Kara Swisher interviews Scott Galloway about his book "Notes on Being a Man," exploring the crisis facing young men and his attempt to redefine masculinity as a positive, aspirational code built around providing, protecting, and procreating responsibly. Galloway grounds the discussion in his own upbringing with a single mother, the absence and later partial redemption of his father, his drive to become financially secure, and his evolving role as a father of two sons. They also discuss how politics, culture, education, and policy can better support boys and men without diminishing the progress and rights of women and other marginalized groups.
Historian John Lisle discusses the history of CIA mind control research, focusing on MKUltra, its OSS roots, and figures like Sidney Gottlieb, George White, and psychiatrist Ewen Cameron. He explains how the program was structured, the drugs and psychological techniques that were tested, the disastrous impacts on unwitting subjects, and the near-total lack of oversight. The conversation expands into government secrecy, real versus fabricated conspiracies, cognitive dissonance, cult dynamics, social media disinformation, and how human psychology shapes both science and belief in conspiracies.
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss foreign-operated troll accounts on X, broader Russian and other foreign influence operations on U.S. politics, and the GOP's shifting stance on Russia, including Marco Rubio's role in a controversial Ukraine peace plan. They analyze Google's new Gemini 3 model and Alphabet's AI strategy versus OpenAI, evaluate market jitters around the AI boom and crypto, and cover Marjorie Taylor Greene's announced resignation, Eli Lilly's GLP-1-fueled valuation, elite wealth and political power, and the importance of competent public servants and everyday gratitude practices.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Nvidia's blowout Q3 earnings, the sustainability of the current AI boom, and the risks of having the broader economy so dependent on a handful of tech giants. They analyze the federal court ruling that Meta did not break antitrust law with its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, Trump's signing of the bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, and the emerging cultural backlash against billionaire entitlement revealed in leaked Epstein-related emails. The conversation also covers Trump's fawning visit with Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk's presence at that dinner, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery among Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix, and political implications including New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani's upcoming meeting with Trump and a possible progressive shift in U.S. politics.
Host Preston Pysh interviews macro analyst Luke Gromen about growing financial stress in the U.S. and globally, focusing on the Treasury's heavy reliance on short‑term funding, strain in repo and funding markets, and the fiscal math of interest plus entitlements nearly consuming all tax receipts. They discuss how Bitcoin acts as an early warning signal for tightening liquidity, why gold is increasingly favored by sovereigns, the contradictory policy push around stablecoins, and how AI capex, energy constraints, geopolitical shifts, and rare earth dependencies further complicate the outlook. Gromen argues policymakers are trapped between preserving the bond market and reindustrializing the U.S., and that some form of sharp market "whoosh down" may be needed before large‑scale liquidity support returns.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway recap their recent live tour and Scott's appearance on Bill Maher's show before diving into U.S. politics, including Donald Trump's push to release the Epstein files and his public break with Marjorie Taylor Greene. They analyze Greene's apparent pivot and apology, debate a new Republican health care proposal and broader healthcare reform, and then turn to concerns about an AI-driven market bubble, Peter Thiel's NVIDIA sell-off, OpenAI's economics, Jeff Bezos's new AI startup, the recent bond rally, and the fragility created by extreme stock market concentration. The episode closes with wins and fails focused on Seth Meyers vs. Trump, Tom Cruise's honorary Oscar, and worries about systemic financial risk.
The hosts trace the history and cultural impact of AM radio, from its early 20th-century technical breakthroughs and global spread through its "golden age" of dramas, soap operas, news, and political addresses. They explain how AM evolved into a youth-oriented Top 40 music medium and later the mellow 1970s "AM gold" era, while also covering regulatory milestones like the Fairness Doctrine and the rise of talk radio after its repeal. The episode concludes with a focus on AM radio's continuing importance for emergency alerts, its technical characteristics, and current debates over carmakers dropping AM receivers, particularly in electric vehicles.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway host a live show in San Francisco featuring an interview with Mayor Daniel Lurie about housing affordability, crime, tech's role in the city's recovery, and autonomous vehicles. After the interview, they analyze the latest tech and AI stock selloff and systemic risks around market concentration, then discuss the new Jeffrey Epstein document release and how it exposes corruption in clemency and pardons as well as potential political fallout for Donald Trump. They close with segments on restrictive health-based visa rules, cannabis legalization obstacles, and audience questions on AI's labor impact and youth substance use.
