Kickass News

Legendary newsman Dan Rather talks about his 60 year career and how his travels and conversations have given him a “wide shot” of the American experience and the values that unite us.  He condemns recent attacks on some on those values (including freedom of the press), he shares his own family's experience during the Great Depression as a lesson in empathy, and he recalls how his time spent with men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Medger Evers opened his eyes to institutionalized racism in America.  He talks frankly about how his own thinking has evolved on some social issues, and he weighs in on the recent rash of sexual harassment scandals that have rocked the news business.  He discusses a few of the dozen Presidents he’s known in his 60 years as a journalist and reveals the one word that has always carried Dan Rather through good times and bad. Order Dan Rather's book WHAT UNITES US: REFLECTIONS ON PATRIOTISM on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible.  Follow him on twitter at @DanRather or at

General Stanley McChrystal talks about the myths and reality of leadership.  He shares how he came to reassess the legacy of his military hero General Robert E. Lee in the aftermath of Charlottseville, how he personally learned that the man at the top often gets credit he doesn’t deserve, and why leaders aren’t always judged by their results.  He discusses a 15th century Chinese admiral who has become the symbol for that country’s global ambitions, why he didn’t realize that Coco Chanel was a real person, and one leadership flaw that he shares with Walt Disney.  He reveals why he decided to include his former enemy in combat Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the book, and what it was like to get into the dark mind of the Al Qaeda in Iraq leader.   Order General McChrystal's book Leaders: Myth and Reality on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.   Today's episode was sponsored by Espresso Monster, Homecoming on Amazon Prime Video, Zeel, Bombas, and Flatiron School. Visit Kickass News at www.kickassnews.com, subs

Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe (Platoon, Spiderman, The Grand Budapest Hotel) shares how his beginnings in experimental theater inform his acting, what draws him to independent films, and what it’s like to make his 100th movie.  He talks about how his latest film At Eternity's Gate challenges the image of Vincent Van Gogh as a unappreciated mad genius and rethinks the constructs of the traditional biopic.  He reveals what it was like to immerse himself in Van Gogh’s world and find his inspiration in the very same scenery that inspired one of the greatest artists of all time.  He discusses the pressure of having to recreate iconic works art in real time and in front of the camera, and how artist/director Julian Schnabel taught him to "paint the light."  Plus we talk about the time Willem Dafoe tried to summon the ghost of Houdini and the beauty of "embracing the mystery in life." See Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate opening in theaters November 16.  Today's episode was sponsored by National Security Age

Greg Miller is one of the reporters for The Washington Post who received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for his groundbreaking stories on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, and the resulting investigations of the Trump campaign and administration.  Today he shares how he cornered the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at a science conference in Washington and caught General Michael Flynn in a blatant lie about his dealings with Russian officials.  He describes the almost comical level of incompetence surrounding the 2016 DNC hacks, gives an insider's look at the secretive Russian hacking agencies known as Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, and the troll farm behind Russia’s social media influence campaign.  He defends the Post’s longstanding practice of using anonymous sources and explains how they go about verifying those stories.  Greg reveals efforts by the White House to derail the Washington Post’s reporting on Trump’s Russia connections, and how he learned that President Trump discus

Comedian Chris Gethard illustrates his personal and professional manifesto "lose well" with hilarious and ultimately empowering tales about his own missteps, misadventures, and public failures from the cancellation of his Comedy Central sitcom after ten episodes to rediscovering his comedic voice and life’s purpose on a public access channel.  He recalls how getting miscast in a school production of Bye Bye Birdie changed his life, the time he invited a heckler on stage during his comedy set, and why the host of a rival cable access show tried to sue him for "violating her Constitutional rights.”  He discusses his love for Andy Kaufman, ponders whatever happened to cable access tv, and shares some of the wonderfully weird things he got away with on The Chris Gethard Show.  Plus, Chris reveals how he handles political differences on his show Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People and talks about "the worst scumbag he ever met." Order Chris Gerhard's book Lose Well on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sol

