PLAY PODCASTS
On with Kara Swisher

On with Kara Swisher

422 episodes — Page 7 of 9

Can Mike Johnson Survive As House Speaker?

After three incredibly chaotic weeks, the House Republican Conference elected a relatively unknown (and startlingly retrograde) Louisiana congressman, Mike Johnson, as Speaker of the House. Today we learn who he is and what impact he will have on the issues, from gay rights and abortion to the keeping the government funded, as well as what his ascension portends for the 2024 elections. Our guests are: Marianna Sotomayor, a congressional reporter at The Washington Post; Nia-Malika Henderson, a senior political analyst at CNN and soon-to-be politics and policy columnist at Bloomberg Opinion; and Tina Nguyen, a national correspondent at Puck and author of The MAGA Diaries, a forthcoming book that chronicles her journey to becoming a (reformed) accidental conservative activist. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 9, 202353 min

The Twitter Fantasy from Land of the Giants

Today we’re playing you an episode of Land of the Giants that takes a walk down memory lane to the early days of Twitter and how the platform became the best and worst place on the internet. If you like it; check out the Land of The Giants: The Twitter Fantasy and revisit our interviews with Ben Mezrich, Walter Isaacson, Ronan Farrow and William Cohan, or Kara and Nayeema’s own walk down memory lane on Twitter. Enjoy! And we’ll be back on Thursday with a new episode of On. This episode hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) and Lauren Goode (@laurengoode) EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode contains descriptions of sexual harassment and of graphic threats of violence. This section begins after the second midroll break and lasts for about 7 minutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 6, 202352 min

How Elon Broke Twitter — and Twitter Broke Elon — with Ben Mezrich

What does a dramatic narrative nonfiction account of a dramatic tech CEO look like? To find out, we turn to Ben Mezrich, the author whose books have been adapted to films like 21, The Social Network, and Dumb Money. His latest, Breaking Twitter, has already been optioned by MGM. In this conversation: Ben’s process for blending hard facts with informed speculation, Kara’s advice for dealing with the tech titan, and predictions about Linda Yaccarino’s fate. Oh, also a brainstorm about who should play Elon on the big screen: Kara envisions a classic Vince Vaughn type, Nayeema picks Brendan Fraser, and Ben throws in a Succession character — but *not* the one you’d expect! Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 2, 20231h 7m

Uber’s Profit, Power and Problems with CEO Dara K

Uber: hard to live with it, or without it. In this episode Kara grills CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on the company’s sky-high prices, high take rate, treatment of drivers/couriers, policies around safety and why oh why he is kind to his predecessor, Travis Kalanick. Before and after the interview, Kara and Nayeema make sense of the power and problems of Uber, and discuss Lesbians Who Tech (a conference — not in general). Note: Khosrowshahi discusses a 15% “take rate” in the United States, exclusive of commercial insurance expenses. Globally, the company reported a 29.3% “take rate” in Q2 of 2023 inclusive of these costs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 30, 20231h 0m

Alexis Ohanian and Deb Roy on Big Tech’s Effects on Democracy

Democracy is challenged, at home and abroad, and at least some of this blame falls on “Big Tech.” Kara talks to Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist, and Deb Roy, the director of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, about how we got here and what some potential solutions are. Stick around after the interview to hear Kara and Nayeema discuss the ethics of stapling bread to trees. This episode was recorded live at the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute for Democracy’s Democracy 360 event on October 17th. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 26, 202351 min

The Fog of War: Navigating Disinformation Now

Social media has been inundated with disinformation about the Israel-Hamas war — from a flood of graphic visual content, to unsubstantiated claims and opportunistic content generation (and monetization) by third parties to this conflict. To make sense of this fog of war, we turn to a panel that brings together a reporter, a researcher and a former Facebook/Meta insider: Shayan Sardarizadeh is a senior disinformation journalist with the BBC, Renée DiResta is a research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, and Katie Harbath spent 10 years as the public policy director at Facebook. Together, they unpack how we got here – and how we might seek clarity in a moment fogged by intense emotion, unfolding information and immense complexity. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 23, 20231h 0m