At a live Pivot show in Chicago, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway interview Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker about federal immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, Donald Trump's attacks on the city, crime trends, redistricting, the government shutdown fight, quantum computing, and his positions on issues like minimum wage, health care, Ukraine, and social media regulation. After the interview, Kara and Scott analyze newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents and what they could mean for Donald Trump, discuss Jack Schlossberg's run for Congress and the role of looks and sexism in politics, and break down Kim Kardashian's Skims valuation and celebrity entrepreneurship. They close with an extended audience Q&A on topics including the Fed and economic data, dating and life advice, housing and NIMBYism, and whether Scott would run for president.
Democratic Governor of Delaware Matt Meyer and Republican Governor of Oklahoma J. Kevin Stitt interview each other on stage at TED Next 2025 about the health and future of American democracy. They discuss restoring trust in government through effective service delivery and federalism, navigating polarized information ecosystems, leveraging AI and apprenticeships in education, and preserving the American dream through integrity-driven, bipartisan leadership. The conversation emphasizes shared values, personal rapport, and practical reforms over partisan point-scoring.
In this live Pivot show from Brooklyn, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway interview Curtis Sliwa about his New York City mayoral campaign, alleged attempts by billionaires to bribe him out of the race, his animal rescue advocacy, the Guardian Angels, crime and policing, and his views on New York politics and Andrew Cuomo. Swisher and Galloway then discuss the congressional shutdown deal, Democratic strategy, and Trump's pardons, followed by a wide-ranging conversation on feminism and the workplace, universal childcare, masculinity, parenting, AI risks and regulation, and audience Q&A on marriage, kids, and technology. The episode closes with reflections on mentorship, male role models, and the importance of lifting up young men without demonizing masculinity.
Joe Rogan and Brian Redban have a wide-ranging conversation about emerging technologies, politics, media manipulation, culture, comedy, and everyday life. They discuss quantum computing, AI, phones, drones, surveillance, and SpaceX, alongside U.S. politics, media bias around Donald Trump, war in Ukraine, drugs, gambling, porn and OnlyFans, and the future social impact of AI and virtual reality. They also talk about cars and racing, simulation theory, AIDS/AZT controversies, aging pets, and Redban's current creative projects using VR and AI-generated music.
In this live Pivot taping from Toronto, hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss escalating U.S. flight delays tied to FAA staffing and a government shutdown, using airline safety and history to illustrate how policy choices affect economic vitality and public trust. They examine the U.S. Supreme Court's handling of SNAP food benefits, child hunger, and what budget priorities reveal about American values, before turning to U.S.-Canada tariffs, asymmetric trade benefits, Canadian efforts to diversify away from the U.S., and missed innovation opportunities. The episode also explores progressive urban politics, models of modern masculinity, debates over state-run grocery stores versus higher minimum wage, falling cross-border tourism, and audience questions on defending democracy, advertising careers, and AI-driven disinformation.
Host Shankar Vedantam first speaks with Stanford professor Hagi Rao about why bold visions and passion often fail without careful attention to operations, using examples like the Fyre Festival, North Korea's unfinished "Hotel of Doom," and the rollout of healthcare.gov. Rao introduces the contrast between "poetry" (inspiring visions) and "plumbing" (execution, routines, and details), and explores how good leaders and organizations cultivate plumbing through practices like field visits, premortems, and empowering unsung "Sherpas." In the second segment, sociologist Rob Willer answers listener questions about bridging political divides, explaining why debate-style arguing backfires, how empathy and correcting misperceptions can reduce partisan animosity, and how structured conversations and role modeling from leaders can support healthier democratic engagement.
The hosts examine the history, methods, and impact of conversion therapy, also known as reparative or ex-gay therapy, which claims to change a person's sexual orientation from gay to straight. They trace its roots from early pseudo-scientific psychological practices to its adoption by the Christian right as a major culture-war issue, and detail why the medical and psychological communities now condemn it as ineffective and harmful. The episode also covers specific abuse stories, research findings on mental health risks, legal efforts to ban conversion therapy for minors, and the movement's public unraveling through high-profile ex-gay leaders who later renounced it.