Roger Daltrey, founder/lead singer of The Who, discusses how the hardships experienced by Brits in WWII paved the way for the musical revolution of the 1960s, he recalls what it was like to be the poster-boys for the British “mod” movement (and why he never fully embraced the fad), and he remembers the “utter chaos” of performing at Woodstock. He talks about how he and Peter Townsend pushed each other’s creative boundaries during the making of the first rock opera Tommy, how he managed to resist the drug fueled excess the 60s, and how it led to quite a bit of tension with his bandmates - especially The Who’s famously reckless drummer Keith Moon. Roger also reveals how he processed Moon’s tragic death in 1978, how it led to the band’s breakup in the early 80s, and a how it took a Silicon Valley con man to finally reunite the band. Order Roger Daltrey's new book Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sold.  Follow The Who on twitter at @TheWho.  Today's episode was spo

Sir Michael Caine has starred in over 100 movies and won two Academy Awards, and today he shares stories and advice from his remarkable career.  He reveals why he never believed in taking advice from older movie stars, why he never wanted to be James Bond, and how the 1960’s made it cool to be a young cockney in the movies.  He recalls his humble working class beginnings in the projects of London known as the Elephant Castle, shares how he learned his famous discipline while serving in the Korean War, and advises young actors to "make reliability your brand."  He talks about coming out of his self-imposed retirement over 20 years ago and says he’s getting better parts now at age 85 than he did when he was a young leading man.  Plus Michael Caine on why John Wayne never wore suede shoes, John Huston on a director's most important job, having the best time of his life filming Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and doing Vegas with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Order Michael Caine's wonderful new book Blowing the Blood

Senator Ben Sasse does a deep dive into the societal shifts affecting modern American life and the roots of our political divisiveness.  He talk about the outsized role politics plays in our daily lives, how "polititainment" celebrities like Sean Hannity are fueling dangerous tribalism in America, and how to build a healthier tribe of family and friends instead of political outrage.  He shares recent data that indicates that Americans are feeling increasingly lonely, and explains how the digital economy and smart technology are leading us to pull up our roots and lose our sense of community.  He then reveals how his own family has embraced the idea of a "digital Sabbath" and shares a few of his favorite tips for unplugging and living in the moment.  Plus I ask Senator Ben Sasse if he’s still comfortable with a GOP that seems to be remaking itself in President Trump's image and what would it take for Senator Sasse to challenge Trump for the nomination in 2020. Order Senator Ben Sasse's important new book Them

Anthony Atamanuik, host of Comedy Central's The President Show returns to the podcast to talk about his new book American Tantrum: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Archives, why the President wants to open his Presidential Library while he's still in office, and what kind of secrets we might find in there.  He shares the reason why he stopped doing field pieces in public as Donald Trump, he delves into the strange psyche of the man, and theorizes that Trump might actually welcome news of his extramarital affairs.  He talks about his new Comedy Central special A President Show Documentary: The Fall Of Donald Trump and gives us a glimpse of what’s to come with the 45th President.  Then I get the "President" himself to weigh in on Justice Kavanaugh’s first few weeks on the Supreme Court, how Melania is handling the Stormy Daniels scandal, and who he thinks wrote that anonymous op-ed in the New York Times. Order his book American Tantrum: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Archives on Amazon, Audible, or wherever

Julian Castro graduated high school a year early, won election to city council while he was still in law school, and became San Antonio's youngest mayor at age 27, before eventually serving as President Obama's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and making Hillary Clinton's short-list for VP in 2016.  He talks about his family's American dream including the remarkable story of how his Grandmother fled the violence of the Mexican Civil War for America and the values that his political activist mother instilled in he and his twin brother Joaquin.  He shares how he and Joaquin tied each other in their first election for Stanford University’s student senate and how a young Julian Castro ran for San Antonio city council and WON by winning over elderly voters.  He talks about his initiatives as Mayor to promote citizen engagement and pre-K education, why he first turned down a cabinet appointment in the Obama Administration, and what he calls the “weird experience” of being vetted to be Hillary Clinton’s ru