Christiane Amanpour on Covering This War

In the fog of war, we’re joined by CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour. She’s covered the Middle East for decades and brings her signature “truthful, not neutral” journalism to the tense battle that has unfolded in Israel and Gaza. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 19, 202342 min

Why Fei-Fei Li is Still Hopeful About AI (… and Elon)

What are the most immediate, and potentially catastrophic, risks posed by AI? According to pioneering AI researcher, Dr. Fei-Fei Li, they include disinformation, polarization, biases, a loss of privacy and job losses that could lead to unrest. The Stanford computer scientist is a fierce advocate for the humane development of artificial intelligence and for increased diversity in the field. She and Kara discuss AI’s problems and possibilities, the need for increased public sector investment and her brief stint on Twitter’s board. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 16, 20231h 1m

The Politics of Disagreement with Steve Inskeep

In a time of a divided House (and divided GOP) — not to mention polarized social media — how can you engage through disagreement? Abraham Lincoln may have some clues, as Steve Inskeep deduces. The journalist and host of NPR’s Morning Edition has a new book, “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America,” which details the political life and legacy of Lincoln through the lens of disagreement and understands how the 16th president practiced politics skillfully in order to assemble a majority and navigate the country through The Civil War. Kara and Steve also imagine what Lincoln’s social media feed would look like, compare him to Donald Trump and Joe Biden and grapple with whether “objectivity” is the best north star for journalism today. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 12, 20231h 4m

Martha, Martha, Martha (ICYMI)

Today we’re replaying you a summer episode where Kara and Nayeema took a field trip to Martha Stewart’s 156-acre estate for an interview with the media mogul and O.G. influencer. On the menu for this conversation? The media maven’s early interest in tech, parties with Bill Gates (and the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy), doing Sports Illustrated at age 81, big ideas like “KMartha” or “MarthaAI,” and why nothing — not prison time nor the idea of aging — can stop the constant reinvention of Martha Stewart. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram/Threads. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 9, 20231h 1m

Jon Lovett Talks Trump, Biden & the Podcasting Biz

After Kara and Nayeema discuss the defenestration of Kevin McCarthy, we turn to podcaster and political savant Jon Lovett of Crooked Media fame. Kara and Jon share laughs as they talk about the podcast biz, unions, Trump and Biden’s chances in ‘24. This conversation was taped live at the Code Conference on September 28, 2023. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 5, 202340 min

Do Never Trumpers Matter? We Asked Adam Kinzinger

After Kara and Nayeema discuss Dianne Feinstein’s death and her legacy as a leader, we turn to Kara's interview with Adam Kinzinger. The former Republican congressman has said he would only vote for Trump in one scenario: if his opponent were Satan. Once a rising star in the Tea Party, Kinzinger is now a leading voice inside the GOP’s anti-Trump cohort. He was one of only ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after January 6, 2021 — and, like many of his peers, he paid a high price: his seat in Congress. We discuss whether his political sacrifice was worth it, what happens in the “Trump Resistance” text chain and why so many Republicans won’t come out against Trump — even when they see him as a threat to democracy. This conversation was taped live at the Texas Tribune Festival on September 22, 2023. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 2, 20231h 1m

The Yoel Roth-Linda Yaccarino Showdown

On Wednesday, two Twitter-related interviews rocked the stage at the 2023 Code Conference. Kara interviewed the former head of trust and safety at Twitter/X, Yoel Roth, and Julia Boorstin, CNBC's Senior Media & Tech Correspondent, interviewed X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino. The late booking of Roth rattled Yaccarino, and her interview led to a media storm. Today, we bring you both interviews. We start off with Kara and Nayeema, as they set the stage early on Wednesday morning, play the interviews in chronological order and then rejoin Kara and Nayeema for a debrief to address accusations that the schedule change amounted to “sandbagging” Yaccarino. (Kara’s response: it does not). Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza To join the waitlist for the 2024 Code Conference, visit https://voxmediaevents.com/code2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 28, 20231h 38m

Sheila Johnson Talks BET, Entrepreneurship and Why She Doesn’t Love Being Called “America’s First Black Female Billionaire”

Sheila Johnson is best known for co-founding BET, a network she launched with her ex-husband, Bob Johnson, and which they eventually sold to Viacom for billions. She’s since built a hospitality brand, been an active philanthropist and is an owner or partner in three professional sports teams. But many of those achievements came at great cost, as Sheila writes in her new memoir, “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph.” We discuss how she navigated her success and independence in a time where “women were defined by their husbands.” We also talk about the future of BET and the role of identity-driven programming in American media. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 25, 202356 min

Is Biden the Best Democrats Can Do?

