Katie Couric

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.