Legendary sports broadcaster Verne Lundquist recalls some of his favorite moments in sports and some of his favorite calls from Jack Nicklaus's final victory at the 1986 Masters and Tonya Harding's attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympics to Christian Laettner's buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament and the Auburn-Alabama shocker of 2013. Verne shares why one radio station owner wanted him to change his name to "Jerry Lund," why he hated his short lived stint as a local news reporter in San Antonio, and how Tex Schram lured him to Dallas to become the voice of the Cowboys.  He recalls how Scott Hamilton gave him a crash course in skating during his first Winter Olympics, why he took it as a demotion when CBS first moved him from covering the NFL to the South Eastern Conference, and he gets a little sentimental when he talks about the huge sendoff that he got during his final season announcing SEC football. Order Play by Play: Calling the Wildest Games in Sports-From SEC Football to College Basketball, Th

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin revisits four of her favorite U.S. Presidents for her new book Leadership: In Turbulent Times.  Today she discusses the ideological family tree shared by Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, how their character was shaped by their setbacks, and how their destinies were forged in times of crisis.  She shares how Abraham Lincoln gave purpose to the Civil War, how Teddy Roosevelt averted a coal strike that would have left millions of Americans in the cold, how Franklin Roosevelt got America through our greatest economic crisis by talking to every American as a trusted friend, and how Lyndon Johnson managed to accomplish what JFK could not on civil rights.  She recounts a meeting between a wily President Franklin Roosevelt and a young Congressman Lyndon Johnson, the time Theodore Roosevelt showed up to cheer on his own protesters, and how President LBJ gradually won over a very young and very skeptical Doris Kearns Good

As the founder of The Onion, Scott Dikkers practically invented "fake news."  He discusses the origins of the satirical news site as a print newspaper on college campuses, how he drew inspiration from National Lampoon and Spy Magazine, and the article about Bill Clinton and the War in Bosnia that prompted The Onion to finally go online.  He recalls creating cable news parodies with a young Stephen Colbert on the Dana Carvey Show, how the Onion fooled Mahmud Ahmadenijad, and the article that led Donald Trump to threaten to sue.  Then Scott shares why he’s turning his sharp wit on billionaire Elon Musk in his new book Welcome to the Future Which Is Mine. Order Welcome to the Future Which Is Mine on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Read the latest sidesplitting headlines on the Onion at www.theonion.com, and keep up with Scott at www.ScottDikkers.com or on Twitter at @ScottDikkers.  Today's episode was sponsored by Heineken.  Visit Kickass News at www.kickassnews.com, subscribe to Kickass News on A

Mitch Albom is the author the all time best-selling memoir Tuesday's with Morrie and six #1 Bestsellers that have sold over a million copies worldwide.  He talks about his new novel The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, how losing his adopted daughter to cancer inspired his latest book, and what the book has to say about mistakes and forgiveness.  He reveals how difficult it was to get Tuesdays with Morrie published, some of the lessons from Morrie Schwartz that have come to mean more to him 20 years later, and what Morrie who preached “don’t buy into the culture" would think about our social media obsessed society.  Plus Mitch discusses how came to care for an entire orphanage in Haiti, the band he formed with Stephen King and other famous writers, and the five people he would like to meet in heaven. Order The Next Person You Meet in Heaven available 10/9 on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sold.  For more on Mitch, visit www.mitchalbom.com and follow him on twitter at @MitchAlbom.  Today's episode was s

Jeff Bridges discusses his 6 decades in Hollywood and what he learned about acting from dad Lloyd Bridges.  He recalls the "Little Rascals" version of Tucker that he and Francis Ford Coppola made prior to filming, laughing it up with Robin Williams and Terry Gilliam on the set of The Fisher King, and how he and his brother Beau tested each other during The Fabulous Baker Boys.  He shares stories about making The Last Picture Show, King Kong, Heaven's Gate, The Contender, and True Grit.  He talks about The Big Lebowski fandom, how he feels about being identified with his iconic character "the Dude," and why he says the Dude is a zenmaster.  Then Jeff Bridges gets zen about the environment with his new documentary Living in the Future's Past.  He discusses how we can take a more global approach to climate change, explains the evolutionary roots of our energy consumption, and says humans collectively form a super-organism that is exhausting resources at a faster and faster pace.  He calls for the removal of poli