Biden’s poll numbers are atrocious, and in recent columns from The Washington Post to The New York Times and The National Journal, the punditocracy has started to sour on the president’s 2024 ambitions. Columnists have weighed in on why Biden could lose to Trump — and whether it’d be better for him to step aside. Is this a phase, a pipe dream or an actual crisis? We convene an all-star panel to discuss. Our guests: Franklin Foer, staff writer for The Atlantic and author of the recently released The Last Politician, a look a Biden’s first two years in office; Astead Herndon, national political reporter for The New York Times and host of The Run-Up; Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary for the Biden administration and host of Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC; and Alex Thompson, national political correspondent for Axios. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 21, 20231h 2m

The Walter Isaacson-Kara Swisher Showdown

Walter Isaacson and Kara are friends — but that doesn’t mean she’s going to go easy on him as they discuss Isaacson’s new hit biography: Elon Musk, which is causing much consternation among readers and reviewers. Kara pushes Walter on whether the book equivocates or excuses too much of Elon’s bad behavior. And Walter, well, he pushes back. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 18, 20231h 26m

How Twitter Took Alex Edelman to IRL White Supremacists

A Jewish comedian walks into an apartment in Queens to meet a group of white supremacists … This isn’t the setup to a bad joke — it’s the inciting incident in Alex Edelman’s hit one-man show, “Just For Us,” which recently wrapped a nine-week run on Broadway. We talk to Edelman about the value of entering rooms with people you vehemently disagree with, Elon Musk’s threat to sue the ADL, and whether there should be any uncrossable lines in comedy. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 14, 202351 min

Conan O'Brien Talks to His Accountant

Late-night legend and podcasting impresario Conan O’Brien joins Kara to talk about the decline of late night, the writers’ strike, his $150 million deal with SiriusXM and his new HBO Max show, Conan O’Brien Must Go. They also trade notes on interviewing and … accounting. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 11, 202359 min

What Naomi Klein Found Down the Steve Bannon Rabbit Hole

For years, Naomi Klein has had a problem: the author and Guardian columnist has been chronically confused with Naomi Wolf, a conspiracy theorist and favorite guest of Steve Bannon’s podcast. This is the premise of Klein’s new book, Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World, where she investigates how her dark twin fell down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole – and what that tells us about the lure of conspiratorial thinking and its dangerous use as a political strategy. Today, we talk to Klein about her journey deep into Steve Bannon’s podcast archive, anti-vaxx groups online, and more realms of what she calls “The Mirror World.” You can find Kara and Nayeema on Instagram/Threads @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza and Naomi Klein @naomiaklein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 7, 202359 min

Elon Musk: Somebody That I Used to Know

This Labor Day, we are re airing a fan-favorite episode about, who else, Elon Musk and Kara Swisher. Nayeema interviews Kara — who’s covered Musk since the late 90s. We’ll unpack how Elon became Elon, why Kara came to believe he was one of the greatest visionaries in Silicon Valley, when exactly she soured on him — and why she still holds out some hope. If you’re not sick of Elon by the end of this episode, you may also want to listen to our conversations with Elon biographer Walter Isaacson, former Twitter employee Yoel Roth and journalists Bill Cohan and Ronan Farrow. You can find Kara and Nayeema on Instagram/Threads @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 4, 20231h 4m

Barry Diller on Biden, AI and the Hollywood Shutdown

Billionaire mogul and power broker Barry Diller doesn’t hold back (at all) as he takes us inside Washington, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. The legendary executive breaks down why Biden isn’t his “fave,” how we can save the news business and “the republic” from AI, and how the “evil genius” of Netflix factors into the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes. That, and more, in what Kara and Nayeema dub “the Mediterranean ‘ratf*ck’ episode.” Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 31, 20231h 10m

WTF Can We Do About Deadly Wildfires?