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss recent U.S. election results, including Zoran Mamdani's New York mayoral win and Democratic gains nationwide, and analyze generational and gender divides in voting alongside structural inequality in education and child poverty. They debate income-based affirmative action and tax enforcement, examine the Supreme Court case over Trump's tariffs and the investment implications of possible refunds, and explore the growing privatization of space, Palantir's soaring valuation versus Michael Burry's short, right‑wing flirtations with extremism, and the looming shareholder vote on Elon Musk's massive Tesla pay package.
Brene Brown discusses how vulnerability, courage, and emotional "armor" shape our lives, relationships, and leadership. She shares personal stories from a chaotic Texas childhood, her long-term marriage, and caring for her mother with dementia, illustrating how shame, fear, and control patterns develop and how they can be changed. The conversation also explores power and politics, systems thinking, responsibility of large platforms, connection and belonging, and the practical skills needed to build trust, recover from failure, and live more bravely.
The episode examines how a new federal law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, ties states' costs for food stamps (SNAP) to their payment error rates, shifting part of the financial burden from the federal government to states. Reporters follow Oregon official Nate Singer as he works to reduce the state's high error rate without making it harder for people like Safeway cashier and SNAP recipient Vicki Aguilar to access benefits. The story also explores the auditing system, the tradeoff between accuracy and accessibility, the perspective of Governor Tina Kotek, and the added pressure from a federal government shutdown threatening to suspend SNAP payments.
Joe Rogan and Elon Musk discuss topics ranging from extreme human physiques and giant strongmen to SpaceX's Starship program, reusable rockets, and the vision of building cities on Mars and bases on the Moon. They examine government corruption and incentives, including homelessness policy, immigration, Social Security fraud, and how political parties allegedly exploit these systems, and they revisit controversial deaths such as an AI whistleblower and Jeffrey Epstein. Musk also explains his concerns about the "woke mind virus" in media and AI, outlines his work on X/Twitter and Grok, and describes a potential future of AI-driven universal high income, deep automation, and even the possibility that reality is a simulation.
Kamala Harris discusses her upbringing in a civil-rights-oriented family, her legal career, and how those experiences shaped her commitment to justice and public service. She reflects in detail on serving as vice president, the 107‑day presidential campaign, internal tensions within the Biden White House, and her experiences debating Donald Trump. Harris also talks about media dynamics, disinformation, her regrets about not having more time to campaign, the emotional impact of losing the 2024 election, and how she is thinking about a potential future run for president.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Kara's trip to Korea, plastic surgery culture among tech workers, and Donald Trump's tariff threats against Canada triggered by an Ontario ad using Ronald Reagan's anti-tariff speech. They analyze U.S.-China trade and the pending TikTok deal, Trump's pardon of Binance founder CZ and what it signals about corruption and crypto, Amazon's push to automate its warehouses with robots, and Trump's bailout of Argentina, framing these stories within a broader critique of speculative gambling economics and erosion of rule-of-law, before closing with reflections on sports betting and the war in Ukraine.
Bill Nye guest hosts StarTalk with Chuck Nice to interview space policy expert Casey Dreyer about severe proposed cuts to NASA's budget, especially its science programs. They explain what NASA science includes, why Earth observation and planetary exploration matter, how Mars Sample Return could answer the question of life beyond Earth, and how politics, international competition, and commercial space intersect with long-term scientific goals. The episode closes with concrete ways listeners can advocate for NASA science through the Planetary Society.
Joe Rogan talks with actor Katie Sackhoff about her career-defining role as Starbuck in the Battlestar Galactica reboot, how that show reshaped science fiction television, and what it was like to gender-swap a beloved male character amid early internet backlash. They dive into the emotional power of sci‑fi and entertainment as escapism, the rise of AI in art and media, parenting in a social‑media-saturated world, and the profound perspective she gained from her young daughter's rare cancer diagnosis and the broken pediatric healthcare system. The conversation widens into AI as an emerging life form, homelessness and addiction, underfunded education and pediatric medicine, the possibility of extraterrestrial life and strange objects like 31 Atlas, and why strong female characters in sci‑fi mattered so much to her.
Joe Rogan speaks with Francis and Constantine about censorship and hate-speech policing in the UK, the social and psychological aftermath of the pandemic and protest era, and how social media algorithms amplify outrage and extremism. They discuss protests, ideological labeling, gender and puberty-blocker debates, AI-generated music, ancient history and human nature, Middle East geopolitics, political violence, and the role of religion and myth in giving people meaning and moral frameworks.