John Chambers is widely considered one of the world’s greatest business leaders, and today he discusses how he turned Cisco into a global tech giant with $47 billion in revenues and 70,000 employees.  He talks about his early years working at IBM and Wang Laboratories and how those experiences led to his lifelong mantra “disrupt or be disrupted.”  He opens up about his struggle with dyslexia, how it helped him see 4 and 5 chess moves ahead as a CEO, and why he encourages other business leaders to “think like a dyslexic.”  He explains how Cisco acquired and absorbed 180 companies, how Cisco vanquished nearly 100 rivals, and the pitfalls of “doing the right thing for too long.”  He reveals how Cisco survived the 2001 dot com crash, the advice that GE’s Jack Welch gave him in the company’s darkest hour, and how that close-call better prepared him when the financial crisis hit a few years later.  John suggests the US could learn something about innovation from France, he shares how he’s planning to replace coal j

CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett has covered the last 4 administrations but says nothing could prepare him for President Donald Trump.  He recalls his strange first encounter with the reality TV star who would become President and the craziest 11 days he’s ever experienced as a White House correspondent.  He discusses the many ways in which the President is his own worst enemy, how the President’s failure at healtchare reform lead to his success on tax reform, and yet he learned nothing from it.  He shares some of the reasons why many Republicans have said no thanks to a job in the Trump Administration, why the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation is a must win for Trump, and why he believes we are already witnessing a transformative Presidency. Order Major Garrett's new book MR. TRUMP’S WILD RIDE: THE THRILLS, CHILLS, SCREAMS, AND OCCASIONAL BLACKOUTS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PRESIDENCY on Amazon.  See Major regularly reporting from the White House on CBS News, subscribe to his podcast The Takeout

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns discusses his new film The Mayo Clinic: Faith Hope Science and tells incredible story of a country physician and a Franciscan nun who built the medical institution known as “The Miracle in Minnesota.”  He talks about the natural disaster that led to the formation of the Mayo Clinic, their astounding success rate at a time when going to a hospital was considered a death sentence, and how Dr. W.W. Mayo and his staff innovated everything from sterilization and surgery right down to patient medical records.  Then he reveals how the Mayo Clinic continues to take the profit motive out of medicine and put the focus back on the patient today, how an institution with more than 62,000 employees still manages to provide personalized care rather than treat people like a number, and why the doctors of the Mayo Clinic believe that faith and hope are every bit as essential to healing as science.  Plus Ken Burns shares just a few of the touching testimonials from people whose lives were change

Sir Richard Branson talks about The Virgin Group philosophy, why he likes to act fast when launching a new business, and how many of his best ideas came from his own desires and frustrations as a consumer.  He gives advice to young entrepreneurs and shares what he’s learned from his mistakes.  He reveals his reasons for selling Virgin America to Alaska Air, and he outlines his vision of the future with Virgin Galactic and his latest venture Virgin Hyperloop One.  Plus he talks about his strange lunch with Donald Trump, his most harrowing adventures, and his habit of chopping off people’s neckties. Order Sir Richard Branson's new book FINDING MY VIRGINITY on Amazon or download the audio book at Audible.  Keep up with Richard Branson at www.virgin.com or on Twitter at @richardbranson.  Today’s episode is sponsored by Heineken and I Love You, But I Hate Your Politics podcast.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fox News' politics editor Chris Stirewalt discusses the history of American populism, how economic resentment fuels populism even in times of huge prosperity, and why the will of the people doesn’t always make for great policy.  He discusses why populist leaders are so prone to hucksterism and easy answers including one politician who literally started out as snake oil salesman, and why it’s a good thing that most populist leaders never actually get to govern.  He talks about how the least likely populist President Teddy Roosevelt's progressive Bull Moose Party impacted the GOP for over a century and how George Wallace shifted the focus from economic populism to cultural populism.  He explains why Pat Buchanan is the grandfather of Trumpism and how Ross Perot invented the trope of the businessman who can fix Washington.  Plus we talk about the time America flirted with electing a self-professed socialist and radical, why the election of 1864 still gives Chris hope, and why modern aspiring populists would do w