From the tragedy in Hawaii — which has left at least 115 dead, and over a thousand more missing, making it the deadliest blaze in the last century of US history — to recent fires in Canada, California, Indonesia and Brazil, the world seems to be engulfed in a megafire crisis fueled by climate change. We bring on a panel of practitioners to discuss what’s behind these megafires, and how we can work to mitigate the crisis. Matt Weiner is the CEO of the nonprofit Megafire Action, with a background in policymaking; Lenya Quinn-Davidson is Director of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network; and Chad Hanson is the Director of the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, a research and advocacy organization focused on federal public forestlands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 28, 202353 min

Why We Can’t Quit Elon with Ronan Farrow & William Cohan

We’re talking about Elon – again – but this time we're looking at the big picture: the tech titan’s “unprecedented power” over our the federal government and national security, as encapsulated in Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ronan Farrow's latest New Yorker profile. William Cohan, a financial journalist and founding partner of Puck News, also joins to break down the varying fortunes of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter, and the sustainability of those companies under a leader that is ambitious, but capricious. Stay til the end to hear Kara tell Nayeema why, despite his shenanigans, she still has empathy for Elon Musk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 24, 202355 min

Ron DeSantis Won’t Stop Imani Rupert Gordon

Today after Kara and Nayeema take a quick walk down Rudy Giuliani memory lane, we turn to our guest: Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, to discuss the intensifying threat against LGBTQ+ rights in states from North Carolina to Florida. On the agenda: why trans kids are a target for hate, which rights could be on the chopping block next, and why the legal battles are so enmeshed with disinformation and narrative wars. Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram/Threads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 21, 202358 min

Big Companies Are Scared of These Lawyers

Kara and Nayeema are back with a fresh episode, and this time they’re tackling the DOJ’s antitrust efforts. Our guests are Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Antitrust Division, and Principal Deputy AAG Doha Mekki. Alongside the FTC, this duo has helped craft new draft merger guidelines that put Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and every other big company, from supermarket chains to airlines, on notice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 17, 20231h 4m

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel: Friendship — My Reliable Gift

Today, we’re sharing an episode of Where Should We Begin?, a Vox Media podcast hosted by the iconic psychotherapist Esther Perel. Listen in as real people in search of insight bare the raw, intimate, and profound details of their stories. In this episode, a Where Should We Begin first, Esther sits down with two friends. They’ve been close for so long they feel like brothers, with all of the baggage that comes with family but none of the certainty. There are things that go unspoken between them, issues they have skimmed over in their two decades of friendship. Esther creates the space for the conversation they didn't know quite where to begin. This session was recorded in collaboration with NPR's Invisibilia and a sibling episode with Esther can be heard on their podcast. Kara & Nayeema will be back Thursday with a fresh episode of ON. You can find Esther Perel on Instagram @estherperelofficial Listen and follow Were Should We Begin? with Ester Perel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 14, 202358 min

Aging, Death and other Uplifting Topics with Mike Birbiglia

Today, we’re re-airing one of Blakeney Schick’s favorite episodes: an interview with her former yoga student, comedian and writer, Mike Birbiglia. Aging, parenting by mortality and dying alone or kinless: these are just some of the uplifting topics Kara and Nayeema tackle before the interview. When we originally published this episode, Mike was deep in his latest Broadway show, “The Old Man and the Pool.” (The show completed its Broadway run in January, and will open for a limited run in London next month.) In it, Birbiglia doesn’t shy away from such heavy topics either. Birbiglia and Kara discuss mortality, parenthood, their last words and finding comedy in all of life — even the sad bits. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 10, 202355 min

Esther Perel on Grief — In Memory of Blakeney Schick

Kara & Nayeema are joined by Esther Perel in a tribute to our colleague and friend, senior producer Blakeney Schick, and a conversation about how to live through grief. NOTE: If you are hearing the wrong episode play, please close and reopen your podcast app to fix the issue. If that doesn't work, please click "remove download" and then re-download the episode. You can hear more of Esther Perel on her podcast Where Should We Begin? Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 7, 202353 min

Is Chris Christie Really the Anti-Trump?

