washington, D.C. and was joined at The Anthem theater by Kara Swisher — tech journalist, podcast host, nuisance to all of Silicon Valley. Katie and Kara talk about the future of media, the public’s disintegrating trust in journalism, and all of those Facebook documents. Katie and Kara reference an interview Katie did with Sheryl Sandberg in 2019, where Katie held the Facebook COO’s feet to the flame. You can find that interview and episode here. Get more from Kara Swisher on Twitter, or her podcasts Sway from the New York Times, and Pivot from New York Magazine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question, the last of the season, Katie is sharing some moments from her whirlwind book tour. After “Going There” came out in late October, Katie criss-crossed the country to bring the book — and her personal and professional life — to in-person audiences (such a novelty!) in nine different cities. Katie shared parts of her childhood, her rise to “Today Show” host, the journey to media entrepreneur, as well as the loss of her husband Jay and her second chance at love. She also brought some famous friends along, from Ina Garten and Kim and Brad Paisley, to Kara Swisher and Leslie Jordan (more on those interviews in special bonus episodes to come). But on today’s episode, Katie is bringing conversations with some people you may not know, but should. These are people who Katie met along the way who were at the center of some of the biggest news stories of her career, from 9-11 and the Boston Marathon bombing, to the country’s gun violence epidemic. These are ordinary people who responded to extraordinary events in inspiring and life-changing ways. Find out more about the organizations mentioned in this podcast:50 LegsPurpose over PainAimee Copeland FoundationOral Lee Brown FoundationGet your copy of “Going There,” by Katie Couric. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie’s out for one more week and her former producer and co-host Brian Goldsmith is stepping in. Brian was a part of the team behind Katie’s iconic interview with Sarah Palin in 2008. And he’s just as obsessed with elections today as he was back then. So, on this episode of Next Question, Brian looks ahead at the political landscape and the 2022 midterms — who will be the key players, what are the forces shaping the election, and what about that Trump-shaped shadow looming in the distance? Brian is joined by two of the wittiest, smartest politicos he knows: Republican strategist Mike Murphy (who has worked on campaigns for John McCain, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more), and Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist whom Brian met when she was the senior communications adviser to then-presidential contender, Pete Buttigieg. It’s a lively and helpful conversation to prepare you for the big election year ahead. And make sure you’re registered to vote! Check out vote.gov to find out how in your state. Also, check out Mike Murphy’s podcast with David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs called Hacks on Tap. Katie returns to the podcast next week! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re not familiar with Huma Abedin, that was her intention. For two decades, Huma has been mostly in the background, as the long-time trusted aide of Hilary Clinton. She was reluctantly wrenched from the shadows thanks to the public downfall of her (now ex) husband Congressman Anthony Weiner who was embroiled in multiple sexting scandals, one of which sent him to jail. Now, Huma is choosing to step into the spotlight and tell her own story with the release of her memoir, “Both/And.” “When I started writing this book, my researcher said the two most common articles out there in the world about you, Huma, are, number one, what is wrong with her and, number two, what is she thinking?,” Huma tells Katie. “And so I chose to put exactly what I was thinking into this book.” On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Huma about her career, her history, her intimate relationship with Hillary Clinton, and the heartache and humiliation of her first love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The holidays are upon us, which means we’re all probably thinking about, talking to, and meeting up with more family members than at any other time in the year. And that’s not always easy. “Family by definition is complicated,” says photographer Gillian Laub, whose new book and exhibition called “Family Matters” explores the dynamics within her own tight-knit family, and the political rift they’re still trying to mend. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, while Katie takes a short break, special guest host Alison Roman (chef, cookbook author, “Dining In,” “Nothing Fancy”) steps in to talk with Gillian about the awkward intimacy of photographing her family and how the lessons of Gillian’s personal story transcend the specifics of her “live out loud” relatives. Katie will return in two weeks.Gillian Laub’s photography book “Family Matters” (Aperture) is out now. Her exhibition of the same name is at the International Center for Photography (ICP) in New York City through Jan. 10, 2022.Alison Roman is a New York-based cook, writer, and author of the New York Times bestselling “Nothing Fancy” and “Dining In” cookbooks. She is the creator of a bi-weekly YouTube series called Home Movies as well as a weekly newsletter not-so-cleverly titled A Newsletter. You can find her recipes, videos, recommendations and more, at alisoneroman.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Thanksgiving week, just a few days shy of what would have been Matthew Shepard’s 45th birthday, Katie considers his lasting legacy. In 1998, Matthew, a college freshman at the University of Wyoming, was the victim of a brutal hate crime. His death quickly became a national story and a clarion call for gay rights that inspired a whole new generation of LGBTQ activists. “Matthew Shepard was a huge turning point,” says Alan Cumming. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie revisits the interviews she has done with Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis, over the years and examines the impact they have had on gay rights legislation as well as the huge cultural shift society, in general, has experienced over the decades. Jeff Mack, a friend of Matt’s from university, who is now the executive vice president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation guides us through Matt’s impact, explains why his death is considered the “second Stonewall,” and why his friend changes the course of his life forever. “It just means so much to be doing what I’m doing,” Mack says, “life has come full circle for me.” Find out more about the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie just wrapped up a whirlwind nine-city national book tour for her memoir, “Going There.” And when she was in Los Angeles she interviewed Tarana Burke, the activist, advocate and founder of the Me Too movement. It was a powerful conversation that Katie just can’t stop thinking about. So, on this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares her conversation with Tarana Burke in full. Get your copy of “Going There,” by Katie Couric.Find out more about Tarana Burke and check out her new memoir, “Unbound.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Alan Cumming had the gall to release his new memoir the same day as Katie’s, Katie had to invite him on the podcast. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, an utterly delightful conversation with the ever charming, insightful and hilarious Alan Cumming. They talk about why Alan wanted to write a second memoir (this one is called “Baggage”), his mission to normalize the messiness of life, why he has always been so open about his sexuality, and how much has — and hasn’t changed — for the LGBTQ community. They also dive into his bestieship with Monica Lewinsky, some of the best famous-friends anecdotes and the time he got a tattoo of someone’s name on his groin after two weeks of knowing him. Alan Cumming’s new book is called “Baggage: Tales From A Fully Packed Life” and it’s out now.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past two weeks, world leaders and delegates from nearly every country have gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26. This annual summit on climate change will attempt to update the 2015 Paris agreement with accelerated action, higher targets and more ambitious cuts to carbon emissions -- our “last and best chance” at fighting climate change. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie looks back at the big weather events she has reported on and talks to her friend and weather forecaster Dave Price about how coverage of and interest in climate change has shifted over the years. We also hear from two experts on the front lines of the climate crisis, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, co-founders of Global Optimism and co-hosts of the Outrage + Optimism podcast. Christiana and Tom were both integral in getting the seminal 2015 Paris agreement to an agreement and they share what’s at stake if we can’t curb emissions as well as practical actions we can all make right now. For more information on climate science, the climate crisis and what you can do, check out “The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis,” by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, and listen to their podcast, Outrage + Optimism. Tri-staters, you can catch Dave Price at 11am and 4pm on your local NBC channel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, part 2 of Katie’s behind-the-scenes look at the making of her memoir, “Going There.” Last week introduced listeners to her book team, Lucy Kaylin and Adriana Fazio (if you haven’t listened to that episode yet, go check it out first for helpful context and some fun stories). This week, Adriana, Lucy and Katie dive into the tough stuff — like writing about the death of Katie’s husband Jay to cancer at just 42, and processing the downfall of Matt Lauer. They also talk about how writing the book in 2021 — during a pandemic and racial reckoning — shed some much needed light on past interviews and moments in Katie’s life. You can buy “Going There,” by Katie Couric, on Amazon, your local bookstore or wherever you like to buy books. You can also find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and how to get tickets by going to Ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Happy reading! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s finally here! To celebrate the release of Katie Couric’s memoir “Going There,” Next Question with Katie Couric is releasing the first of two very exciting, podcast exclusive, behind the book episodes! This week, part 1 of the making of “Going There.” Katie introduces you to her “Going There” team — Lucy Kaylin and Adriana Fazio — two incredibly thoughtful people so perfectly suited to this project, it’s almost weird. The three talk about how they all met, the writing and research process, holing up in Katie’s house during the pandemic and how some of the most personal (and controversial) moments of the book came to be. You can buy “Going There,” by Katie Couric, on Amazon, your local bookstore or wherever you like to buy books. You can also find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and how to get tickets by going to Ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Happy reading! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Couric got her start in local news, and found her footing as a broadcast journalist, reporting for WTVJ in Miami. But that was nearly 40 years ago. Unfortunately, today, local news, particularly print, is an industry in crisis. This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with longtime journalist Margaret Sullivan about her book, “Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy,” and why the dire state of local news isn’t just bad for budding journalists, it’s bad for everyone. They also talk about their early days reporting for smaller markets and the people who are trying to save the industry today. The episode ends with first-person accounts of local news journalists, members of Report for America, a national service program that places emerging journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. They share what they’ve learned and why their work is so vital.Report for America is currently fielding some 300 corps members in more than 200 newsrooms across the country. These include newspapers, radio, television, and digital outlets. Applications for new corps members will be open Dec. 1. Find out more about at their website, reportforamerica.org. Pre-order Katie Couric’s memoir, “Going There,” to learn more about her early reporting days and the makings of her broadcast career. To find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and to buy tickets go to ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty-one years ago, Katie Couric aired her first colonoscopy on the ‘Today Show.' It was an up-close and personal experience that helped demystify a still-taboo health procedure. A study would later find that colonoscopies increased by 20 percent as a result of Katie airing her personal business on national television. It was called “The Couric Effect.” And it turns out, the Couric Effect is still rolling. “Using you as a model,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar tells Katie, “I’ve tried to really talk about this.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and the Minnesota Democrat talk about the Senator’s recent disclosure of her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and how it could have gone another way. “I should have gone in a year earlier.” They also talk about Capitol Hill, the Jan. 6 insurrection, what to do about Big Tech, and the outlook for 2024.Pre-order Katie Couric’s memoir, “Going There,” to learn more about her cancer advocacy, televised colonoscopy and so much more. To find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and to buy tickets go to ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie has another delightful excuse to talk to Stanley Tucci, this time about his memoir, “Taste: My Life Through Food.” They dive into the deep impact food has had on Stanley’s life and the bitter irony of his recent cancer diagnosis that very nearly killed his ability to eat. The conversation also gets very personal as the pair talk about their shared experience of losing their partners and co-parents to cancer and the loneliness of caring for a loved one who is dying. “If you give up what happens,” Stanley says. “What happens to the kids? What happens to the person who’s sick? You can’t. You have to keep trying.” But don’t worry, they end on a high note. Stanley reads a passage from his book and shares some of his culinary how-tos that will help you in the kitchen and at the dinner table. Pre-order Katie Couric’s memoir, “Going There” now to learn more about the most impactful news stories she covered as well as the making of her life and career. To find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and to buy tickets go to ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This fall marks the 30th anniversary of the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and the testimony of Anita Hill. It was an historic moment and one that brought sexual harassment into the public consciousness and conversation. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie revisits that moment 30 years ago and what it was like to cover it as the newly minted co-anchor of the Today Show. She also sits down with Anita Hill to talk about her new book, “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence,” and how far we have — and haven’t — come since Anita shared her story with the world and changed her life — and ours. Also, law professor and author Deborah Tuerkheimer and her new book, “Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers,” helps to put Anita Hill’s testimony — and the response to it — into context. Pre-order Katie Couric’s memoir, “Going There” now to learn more about the most impactful news stories she covered as well as the making of her life and career. To find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and to buy tickets go to ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a big season for Next Question with Katie Couric because this fall Katie is going to dive into … Katie! With the release of her memoir, “Going There,” on Oct. 26, Next Question will be sharing exclusive podcast-only conversations between Katie and some of her closest friends, family and confidants. And in the lead up to the book’s publication, Katie will explore some of the biggest news stories — and the people behind them — that she has covered over the decades. This season will take fans and listeners behind the scenes of both the making of her memoir and the making of her extraordinary (and sometimes tumultuous) personal and professional life. So, come for Katie’s signature curiosity and no holds barred interviews, but stay for her own revealing answers. New season starts Sept. 30 and brand new episodes every Thursday. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It should have been our summer of joy but the pandemic rages on, surpassing a grave new milestone this month: more than 200 million global COVID cases. On this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie has a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical officer to the president, about how we can push to the end of this collective nightmare. There’s a lot to catch up on: breakthrough COVID cases, vaccine mandates, booster shots, when and where you should be masking up, and the possibility of a variant worse than Delta (and what we can do about it). Katie and Dr. Fauci cover it all and get to all of your most pressing questions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharon Stone is known for portraying a certain type of brash, cunning villain, like Catharine Tramell in “Basic Instinct,” Lori Quad in “Total Recall,” or, more recently, Lenore Osgood in the Netflix series “Ratched.” In reality though, Sharon Stone is shy and introverted and, despite her fame, has led a very private life. But now, the actor is in the midst of a very public and personal re-examination of that life in her memoir, “The Beauty of Living Twice.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Sharon talk about the trauma she has endured, from being molested as a child, to the sexual harassment in Hollywood, to the stroke that nearly killed her in 2001 (and the interview Katie did with Sharon nearly 20 years ago). They also talk about the memoir writing process, life under the glare of the spotlight, and finding a new sisterhood — and inspiration — in the movie industry, post #MeToo. For more information about “The Beauty of Living Twice,” by Sharon Stone, or where to buy your copy go to Penguin Random House.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the course of her impressive career, Julianna Margulies has starred on some wildly popular television shows. She played Nurse Carol Haloway on the definitive medica drama, ER. She starred as the disgraced politician’s wife, Alicia Florrick, in The Good Wife. And coming this September she’ll be joining the stellar cast of “The Morning Show.” The award-winning actress, and producer, is going behind the scenes of some of those shows and taking a look at the impact of her nomadic childhood and upbringing in her memoir: “Sunshine Girl: An unexpected life.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Julianna dive into all of that — Julianna’s cross-continental childhood, her complicated hippie mom, the backlash she experienced leaving ER (and turning down a $27 million contract), why she just couldn’t shake Alicia Florrick and so much more. Find out more about Julianna’s memoir, “Sunshine Girl: An unexpected Life,” and where to get your copy at Penguin Random House.Katie and Julianna’s conversation was recorded by the Wilbur Theater in Boston, on behalf of Brookline Booksmith, as part of Julianna’s virtual book tour.And if you’re interested in seeing Katie when she goes on her book tour (“Going There” is out Oct. 26) you can go to Ticketmaster.com/goingthere to find out when and where she’s headed and get your tickets.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justin Baldoni is a producer, director and actor who is probably best known for his long-running character on “Jane the Virgin.” Across the show’s five seasons, Justin played Rafael Solano, the sensitive, reformed playboy who fell in love with the titular Jane, a virgin. But the actor, whose acting work tends to embody a certain type of shirtless machismo masculinity, is on a new mission to help change the way men — and society — think about masculinity. It’s an idea he first explored on social media, and then in a Ted Talk in 2017, and then in a web series and now in a memoir-ish book called “Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity.” On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Justin discuss the often toxic grip masculinity has on our society and what Justin thinks we can all do to change that. They also talk about Justin’s personal exploration — as a son, husband and father — of what it means to be a man. Find out more about “Man Enough” and where you can buy your copy at HarperCollins.Interested in seeing Katie when she goes on her “Going There” book tour this fall? Find out when and where she’s heading and get your tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ursula Burns has had an impressive career that is often summarized by an historic achievement: that when she became the CEO of Xerox in 2009 she was the first every Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. But there is so much more to Ursula’s career and life story, which is movingly detailed in her memoir, “Where You Are is Not Who You Are.” In it, Ursula gets very personal, sharing her childhood growing up in public housing in New York City, her Catholic-school days, her marriage, and, yes, her 30-year ascent to the tippy top of Xerox’s ladder. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Ursula talk about why writing that life journey was one of the most difficult things she has ever had to do, how she lead Xerox at a time when no one needed Xeroxing, and why we all need to continue to push the business world to diversify their ranks (and what corporations are missing out on if they don’t). You can find more about “Where You Are is Not Who You Are: A Memoir” and where you can buy your copy at HarperCollins.Interested in seeing Katie when she goes on her “Going There” book tour this fall? Find out when and where she’s heading and get your tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2020, as COVID-19 started to grip the nation, fitness entrepreneur Amanda Kloots was settling into a new city (Los Angeles) with her husband Nick Cordero and their new baby. By July 2020, Amanda would become a very public COVID widow. Some of what happened to Amanda and Nick during those four months played out in incredibly personal posts and videos on Amanda’s Instagram feed. But there is so much more to Amanda’s pandemic story and the improbable death of her young, fit Broadway star husband who was just 41-years-old when he died from COVID-19 complications. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Amanda about her new memoir, “Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero,” which Amanda wrote with the help of her sister Anna. Katie and Amanda talk about the writing process, about Nick and their marriage, about grieving live on Instagram and finding heartbreak and healing in a community of strangers. You can find out more about “Live Your Life” and find out where to buy your copy at HarperCollins. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re going to have a summer series on memoirs, there is truly no better person to begin with than the boss of memoir herself, Mary Karr. In 1995, Mary Karr published her debut memoir, “The Liar’s Club,” an engrossing, tragicomic telling of her childhood in a poor, industrial East Texas town. “The Liar’s Club” took the publishing world by storm and inspired a wave of confessional memoirs. Mary then followed it up with “Cherry” in 2000 and “Lit” in 2009. She also wrote a how-to book about the genre called “The Art of Memoir” and is now working on her fourth memoir. In addition to her memoir career, Mary is also the author of five celebrated volumes of poetry and is a longtime professor of English at Syracuse University. And on this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Mary dive into it all: the writing process, books that impacted her life and career, her faith, aging gracefully (or not), even cherished Winnie-the-Pooh poems. It’s such a fun, hilarious and absorbing conversation and a real treat to kick off the summer. Enjoy and make sure to check out Mary Karr’s oeuvre. Links below. The Liar’s ClubCherryLitThe Art of Memoir Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s summer! And here on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie’s celebrating the shortest season with a fun series on books! But not just any books — memoirs!. Katie just finished writing her own memoir (which comes out this October — stay tuned!), so she wanted to spend time with other people who have shared their stories and put themselves on the page. She has a huge range of guests from actors Sharon Stone and Justin Baldoni to business leaders and entrepreneurs like former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Sarah Jakes and Amanda Kloots, and the memoir boss herself, Mary Karr. There’s so much to discuss, too: the pain of writing, the revelations of looking back on your life, and the triumphs of TMI. New episodes start July 1. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Emmy season and on this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares “The Handmaid's Tale” cast and creators panel she hosted for awards consideration. The dystopian Hulu drama just wrapped its dramatic, twist-heavy and pandemic-filmed fourth season, so be forewarned, there are spoilers ahead! There are so many talented people behind the ensemble show that the panel was split into two: the residents of Gilead and the refugees in Canada. The episode begins in Gilead with, in order of appearance, executive producer and showrunner Bruce Miller, Joseph Fiennes (Commander Fred Waterford), Yvonne Strahovski (Serena Joy Waterford), executive producer, director and star Elizabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred/Ofjoseph), Madeline Brewer (Janine Lindo/Ofwarren/Ofhoward), Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia Clements), Bradley Whitford (Commander Joseph Lawrence), McKenna Grace (Esther Keyes), and Max Minghella (Commander Nick Blaine). In the second half of the episode, Katie talks with the refugees in Canada including executive producer Warren Littlefield, Bruce Miller, Elizabeth Moss, O.T. Fagbenle (Luke Bankole), Alexis Bledel (Dr. Emily Malek), Samira Wiley (Moira Strand), Sam Jaeger (Mark Tuello), and Amanda Brugel (Rita Blue). This interview was organized by Hulu for its Television Academy FYC event for The Handmaid’s Tale. We are sharing a lightly edited version of the conversation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this sponsored episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, the executive vice president and chief patient officer of the biopharmaceutical company Merck. As a company with a long legacy of research in infectious disease, Merck has been in the thick of the COVID crisis, mobilizing its scientific expertise to help address the pandemic. Katie and Dr. Gerberding talk about the waning months of this historic pandemic, the lingering concerns about vaccinations and variants, COVID’s lasting impact on public health and how we can better prepare for emerging diseases. Merck is a partner of Katie Couric Media. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is one of the country’s leading anti-racist scholars. And, in fact, everything that Dr. Kendi does — as a professor, an author, a researcher, a podcast host, a human — attempts to reframe how we think about racism and how we fight it. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Dr. Kendi about his prolific anti-racism work, which encompasses his academic leadership and Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, his multiple books, including “Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019,” which he co-edited with Keisha N. Blain, the forthcoming online publication he’s launching with the Boston Globe called “The Emancipator,” and his new podcast, “Be Antiracist,” coming out June 9. They also touch upon the solemn anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and how far we have and haven’t come in this year of racial reckoning, as well as why it’s so important to start anti-racist discussions early, and how his devastating 2018 cancer diagnosis propels him.Find out more about Dr. Kendi’s work: Books Podcast: Be Antiracist The Emancipator The Center for Antiracist Research Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stacey Abrams is known for a lot of things — her voting rights work, for flipping Georgia blue in 2020, for not winning the state’s gubernatorial race in 2018. But in addition to her political and advocacy career, she’s also a prolific author. She has written eight unapologetically steamy romance novels, under the pen name Selena Montgomery. And this month, she’s releasing her ninth work of fiction — her first under her own name — a political action thriller called, While Justice Sleeps. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets the chance to dive into the writerly side of Stacey Abrams to find out the inspiration for her books, how she builds characters and why she continues to write. But don’t you worry, Katie also asks Stacey to weigh in on the most pressing political issues, from growing concern over voting rights, party divisiveness, and the Supreme Court. This conversation was recorded as part of Stacey Abrams’ book tour, on a virtual stop at Powell Books in Seattle. Thank you to the Powell’s team for providing the audio for this exciting discussion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“This is never going to be on TV,” says Bowen Yang, reflecting on the now-viral Saturday Night Live sketch where he plays the iceberg that sank the Titanic. “It’s such a big swing.” It turns out, if anyone can knock an unexpected pitch out of the park, it’s the 30-year-old comedian who has quickly risen to fan-favorite in his short time on the show. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets the full Bowen picture, digging into his cross-national childhood, understanding what it was like to come out to his parents, going behind the scenes of his SNL audition process and getting the anatomy of some of his favorite sketches. Katie and Bowen also talk about the cult-favorite podcast he co-hosts, “Las Culturistas,” and where the talented and endearing young star goes from here. If you weren’t smitten with Bowen Yang before, you will be after this podcast. Check out some of the Saturday Night Live sketches mentioned in the episode:Sara LeeThe Iceberg on the Sinking of the Titanic Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best-selling author Michael Lewis has a knack for extracting page-turning drama out of otherwise mundane and complicated subjects (hello, bond trading and baseball stats). Several of those books have been so good they’ve been turned into award-winning dramas starring half of Hollywood (hello, “The Big Short” and “Moneyball). And now, Lewis takes a crack at the pandemic realty still unfolding. His new book is called “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.” In it, Lewis uses the first-hand accounts of three main characters to unravel the government’s gross mismanagement of the COVID response, which lead to nearly 600,000 deaths (among the world’s worst outcomes). On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Michael Lewis talk about the CDC’s shocking downfall, the gaping holes in the public health system and the secret group of doctors (the so-called “Wolverines) helping to single handedly patch that system together. We also get to hear from one of those doctors, Dr. Joe DeRisi, a biochemistry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and co-president of the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with former Secretary of State, former Democratic nominee for president, former First Lady Hillary Clinton. The truly multi-hyphenate (did you know she’s also a podcast host?) advocate and author shares her thoughts on some of the issues that are top of mind right now, from the COVID vaccine and the potential for post-pandemic life, to the spread of disinformation and policing in America. But Katie and Hillary also spend time discussing their personal lives, the many and surprising ways they intersect, and why women continue to struggle for equality both at home and in the workplace. It’s a full and personal discussion that includes one story from early in Hillary’s career that even Katie hadn’t heard before. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a brutal year. Not only for the loss, heartache and isolation the pandemic has brought, but also the relentless and senseless violence, the mass shootings, and systemic racism at play all over America. Even as Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all accounts, on April 21, 2021, of murdering George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, a 16-year-old girl in Ohio was killed by police. “It’s a trauma,” President Biden said of all that had to occur to deliver the guilty verdict and such basic accountability. Which is why, this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric is dedicated to acknowledging the individual traumas and shared trauma of this year and learning how we can begin to heal.We’ll hear from three healing practitioners: Dr. James Gordon of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and author of “Transforming Trauma: The Path to Hope and Healing,” Trina Greene Brown of the non-profit organization Parenting for Liberation, and Lisa Woolfork of Black Women Stitch and the Stitch, Please podcast. Learn practical tools for coming into balance, how to parent through racism, and how to claim your own space and center yourself and your soul. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This past (very long) year, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been immersed in all things COVID-19, as CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent reporting on the front lines of this novel virus. “All I think about is COVID,” he told Katie, “Viral transmission, how people evaluate risk, social behavior. There’s no part of our society that hasn’t been touched in some way.” But Sanjay is also a neuroscientist and in addition to his on-air work and a daily podcast (Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction), Sanjay has somehow found the time to write a new book called “Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age,” which is out now. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Sanjay talk about how to keep the brain healthy with tips you can use right now to protect and improve your brain. But Katie starts the conversation by asking the COVID about the status of the pandemic and if we’re truly out of the woods. Find out more from this episodeRead:Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age, by Dr. Sanjay GuptaWhy Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping, by Robert M. SapolskyiGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us, by Jean M. TwengeListen:Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction with Dr. Sanjay Gupta Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Oscars are on the horizon and though it’s been a strange year for the movie industry, the race for the golden statue is nothing short of historic. Notably, there is not one but two women nominated for best director: Emerald Fennell, for “Promising Young Woman,” starring Carrie Mulligan, and Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand. “Nomadland” was also written by Zhao who based her screenplay on the non-fictional book, “Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century,” by journalist Jessica Bruder. Frances McDormand’s Fern — a fictionalized amalgam of people in Bruder’s book — is a woman living out of her van, traveling the country working seasonal jobs and meeting a community of like-minded itinerant Americans along the way. On this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets to go behind the scenes of this extraordinary, beautiful and strangely prescient film in a roundtable discussion with the director Chloé Zhao as well as three producers, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher and Dan Janvey. Stream “Nomadland” on Hulu. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a writer, speaker and author of two New York Times best-selling books, “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual” and her latest, “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighting Manual.” Luvvie’s books are part memoir, part manifestos that, like Luvvie herself, try to help the rest of us do better — for ourselves and for the people around us. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gives herself over to Luvvie’s wisdom and learns how to overcome confidence barriers, use fear for good, shed that pleaser instinct, embrace the brag, and loan courage whenever possible. Get your pad and pen, because your Luvvie lesson starts now! Learn more about the episode:Buy the “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual”Buy “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual”Watch Luvvie’s 2017 Ted Talk, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathryn Hahn is an absolute scream, as you may have guessed from watching her in the hit Marvel TV show “WandaVision.” Or maybe you first took notice of her comedy chops in early aught blockbusters like “Step Brothers.” Or perhaps, you knew along given her propensity for all-too-relatable characters in indie films like “Private Life.” However you’ve come across Kathryn Hahn, there’s no denying the actor, at 47, has hit her stride. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie digs into Kathryn’s background to find out what makes her comedy’s secret weapon. They talk about her comedy role models, the unfortunate prosthetic pregnancy stage early in her career, and why the parts she’s earning now, at 47, are the best and most exciting of her career. Watch Kathryn on Wandavision on Disney+. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie dives into a subject very close to her heart: colon cancer awareness. After Katie’s first husband Jay died 23 years ago, she’s been a fierce advocate for early screening and regular colonoscopies — she even, you might recall, got one on live TV. There’s a reason Katie goes to such lengths: early screening saves lives. In this episode, we first hear from a stage 4 cancer fighter who is living that lesson. Then, Dr. Edith Mitchell of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, helps to answer the question, why are Black people, Black men in particular, so much more likely to get colon cancer and also die from it (hint: it’s systemic). Finally, Katie talks with oncologist Dr. Charlie Fuchs about the state of colon cancer detection and treatment today. LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Visit Stand Up To Cancer, Katie’s cancer-fighting non-profit, for reliable resources and institutions.Take the pledge to get screened for colon cancerRead more about some of the health disparities Dr. Mitchell mentioned, here and here.Watch a video on understanding healthcare disparities in colorectal cancer.GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:Donna Otis, CCM, CCE Chief Executive/General Manager of the Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, California.Dr. Edith Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCPP, FRCP, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Director for Diversity Programs and Director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities for the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, Global Head of Hematology & Oncology, Product Development, Genentech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty-six years ago, Kate Winslet sat down for her first nationally televised, American interview with none other than Katie Couric when she was co-host of the Today Show. Kate was promoting “Sense and Sensibility” and was a nervous wreck. “I was very self-conscious,” she reminisces with Katie. “I remember being physically and just very self conscious in those days.” Katie, who was pregnant at the time, admits to feeling endeared to the 20-year-old star, “It was one of my favorite interviews,” she tells Kate, “I felt very protective of you because you were so young.” In this new, wide sweeping interview, Katie and Kate reunite to talk about her pandemic life, her new murder mystery series on HBO, the delightful audio book she narrated, the upcoming Avatar films, and the toxic business of Hollywood, from Woody to Harvey, and what has and hasn’t changed. Find out more about:“The Weirdies,” an Audible Original written by New York Time Bestseller Michael Buckley and narrated by Kate WinsletMare of Easttown, coming to HBO on April 18, 2021 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don Lemon is busy! The CNN Tonight anchor has spent the year guiding and framing the public’s understanding of a deadly pandemic, George Floyd’s death, the presidential election, an insurrection. Somehow, amid all of that, he wrote a book, “This is The Fire: What I Say To My Friends About Racism.” On Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Don talk about his personal exploration through America’s racist past and becoming the nation’s moral compass as it reckoned with its racist’s present. To learn more, or purchase a copy of “This is the Fire: What I Say To My Friends About Racism,” go to Little Brown. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie chats to everyone’s favorite pandemic sauce man, Stanley Tucci. They talk about Stanley’s new travel/food series on CNN called “Searching for Italy,” as well as his new movie, “Supernova,” co-starring Colin Firth. They also talk about Stanley’s upcoming new book (“Taste: My Life Through Food”), the origin story of his foodie obsession, his enviable physique, and how those mixology videos on Instagram started. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. And, after watching the slow tidal wave of infections, deaths, and fear consume most of Asia and Europe, Americans finally felt COVID’s impact at home. This totally unknown, novel virus took root, upending our lives. On this week’s episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, we recognize this sobering anniversary of a full year with the pandemic. Three Americans intimately involved with COVID-19 — an ER doctor, an epidemiologist, and a patient — share their experiences in those early, panic-stricken days and months of the spring 2020 to find out just how far we’ve come from and just how much we’ve learned about COVID-19, our healthcare system, science, and maybe even ourselves. Learn more about this week’s guests:Fiona Lowenstein, independent journalist and co-founder of the Body Politic Covid-19 support group. Dr. Jeremy Faust, emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard medical school faculty and editor in chief of Brief19.Dr. Keri Althoff, associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.Related links:Sign up for the Body Politic Covid-19 Support Group here.Body Politic Support Group shop.A guide to assessing the risks of re-opening activities amid the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey,” is the title of the very funny, if completely horrifying, new book by comedian and late-night host Amber Ruffin. The book, which Amber co-wrote with her sister Lacey Lamar, is a collection of essays about all the racist sh*t Lacey has to put up with as a Black woman living and working in Omaha, Nebraska. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with the sisters about growing up in Omaha, their different trajectories and experiences with racism and how humor can be used to expose and talk about the hard stuff. Katie also explores Amber’s career, her new show (The Amber Ruffin Show, on Peacock) and her incredible ability to skewer the kind of everyday racism she and her siblings have always put up with. And if you haven’t seen it already, go watch Amber make the case for a White History Month. Click here for more about the book, “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism,” from Grand Central Publishing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the first episode of the new season of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with actor, director, activist Robin Wright who stars in and directs the new movie, Land. Robin plays Edee, a woman experiencing tremendous grief who decides to leave her life in the city to live in a cabin in the wilderness. “It’s about the existence you once knew, that you once lived in will never exist in the same way again,” she says, “and I just thought, wow, that’s something to explore.” And with 2021 already proving to be a standout year for women in film — with more women premiering at Sundance and more female directors nominated for Golden Globes — Robin addresses Hollywood’s glass ceiling and whether the cracks are finally making an impact on the industry. ‘Land’ is playing in select theaters now and will be available on PVOD March 5. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares a timely and important conversation with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. As a Republican leader in a predominantly blue state, Governor Hogan offers a valuable perspective on how to effectively bridge the partisan divide in our increasingly polarized country. In this wide-ranging interview, he talks with Katie about this unprecedented moment in our nation’s history, what it means to be a “common sense conservative,” and why he thinks we’re just at the beginning of a “long and difficult battle for the soul of the Republican party.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Question with Katie Couric is back with its third season! After taking some podcasting detours to help make sense of an unprecedented 12 months — from the outbreak of COVID-19, to America’s racial reckoning, to the presidential election — Katie returns to her intimate interview podcast with some new questions. Like, how do you create art when the world is burning? How can we heal through this trauma together? And how can we find and share joy. Join Katie as she sits down (virtually, of course) with actors, activists, scholars, and authors — people who will impress you, move you, and maybe even make you laugh … wouldn’t it be nice to laugh? It’s a whole new season: new guests, new topics, same curious Katie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Question with Katie Couric is gearing up for its third season, launching Feb. 25, 2021. In the meantime, Katie shares a really important and fascinating conversation she had this week. The 92nd Street Y invited Katie to moderate a talk with the founders of the Lincoln Project, the Super PAC started by former Republicans who wanted to defeat Donald Trump as well as hold accountable all those who violate their oath of the constitution regardless of party. Katie was joined remotely by former head of the New Hampshire Republican party Jennifer Horn and political strategists Reed Galen and Steve Schmidt. The conversation was recorded on Tuesday January 26. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This series began in the past, to better understand the origin and history of our ongoing fight for voting rights. And as Turnout comes to a close, we consider its future. Where do we go from here? What lessons can we take with us, and what impact might this election have on our ongoing push for a more inclusive democracy and a more perfect union. In this last episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, we hear from some of our previous guests — including Wendy Weiser, Gilda Daniels, and Tyler Okeke — about the biggest takeaways from the 2020 election and their impact on our democracy. But first, an interview with someone whose job it is to lay a civics foundation for the next generation of voters. Greg Cruey is a middle school social studies teacher in War, West Virginia — a one-time coal mining center that is now one of the poorest areas in the country. Because Mr. Cruey explains our voting system, our elections, and our democracy to his 6th, 7th, and 8th graders each year, we wanted to hear how he might put our 2020 experience into context.Read more about the people and organizations mentioned in this episode:What it’s like to teach children about the election, and its results, in deep-red Trump country, by Hanna Natanson (Washington Post)Wendy Weiser is the Vice President for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law SchoolGilda Daniels is an associate professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, as well as litigation director at Advancement Project national office and author of ‘Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America.’Tyler Okeke is a Vote at 16 Youth Organizer with Power California and a second-year student at the University of Chicago. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the last nine months, as the coronavirus swept across the world, devastating so many lives in its wake, scientists have been working around the clock to develop a safe and effective vaccine in record time. And now the results from all of that hard work are starting to come in and it’s good news. Like, really good news. On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Dr. Stephen Hoge, a doctor, scientist and president of Moderna, one of the biotech firms leading the COVID-19 vaccine race. Moderna is remarkable in that it is, compared to the Pfizer behemoths of the world, a tiny biotech firm. But that hasn’t stopped it from cracking the vaccine code using a novel approach. In this wide-ranging interview, Katie and Dr. Hoge talk about the company, the pandemic, and the logistics of these vaccines — who gets them and when. Let’s call it, vaccines for dummies. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve no doubt heard that the 2020 election welcomed historic turnout. But what do those high numbers of voters mean for our democracy, for future elections, and for the warring political parties as they conduct their post-mortems? On this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, we hear from a data journalist who is starting to comb through the numbers. Neal Rothschild, director of audience and political data reporter for Axios, shares the four big takeaways that help explain the 2020 election. Then, Katie talks with her friend, the best-selling author Mitch Albom about the state of our divisiveness, the media’s problem, how we can find ways to reconnect and start to move forward as a country together.  More about the episodes and guests featured in this episode:Four demographic trends that explain Biden’s victory (Axios)Read more from Neal Rothschild or find him on TwitterMitch Albom: The election will be meaningless if we don’t change our ways (Detroit Free Press)Find more about Mitch Albom’s books at his website. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on Georgia this week as it wraps up its manual recount of nearly 5 million ballots. On Friday, November 13, when the recount began, several news outlets had declared Joe Biden the state’s winner. If that still holds when the recount is complete, Biden will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992. If that weren’t enough, control of the Senate now hinges on two critical Georgia runoff elections, which will happen in early January 2021. At the center of this national political storm is Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. On this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, an interview with the secretary, who gives us a peek behind the recount curtain, and talks about the high-pressure stakes of being the Republican in charge of President Trump’s recount: tweets, calls for resignation, and, yes, even death threats. For Brad Raffensperger, it’s all in a day’s work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, Katie shares her hopes and the need for open-mindedness as the country welcomes in the next administration. Then, we check in with some of our previous guests to get a temperature check on the country’s democracy now that the 2020 pandemic election is (almost) behind us. Jesse Littlewood from Common Cause shares his takeaways from the election, what the big turnout means for future races, and the new potential obstacles to voter access his organization is already watching and preparing to fight down the road. Finally, we check in with Annette Scott, a volunteer from the League of Women Voters, who is also a dedicated poll worker, on how Election Day went for her in New Jersey.More about the topics and guests featured in this episode:Read: I Gave Donald Trump a Chance After He Was Elected. The President’s Supporters Should Do the Same for Joe Biden Now (TIME)Jesse Littlewood is the vice president for campaigns at Common Cause, a democracy and voting rights watchdog group.Annette Scott, a volunteer with The League of Women Voters, working primarily with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation leading voter registration education. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are finally on the other side of the 2020 presidential election and it was — as promised — unprecedented. And a big part of that is because of you! Voters from all over the country came out (and mailed in ballots) in record numbers. 2020 is projected to have the highest turnout rate of eligible voters in more than a century. In this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, we’ll hear some of your voting stories, which capture a moment in history that will be analyzed for years to come. Then, Katie shares her conversation with political consultant Brian Goldsmith, which took place on Instagram Live starting at 6 pm EST on Nov. 6. And while the news over the next few days may change in big and small ways, Brain and Katie help put this week and the weight of what happened into context. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's election week! And in this special bonus issue of Turnout, Katie Couric talks with New York Times columnist David Brooks about the moment when we fell through the floor of decency and what America has lost these last four years. David also shares what's at stake on Nov. 3, why this is another moment of moral convulsion for the country and how we can mend our extreme political divides. Read more about this episode:Op-Ed: Trump's presidency Smashed the 'Decency Floor'The New York Times' opinion collection, ‘What Have We Lost'Weave, the Social Fabric Project from the Aspen Institute Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve always said that this series was about so much more than this election. As we’ve shown in the first four episodes, the voting issues of our past — and how we respond to them — pave the way forward, shaping future elections, including the history-making moment we are living in today. But now that we’re face-to-face with the 2020 presidential race, it’s time to start diving into it. On this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, Katie sorts through some of the week’s big election stories. Then, an interview with newly retired top GOP election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg about his blunt and public rebuke of President Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud. Ginsberg talks about the inherent difference between Republican and Democratic election policy, the impact of the 2000 Florida recount, and why Democrats’ worst fears about what could happen after November 3 may be unfounded. Read Benjamin Ginsberg’s Washington Post op-eds:Republicans have insufficient evidence to call elections ‘rigged’ and ‘fraudulent’How Trump’s evidence-free attacks on elections damage the Republican partyStream Recount on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, or HULU. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Turnout with Katie Couric: the power and drive of youth activism. First, 19-year-old youth activist Tyler Okeke makes the case for lowering the voting age to 16. Then, Katie talks with activist, author and podcast host DeRay Mckesson on his own youth activism and how to get this new protest generation to turnout for elections (hint: make voting easier!). We also hear advice from civil rights activists on where they find inspiration and why it’s important to keep paving the way, to make the world better and easier, for those who come after you.More about the guests and organizations mentioned in this episode:Courtland Cox, activist and veteran of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating CommitteeTyler Okeke, Vote at 16 Youth Organizer for Power CaliforniaDeRay McKesson, activist, author of the book, “On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope,” and host of the podcast “Pod Save the People” from Crooked MediaRock The Vote, youth empowerment organizationJudy Richardson, documentary filmmaker and veteran of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Turnout, Katie Couric explores how disinformation is used to suppress the vote and how it’s being tackled by activists and citizens alike. While disinformation has been used to subvert the voting process for decades, long before the internet, it is now thriving online like never before. “Bad actors” are lurking behind your screen and on your social media platforms, eager to sew chaos and distrust in the election system. But, fear not! There’s hope and also something YOU can do. Jesse Littlewood from Common Cause shares tips for how to spot disinformation on the internet and what to do about it (hint: don’t engage!). And, in an effort to provide some sort of check to Facebook’s unbalanced power, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr tells us how her group, the “Real Facebook Oversight Board,” plans to hold Mark Zuckerberg’s feet to the fire. More about the guests and organizations featured in this episode:Jesse Littlewood is the vice president for campaigns at Common Cause.As part of its election protection work, Common Cause has launched a Stop Cyber Suppression program, where you can report disinformation or join the Common Cause Action Team’s Social Media Monitoring program.Carole Cadwalladr is a British Pulitzer-nominated investigative journalist who broke the Cambridge Analytica story after working with whistleblower Christopher Wylie for a year.The Real Facebook Oversight Board Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheyann Webb-Christburg was eight years old when she first met Martin Luther King, Jr. It was late 1964 and Dr. King was in Selma, Alabama, to organize a voter registration campaign to draw attention to the need for legislation that would ensure Black Americans could safely and freely vote, because in the 1960s, particularly in Southern states like Alabama, that was certainly not the case. “Black folks couldn’t vote,” Sheyann’s father said when asked if he had ever cast a ballot. On this episode of Turnout with Katie Couric, Katie explores the historic struggle of Black enfranchisement — from the moments of brief political prosperity during Reconstruction, to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the election of President Barack Obama, and the ongoing fight to restore voting rights to people with past convictions. Woven throughout the episode is Sheyann’s story of being Martin Luther King’s smallest Freedom Fighter and what she witnessed on that Bloody Sunday in Selma in 1965. Katie also interviews Desmond Meade, President and Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, about his inspiring life story as a formerly homeless returned citizen who in 2018 helped restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians.More about the guests and organizations featured in this episode:Sheyann Webb-Christburg, civil rights activist, youth advocate and co-author of the book and movie “Selma, Lord, Selma.”Gilda Daniels, law professor at the University of Baltimore law school, litigation director at the Advancement Project, and author of “Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America.”Dr. Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University, author of several books including, “One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy.”Desmond Meade, president and executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and author of “Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returned Citizens.”Annette Scott, a volunteer with The League of Women Voters, working primarily with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation leading voter registration education.*Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence that some listeners might find disturbing.* Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The right to vote can sometimes be described as a “struggle,” a “fight,” even a “war.”But how did this come to be and who has been fighting to make every generation’s path to the ballot a little less arduous? On this episode of Turnout, Katie Couric goes back to the beginning, to find out what our founding can tell us about the continuing war on voting rights. Katie speaks with historian and biographer Jon Meacham about the framers’ hopes and dreams and who was left out of the more perfect union they designed. Then, Wendy Weiser, of the Brennan Center for Justice, and voting and Civil Rights expert Gilda Daniels help define voter suppression — and the many names it goes by. Finally, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown shares the ways she is helping to modernize her state’s election system — and the ways the rest of the country can and should follow suit.Guests:Jon Meacham, author “His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope”Wendy R. Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of LawGilda Daniels, law professor at the University of Baltimore law school, litigation director at the Advancement Project, and author of “Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America.”Charles Stewart III, MIT professor of political science and founder and director of the MIT Election LabOregon Gov. Kate Brown Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Katie takes the mic solo and shares her conversation with Disney Executive Chairman, Bob Iger. Early on, Iger dreamed of becoming the next Walter Conkrite and landed a job as the local weatherman for a small upstate New York TV station. He soon realized he was better suited behind the camera and began working his way up the corporate ladder at ABC, eventually leading the network’s sports and entertainment divisions. In 2005, he was named Disney’s CEO, ultimately transforming the beloved brand into a global powerhouse through a series of bold acquisitions -- Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm all joined the Disney family during Iger’s tenure. Along the way, he built a reputation for his kindness, integrity, and enthusiastic appreciation of creative talent. He stepped down as CEO in February of this year, assuming the role of Executive Chairman. Soon after, the pandemic hit and the world changed seemingly overnight -- particularly for Disney, a company built on in-person experiences like theme parks, movies, sports, and cruise lines. As Iger helps lead the company through perhaps the most challenging time of its nearly 100-year history, he speaks with Katie about this unprecedented moment along with all the other twists and turns of his remarkable life and career. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt. While Schmidt might not be a household name, his reputation looms large in the GOP universe -- he’s helped run campaigns for everyone from President George W. Bush to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and he was the senior campaign strategist and advisor to Sen. John McCain during his 2008 presidential bid. But then, in June 2018, he walked away from the Republican party, citing it as “fully the party of Trump” and “a danger to our democracy and our values.” Now he’s channeling.all of his energy into defeating President Trump in November as co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by current and former Republicans. In this urgent and timely conversation, Schmidt shares with Katie what led him to renounce the party he had pledged loyalty to for 30 years, what to expect during this final sprint to election day, and how he thinks Trumpism will impact our political system for many years to come. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares an important conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci. As Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, Fauci has advised six presidents and led the fight against emerging diseases including H.I.V., SARS, MERS, and Ebola. Most recently, as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, he’s taken on the crucial role of America’s explainer-in-chief, breaking down complicated science clearly and providing a trusted, calming presence as our country endures the most devastating public health crisis of our lifetimes. In this wide-ranging conversation, Katie and Dr. Fauci take a deep dive into the issues on all of our minds right now - how to protect ourselves as flu season nears, where we are in the race to find a vaccine, what we should know about sending our kids to school, whether the world has entered a “pandemic era” -- and what exactly that could mean for all us of going forward. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s that time of the year when students typically descend upon university campuses around the country — moving into dorm rooms, filling up stadiums, cramming into classrooms and swelling small towns to capacity. Unfortunately, that is not the college scene this year. After the coronavirus forced schools to shut down last March, those same institutions are struggling to figure out how — or if — students can safely come back this fall. On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John tackle this thorny issue with the presidents of their alma matters, James Ryan of the University of Virginia, a public research school in Charlottesville, and Michael Roth of Wesleyan University, a private liberal arts school in Connecticut. The presidents talk about their fall plans, how much of a financial hit their institutions will take, and how the pandemic — and this moment of racial unrest — could change the higher education system for good.  For more, subscribe to Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don’t have to be a parent to recognize that parenting during COVID is a struggle. When the coronavirus shut down daycare facilities and schools across the country in March, parents became not only full time caretakers, but also teachers, coaches and playdates for their suddenly isolated kids. And working parents — those lucky enough to be able to keep their jobs or work remotely during the shutdown — have had to also find time in the day to do the job that pays the bills. For single working parents, or black or brown parents, that impossible situation, that non-existent work-life balance, is an even heavier burden to bear. But this isn’t new for Christine Michel Carter. In fact, the marketing strategist, working-mom advocate and best-selling author has been “Chicken Little” for the past five years, running around telling everyone the work-life balance sky was falling. COVID just exacerbated the reality. “The world is exposed to the fact that even in married two-income households — unlike mine — women are three times more likely to be the spouse who carries the additional burden of the mental load of just everything that’s going on,” she says. On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, co-host Bozoma Saint John talks with Christine about about how to build a better employer-employee relationship, one that doesn’t compartmentalize mothers and fathers, but allows people to bring their whole selves — kids, school mishaps, doctor appointments, birthday parties and all — to the office (or the zoom meeting). Christine and Boz share their own struggles of being a parent in the corporate world, how communities of color are disproportionately affected, and what that so-called work-life balance could look like on the other side of this pandemic. Check out Christine Michel Carter’s book, “Mom AF.”For more, subscribe to Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The multi-hyphenate talent Ashley Graham has innovated a career that has spread across fashion, beauty, television, and podcasting. Ashley started modeling when she was just 12, but it wasn’t long before she was breaking boundaries — and changing the face of — the size-obsessed industry, becoming the first curvy model to cover Vogue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (among others), to walk Michael Kors, and to land a major beauty contract (Revlon). On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, the model, entrepreneur, TV host, and producer talks to her friend Bozoma Saint John about pushing for more inclusivity and fewer labels at every step of her career. “There was always a label kind of looming over me,” she tells Boz. “Nobody wants to be labeled, yet people still put you in a box for who you are and who you stand for and who you’re rooting for and who you’re not rooting for. And all I simply wanted was to just be accepted for who I was.” Boz and Ashley also talk about motherhood, the need for diversity in all industries, and what it has been like quarantining with her family in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. “We must be very abnormal,” she says, “because it’s working!”For more, subscribe to Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call,” at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Katie Couric is on book deadline! While she’s busy writing, Bozoma Saint John sits down for an intimate conversation with her good friend and all around entertainment renaissance woman La La Anthony. La La shares her career journey from radio personality to MTV VJ (hello, “Total Request Live”) to producer, actress, entrepreneur and activist. They touch upon the ups and downs of quarantine life, but also dive deep into the current state of social and racial unrest and its emotional toll. Although the country’s racial injustices are amplified now, it is a reality both women have dealt with their whole lives and now have to watch their children go through, too. La La shares how she is preparing her 13-year-old son Kiyan for the world he has to live in: “We have a 13-year-old Black son and we live in New York City,” La La says. “My son walks around with a hoodie … he plays basketball, he’s in the gyms, he’s on the courts outside. So we tell him ‘this at any moment could be you.’” It’s a deeply personal conversation about their struggles, as well as their hopes for what can change. “There’s still so much work to do,” La La says, “and you don’t stop just because a hashtag isn’t trending anymore." For more, subscribe to Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call,” at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special surprise episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, we’re sharing an unreleased interview Katie did back in February with H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones. The interview's release was held as Katie shifted her attention to the coronavirus pandemic. But the conversation — which was done in front of a live audience in our Manhattan offices (another world, right?) — is surprisingly relevant to issues we are grappling with right now, like how to create more inclusive work environments, and the need for companies to lead with purpose. Jeff also talks about being an “unimpressive” kid, how military academy changed the course of his life, and how persistence helped him land his dream job. Jeff ends the conversation with some thoughtful career advice. And a friendly reminder to our listeners, the new, extended tax deadline is just around the corner — July 15!Subscribe to Katie’s Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call,” on KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2020 was going to be a big year for Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: With a valuation around $31 billion, Airbnb was going to go public on March 31. And then the pandemic hit. Within weeks, Airbnb was gutted and Brian was forced to lay off 25 percent of his staff. “It would have been so easy to just spiral,” Brian Chesky says. “But every moment is a moment for us to be doing something that’s defining, to make us better.” On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John talk to Brian about how he quickly pivoted his company and how travel will be forever changed. In the wake of the national anti-racism protests, Airbnb has also had to reckon with its record on discrimination. Brian Chesky shares his regrets on not doing more sooner on race and the steps the company is taking now to make the platform and the company more equitable.  Sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judd Apatow is a comedy powerhouse in Hollywood. From “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” to “Knocked Up” and “This is 40,” Judd has altered the comedy-making template, finding the funny in relatable and vulnerable (even cringeworthy) characters and situations. But what about the responsibility that comes with that power? In this moment of national reckoning on race, what are leaders like Judd doing to lift up black voices and stories? On this episode of “Back to Biz with Katie and Boz,” co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John talk to Judd about how Hollywood can bring diversity to the big screen, the future of moviemaking — and going — in a social-distanced world, as well as his new movie. “The King of Staten Island,” starring Pete Davidson, is an incredibly personal story (based on Pete’s own life) about loss, trauma, and mental health, which Judd says is perfect for this moment. The movie is available to watch on demand. Sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Stacey Abrams narrowly lost her historic gubernatorial run in 2018, she did not contest the race. She could have, but instead the long-time activist, lawyer and politician put all of her effort to fighting a broken voting system into ensuring fair elections in the future. “This is not about one politician or one race,” she says. “This is about an infrastructure that’s supposed to serve citizens and it’s not.” On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Stacey Abrams talks about the work her organization “Fair Fights Action” is doing to mitigate the harm of voter suppression and how their helping voters to prepare for November. Katie and Boz also talk to Stacey about her childhood, her love of “Star Trek,” that little VP rumor, and the key difference between the protests happening today compared with the ones that broke out after the Rodney King verdict 30 years ago. Stacey Abrams new book “Our Time is Now” is available wherever you buy books. For more information, follow Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John on Instagram and sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, “Wake-up Call,” at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the first woman to helm one of the big three Detroit automakers, GM CEO Mary Barra has learned a lot about creating a more diverse and equitable company. “The mindset people have to have is this is never done,” she says. “I look for the day when it doesn’t need special focus, but I think we’re a long way off from having leaders being very deliberate about creating diverse groups, diverse opportunities.” In this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Mary Barra talks with co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John about the letter she wrote to her employees about George Floyd’s murder and the actions GM is taking to move the conversation forward. Barra also talks about the early successes of opening the GM facilities as well as the ways the pandemic has accelerated trends that may forever change the GM automobile. Click here for a detailed list of anti-racist resources.Click here to sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, May 25, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, accused of using a counterfeit $20 at a deli, was killed in police custody. The next day video captured by bystanders, and spread widely on social media, revealed how brutal and inhumane Floyd’s arrest and last living moments — at the hands of a white cop — really were. Since that video’s release, protesters have taken to the streets in at least 140 cities, demanding justice not only for George Floyd, but also for Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all black lives. On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John speak with Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi about what that justice should look like. They discuss the desperate need to not only stop the harm against black people but also repair centuries of damage and why everyone has to step up and speak up for the benefit of all. “This is not a black people’s problem. This an American crisis,” Bishop T.D. Jakes says. “The choice you really have,” Opal Tometi says, “is to be a part of justice or know that you are impeding justice.”  Click here for a detailed list of anti-racist resources.Click here for more information or to support Black Lives Matter.Click here to sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will the pandemic change the way we work, go to school, go out, travel, and experience the world? In this new limited series, co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John set out to understand how this unprecedented moment will change our future. In weekly episodes, Katie and Boz interview CEOs, innovators and thought leaders in industries from tech and media to education and entertainment to fashion and sports, to find out how they are adjusting to — and innovating in —this new world order. Back to Biz with Katie and Boz releases Thursdays during the summer of 2020 right here in the Next Question feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Couric still has questions. But right now they're mostly focused on the future of business. Considering this unprecedented economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, how will industries like tech, education, entertainment, travel, and fashion adjust and innovate to fit our new world order. Introducing "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz," a new interview series co-hosted by award-winning journalist Katie Couric and trailblazing marketing executive Bozoma Saint John. On the premiere episode of "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz," the co-hosts set the stage for their forward-looking series with their first guest, tech and media journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher who offers a big-picture look at the ways the shuttered economy has made Big Tech even bigger — for better and worse. "Any trends that were present have been accelerated and then helped by tech," Kara says. "You could go around from industry to industry. Look at streaming entertainment that people have been using. Look at Netflix — [it's] never had more usage." Katie, Boz and Kara discuss what it means to be an essential worker and why all businesses will have to reassess what "gig work" means. They also talk about the future of education, why TikTok is having more than a moment, and the innovations that are bubbling up in tech right now. Each episode of "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz" will run right here in the Next Question feed. For more information on this episode, subscribe to Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. And make sure to follow Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie interviews Bozoma Saint John, the Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor and an all around trailblazing businesswoman who has broken glass ceiling after glass ceiling in Silicon Valley and beyond. Bozoma, who goes by Boz, and Katie talk about what makes brands and leaders authentic and how to help others during this trying time, even when you're feeling depleted yourself. Boz also shares the lessons she learned about overcoming adversity and her own personal crisis after her husband died and how she found her way back to her career and the things that bring her joy.  Bozoma Saint John is someone Next Question listeners will want to get to know because Katie and Boz are cooking up something exciting to be released in the Next Question feed very soon. Stay tuned for that, but in the meantime take a moment to learn a bit from Boz about how to excel by being your true self. For more, subscribe to Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special bonus episode of Next Question, Katie takes a step back to consider what the bigger, global picture might look like in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. She speaks with Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who shares his belief that this crisis won’t so much change the basic direction of world history, but will “accelerate” it. He also talks about his new book, “The World: A Brief Introduction” and his hope for an informed citizenry in which all Americans are equipped with the “foundation of understanding” about our country and the larger world.For more, sign up for Katie's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just a few months ago, restaurants were the places we chose to see friends, mark our milestones, celebrate our special occasions, or unwind after a stressful week. But today, in our social-distancing world, just imagining the typically crowded, intimate scene of a Friday night at your favorite neighborhood spot can send a shiver down your spine. Which is why the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic so far, with more than 8 million employees laid off and a more than 80-billion sales loss. As we continue to explore what life will look like once we begin to get back to some sort of normal, Katie Couric turns to business leaders and entrepreneurs to find out how they see their industries re-emerging. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie speaks with restauranteur Danny Meyer and Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti to find out how the restaurant industry can get back to business.For more, sign up for Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.dom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares her conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom, which was recorded as part of her ongoing video series with Time Magazine — 'TIME Reports with Katie Couric' — that shines a light on the heroes and newsmakers of this COVID moment. Governor Newsom has been praised for his leadership of California, which despite being among the first to report cases of the virus, has managed to avoid the catastrophic spread we've seen in other places. He shares with Katie the guiding principles that shaped his early response and considers the way forward for his state — and all of us. For more, sign up for Katie's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With widespread shelter-in-place orders shutting down major cities and many states, the U.S. economy has come to an abrupt standstill. And after just five weeks, this COVID crisis has forced more than 26 million Americans to file for unemployment. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks to Victor Tan Chen, sociology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and author of “Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy.” Chen explains what makes this unemployment crisis so unprecedented, why it’s underscoring pre-existing inequalities in the labor force and how the pandemic could change the job market — and who it could leave behind. Throughout the episode, we also hear from the people behind the unemployment statistics.Read the Atlantic article ‘The Second Phase of Unemployment Will Be Harsher,’ by Victor Tan Chen and Ofer Sharone.Sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, Wake-Up Call. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As our loyal listeners know, Next Question with Katie Couric has been devoted to covering the coronavirus crisis from the moment this unprecedented pandemic began to upend virtually every facet of our daily lives. Now, with this special bonus episode, Katie begins a new chapter, exploring something most all of us are surely wondering -- what will “life after coronavirus” look like? First up, a conversation with one of the most respected and experienced authorities in public health today, Dr. Tom Frieden. Dr. Frieden is the former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (aka the CDC) and is currently President of the non-profit, Resolve to Save Lives, which aims to make the world safe from epidemics. He shares with Katie his plan to “box in” the coronavirus, so we can safely get the country up and running -- and, hopefully, begin to find and embrace our "new normal." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, on “Next Question with Katie Couric,” we heard the devastating story of how one mother, Kira Johnson, became a part of a shameful statistic:​that between 700 and 900 American women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. We learned that structural issues like racism as well as an increase in medical interventions during labor, have led to more women dying from pregnancy and childbirth today than they did 30 years ago. Today, in Part 2, Katie tackles her next question: What is being done to better protect American mothers, and particularly women of color? Katie talks to Olympic runner Allyson Felix who, in 2018, became one of the 50,000 women who nearly die from pregnancy-related complications. “Being a professional athlete,” Allyson says, “I just thought that will never happen to me.” Katie also hears from public health leaders like Dr. Debra Bingham and politicians like New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy who are actively trying to turn high maternal mortality rates around. Today, given the additional challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the existing racial health disparities COVID-19 has only exacerbated, this kind of work is more urgent and relevant than ever. Guests and resources for this episode include: Olympic runner Allyson Felix helps March of Dimes advocate for the health and safety of moms and babies.  New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy launched in 2019 Nurture NJ, a statewide awareness campaign committed to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. New moms can stay on top of symptoms with the Post-Birth Warning Signs factsheet from the The Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement To help families like the Johnsons, visit 4Kira4Moms.com For more information, sign up for Katie Couric’s newsletter Wake-Up Call at KatieCouric.com.Correction (4-27-20):The podcast incorrectly attributes the "Save Your Life" POST BIRTH warning signs handout to the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement. It was developed under the leadership of Debra Bingham, DrPH, RN, FAAN when she worked at the Association of Women's Health Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before COVID-19 hit the U.S. in early 2020, the American health system was suffering another crisis: alarmingly high — and rising — rates of maternal mortality, particularly among black women. In this country, an estimated two women die every day from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. And 60 percent of those deaths could have been prevented. And now, the coronavirus is forcing tens of thousands of women to give birth in unprecedented circumstances — sometimes alone, and often without the support networks they need to stay healthy. In Part 1 of a special episode of “Next Question with Katie Couric,” Katie talks to Charles Johnson, whose wife Kira died in 2016 just hours after giving birth to their second son, Langston. “I thought that what happened to Kira was an isolated incident,” Charles tells Katie. “I thought, this doesn’t happen in 2016, in our country.” Why are women like Kira Johnson — healthy, prepared, and insured — dying? And how did the U.S. become one of the most dangerous places in the developed world to have a baby? Guests and resources for this episode include: Charles Johnson, founder of 4Kira4Moms, a non-profit dedicated to maternal mortality advocacy. Dr. Debra Bingham, founder and executive director of the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement, and associate professor at the University of Maryland Monica Rose McLemore, associate professor in the family health care nursing department at the University of California, San Francisco Nina Martin, an investigative reporter at ProPublica and co-author of the award-winning ProPublica and NPR series “Lost Mothers.” For more information, sign up for Katie Couric’s newsletter Wake-Up Call at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitals in hotspots like New York City may have postponed or canceling non-essential surgeries due to the coronavirus, but, you can’t postpone birth. Pregnant mothers are still entering hospitals, sometimes alone, to deliver babies to doctors and nurses in full hazmat gear. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie finds out what it's like — from the perspective of mothers, doctors, and doulas — to give birth in the time of coronavirus.First, Katie talks to Alicia Biggs, a mom who had to give birth alone at the end of March. Then, Katie checks in with two obstetricians, one from New York Presbyterian in Manhattan and one from the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, to understand the obstacles they face in keeping pregnant and laboring moms healthy and safe. Finally, New York City doula Chantal Traub offers tips to pregnant women and their partners for how to feel safe — and empowered — during a time of uncertainty. Next Question listeners can go to ChantalTraub.com to get their free guide for how to enter birth with confidence and calm. For more, subscribe to Katie's morning newsletter Wake-Up Call at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before the coronavirus upended our lives and distanced ourselves from our jobs, routines, and loved ones, loneliness was already considered a widespread issue. But now, whether you're living alone or surrounded by people, that feeling of loneliness is probably more profound than ever. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with former surgeon general Vivek Murthy about how dangerous this human condition can be, not only to our emotional health but also our mental and physical health. In a discussion around his new book, "Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World," Katie and Dr. Murthy talk about ways to mitigate our loneliness and how to use this time of isolation to appreciate and strengthen our relationships. Later in the show, massage therapist David Lobenstine shares a few techniques — to use on yourself or on one of your quarantine partners — to help relieve the effects of this longterm stress and loneliness. Sign up for Katie's morning newsletter, Wake-Up Call, at KatieCouric.com for more information on today's episode, the coronavirus, and the day's most pressing news. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In these unprecedented times, when tensions, anxieties and fears about the coronavirus are high, many people are finding comfort in a surprising source: Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 thriller “Contagion.” It’s about a mysterious and highly contagious virus that crosses continents, causes city-wide lockdowns, throws government protocols into chaos, upends daily life, and instills an almost universal state of dread across the globe. Sound familiar? Katie talks with “Contagion” screenwriter Scott Burns and one of the lead consultants on the film, Dr. Ian Lipkin, the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, about why the movie is having such a moment, how they managed to create something so prescient, and ways our own pandemic nightmare might end. The pair also touch on their latest collaboration: With help from the original “Contagion” cast, Scott Burns and the Mailman School of Public Health have created PSAs to help spread the word about social distancing, hand washing, and other life-saving measures in the age of COVID-19. You can check those out at ControlTheContagion.org and spread the word on social media with #ControlTheContagion. Sign up for Katie Couric's morning newsletter, Wake-Up Call, at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie continues her special coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. First, Katie looks to New York City — now the national epicenter of this crisis — where the rate of positive COVID-19 cases is doubling ever three days. Which means the peak of coronavirus infections will be much higher and hit New York much sooner than expected, giving the city's vast network of hospitals — which are already under tremendous strain — less time to prepare for a deluge of patients. Katie talks to Dr. Robert Femia, the chair of emergency medicine at NYU Langone to find out how emergency rooms in New York City are faring now and how they are bracing for what's to come. Then, Katie speaks to Beth Cameron, the former head of the National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, about why the U.S. wasn't prepared for this pandemic. Beth Cameron is now the Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which has a new effort to help local officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find more information about that here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie continues with special coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. First, Katie tackles coronavirus anxiety and how to balance our mental health with concern over our physical health. Katie talks with psychotherapist and best-selling author Lori Gottlieb who shares ways to cope during this uncertain time and answers questions from Katie’s listeners and followers. Then,San Diego physician Dr. Peter Attia hares what he has learned in his research of the pandemic, from the mysterious biological mechanisms behind COVID-19 and the looming challenges it poses for our healthcare system. So take a deep breath, everyone, and - as always - go to CDC.gov and WHO.int for the most updated information. You can also sign up for Katie's morning newsletter Wake-up Call, at KatieCouric.com, for dedicated coronavirus coverage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as a distant and mysterious illness in China at the end of 2019 has now been declared an official global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The virus, now known as COVID-19, has spread to well over 100,000 people from Asia to the Middle East, Europe and the United States. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie asks experts like Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Head of the Outbreak Investigation Task Force of the World Health Organization, to break down everything you need to know about this alarming outbreak — where it came from, how it spreads, and what you can do to protect yourself against it. Katie also speaks to Yulin Yin, a Minnesota man who shares his extraordinary journey out of the center of the epidemic in Wuhan, China, to a 14-day quarantine in San Diego and finally, home to his family. Katie also calls on Dr. Bill Schaffner, Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, to answer some of your burning questions. For the most updated information on COVID-19, go to CDC.gov and WHO.int. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plant-based food might have started out as a niche lifestyle choice for vegans and vegetarians back in the 1970s (hello, Tofurky!), but today you can find plant-based milk, cheese, fish, meat — and so much more — in the aisles of your local grocery store. The plant-based market is even conquering fast food, appearing nationwide on menus at major chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and White Castle. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with one of the innovators behind the plant-based revolution — Ethan Brown, the CEO of Beyond Meat. They discuss the impact growing up around farms and animals had on Ethan and what finally drove him to start his business. He also shares what's really in a Beyond Meat burger and why the company isn't here to tell consumers what to eat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just in time for March Madness, Katie talks with legendary Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw about how the Hall of Famer is working to diversify college sports, the failures of Title IX, and why we need more women leaders on and off the court. Then, Carla Williams—athletic director at the University of Virginia and the first black woman to hold the position at a Power Five school— talks candidly about the pressures of being a pioneer in a male-dominated field, and why the burden to diversify college sports shouldn’t rest solely with women and people of color. Later, some of Muffet’s former players, including Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Niele Ivey, reveal what it meant to have a mentor like Muffet to look up to—and how her strength continues to inspire them long after leaving campus. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Celeste Barber, the Australian actress and comedian who is gleefully shattering Instagram's illusion of the perfect life. Celeste shares her tactics for using the social media site for good — and for laughs — and how she managed to turn a visual joke into a whole new career. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of life's fundamental questions include, 'who am I?' and 'where do I come from?'. As at-home DNA test kits become more and more popular, those philosophical musings have become big business. But what happens when the results are more than you bargained for? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie sits down with podcast host and author Dani Shapiro, who shares her shocking story about finding out, in her 50s, that the beloved man who raised her was not her biological father. With direct-to-consumer DNA testing expected to reach 100 million people in just a few years, Dani’s experience is far from unique — millions of people are about to come face-to-face with some hard truths about their histories. So what are the hugely profitable companies behind these kits doing to support customers who receive life-altering news? Katie speaks to one woman who took matters into her own hands after the company who made her test wouldn’t even get on the phone with her, turning her DNA results into a global support network for people like her. For more about Dani’s book, Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, click here or visit PenguinRandomHouse.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie dives into the massive, frenetic and lucrative world of eSports. Katie explores the history, rapid growth and criticisms of an industry that is poised to break the billion dollar mark this year. She also attends her first live eSports event where she talks with gamers and video game makers about the particular draw of competitive gaming. And, with the help of media critic Anita Sarkeesian, Katie also tackles the blatant discrepancy between the large number of female gamers and the definitive lack of women playing in the big leagues, where prizes top millions of dollars. In a sport that requires no physical prowess, why aren't more women getting in on the action? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie's in Miami for Super Bowl LIV! Recording from the bustling media center on Miami's South Beach, Katie talks with Kansas City Chiefs superfan Eric Stonesteet — Cam from "Modern Family" — about hometown pride, the seed of his football fandom, and, of course, the upcoming series-end of the the hit TV show, "Modern Family." Eric shares what he thinks makes the show so successful and how he's learning to say goodbye this dream role and dream job. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a new year, which means we all have diets on the brain. But with so many options out there, how can we parse the good and healthy from the fads? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets to the bottom of trendy eating plans like intermittent fasting and keto with Dr. Mark Hyman who explains what they are and how they affect the body. Katie also speaks with health, diet and wellness expert Liz Josefsberg about the psychology behind our food cravings and how making incremental behavior changes can help us stick to our good intentions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Season Two premiere of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie gets to the bottom of the century-long battle over the Equal Rights Amendment, which says that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." On Jan. 15, 2020, Virginia became the 38th, and therefore final, state needed to add it to the Constitution — 48 years after it was first passed by Congress. But what does that mean for the ERA now? Does it finally have a shot at becoming the law of the land, or will it be marred by an endless series of legal challenges? ERA Coalition Co-President and CEO Carol Jenkins walks Katie through the history of the amendment and what comes next. Katie also talks with playwright Heidi Schreck about why the ERA’s inclusion is so crucial for — and personal to — American women. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie debuts Next Question Live, an intimate, innovation-focused series featuring interviews with leaders, entrepreneurs and business trailblazers recorded (and taped) in front of a live audience in New York City. The series opens with an interview with Tim Brown, the co-founder and co-CEO of Allbirds — the wool sneaker you've probably noticed on the street or all over your Instagram feed. Katie talks with Tim about his rocky path to Allbirds, the career in professional sports that inspired the idea, and how the young company is trying to break the shoe mold with their sustainable and fashionable products. Tim also shares some frank opinions on what it’s really like living that entrepreneur life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie reflects on her sweeping first season tackling topics like the spread of online hate and the hype of CBD, not to mention one-on-one interviews with some headline-grabbing names, including Greta Gerwig and Ronan Farrow. But while Next Question takes a brief hiatus to prepare for the next big season, Katie wants to know, what are the issues that keep you up at night? Find out how to connect with Katie, and your next question could be explored in season 2, coming in early 2020. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The holidays can be tough! Whether you’re overwhelmed by the news, your family, or the perfectly projected lives on your social media feeds, it can be all too easy to slip into a negative-thinking feedback loop. So on this bonus holiday episode of Next Question, Katie sits down with the multi-platinum pop singer and songwriter Andy Grammer, who shares his advice for staying positive through it all. The pair also talk about Grammer’s childhood, his early days busking on the street, his faith, and even death—and what happens after the people we love pass. It turns out there’s much more to Andy Grammer than a smile and those addictively danceable tunes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a star-studded season 1 finale for Next Question! Katie sits down with her all-time favorite guest, human rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, in front of a live audience at the Aspen Institute’s 36th Annual Awards dinner. As Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, Stevenson and his staff have won reversals, relief, or release from prison for over 135 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row and won relief for hundreds of others wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced. His incredible life story is also the subject of the new film "Just Mercy," based on his 2014 memoir, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx who also join Katie for a fascinating conversation about their experience bringing Stevenson’s story to life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don’t already know Greta Gerwig, then get ready to have a new hero by the end of this episode. Greta is an actress turned writer/director who is taking Hollywood by storm. Her first attempt at writing and directing resulted in the 2017 hit “Lady Bird,” and her career has only skyrocketed from there. In this interview, Katie and Greta bond over their mutual love of the book which inspired her latest project, a remake of the much loved Louisa May Alcott classic “Little Women.” While the film stars some major Hollywood heavyweights — Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep, to name a few— it’s Greta’s work behind the camera that brings a new sparkle to this classic tale. At a time when accolades for female directors are few and far between — for the fifth year in a row there were zero women nominated for a Golden Globe for directing — Greta’s voice is one that demands to be heard. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NOTE: This episode contains discussions of racist ideologies and hate-based violence. Listener discretion is advised. Sam (not his real name) was just 13 when he discovered a meme-focused online forum during a lonely time at school. His new friends there were more than happy to share their disturbing views about race and women with him, and Sam, looking for acceptance, was more than happy to listen. Except the more he listened, the more he started to believe what they had to say.  On this episode of Next Question, Katie sits down with Sam and his mom to talk about what it was like to get sucked into the far right online, then gets an expert’s take on how the internet is contributing to the rise of white nationalism—and the white nationalist violence we saw play out in places like Pittsburgh and El Paso. She also speaks to Angela King, a former neo-Nazi who works with extremists hoping to leave the far right behind, about how to help vulnerable young people navigate a world in which hate is always just a few clicks away. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pod is alive with the sound of music! That’s right, for this very special episode of Next Question, Katie sits down with the one and only Julie Andrews. In this funny, fascinating, and often moving conversation, she opens up to Katie about her six decade career on both stage and screen, her marriage to the late, great Blake Edwards, her friendships with legends like Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor, and how she never gets tired of talking about The Sound of Music (lucky us!). Make sure to listen to the very end when Katie plays matchmaker and arranges a surprise phone call with Julie and one of her biggest fans (hint - she also happens to be a previous Next Question guest!)