Katie Couric

Kara Swisher, Official Next Question plus one and dogged chronicler of the good, bad, and the ugly of the tech world (and the “adult toddlers” that so often populate it), has really seen it all. She made tech her beat at the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal before most journalists took any notice of the fledgling “nerdy” industry. From there, Kara fearlessly reported on a new generation of tech entrepreneurs who would change the world as we know it. Her journalism breaks news and starts conversations, and her bubble-bursting, down-to-earth approach to those who often get handled with kid gloves is perhaps one of her most enduring traits.   Some call her approach “mean,” and the title of her much-anticipated memoir, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, plays on this reputation as a reporter who minces no words and is not afraid to ask the hard questions. Kara chronicles the history of how tech came to dominate our lives, and with more potentially life changing tech on the horizon with things like AI, she c

Allie Phillips, a young Tennessee woman who runs a daycare from home and has a young daughter, Adalie, was delighted to learn she was pregnant with a second daughter, Miley, in 2022. The same year, Tennessee enacted an abortion ban after the fall of Roe v Wade. Allie had no reason to believe this would affect her–but unfortunately it did.   Miley was deemed “incompatible with life” at around 19 weeks, and Allie was faced with the decision many women must grapple with now that Roe has fallen: to leave the state to receive abortion care, or to continue her pregnancy as her daughter deteriorated, threatening Allie’s life and fertility. She chose the former, and documented the difficult, time-sensitive process to her nearly 300,000 TikTok followers.    She shared her story to put a face to the consequences of the overturn of Roe, and a little while after she returned to Tennessee, she decided to get involved politically. Her state representative was no help– Allie learned he hadn’t considered cases like hers in b

In this special episode of Next Question, Katie sat down for a rare one-on-one interview in DC with Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. And there was a lot to talk about.   2024 is here at last, and it’s a monumentally important election year–one that looks more likely every day to be another Biden-Trump re-match. The political news has been heavily skewed toward the Republican side of the race, given the drama of selecting their nominee. Less has been heard from the incumbent administration.   But the campaign is heating up for the Democrats too. From abortion rights to the crisis in Israel and Gaza, shifting voter coalitions and where Biden-Harris need to really make their message sing, such as with Gen Z, this wide ranging conversation gets to the heart of what’s at stake this election year, and what the Biden-Harris administration is doing to make their case to voters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since long before Roe v Wade enshrined a federal right to choose in 1973, abortion has been one of the most contentious issues in American life. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe with their decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, marking  a new peak in the political energy and emotion surrounding abortion. Katie’s guest today, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor (who won a Pulitzer for her Me Too reporting), has been behind some of the most exhaustively sourced and in-depth reporting on just how Dobbs unfolded.    As Jodi tells us, in many ways, SCOTUS’ Dobb’s decision was shocking. The case started as a long-shot ban on abortions after 15-weeks in Mississippi. But a series of events made it one of the most monumental in American history: an even more controversial case from Texas coming along at the same time, Justice Ginsberg’s death, and an unprecedented leak of the decision in Dobbs that some feel affected Justices’ ability to deliberate fully. It’s easy to imagine this

On a recent episode of Brooke Shields’ podcast Now What?, Katie and Brooke took a walk down memory lane and came back with some thoughtful insights to kick off 2024.   Brooke and Katie share a long history with the limelight, and they reflect in this intimate conversation on the trials and tribulations of going through life’s ups and downs in the public eye. That’s come with its challenges, but also the privilege of a long relationship with their audiences. Both blazed trails and opened doors in their respective industries. But some of the most enduring work has been with causes close to their hearts.   We all have so much to give to the world; allow this conversation to inspire you this January to find your passion, and share it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ava DuVernay’s newest film, Origin, breaks a lot of molds. The book on which it’s based, Caste, grapples with some of the deepest inequalities in our world today, and was famously deemed unadaptable into a film. Not to mention DuVernay came to the adaptation as the industry entered one of its biggest slumps in recent memory.    Not one to be dissuaded, DuVernay found a way to adapt this seminal book and to fund it outside of the typical studio-or-streamer model for making a movie. The result is a sweeping mosaic of personal stories, including Isabelle Wilkerson’s own, that chronicle how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. The adaptation speaks for itself: there were many tears in the audience of this Q&A, taped live at Art Basel in Miami, one of the partners in a revolutionary new funding model that made the project possible.   This incredible movie and the innovation that underpins its production have a lot to teach about new ways to approach some of the most intractable problems o