Today, we turn to Chris Christie. The former governor of New Jersey and Trump sidekick is running to be president (again). His most avid supporters? Folks who hate Trump — amused Democrats and the oh-so-small band of (still) Never Trump Republican primary voters. Nonetheless, Christie seems determined to do his best to kamikaze the former president. But who is Chris Christie? What does he stand for, really? And after he’s flipped and flopped on Trump, can we trust him to not bend the knee again? Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 3, 202359 min

Vinod Khosla’s View of the Future, From AI to China

After Kara and Nayeema discuss Senators Warren and Graham’s unlikely alliance on tech regulation, we turn to today’s guest: longtime venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. We discuss his take that AI will “free humanity from the need to work,” his early investments in climate tech, and what happens in the techno-economic war between the United States and China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 31, 202359 min

Barbie & Oppenheimer & Strikes, Oh My

Hollywood is still shut down by its historic dual strike, but this weekend the industry saw its most explosive box office numbers of the year. So far, Barbie has made over 200 million domestically and Oppenheimer has surpassed 100 million. So are the movies back in business? Or is BarbenHeimer a cultural phenomenon that will be impossible to replicate? Kara discusses this question with a panel that includes entertainment reporter Matthew Belloni, producer Franklin Leonard and communications expert Brooke Hammerling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 27, 202348 min

The Rewards of Stepping Out of Line: A Commencement Address from Kara

This May, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art invited Kara to deliver its commencement address. Today, we’d like to share her speech with you. Kara discusses the arc of her career and the lessons she’s picked up covering the most powerful in tech — plus gardening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 24, 202327 min

Fran Drescher on the SAG Strike and Hollywood’s "Fat Cats”

Today, a conversation with one of the most impassioned leaders of Hollywood’s historic double strike: Fran Drescher, star of The Nanny turned SAG-AFTRA president. We discuss what broke down in the union’s talks with AMPTP, her last words at the negotiating table, her leading concerns for a new deal – and whether this could all ramp up to a run for office. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question for Kara and Nayeema to answer in an upcoming advice episode. Other questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram/Threads. Fran Drescher is @officialfrandrescher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 20, 20231h 0m

The Crypto Founder Who Won a “Landmark Victory” Against the SEC

Hollywood may be shut down, but one industry seems to be enjoying a surprising upswing: crypto. Kara interviewed Ripple co-founder and Executive Chairman Chris Larsen hours before what is being called a “landmark victory” – but, as Nayeema and Kara note, it’s not a clean victory. We discuss the Ripple case, whether the crypto winter is over, and why Larsen is investing heavily in everything from campaign donations to public interventions on crime in SF – but would rather “vomit blood from his eyeballs” than actually run for office. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question for Kara and Nayeema to answer in an upcoming advice episode. Other questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram/Threads. Chris Larsen is @chrislarsensf on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 17, 20231h 6m

The Fox News Love Triangle: Tucker, Murdoch and Trump

Fox News and social media are two arenas that will define the next presidential race. Today, after Kara and Nayeema discuss the implications of the recent injunction by a federal judge banning Biden administration officials from communicating with social media platforms, we dive into Fox’s Rupert-Trump-Tucker love triangle. We’re joined by a panel including New York Times reporter Jeremy W. Peters, Guardian columnist Margaret Sullivan, and Dispatch Editor in Chief Jonah Goldberg. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question for Kara and Nayeema to answer in an upcoming advice episode. Other questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram/Threads. Margaret Sullivan is @Sulliview. Jonah Goldberg is @JonahDispatch on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 13, 20231h 7m

Jake Tapper on Trust, Trump and CNN

When political spectacles abound, how can the media focus on the substance and avoid the clickbait? And is there a market left for nonpartisan cable news? Chief Washington Correspondent and Anchor of The Lead Jake Tapper joins us to discuss these questions, and his new book, All the Demons Are Here, a Post-Watergate thriller with inspiration from Trump, Murdoch and more. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question for Kara and Nayeema to answer in an upcoming advice episode. Other questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram/Threads — and Jake Tapper is @jaketapper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 10, 20231h 10m