Preston Pysh hosts a quarterly Bitcoin mastermind with Jeff Ross, American Hodl, and Joe Carlisari focused on current Bitcoin sentiment, macroeconomic conditions, and how hard assets like gold and Bitcoin fit into the evolving global landscape. They argue the traditional four-year Bitcoin cycle is breaking down, discuss golds recent outperformance versus both stocks and Bitcoin, and explore implications of liquidity trends, Fed policy, and a potential long period of hard-asset outperformance. The conversation also covers the US strategic Bitcoin reserve, AI and robotics as economic forces, the state of Bitcoin treasury companies and miners, and rising geopolitical tensions with China and the BRICS bloc.
Joe Rogan speaks with atmospheric scientist Dick Linson and physicist Will Happer about climate science, the history of climate narratives, and how they believe politics and funding have distorted the field. They discuss CO2, water vapor, ice ages, solar variability, and climate models, while arguing that the current climate crisis narrative is exaggerated and tightly tied to financial and political incentives. The conversation also explores historical analogies like eugenics and the Salem witch trials, structural issues in academia and peer review, and the psychological and societal impacts of climate alarmism.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway open with personal banter about Las Vegas, aging, relationships, and Kara's upcoming trip to Korea to film a show about demographic aging. They then discuss the nationwide No Kings protests against Trump, the Trump administration's proposed Compact for Academic Excellence and universities' coordinated pushback, and the White House's conflict with Anthropic over AI regulation amid broader concerns about regulatory capture by big tech. The hosts also cover GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Trump's claim about cutting their price, a major Chinese-linked cyberattack on F5 and U.S. infrastructure vulnerabilities, the externalities of AI data centers, and wins and fails including the protests, George Santos' commuted sentence, and debates over billionaire influence and philanthropy.
Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz discuss AI-generated music, internet outrage dynamics, stand-up comedy culture, and the political climate in the U.S. and abroad. They explore topics ranging from pool hustling, parenting, and child stardom to free speech, immigration policy, and the possibility of alien contact as hinted in ancient religious texts. The conversation also covers MMA matchups, the psychology of cancel culture, and the importance of having humbling, skill-based hobbies outside of work.
Host Simon Adler talks with law professor Kate Koenig about how social media content moderation has shifted in recent years, especially under the influence of TikTok's proactive, algorithm-driven model. They contrast earlier "keep it up unless we have to take it down" approaches with newer systems that pre-screen and algorithmically promote or bury content, raising concerns about prior restraint, invisible censorship, and concentrated power over public discourse. The episode also revisits controversies like the Hunter Biden laptop story and COVID-19 lab leak discussions, explores the idea of platforms as "platform islands" or camouflaged broadcasters, and considers the future "productification" of speech.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss a series of political and tech stories, including leaked racist and violent Telegram messages from young Republican leaders and J.D. Vance's response, Virginia Giuffre's new book on Jeffrey Epstein, and concerns about Gavin Newsom's approach to AI regulation. They examine OpenAI's plan to allow erotica for verified adults, the risks of AI-powered synthetic relationships and pornography for young men, Instagram's new teen protections, and broader debates about regulating tech platforms and protecting minors. The hosts also cover Meta's removal of an ICE-doxxing Facebook page, fears of weaponizing agencies like the IRS and Pentagon under Trump, criticism of Mark Benioff's call for the National Guard in San Francisco, the Pentagon's contested new press rules, and Netflix's move to bring video podcasts onto its platform as part of a larger shift from traditional TV to low-cost podcast-based video content.
Stephen Dubner interviews Arthur Brooks about his argument that American politics has fallen into an addictive cycle of contempt, driven by media incentives, populism, and habits of communication, and that the most effective antidote is deliberately practiced love and warmheartedness. Brooks, drawing on economics, neuroscience, psychology, and his own varied career, explains how contempt differs from anger, how financial crises fuel polarization, and why media and political structures amplify division. He offers concrete techniques for individuals and leaders to reduce contempt, cultivate love as a verb, and reorient politics toward a competition over opportunity rather than mutual hatred.