Melissa Etheridge has written two memoirs now–her new one is Talking to My Angels. For many people, writing more than one memoir might seem excessive, but Etheridge has lived a lot. She’s reflective on just how much she’s learned between 40, when she wrote her first memoir, and about 60 where she’s writing from now, especially how a definitive spiritual experience (thanks to what she calls a hero dose of cannabis) really separated her life into “before” and “after.”    On the other side, Melissa finds herself happier and more centered than ever. She’s articulate and sure about how she found that peace, and seems to have an amazing capacity to learn from and process the not-so-peaceful events in her life.    And of course music is the thrumming throughline underpinning everything from her career to her memories of childhood, to what drives her now after so many challenges that could have broken many. But Melissa seems to ground herself even deeper in times of trial, and has a lot to teach anyone about resilien

The new film May December stars Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton, was directed by Todd Haynes, and written for the screen by Samy Burch’s–her first screenplay! Julianne Moore’s Gracie began her relationship with the much-younger Joe (Charles Melton) when he was a young teen, and paid the price for this hard-to-understand liaison. Elizabeth, played by Portman, is an actress who arrives at their home to do research for her role portraying Gracie in an upcoming biopic. Critics are calling it a “booby trap” of a movie, because it’s so hard to decide just who to root for. In this wide-ranging interview, Katie Couric sits down with the cast to delve into how the actors approached these complicated characters, where Haynes drew inspiration from as he directed (there’s a very interesting story to the music in this film), and what excited them about the fresh take Burch brought to her screenplay. This isn’t a movie that invites easy answers, but it’s clear the team had great fun bringing us this sto

A recent bombshell report in the New York Times reveals that Israel knew about Hamas’s attack plan for October 7th, 2023, codenamed “Jericho Wall,” more than a year before it happened. On this episode of Next Question, the journalists who broke the story, Ronen Bergman and Adam Goldman, detail how this intelligence failure came about, including the dismissal of a female Israeli intelligence analyst’s urgent warnings that Hamas had devised a “plan to start a war” as “imaginary.”    We now know that Hamas’s intentions as laid out in the Jericho Wall document were deadly serious, and Bergman and Goldman note that the attack followed the plan with “shocking precision.” They give insightful analysis of how a threat like Jericho Wall could be dismissed and what this grave misstep means for not only this conflict, but also for Israel's broader idea of itself in the world and for the trust in its powerful intelligence service at home and abroad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is the anniversary of Open AI’s launch of Chat GPT, a tool which brought AI out of the realm of sci-fi and right to our fingertips. AI seems to have crept into every facet of our lives in that one year, and it’s hard to know if that’s a good or bad thing–especially in light of the chaos wrought by Open AI’s recent firing and rehiring of their co-founder Sam Altman.   Sometimes it feels like the battle lines are drawn–you can be for or against AI–and the stakes are high. So in this episode of Next Question, Katie is joined by her plus one, Vivian Schiller, in conversation with data scientists and AI ambassadors Chris Wiggins and Vilas Dhar, to sort through some of the noise.    The panel covers a lot of ground, but remains grounded in real-world examples (and there are several acronyms defined!), to rationally consider what AI can and should do for us now, what risks we should keep an eye on, and who needs to be involved in the conversation shaping AI’s next chapter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privac

Have you achieved the American Dream? Actually–how do you even define the American Dream? Sometimes it can feel like that phrase is meaningless and politicized but that idea is such a cornerstone of what makes us the United States. It’s foundational, but it can sometimes feel like it’s falling apart. Enter David Leonhardt’s new book–he’s a columnist at the New York Times and heads their The Morning newsletter. In the book, Ours Was the Shining Future, he sets out to quantify the American Dream and tell a story of how it’s changed over the last few decades. And for those who might feel intimidated by economics, Leonhardt’s book might just be the perfect entry point: the personal narratives of the people who shaped our history bring this book from the theoretical to the concrete.  This insightful, comprehensive, human book provides a perfect jumping off point to examine the long, imperfect story of our ongoing project as Americans, striving to realize the promises of democracy and capitalism–and all the success

Over the course of their careers, Katie Couric and Kara Swisher have weathered (and thrived amongst) massive sea changes in the news industry–from network TV to streaming; the rise of mobile viewing; Twitter as the global newsroom water cooler; and now AI, polarization, and a serious crisis of truth. This makes Kara the perfect plus one for a discussion with Instagram founder Kevin Systrom. Kevin was the architect of some of those sea changes Kara and Katie documented, and with his new venture Artifact, a “fully machine learning driven, personalized newsreader,” he’s aiming to remedy some of the problems facing news and information today. Katie, Kara, and Kevin go back to Kevin’s roots at Instagram and draw out what made that app great–its ability to evoke delight; its sense of discovery and community-building. They also discuss how those features, combined with a leadership ethos of responsibility and proactivity makes Artifact something beyond the headline aggregators you might think of when you hear “newsr