Oliver Stone on Nuclear Energy, Putin and the Path to Conspiracies

After a quick rundown of the summer’s hottest films, Nayeema and Kara turn to our guest today: acclaimed (and controversial) filmmaker Oliver Stone. The man behind classics like “Wall Street” and “JFK” has turned his lens to climate change solutions in a new documentary, “Nuclear Now.” We discuss the good question of why there isn’t more nuclear energy in the United States, the roots of Stone’s distrust in convention, and the challenge of a world where distrust can turn into conspiracy theory. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and share any questions Kara or Nayeema can help you answer. Other questions or Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram. Oliver Stone is @officialoliverstone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 6, 202359 min

Mark Zuckerberg: Oops! I Did It Again (Again)

After a review of the last 6 months of “Meta” a.k.a. Facebook (including a looming Elon-Zuck cage fight and the VR hit from the Apple Vision Pro), Nayeema takes Kara for a walk down memory lane. We reair a conversation from January revisiting Kara’s early days covering Mark – from seeing him sweat through interviews to getting Mark to say things he probably wishes he hadn’t. And we discuss why Mark (who has a standing invite to be interviewed on our show) is probably not going to join — despite all his recent jiu-jitsu training. Need advice?! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and share any questions Kara or Nayeema can help you answer. Other questions or Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 3, 202356 min

Sarah Jessica Parker Talks Show Business, Shoe Business and More Business

After Kara and Nayeema debate the future of Hollywood (including the ongoing WGA strike and the soon expiring deal between SAG-AFTRA and the studios), we turn to Hollywood star and entrepreneur Sarah Jessica Parker. The actor speaks about reprising her iconic role of Carrie in Sex and the City in its latest iteration, And Just Like That. Plus, we dig into her businesses from wine to heels — and talk about the business of Hollywood, including why SJP remains bullish on cinema. Need advice?! We have an upcoming episode where Kara and Nayeema tackle your Qs about career, love, or life in general. Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question that could feature on the show. Other questions or Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram and SJP is (what else could it be?) @SJP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 29, 20231h 4m

Wanda Sykes on Why Trump Isn’t Funny Anymore

Wanda Sykes can find the funny in almost anything: lockdown during Covid, vaccine hesitancy, book bans. They all come up in her latest Netflix special, “Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer.” But today, she tells Kara that there are a few things she doesn’t find funny anymore – including Donald Trump. Also: Need advice?! We have an upcoming episode where Kara and Nayeema tackle your Qs about career, love, or life in general. Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question that could feature on the show. Other questions or Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social media. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza on Instagram. And Wanda is @iamwandasykes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 26, 202350 min

Martha Stewart Makes No Apologies for Being Perfect

Kara and Nayeema take a field trip to Martha Stewart’s 156-acre estate for an interview with the media mogul and O.G. influencer. On the menu for this conversation? The media maven’s early interest in tech, parties with Bill Gates (and the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy), doing Sports Illustrated at age 81, big ideas like “KMartha” or “MarthaAI,” and why nothing — not prison time nor the idea of aging — can stop the constant reinvention of Martha Stewart. You’re invited to send questions in for a special advice episode where Kara and Nayeema tackle your Qs about career, love, or life in general. Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice note with a question that could be featured on the show. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza —and Martha is @marthastewart48. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 22, 20231h 1m

The Weeds: We Need to Rethink Discipline in Schools

This Juneteenth, we’re sharing an episode of The Weeds, a Vox Media podcast where host Jonquilyn Hill breaks down the policies that shape our lives. This episode digs into school discipline and the achievement gap with Francis Pearman of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. For many Black children, their first encounter with the discrimination that will trail them their whole lives comes from the school system — a system where they are five times more likely to attend a segregated school than their white counterparts. Kara & Nayeema will be back Thursday with a fresh episode of ON. You can find Jonquilyn Hill on Twitter @jonquilynhill Listen and follow The Weeds: https://link.chtbl.com/TheWeedsVMPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 19, 202352 min