Former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou describes his career in U.S. intelligence, including counterterrorism work, the capture of Abu Zubaydah, and his refusal to participate in the CIA's post‑9/11 torture program. He explains how he went public about torture, the subsequent federal investigation and prosecution that led to his imprisonment, and his experiences inside federal prison and reentering society. The conversation broadens into critiques of the "deep state," FBI entrapment tactics, propaganda laws, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the influence of Israel and AIPAC on American politics.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Tesla's newly announced cheaper but downgraded Model 3 and Model Y, and what the moves reveal about intensifying EV competition, Tesla's shrinking market share, and the company's stretched valuation. They analyze OpenAI's massive compute deals with NVIDIA and others as signs of a potential AI bubble and explain how AI-driven market gains concentrate risk and give political cover for Trump's aggressive policies. They also cover the surge in gold prices and what it signals about confidence in the U.S. dollar, Apple's emerging CEO succession plan around John Ternus, bank lobbying over a potential Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac IPO, National Guard deployments and ICE raids in U.S. cities, and close with predictions on the Nobel Peace Prize and the length of the government shutdown alongside personal anecdotes.
Jack Carr discusses his new novel set in 1968 Vietnam, explaining the extensive historical research and immersive process he used to authentically capture the era and the experience of soldiers on the ground. He and Joe Rogan explore the Vietnam War, media influence on public perception, the decline of reading, the rise of AI in creative work, and the realities of Hollywood adaptations of his books like "The Terminal List" and "Dark Wolf." They also range into topics like stunt work, physical training, security concerns, political polarization, immigration, and the disturbing public reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
On the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, political scientist Ian Bremmer speaks with Helen Walters about a new 20‑point peace plan announced by U.S. President Trump to end the Gaza war. They examine the behind‑the‑scenes diplomacy with Gulf states, the leverage Washington is now exerting on Israel, the proposed interim governance structure for Gaza, and the fading prospects of a Palestinian state. Bremmer outlines what Hamas, Israel, and regional actors would need to agree to, as well as the risks, timelines, and political consequences that could cause the plan to collapse.
Host Elise Hu interviews activist and digital strategist Deja Fox about how teen girls and young women are using social media and alternative online platforms to build power and community. Fox reflects on her viral confrontation with a senator over birth control access, her work on Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign, and her decision to run for Congress. They also discuss the gendered harms of current tech architecture, including AI-enabled deepfakes and digital violence, and what safer, more inclusive women-led online spaces could look like.
Hosts Ryan Pinchasarum and Anjali Grover tell the story of how Texas, long associated with oil and gas, became the largest producer of wind energy in the United States. Through an interview with former Texas Public Utility Commission chair Pat Wood, they trace how public input, bipartisan policymaking, and major transmission investments enabled large-scale wind deployment and cut power-sector emissions by over a quarter, despite growing political polarization around renewables.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, its political dynamics, and how Democrats and Republicans are messaging around healthcare subsidies and spending. They analyze Electronic Arts' record leveraged buyout led by Saudi capital, the strategic push by Gulf states into gaming, and OpenAI's new video-generation tool and the broader copyright and synthetic-relationship concerns around AI, including Scott's decision to take down an AI version of himself built with Google Labs. The hosts also critique Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's appearance before senior military leaders, review social platforms' multimillion-dollar settlements with Donald Trump, and end with a prediction that Netflix should pursue a mega-merger with Disney, plus a brief tribute to Jane Goodall.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Donald Trump's proposed 100% tariff on movies made outside the U.S., arguing it would damage Netflix, Hollywood, and global content arbitrage, and then pivot to the Saudi state-backed Riyadh Comedy Festival, criticizing free-speech-branded comedians who accepted contracts barring criticism of the kingdom and religion. They examine consumer backlash that forced Sinclair and Nexstar to restore Jimmy Kimmel, Threads surpassing X in daily active users and changing media consumption habits, Trump's pressure-driven TikTok divestment plan that advantages major donors, his retribution-focused indictment of James Comey, the economic stupidity of tariffs and farm bailouts, and close with wins and fails plus a brief call for tighter limits on AI products for children.
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live after a segment about the Charlie Kirk shooting, criticizing pressure from FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, conservative station owners, and Disney CEO Bob Iger as an attack on free speech. They examine Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's comments about targeting "hate speech," Trump's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, media consolidation, and Scott's idea of economic pushback by affluent consumers. The episode also covers FBI Director Kash Patel's combative congressional testimony, NVIDIA's stake in Intel and China's response, Trump's extended TikTok deadline and proposed sale structure, and closes with political chatter about Pete Buttigieg and a prediction of a coming M&A wave.