Adam Kinzinger and Mary Trump don’t have a lot in common on the surface:but in a moment where politics are dividing more people than ever before, Kinzinger and Trump find they have more and more in common. January 6th was a watershed moment for them both: Kinzinger’s departure from the current GOP was basically assured with his participation in the Congressional hearings on the matter, and a worst-fears-realized anguish after the discord crystalized a drive for activism in Mary Trump.  As Katie’s plus one, Mary Trump digs deep with Kinzinger on their shared fight for the future of democracy and how the country may find a path forward. Plus, Kinzinger is full of insider, behind-the-scenes explainers from his time in Congress, from what exactly is meant by “military aid” to the impact on history of  Kevin McCarthy’s visits to Mar a Lago. You’ll find yourself walking away from this conversation convinced there’s a way forward from the current state of political division and dysfunction, and gratitude that Mary T

Smart people know things; wise people know people. For Next Question guest today, David Brooks, knowing people has been a lifelong endeavor. Katie Couric and her + 1 today, Kelly Corrigan, dig deep into David’s new book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, which is all about how we connect–empathy, curiosity, vulnerability–and how we can build these skills in ourselves. There’s even an empathy test you can take along with us in the episode! Incisive and wide-ranging, this conversation is one of the funniest episodes Next Question has ever presented. Join Katie, Kelly, and David in asking yourself about the role empathy and connection plays in your life, and discover with them new ways to build and use those skills to have a more “lit up” existence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first Katie Plus One, Katie is bringing in backup: Kelly Rizzo, the host of the Comfort Food podcast and the widow of Bob Saget. Their guest today is John Stamos, Saget’s Full House co-star and longtime friend of Bob and Kelly. Together, Katie, Kelly, and John cover a ton of ground – from memories of Bob, to John’s deep love of Disney, to an incredible story about Sammy Davis Junior and General Hospital. This season is all about FUN and great conversations! Enjoy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie Couric is back with a new season of Next Question, this time with a new format: Katie + 1! While the good ol’ classic Katie Couric interview isn’t going anywhere, Season 8 boasts a variety of co-hosts, who bring their own style and new perspective to the conversations. In the season premiere, Katie is joined by Bob Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo, to interview John Stamos, Saget’s “Full House” co-star and close friend, for a conversation that’s intimate and poignant while also irreverent and a lot of fun. Future conversations include Katie and Kara Swisher’s interview with Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom for a deep dive on the past, present, and figure of social media. In another, Katie and author Kelly Corrigan are joined by David Brooks to discuss the growing social disconnect in our culture and the surprisingly simple (but not necessarily easy) ways we can bring people closer together. This season is more relaxed, a little more conversational, a little more spontaneous, and quite frankly, a little more

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

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, produced in partnership with Katie Couric Media and Equip—the leading evidence-based virtual eating disorder treatment program—Katie sits down with one of the stars from Netflix’s Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness, and Dr. Jessie Menzel, a clinical psychologist. In honor of Pride month, they discuss the importance of access to care for disordered eating for the LGBTQIA+ community; they also cover Jonathan’s tumultuous childhood, coming to understand his gender identity, his experience with body dysmorphia and disordered eating, and the way these issues uniquely impact those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Jonathan and Jessie offer effusive support, as well as practical advice, on developing a healthy relationship with body image. (A note for readers: this episode contains sensitive material, including eating disorders and sexual assault.)  Link: https://equip.health/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=KCM_JVN&utm_adgroup=&utm_term= Want to be

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, produced in partnership with Ally and Katie Couric Media, we’re taking a look at the racial wealth gap; the systemic and historical factors that have contributed to persuasive economic inequality, as well as how we can work together to navigate a new path forward. First, Katie is joined by financial columnist Michelle Singletary from the Washington Post. Her series, “Sincerely, Michelle,” was not only a reaction to the murder of George Floyd, but also an invitation to millions of Americans to see the reasons for the stark financial disparity that falls along racial lines. Next, Katie speaks to Chloe McKenzie, founder of Black Fem, an organization dedicated to reimagining wealth opportunities for Black women. 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 r