Inflection AI: Personalized and More "Woke" Than The “TruthGPT” Elon Might Make

After Kara and Nayeema debate the pros and cons of AI personal assistants vs. human personal assistants vs. fake personal assistants, we turn to Mustafa Suleyman, the man who co-founded DeepMind. Now, he and his co-founders Reid Hoffman and Karén Simonyan have started Inflection AI, a startup that creates “personal AIs,” and they're launching with a chatbot called Pi. Kara talks to Mustafa about whether or not Pi is "woke," the conversion of Suleyman’s former colleague, Geoffrey Hinton, and — oh yes — AI’s potential to destroy humanity. BTW, in lieu of personal AI, you can reach out to Kara and Nayeema for advice on your burning questions regarding your career, love, life or anything else. Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voicemail. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 15, 20231h 0m

Sorry, Donald. Jen Easterly Plans To Make Elections Boring Again.

Donald Trump signed the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency into existence in 2018 with the mandate to protect America’s infrastructure from threats digital and physical. Trump also made CISA a household name when he fired the department’s head in 2020 for noting that, no, the election was not stolen. Today, we hear from Jen Easterly, the woman who now runs CISA and has the job of preventing another SolarWinds or Colonial Pipeline attack as well as preventing foreign and domestic attacks in an election environment that has become highly politicized. Her goal? Make elections boring again. BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life where you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice? Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voicemail. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 12, 20231h 4m

Look Ma, No Hands! With Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana

After Kara and Nayeema discuss recent moves at CNN and the ducking cool innovation at Apple, we launch into part two of “Car Week” and an interview with Tekedra Mawakana. The Co-CEO of Waymo (formerly the Google self-driving car project) discusses trying to change how society moves while dealing with obstacles to the autonomous vehicle transition, like angsty Teamsters and tetchy regulators. And Kara explains why she’s so bullish on driverless cars. BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life where you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice? Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voicemail. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 8, 202357 min

The Man Making Self-Driving Trucks

Tesla’s self-driving ambitions (and the company’s recent recall) may dominate the conversation when it comes to autonomous driving, but they’re not the only players in the space. This week, Kara’s talking to CEOs whose driverless vehicles are being roadtested. First up: Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO of Aurora, which will launch its driverless truck service next year in Texas. They discuss safety, job displacement and the time that Kara tried to hit Urmson with his own driverless car. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.) BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice on? If so, call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice mail. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 5, 202357 min

Jeremy Strong, Alexander Skasgard and Succession Spin-Off Theories (Spoiler Alert)

After Kara and Nayeema discuss the Succession finale and their theories on a spin-off, we turn to Kara’s interviews with Alexander Skarsgård and Jeremy Strong, aka Lukas Matsson and Kendall Logan Roy. SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t watched the finale yet, do not listen to this episode. Also, ADVICE ALERT — Do you have burning questions on career, love or life you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice on? If so, call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voicemail. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. You can listen to other episodes of the Succession companion podcast here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 1, 20231h 14m

Ukraine’s Tech Advantage

Today, Kara talks to USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Information Mykhailo Fedorov about the role of tech in the war, and the power of an app called Diia. Among its capabilities: accessing medical information, filing claims for war damage to property and helping track Russian troop movements. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice on? If so, call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 29, 202341 min

A.I. Doomsday with Tristan Harris

After Kara and Nayeema review the week’s A.I. news, including Sam Altman’s Senate testimony and the viral AI-generated image of the Pentagon in flames, we turn to Tristan Harris — co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and a key voice among the calls for slowing down the A.I. arms race. BTW, do you have any burning questions on career, love or life you’d like Kara or Nayeema’s advice on? If so, call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave us a voice mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 25, 20231h 14m

Lilly Singh on Making It on Social Media — and Hollywood

After an update on efforts to rein in TikTok from Montana to Washington DC, we turn to Lilly Singh, a creator who rose to fame in the early generation of YouTube stars and has since made the jump to linear TV. On the agenda: why creators are itching to go from the booming medium of social to a struggling landscape of linear TV, diversity in Hollywood and Kara’s texts with famous people. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram. We’re @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 22, 202356 min