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the impeachment headlines, you’re not alone. It’s a lot to absorb—and the arguing back and forth is enough to make anybody want to run in the other direction. But the fact of the matter is our democracy is being tested right now, and we should all be paying attention. On this episode of Next Question, Katie breaks down what you need to know about the impeachment inquiry into President Trump with a little help from two brilliant legal minds: Neal Katyal, the former acting solicitor general who literally wrote the rules on how to investigate a sitting president, and Robert Ray, the prosecutor who led the Whitewater investigation. They talk about what to make of the impeachment hearings, what to expect next, and what the division over the investigation means for the future of American politics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It unfolded right under our noses, in classrooms, on school buses, in locker rooms after sports practice—millions of kids got addicted to nicotine within the span of just a few years, thanks to the spread of vaping devices like Juul. This fall, the scope of the issue came into shocking focus as headline after headline documented the skyrocketing number of vaping-related illnesses. How exactly did we get here—and what can we do about it now? On this episode of Next Question, Katie talks to people on all sides of the issue, including a concerned high schooler who became an activist after watching his friends battle nicotine addictions; a mom who worries about her daughter’s Juul use now that she’s away at college; a journalist who started covering the trend long before the rest of the media caught on; and some of the country’s foremost addiction experts about the best ways to help teenage vapers—and keep kids away from e-cigarettes in the first place. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 2.1 billion people use Facebook or one of its services like Instagram and WhatsApp every day. Lately though, the company that started out with the noble vision of “making the world more open and connected” is facing some serious questions about the part it plays in a lot of harmful activities like spreading misinformation, mishandling its users’ personal information, and increasing the deep divisions of our already polarized nation. On this episode ofNext Question, Katie shares her recent headline-making interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg at the Vanity Fair Summit in Los Angeles. It’s a tough, no-holds barred conversation that gets to the heart of the question on everyone’s mind - is Facebook doing enough to protect its more than 2 billion users and our democracy?   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting older should be something to celebrate. Instead, our youth-obsessed culture tells us we need to get rid of our wrinkles, dye our gray hair, and shave years off of our LinkedIn profiles, or risk becoming irrelevant—or worse, invisible. But why do we treat the very normal process of aging like it’s something to be ashamed of? On this episode of Next Question, Katie talks to an amazing group of women who refuse to apologize for acting (and looking) their age: Lyn Slater, a.k.a. the Accidental Icon; supermodel JoAni Johnson; anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite; and legendary advertising executive Cindy Gallop. Katie and her guests discuss the roots of our implicit biases against older people (especially older women), the social and economic costs of ageism, and why you should never say “thank you” when someone says you look good for your age. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She’s been a fixture on the big screen for more than two decades, but Jennifer Garner has managed to remain about as un-Hollywood as it gets. She isn’t afraid to be goofy on Instagram (see: her pretend cooking show), she talks to her sisters almost every day, and she refuses to rest on her laurels, pouring everything she has into new projects—like Once Upon a Farm, a company dedicated to making high-quality food available to all families (not just the ones who can afford it). On this episode of Next Question, she opens up to Katie about diving into the world of business for the first time and her biggest priority of all: raising happy, healthy kids in the face of unruly paparazzi and hurtful tabloid headlines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ronan Farrow’s reporting on Harvey Weinstein helped inspire a cultural reckoning—and won him the Pulitzer Prize. So why did NBC try to kill the biggest story of the year? On this episode of Next Question, Katie sits down with Ronan to discuss his new book Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators—a jaw-dropping account of the extreme measures NBC News and Harvey Weinstein took to keep the producer’s history of sexual violence hidden. From the Russian spies who stalked him to Weinstein’s attempts to use Matt Lauer as leverage, Ronan and Katie talk about the campaign to silence both the press and the victims, the power structures that continue to protect abusers to this day, and where the #MeToo movement goes from here—not just in media, but in workplaces everywhere. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CBD is everywhere: You can buy CBD olive oil, CBD mascara, CBD supplements for your dog- even CBD tampons! Some swear it alleviates everything from insomnia to chronic pain, anxiety and depression. But is it everything it’s cracked up to be? Or is it just the latest fad? Katie weeds out CBD fact from fiction with a little help from Kristen Bell, a CBD devotee, Rob Rosenheck, co-founder of Hollywood’s favorite CBD brand, and Dr. Yasmin Hurd, the country’s leading CBD researcher. She even samples some CBD products—for science!—and shares her thoughts about the experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Couric has questions. And on her new show, Next Question with Katie Couric, she’s determined to find answers—with a little help from the most captivating personalities in news, politics, and pop culture. Join the award-winning journalist as she explores the people, movements, and issues changing our lives and redefining our world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you holding a smartphone or sitting down at your laptop right now? If so, you’re just a few clicks away from free, hardcore pornography. There are no explicit content warnings, and no age verifications to make you think twice about clicking "play”—which means kids as young as 9 and 10 are being exposed to sex for the first time via sites like PornHub. But what happens when porn becomes a form of sex education? On this special preview episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks to a young woman who believes porn led to her boyfriend’s scary behavior during sex, and gets real teens to open up about their experiences with porn. Later, she sits down with anti-porn activist Dr. Gail Dines and sex educator Al Vernacchio to tackle how parents can counteract the alarming messages their kids may be absorbing—not just about sex, but about consent, gender equality, and what a healthy relationship actually looks like.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie's BACK with a brand new podcast, tackling tough questions that impact us all. Dropping today: a special preview episode you won't want to miss. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For part two of our look back at 2018, we’re reviewing the year in climate change and news/politics. Katie and Brian invite former Vice President Al Gore to reflect on the devastating forest fires and hurricanes that happened this year, how they’re connected to climate change, and why it’s important to address the climate crisis now. Next, Michael Barbaro, from The New York Times’s “The Daily” podcast, walks Katie and Brian through the biggest names and moments in the news this year — from the Mueller investigation and Brett Kavanaugh to the war in Yemen and mass shootings. Plus, Katie and Brian have an announcement: This is the last episode of the podcast. Thank you so much to all of our devoted listeners, and stay tuned on Katie and Brian’s social media accounts for more information about what’s next for them! This episode is sponsored by ADT (www.ADT.com/SMART), Prudential (www.prudential.com/stateofus), Thrive Market (www.thrivemarket.com/KATIECOURIC), Warby Parker (www.warbyparker.com/KATIE). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year was a wild ride — so Katie and Brian are reviewing the biggest people, biggest moments, and biggest trends in a two-episode 2018 extravaganza. In this first part, they start off with Jia Tolentino (The New Yorker) and Ira Madison (Keep It) to rehash the year in pop culture, from Ariana Grande stardom to the royal wedding. Then, Dan Savage (Savage Lovecast) and Sarah McBride (Human Rights Campaign) discuss some of the big strides in the LGBTQ community, as well as continuing challenges to the rights of LGBTQ people. Finally, Jamelle Bouie (Slate, CBS News) and Maria Hinojosa (Latino USA) tackle the year in race. Buckle up — we’ve got a lot to talk about! This episode is sponsored by Little Passports (www.littlepassports.com/KATIE), ADT (www.ADT.com/SMART), Prudential (www.prudential.com/stateofus), and Boll & Branch (www.bollandbranch.com code: KATIE). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There might not be singing, dancing, or mutants in Hugh Jackman’s latest movie, but it’s a big hit with Katie and Brian. Hugh stars as Gary Hart in “The Front Runner,” about the Democratic senator from Colorado who seemed destined to become his party’s presidential nominee in 1988. But an alleged extramarital dalliance — and the media’s newfound interest in a candidate’s personal affairs — led to Hart’s downfall and changed political journalism forever. Hugh talks with Katie and Brian about the movie, and joining the conversation are Matt Bai and Jay Carson, who co-wrote the screenplay. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha Stewart has dominated all things domestic for nearly 35 years. But what about the woman behind the empire? Last year, Katie and Brian talked with Martha over some apple-cranberry crisp, and in honor of Thanksgiving, we're revisiting that conversation. Martha recalls what it was like growing up in New Jersey as one of six kids, getting her first book deal, serving time in prison and what it was like to work on a TV show with Donald Trump. Plus, she discusses her slow-cooker cookbook and her collaboration with Snoop Dogg. Nothing is off-limits. It's a good thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the height of Journey’s success, frontman Steve Perry walked away from the band and his life as a rockstar in search of a quieter existence. Now, 30 years later, he’s back with the solo album Traces. Katie caught up with Steve about what he’s been doing on his very, very long vacation, why his journey with Journey had to end, and the late-in-life love whose death inspired the new album. Plus, the story behind the lyrics of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey’s smash hit that went on to be the most downloaded song of the twentieth century. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a tweet on Tuesday night, political analyst Amy Walter dubbed the 2018 midterms the “‘choose your own narrative’ election”—meaning that voters on all sides could find cause for celebration or disappointment. Katie and Brian talk with Amy about what the results mean, what we’ve learned about the electorate, and how the elections might shape both parties’ strategies in 2020. Presidential historian Doug Brinkley also joins Katie and Brian to discuss how this week’s election compares to midterms past—and he shares his thoughts on how President Trump will react to the new opposition Congress. Plus, we take your calls! Correction: Our guest, Doug Brinkley, misspoke when he said that Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) lost his 2018 election. In fact, Hurd won re-election. Brinkley also characterized Hurd as "Trumpian," but many would not characterize him this way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The midterm elections are coming up on November 6, 2018, and there are lots of close races to watch at the federal, state, and local levels. Clare Malone from FiveThirtyEight joins Katie and Brian to highlight some of the most interesting contests: Cruz v. O’Rourke for Texas senator, DeSantis v. Gillum for Florida governor, Abrams v. Kemp for Georgia governor, and more. Clare also breaks down how recent events might affect the elections. Then Katie and Brian talk with Michael Lewis—author of The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short—about his newest book, The Fifth Risk. Michael spent months investigating the decay of the federal government under the Trump administration and why that could be dangerous for the country. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, a gunman killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. It was the deadliest attack on Jews that the United States has ever seen. On this special episode, Katie and Brian talk with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League — an organization that fights against anti-Semitism and other racially-motivated hate. Jonathan talks about the rise of hate crimes in the U.S., the role of social media and political rhetoric, and what all Americans can do in the wake of this tragedy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Busy Philipps made her name on TV shows like Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, ER, and Cougar Town. But Instagram Stories was the place where Busy really found her own voice — and that might’ve set the stage for her new E! talk show, Busy Tonight, which premieres on Oct. 28. Katie and Brian talk with Busy about why she loves Instagram so much, the moment she thought she was “done” with acting, the political causes that get her fired up, and how she’s still coping with the sexual assault that happened when she was 14. Plus, Katie gives Busy her best advice about hosting a TV talk show. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and #MeToo, women in Hollywood formed a coalition, called Time’s Up, to combat sexual harassment and sexual assault. As part of the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit, Katie talks with two important women in the Time’s Up movement: America Ferrera, one of the actors involved in creating Time’s Up, and Lisa Borders, the incoming president and CEO of the organization. America and Lisa talk about why Time’s Up is so important to them, how recent news has affected the movement, and the ways they are working towards change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the spectacle of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, the already deep political divide in the country seems to have calcified. To try to understand where this rancorous political moment came from — and where it might be going — Katie and Brian talk with two experts. First, they welcome back to the show Rebecca Traister, author of the new book Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger. Rebecca explains why she’s so devastated about the new Supreme Court justice, and she reckons with the fact that women have been on both sides of this bitter political debate. Then they turn to Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law expert and Harvard Law professor, for a legal perspective. What will happen to the Supreme Court as an institution, and what does that mean for the American people? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second and final chapter of their documentary series, Katie and Brian explore what happened after the Palin interviews aired: from the struggles of the McCain campaign to Sarah Palin’s decision to start “going rogue.” Plus, they explore how Palin helped usher in a new brand of American politics— and President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Palin Interviews, 10 Years Later is a two-part documentary series from the Katie Couric podcast. For this special series, Katie and Brian look back at Katie’s interviews with then vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the impact those conversations had on the 2008 election. Plus, they consider the path Palin may have paved for the rise of Donald Trump. In Part One, Katie and Brian go behind the scenes with top officials from the McCain and Obama campaigns and cover Palin’s extraordinary emergence on the national stage: her selection as John McCain’s running mate (which almost didn’t happen) and her electrifying speech at the Republican National Convention. And of course, they examine the interviews heard round the world and consider why they struck such a chord. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian welcome their first couple to the show! Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan have made their mark on the fashion and design world. Jonathan is a potter-turned-housewares guru who is known for his namesake brand of home goods. Simon is arguably the most famous window dresser in the world and the creative ambassador-at-large at Barneys. Together, they are a cheeky and glamorous pair. The couple joins Katie and Brian to dish on their unconventional families, how they turned their respective passions into wildly successful careers and why they’ve lasted as a couple. But first, they remember their first date. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Van Ness, better known to his fans as JVN, is a beloved member of the "Fab Five" cast of Netflix's hit show Queer Eye. He joins Katie and Brian for a lively discussion about everything from standing out as a gay kid growing up in Quincy, Illinois to what it was like filming for Queer Eye in rural, conservative areas of Georgia. Plus, JVN recalls his epic 6th grade talent show performance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian celebrate 10 years of Stand Up to Cancer, the organization that Katie co-founded that has raised close to half a billion (with a b!) dollars for cancer research. First up: Katie gets personal with actor Matthew McConaughey to discuss how cancer has affected his life and loved ones. Next, Katie and Brian sit down with Dr. Bill Nelson, a nationally recognized physician and scientist, to discuss the groundbreaking research that SU2C supports and what the future of cancer treatment looks like. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Robbins has a packed resume: he’s a bestselling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and renowned motivational speaker. In addition to being a self-help titan, Robbins has advised presidents and star athletes, and is involved in 31 businesses which he says generate annual sales of $5 billion. He joins Katie and Brian to discuss his difficult childhood, his remarkable career, his new book, and how President Trump’s leadership style compares to President Obama’s. Plus, he explains why he jumps into a cold pool every morning and demonstrates some “radical explosive breathing” exercises. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian call in a favor (literally) to beloved actor Alan Alda, who agrees to lend them an episode of his new podcast, Clear+Vivid. They chat about the perks of podcasting and then throw to a conversation Alan had with Tina Fey in front of a live audience. Plus, Tina drops by the studio to answer seven questions about herself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian revisit their trip to Ina Garten’s home on Easter morning for a lesson on slow-cooked scrambled eggs (with truffles!) and a wide-ranging conversation at her kitchen table. Between bites of breakfast, they discuss Ina's views on feminism, other celebrity chefs, and her unlikely path from White House nuclear energy expert to Food Network star. Plus, an unexpected cameo from Jeffrey, Ina's husband of nearly 50 years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To kick off their summer break series, Katie and Brian revisit their conversation with actress and activist Laverne Cox. By the time Laverne had stepped onto the national stage (and the cover of TIME magazine) in 2014, she'd been dedicating her life to acting for well over a decade. "Being an artist is what informs everything that I do," she says. Laverne joins Katie and Brian to discuss everything from acting opportunities for trans women, her breakthrough role as Sophia on Netflix's Orange is the New Black, and her childhood in Mobile, Alabama. Plus, Katie and Laverne revisit the teachable moment they confronted together. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Preet Bharara, the former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, joins Katie and Brian to help us make sense of the investigations swirling around President Trump. But first, Preet details the whirlwind experience of being courted and then fired by Trump. He also explains why he's decided not to run for public office— for now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant joins Katie and Brian for a wide-ranging discussion about work. "My job is to fix other people's jobs," Adam explains. They delve into what makes a great leader, the difference between workplace givers and takers, and why Adam typically recommends against group brainstorms. Plus, Adam dishes on his experience sitting in on the writers' room at The Daily Show. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reddit just overtook Facebook to be the third biggest website in the US. Steve Huffman, Reddit's co-founder and CEO, joins Katie and Brian at the Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about everything from propaganda to Pizzagate. They discuss how Reddit handles the threat of misinformation in its communities and how the company's challenges compare to what Facebook is going through. Plus, Steve explains the circumstances that led him to co-found Reddit at the ripe age of 21. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian are taking the week off and bringing you a taste of a new podcast called Akimbo in the meantime. Join host Seth Godin as he explores our culture and how we can change it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie puts former FBI director James Comey in the hot seat at the Aspen Ideas Festival with an in-depth conversation about his controversial role in the lead-up to Donald Trump’s election. They dig into the recent Justice Department report calling Comey “insubordinate” and what Comey makes of Trump's time in office. Plus, Comey reflects on his past year teaching at Howard University, where he was welcomed to his first lecture by students chanting, “James Comey, you’re not our homie.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian cap off their trip to London with Lord Julian Fellowes, the brilliant mind behind the likes of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey. They dig into Julian's sources of personal inspiration for his hit TV show and discuss Britain's class dynamics, both past and present. Julian also offers his thoughts on the royal wedding, why he supports Brexit, and how he went from a character actor to a screenwriter at age 52. Plus, podcast listener Jill Apple— whom Katie met on Instagram!— joins live in-studio to ask Julian a question of her own. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In their second installment from London, Katie and Brian welcome powerhouse writer, actor, and producer Sharon Horgan, who stops by after a long day of filming one of her (many) television shows. She discusses working with Sarah Jessica Parker on HBO's Divorce and Rob Delaney on Amazon's Catastrophe. She also ponders why British sitcoms are bleaker than American ones and opens up about her friendship with the late, great Carrie Fisher. Plus, Sharon offers advice on how to support working moms and explains what #MeToo means in the UK. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil McGraw welcomes Katie and Brian to his eye-popping Beverly Hills home to chat about his long-running daytime talk show, his pre-TV gigs and Oprah’s role in his success. Plus, he weighs in on America’s opioid crisis, mass shootings, President Trump’s atypical behavior, and the #MeToo movement. But first, Phil and his wife Robin give Katie and Brian a tour of their digs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pod heads across the pond to London, where Katie and Brian turn the tables on Graham Norton, Britain's most popular chat show host. They revisit highlights from his long-running talk show, including the time he told Judi Dench, "You lie like a rug." Graham also opens up about growing up Protestant in a Catholic stronghold and his total commitment to becoming a comedian and actor as a young man. "I had no plan B," he says. Plus, they dig into Graham's views on Brexit and Ireland's recent landslide vote on abortion. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julianna Margulies has been lighting up the small screen for over two decades, with standout roles on TV shows like ER and The Good Wife. She joins Katie and Brian to discuss everything from the big impact George Clooney had on her career to what she loved about playing Alicia Florrick. She also explains what makes her latest character on AMC's Dietland such a delicious role. Plus, Julianna opens up about her own experiences with harassment as a young actress. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the line between sensitivity and censorship? In today's episode, Katie and Brian are navigating the realm of political correctness, from trigger warnings to safe spaces. New York Times Op-Ed writer Frank Bruni joins to discuss what he sees as the promise and pitfalls of hot-button issues like cultural appropriation and the idea of "checking your privilege." Plus, listeners call in with their own thoughts on PC culture. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's no secret that Silicon Valley has a problem with women. In her new book, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley, journalist Emily Chang explores what the tech industry has been getting wrong when it comes to sexism and workplace bias. Her findings are grisly: from business meetings in strip clubs to drug-laden sex parties. Emily joins Katie and Brian to discuss her findings and consider how the tech industry can do better when it comes to addressing gender parity, pay inequity and implicit bias. Plus, Katie shares insights from her reporting on workplace gender inequality for The Revolt, her latest National Geographic documentary hour. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media is much more than a way to stay in touch with friends. According to today's guest, Tristan Harris, Facebook and platforms like it are actually manipulating billions of people's minds. Tristan joins Katie and Brian to explain how tech companies are creating addictions, steering elections and making many of us lonely. He would know: After selling a startup to Google in his twenties, Tristan worked there as an in-house design ethicist, where he studied how tech affects people's attention, well-being, and behavior. Now, as a founder of the Center for Humane Technology, Tristan is on a mission to reform the tech industry. Plus, he offers up some tips on how to track and curb your smartphone addiction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December, Doug Jones became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in ruby-red Alabama in 25 years. This week, Katie and Brian make their way to Washington, D.C. for an extended interview with Senator Jones in his new office. They talk about the ongoing dysfunction in the Senate, Jones' upset victory over his embattled Republican opponent Roy Moore, and they dig into a grab-bag of current events. Plus, they delve into Jones' life story, from his teen years in Alabama's newly-integrated public schools to his role in prosecuting two KKK members for a 1963 church bombing that killed four African American girls. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Half of Americans say they have never met a Muslim. What’s it like to be Muslim in America today? Katie and Brian take to the stage at South by Southwest for a live podcast taping with guests Wajahat Ali, a New York Times contributing op-ed writer, and Mona Haydar, a Syrian-American rapper and activist. They have a frank conversation about the joys and pressures of being American Muslims, misconceptions about Islam, and how US media coverage plays into all of the above. Plus, they dig into the controversy surrounding Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first episode of Katie's National Geographic documentary series, America Inside Out, is out now! To mark the occasion, Katie and Brian welcome Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan could have gone anywhere—he chose to move to Alabama to help confront racial disparities and reform the criminal justice system. On the pod, they discuss Bryan’s childhood experiences with school segregation, the problem with Confederate monuments, and shining a light on one of the darkest chapters in American history: the post-Civil War period of Jim Crow and lynching. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cecile Richards has been president of Planned Parenthood for over a decade, but her interest in women's issues started before she could vote. As a teenager, she helped her mother, Ann Richards— who would go on to be governor of Texas— work on political campaigns for female candidates. Cecile joins Katie and Brian to discuss her trailblazing mom, her new memoir, and her decision to step down from her role at Planned Parenthood. Plus, she opens up about her meeting last year with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and clarifies some common misconceptions about Planned Parenthood.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aly Sheehy is a senior at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting last month. She joins Katie and Brian for an emotional account of how she and her classmates in Parkland, Florida have coped with the tragedy's aftermath and why they are now pushing for change. Katie and Brian also speak with Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, about state and local gun law reforms— and taking on the NRA. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian revisit the time they interviewed Ava DuVernay at Disney's studios in Burbank, California. They talk with the inimitable director of Selma and 13th about everything from A Wrinkle In Time to her relationship with Oprah. They also discuss #OscarsSoWhite, criminal justice and the AvaDuVernayBarbie doll. Plus, how Ava made the leap from publicizing movies to directing them.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the final installment in the Wonder Women series, Diane von Fürstenberg—the woman behind the iconic fashion line—welcomes Katie and Brian to her company's Manhattan headquarters for a conversation about her full and colorful life. They discuss her wide-ranging philanthropy, her famous husbands, and how her brand has evolved since she appeared on the cover of Newsweek at age 29. She also tells the story of her mother, a Holocaust survivor, and how she inspired Diane’s determination to be independent. Plus, DVF explains why she believes the most important relationship in life is the one you have with yourself: “If you have that, any other relationship is a plus and not a must." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kara Swisher is perhaps the most feared—and effective—journalist in tech. She first made a splash covering AOL in the 1990s and she's continued to scoop Silicon Valley players ever since. In this crossover episode with Kara’s podcast, Katie and Kara discuss the competition between Instagram and Snapchat, and why Facebook executives have been slow to acknowledge the site's role in the 2016 election. “They don’t want to take responsibility for the fact that their platform was used by a malevolent power to create discord in our country," Kara says. She and Katie also delve into tech addiction in kids, the effect of automation on jobs, and their long careers in journalism. Plus, Kara turns the mic around and asks Katie about her time at Yahoo, and what she'd like to do next. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie heads to Pyeongchang, South Korea to report from the 2018 Winter Olympics. First up: two Wonder Women from the U.S. women's ski jumping team explain their fight for recognition and resources that has been decades in the making. Next, New York Times sports reporter Karen Crouse explains how a tiny Vermont town has produced an outsized number of Olympians— and why these athletes are uniquely prepared to embrace life beyond sports. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne Cox is no overnight success. By the time she stepped onto the national stage (and the cover of TIME magazine) in 2014, she'd been dedicating her life to acting for well over a decade. "Being an artist is what informs everything that I do," she says. Laverne joins Katie and Brian to discuss everything from acting opportunities for trans women, her breakthrough role as Sophia on Netflix's Orange is the New Black, and her childhood in Mobile, Alabama. Plus, Katie and Laverne revisit the teachable moment they confronted together. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Schumer made a name— and a career— for herself with her unapologetically raunchy brand of stand-up comedy. But being known as "the sex comic" never phased Amy. "That just seemed like a stepping stone," she says. Katie joins Amy at home to discuss everything that came out of her success in stand-up comedy, including starring roles in movies and on Broadway, her Comedy Central sketch series, and her best-selling memoir. They also discuss the #MeToo movement, body image issues in Hollywood, and the tragedy that sparked Amy's involvement in gun safety activism. Plus, Katie and Amy revisit the dirty prank that drew them closer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the longest-serving black woman in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Maxine Waters has been a fixture of California's political scene since the 1970s. In 2017, she unexpectedly became a viral sensation, too. Katie and Brian join Rep. Waters in Los Angeles to talk about “reclaiming her time,” growing up as one of 13 children, and why she doesn't hesitate to call President Trump racist. Plus, the Congresswoman offers a poetry reading. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian pop in with a preview of Unladylike, a new podcast from the Stitcher family about what happens when women break the rules. Join hosts Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin for their trademark obsessive research and stories from rule-breakin’ ladies. Hear the first episode in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2n0NMsk Or visit their website: unladylike.co/podcast Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions about Donald Trump? Maggie Haberman has answers. She began reporting on Trump as a New York tabloid journalist over a decade ago. Now, as a White House correspondent for the New York Times, she's made a name for herself by filing scoop after scoop about his presidency. She joins Katie and Brian to parse everything from Trump's Diet Coke consumption to his cabinet relationships. They also discuss the role— and limits— of journalism in holding the president accountable. "lt is not a reporter's job to hold an impeachment trial," Maggie says. Plus, Katie and Brian announce the kickoff of a new series: Wonder Women! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski share a morning TV news show— and a life. For over a decade, they've co-hosted Morning Joe on MSNBC, along with Willie Geist. Soon they'll take on new titles: husband and wife. Katie and Brian head to NBC Studios in New York to talk with Mika and Joe about the criticism they've faced for their coverage of Donald Trump, the evolution of the GOP, and why they think the 25th Amendment should be invoked. Plus, their account of New Year’s at Mar-a-Lago. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maria Sharapova has won five Grand Slams since becoming a pro tennis player at just 14 years old— and she's faced her share of setbacks, too. Sharapova joins Katie at 92Y in New York City to discuss highlights from her new memoir, including emigrating from Russia at age 6, her rivalry with Serena Williams, and the urine test that took her off the court. Sharapova also opens up about her recent ban from tennis, calling it "one of the toughest things that an athlete can go through." Plus, what it was like to return. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Meyer is a legend in the food business. While he's best known for founding Shake Shack, the global burger empire, he actually got his start in fine dining. He was just 27 years old when he opened his first restaurant, the Union Square Cafe. Katie joins Danny there to talk (over tagliatelle) about the decision to eliminate tipping at many of his restaurants, the difference between service and hospitality, and why he was initially embarrassed to tell his family he wanted to go into the restaurant business. Plus, he shares his recommended order at Shake Shack. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabbi Steve Leder, senior rabbi at the oldest synagogue in Los Angeles, sits down with Brian to discuss the subject of his new book: how suffering can be transformational. Rabbi Leder details the change he experienced following a car accident that briefly left him dependent on opioids and eating them "like they're candy." He also offers advice on how to help loved ones coping with trauma and why to avoid saying, "Let me know if you need anything." Plus, insights from Maimonides on the steps it takes to earn forgiveness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marie Kondo brings her world-renowned tidying expertise to Katie's own closet, where—let’s just say—not everything is “sparking joy.” They discuss Marie’s early (and sometimes overzealous) forays into organizing and why the "KonMari Method" for cleaning up has turned into a global phenomenon. Plus, Marie explains how her young daughters have changed her approach to tidying and divulges the unnecessary object in her home that she refuses to give away. For bonus footage of Marie helping Katie confront her packed closet, head to Architectural Digest: bit.ly/KondoCouric Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the chief official White House photographer for President Obama, Pete Souza spent eight years in the "room where it happens." He has the stories — and the pictures— to show for it: from playing cards with POTUS on Air Force One to photographing the Situation Room during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. No one, with the possible exception of the First Lady, spent more time with Barack Obama during his presidency. Plus, Pete reflects on his formative years outside Washington, including a harrowing, snowy trek on horseback to document the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surprise! Katie offers up a bonus takeover episode from The Longest Shortest Time, another podcast in the Stitcher network. Former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift describes what it was like to be the first U.S. governor to give birth while in office. Plus, moms today share their own stories of discrimination in the workplace. This episode is the first in a four-part Longest Shortest Time series on working moms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Longtime political analyst Norm Ornstein joins Katie and Brian to reflect on the upcoming anniversary of Donald Trump’s election. They discuss the “seeds of Trumpism,” the changing Republican Party and the future of American civic life. Plus, Ornstein opens up about his late son’s struggle with mental illness and his push for mental health policy reform. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gretchen Carlson may have been fired last year from her job at Fox News, but it hasn't slowed her down one bit. After filing and settling a sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss at Fox for a reported $20 million, Gretchen has transitioned from journalism to advocacy. She joins Katie and Brian to discuss her new book, the recent bombshell allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and her advice for others facing sexual harassment at work. Plus, she recalls what it was like to be crowned Miss America at age 22 and the nerve-racking prank that unexpectedly launched her career in television. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha Stewart has dominated all things domestic for nearly 35 years. But what about the woman behind the empire? Katie and Brian pay a visit to Martha's pristine office for a candid conversation over some apple-cranberry crisp. Martha recalls what it was like growing up in New Jersey as one of six kids, getting her first book deal, serving time in prison and what it was like to work on a TV show with Donald Trump. Plus, she discusses her new cookbook and her collaboration with Snoop Dogg. Nothing is off-limits. It's a good thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Axelrod is a renowned Democratic political strategist, most notably for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. These days, he runs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and hosts a hit podcast, The Axe Files, where he interviews major political figures. In this special crossover episode, Katie and Brian turn the tables on "Axe" and get his own story, including his early days in gritty Chicago journalism, his father's death from suicide, and his family's efforts on behalf of his daughter, Lauren, who has epilepsy. Plus, they discuss his former client, Hillary Clinton, and the future of the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Savage has dished out love and sex advice in his syndicated Savage Love column for over 25 years. He's blunt, hilarious and empathetic-- and not just in his writing! Dan joins Katie and Brian to discuss working at Ann Landers' desk, being "monogamish" and the sex questions he gets asked the most. He also recalls what it was like to come of age during the AIDS epidemic. Plus, two words that Katie never expected to hear on the podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian pay a visit to Disney's studios in Burbank, California to talk with the inimitable director of Selma and 13th about everything from A Wrinkle In Time to her relationship with Oprah. They also discuss #OscarsSoWhite, criminal justice and the Ava DuVernay Barbie doll. Plus, how Ava made the leap from publicizing movies to directing them.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media is supposed to help us connect with one another and reduce loneliness, but what if the opposite is true? Psychologist Jean Twenge just wrote a piece in The Atlantic asking, “Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” She joins Katie and Brian to discuss the costs and consequences of endless screen time. Twenge is an expert on what she calls "iGen," those born between 1995 and 2012. She explains the pros and cons of an all-digital world and breaks down the research on smartphones and mental health. Plus, the surprising benefits of boredom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark their podcast's first anniversary, Katie and Brian return to Washington, D.C.—this time, to interview New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. There they find lawmakers on the Capitol steps with a megaphone, leading an impromptu rally on health care. After interviewing folks in the crowd, Katie and Brian sit down with Senator Booker to talk about the future of the Affordable Care Act, criminal justice reform, the documentary that captured his biggest failure, and living in Newark's most dangerous neighborhoods.  Plus, what it was like growing up African-American in Harrington Park, as one of "four raisins in a tub of sweet vanilla ice cream." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz returns to answer listener questions on how to navigate leadership dilemmas at work. Plus, Katie and her husband John have some questions of their own! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and guest host John Molner (aka Katie's husband) welcome Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz for a discussion about the psychology of leadership and his views on President Trump's mental health. They also talk about why many mental health professionals won't publicly comment on the psyche of public figures. Plus, Dr. Sulkowicz explains his unexpected path from practicing psychiatry and psychoanalysis to advising CEOs and corporate boards. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu knows that race is hard to talk about, but he thinks it's important to do it anyway. In fact, he recently put himself on the map with a powerful speech backing the removal of Confederate monuments in his city. Mayor Landrieu sits down with Katie and Brian at the Aspen Ideas Festival to delve into the history and context behind his now-famous remarks. They also discuss climate change in the Big Easy, the role of cities in the Trump era, and why Mayor Landrieu still wishes he could be a Broadway star. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another bonus episode! Katie and Brian ask Veep's Matt Walsh all the questions they didn't get to last week. Find out what Matt considers his big break and who he admires most in comedy. Plus, why he gave up on becoming a therapist– and a squirrel. Yes, a squirrel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his role as the beleaguered Mike McLintock on HBO's Veep, Matt Walsh is often the butt of the joke. In real life, however, Matt is revered— in the world of improv comedy, at least. He's one of the founding members the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy institution. Matt joins Katie and Brian to discuss improv vs. stand-up, what makes Julia Louis-Dreyfus so great to work with, and the advice he'd give to Sean Spicer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian takes the wheel this week and sits down with Graham Allison, the founding dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a leading military strategist. For decades, Allison has advised defense secretaries and presidents on both sides of the political aisle. Now he's out with a new book that examines whether America and China are destined to go to war. He and Brian delve into the challenges associated with China's rising power, the diplomatic implications of the Paris Climate Accord, and why the U.S. seems caught in a slow-motion Cuban Missile Crisis with North Korea.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Sheila Nevins started her career in the 1960s, she didn't know women could be bosses. After all, she'd only ever worked for male supervisors. Now, at 78, she's the president of HBO Documentary Films. Sheila joins Katie and Brian for an unflinching conversation about everything from her painful childhood memories to her plastic surgery. Plus, they discuss what makes a great documentary and listen to celebrities read excerpts from Sheila's new book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surprise! Katie and Brian serve up a podcast extra featuring Christie Todd Whitman, the Republican former governor of New Jersey. In this debut bonus segment, Governor Whitman offers some exclusive insights into her life and career, including what her parents taught her and what she sees as her biggest mistake. She delves into everything from her first job, as a candy striper, to her favorite job: being governor. Plus, she shares her top tip for a successful marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christie Todd Whitman was New Jersey's first female governor, but she didn't grow up thinking that she'd like to run for office. She joins Katie and Brian to discuss her path to public service, why she left as George W. Bush’s EPA Administrator, and her assessment of New Jersey’s current Governor Christie. Plus, she talks about the state of her party, and the country, under President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored the most points of any NBA player in history, and basketball isn't the only arena where he's found success. At 70, he's a best-selling author, an award-winning cancer research advocate, and a prolific cultural commentator who isn't afraid to speak out on controversial political and social issues. Kareem joins Katie to talk about being black and Muslim in America, surviving cancer, and watching the game of basketball change since his own heyday. Plus, he explains what was so special about his friend and mentor John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach who is the subject of his latest book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than 40 years working in America's top newsrooms, Marty Baron is one of the most respected names in news. As editor of the Washington Post since 2012, he has led his staff to Pulitzers and helped them weather the changes that came when a tech billionaire bought the paper. Marty talks with Katie and Brian about the state of journalism, fake news, and how technology has changed his job. They're also joined by Jessica Lessin, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, an innovative news site covering Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After her husband died suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg (Lean In) thought she would never experience true joy again. Nearly two years later, she is out with a new book, Option B, that delves into how she proved herself wrong— and how others can build resilience in the face of trauma, too. Sandberg wrote Option B with her friend Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and Wharton professor. They both join Katie onstage at 92Y (92Y.org) in Manhattan to discuss insights from the book, including how to support grieving children, dating after loss, and the "three P's" that can hinder recovery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ina Garten welcomes Katie and Brian to her home on Easter morning for a lesson on slow-cooked scrambled eggs (with truffles!) and a wide-ranging conversation at her kitchen table. Between bites of breakfast, they discuss Ina's views on feminism, other celebrity chefs, and her unlikely path from White House nuclear energy expert to Food Network star. Plus, an unexpected cameo from Jeffrey, Ina's husband of 48 years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (the host of StarTalk) fell in love with the cosmos at age 9, on a visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. Not only did he fulfill his childhood ambition of becoming an astrophysicist, today he’s the director of the Hayden Planetarium and one of America's most beloved scientific educators. Dr. Tyson joins Katie and Brian to discuss science in the Trump era, the future of space exploration, and why a TV appearance in 1989 changed his life. Plus, he gives a preview of his latest book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Taberski is the host and creator of the hit podcast Missing Richard Simmons. Dan made the six-episode series in an effort to find out what was going on with his friend Richard Simmons, who hasn't been seen in public in over three years. Missing Richard Simmons became the #1 most downloaded podcast on iTunes but now that the show is over, questions still remain. Beyond what's going on with Richard -- physically and mentally -- Dan himself has been under fire for the ethics of his project. In this ad-free bonus episode, Dan joins Katie to talk about his experience of making the podcast, what he decided to leave out of it, and his reaction to the criticism he's faced. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg has advised the likes of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela. But he first made a name for himself studying white working class voters. His seminal 1985 report on so-called Reagan Democrats examined why auto workers were abandoning the Democratic Party in Macomb County, Michigan. Greenberg joins Katie and Brian to discuss how the 2016 election gave him déjà vu, why he's been spending time in Macomb again and what he's hearing from Trump supporters there. Plus, a caller in Chicago gets on the line to explain why she went from being a lifelong Democrat to voting for Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Robbins has a packed resume: he's a bestselling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and renowned motivational speaker. In addition to being a self-help titan, Robbins has advised presidents and star athletes, and is involved in 31 businesses which he says generate annual sales of $5 billion. He joins Katie and Brian to discuss his difficult childhood, his remarkable career, his new book, and how President Trump's leadership style compares to President Obama's. Plus, he explains why he jumps into a cold pool every morning and demonstrates some "radical explosive breathing" exercises. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor are alumni of the Obama administration who recently founded Crooked Media, a progressive media company. They also host the hit political podcast, Pod Save America. For this special crossover episode, Katie speaks with these former White House communications aides about President Trump's troubled relationship with the press, media accountability and how Democrats can translate protests into votes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vanessa and JR Ford didn't know their youngest child was a girl until she told them on her fourth birthday. "Mom, I'm not a boy," she said. "I'm a girl in my heart and in my brain." As the parents of a transgender daughter, Vanessa and JR are at the epicenter of today's changing terrain when it comes to gender. The Fords are just one of the families featured in Katie's new documentary, Gender Revolution: A Journey With Katie Couric. In this companion podcast, Katie and Brian dive deep with the Fords and two others featured in Gender Revolution: Georgiann Davis, a sociologist and intersex activist, and Dr. Joshua Safer, who runs the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Boston Medical Center. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Browder used to be Russia's largest foreign investor. Then, in 2005, he was blacklisted by the Russian government and kicked out of the country. Now he's one of Vladimir Putin's most outspoken critics. He joins Katie and Brian to explain what went wrong, including how his own lawyer ended up dead in a Russian prison. Plus, Browder unpacks the perils and opportunities of a closer U.S. relationship with Russia and offers a chilling assessment of Putin. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Alec Baldwin has delighted millions of viewers playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, but it wasn't so long ago that he tried to say goodbye to public life entirely. He joins Katie and Brian for a frank discussion about the arc of his career, his personal challenges with tabloid journalism, and the political tensions within his own family. Plus, he dishes on his favorite Jack Donaghy lines from 30 Rock and why no one is more thrilling to work with than Tom Cruise. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No reporter cut through the media din of the 2016 presidential election quite like David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post. Remember the infamous Access Hollywood tape? That was one of Fahrenthold's scoops, as were his exhaustive stories on Donald Trump's questionable charitable activities. He joins Katie and Brian to discuss becoming an overnight sensation after 16 years on the job, getting called a "nasty guy" in a phone call with Donald Trump, and how he thinks journalists should cover Trump's presidency. Plus, how he uses a mix of social media crowdsourcing and old-fashioned gumshoe reporting to break his stories. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian head to the White House and sit down with Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama. Not only is Jarrett a guiding voice in the Obama administration, but she has also been friends with the President and First Lady since they were an engaged couple in Chicago in the early 1990s. Jarrett discusses managing her work and friendship with the President, her emotions since the election and why she has hope for the Affordable Care Act's future. Plus, Brian talks with White House visitors from across the country. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GOP strategist Mike Murphy caught the political bug early: he began his career as a college student making radio ads out of his dorm room for a long-shot congressional race. He's gone on to specialize in winning statewide campaigns for governor and Senate. He's been the lead strategist for many major Republican figures, including John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mitt Romney. He also had a role in the 2016 campaign season. "I ran the Jeb Bush super PAC," he explains, "which gives me the unique credential of having blown, oh, over 95 million dollars and not winning." Mike joins Katie and Brian to discuss his vocal criticism of Donald Trump, the media's role in modern politics and why he's a hopeless romantic when it comes to presidential races. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larry Wilmore has worn many comedic hats, from writer and show creator (The Bernie Mac Show) to late-night host (The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore). He joins Katie and Brian to process the election results, pay tribute to Gwen Ifill and share highlights from his over 25 years in television. Plus, we want to hear from our conservative listeners: what do you think the future holds for the GOP? Leave us a message at 929-224-4637. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doris Kearns Goodwin knows her presidents. As America's leading presidential historian, she's written five critically acclaimed and best-selling presidential biographies. Her book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is revered by the likes of Steven Spielberg and President Obama. In this election week bonus episode, she joins Katie and Brian to help parse Donald Trump's upset victory. Plus, we want to know your biggest hope and biggest fear about a Trump presidency. Leave us a message at 929-224-4637. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nate Silver, founder and editor-in-chief of the website FiveThirtyEight, is America's favorite statistician. His website is required reading for anyone obsessing over U.S. elections. He joins Katie and Brian to talk about polling methods, Comeygate and why post-election gridlock is a very safe bet. Plus, we want to hear from you: after November 8th, what will you do to fill up the time you’ve spent following this election? Call and leave us a message at 929-224-4637. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samantha Bee (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) is the only woman in America with her own late-night television show. "Its really liberating," she tells Katie and Brian. "I don't find it scary at all." She discusses the outrage she summons in order to do her job, how her three young kids prevent her from overthinking things, and her dozen years as a correspondent for The Daily Show. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas L. Friedman has been writing Op-Eds in the New York Times for 21 years and he still sees column ideas everywhere. He joins Katie to discuss our autumn of discontent and the profound sense of "stuckness" he believes many Americans feel. They talk about globalization, the election, and the increasingly blurred line between politics and entertainment. Plus, was NAFTA a good or a bad thing? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vice presidential candidates can make or break a campaign. Remember Sarah Palin? So do Katie and Brian. That sets the stage for today's interview with Libertarian vice presidential candidate William 'Bill' Weld. He is one of the great characters in American politics. The former governor of Massachusetts discusses his long-shot race for the White House and his lengthy career -- which he began working alongside Hillary Rodham Clinton. Governor Weld also talks about the strengths of his running mate, Governor Gary Johnson, addresses the campaign's gaffes, and shares why he's not swayed by criticism that his ticket could swing the presidential election. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Woodward and Tina Brown are two living legends in the world of journalism. As an investigative journalist at The Washington Post, Woodward, alongside reporter Carl Bernstein, helped break the Watergate scandal that eventually sunk Richard Nixon. Tina Brown's career has been no less storied. She's edited Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, created The Daily Beast and written the best-selling book, The Diana Chronicles.They chat with Katie and Brian about this historic election cycle, if we're living in a post-factual political landscape, and if news outlets have been balanced when covering Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the cover of anonymity people feel emboldened to say hateful things online, which can be hurtful when you are the target. New York Times Deputy Washington Editor Jonathan Weisman explains why he quit Twitter over anti-Semitic bullying -- and why he returned. And Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, says that for every big win against hate speech there is inevitably a backlash. Plus, we ask folks in Times Square to tell us their stories of being bullied online. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a big season for women in politics - both in fictional worlds and real ones. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) talks about playing the fictional president Selina Meyer and Rebecca Traister (All the Single Ladies) digs into the moment and meaning of Hillary Clinton’s presidential nomination. Plus, Katie takes a field trip to Times Square to find out what a woman nominee, and potential president, means to everyday Americans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Costas is THE voice of the Olympics — the legendary broadcaster has hosted more than a dozen of the games. Today he talks with Katie and Brian about how he prepares to preside over the Olympics, and how a childhood passion for sports turned into a love of sportscasting. He also explains conflicted feelings over Caitlyn Jenner’s 2015 Arthur Ashe award, and weighs in on our current political climate. Plus, we hear some of your favorite Olympics memories. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may not know his name, but you know his work and his words. Like "climate change" instead of "global warming," and "death tax" instead of "estate tax" -- he's really helped position policy for voters. But longtime Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz is not a happy camper right now, and he tells Katie and Brian why this election season is bringing him down. Let us know what you think: is our country in decline, or are you optimistic about the future? Leave a message: 929-224-4637 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian head to the Capitol to talk with Senator Al Franken about the current political campaign, the issues that are top on his mind, and the legacy and lessons of the late Senator Paul Wellstone. Along the way they also hear from constituents with a lot on their minds, especially relating to recent gun violence. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sneak peek of "Katie Couric," coming to Earwolf on July 28th! Join us for candid unscripted conversations as Katie and her co-host Brian Goldsmith take a trip to the Capitol and visit with Senator Al Franken; talk with Bob Costas about why he loves the Olympics; and hear why Jonathan Weisman quit Twitter. Subscribe now and you won’t miss a thing. And don't be shy, leave us a voicemail at (929) 224-4637. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.