Kickass News

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News & Politics
**Kickass News**

Hosted by Hollywood producer and political media strategist Ben Mathis, KickAss News is a twice weekly podcast that features the most interesting personalities and thought leaders in politics, entertainment, tech, business, science, and more. Enjoy the podcast? Then please support the show and help keep us on the air by making a donation to our GoFundMe campaign at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Another way you can support the show is to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review on iTunes to help keep us ranking strong on the top podcasts charts. For more information visit www.kickassnews.com. Thanks for listening!

Latest Episodes:

Laughing Through the Arab Spring w/ Bassem Youssef Apr 10, 2017

Show notes

comedy, political, satire, Egypt, Middle East, Arab Spring, humor, The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, Muslim Brotherhood,

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Philipp Meyer & Kevin Murphy Talk Texas Oil & Buffalo Blood Apr 06, 2017

Show notes

Philipp Meyer and Kevin Murphy discuss adapting Meyer's Pulitzer-nominated novel THE SON into an epic new AMC drama series starring Pierce Brosnan. They talk about the frontier spirit that led larger than life characters to risk everything, first in the cattle business and then in the Texas oil boom, and how that story fits into the mythology of America. They talk about the violent racial history of Texas including the oft forgotten chapter known as the "bandit wars," and how popular culture glosses over native Americans' own bloody past. Plus Philipp Meyer drinks buffalo blood!

The 2 hour series premiere of THE SON airs tonight Saturday, April 8 at 9/8C on AMC. For more information, visit http://www.amc.com/shows/the-son. Order Philipp Meyer's novels THE SON and AMERICAN RUST on Amazon. Visit Philipp Meyer's website at www.philippmeyer.com and follow Kevin Murphy on Twitter at @@kevinmurphyhc

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Exploring the Dark Net w/ Mati Kochavi Apr 03, 2017

Show notes

Mati Kochavi is the Israeli tech entrepreneur who created the Showtime docu-series Dark Net, which explores the mysterious world of the deep web and how technology is changing our lives for better and for worse. Today, he talks about the dark web, home of illegal arms sales, sex trafficking, drug deals, and chat rooms for hackers, terrorists, and other illicit communities. He discusses how his interest in the deep web began with the our failure to predict the Arab Spring and what the deep web can reveal about our changing society. Plus Mr. Kochavi shares how we may be the last generation to enjoy privacy and why technology may soon make human love obsolete.

Season 2 of Dark Net premieres Thursday, April 6, at 10PM Eastern on Showtime, or you can watch it whenever you want with a subscription to Showtime Anytime. For more information visit www.showtime.com. You check out Mati Kochavi’s news site Vocativ at www.vocativ.com.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Theoretical Physicist Lawrence Krauss Answers "Why Are We Here?" Mar 30, 2017

Show notes

science, physics, existentialism, origins, evolution, universe, big bang, religion, bible, Einstein, atheism, atomic, doomsday, education,

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P.J. O'Rourke on Election 2016: How the Hell Did This Happen? Mar 27, 2017

Show notes

Best-selling political satirist P.J. O'Rourke (Parliament of Whores) discusses his new book How the Hell Did This Happen?: The Election of 2016. The hilarious pundit shares his thoughts on a better way to choose the President, a tax on the Kardashians, and rates the candidates fashion. He ponders what happened to the Libertarians' "big moment" in 2016, reminisces about his days as editor at National Lampoon, and offers some tips on how to talk like a pundit.

Order How the Hell Did This Happen?: The Election of 2016 on Amazon or download the audiobook for free at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Read P.J. O’Rourke’s regular articles in The Weekly Standard or at www.pjorourke.com. Follow P.J. O'Rourke on Twitter at @pjorourke.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Professor Tom Nichols on the Death of Expertise & the Rise of American Ignorance Mar 23, 2017

Show notes

Tom Nichols is a professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, an adjunct professor in the Harvard Extension School, and a 5 time Jeopardy! champion. He’s a respected expert on national security, Russia, and nuclear proliferation, and he’s alarmed by Americans sudden rebuke of experts like himself, and the elevation of ignorance to some sort of virtue. He writes about it in a new book called The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters.

Today he discusses how colleges are fostering a society in which everyone’s opinion is treated as fact and how the internet is turning Americans into a bunch of ignorant “know-it-alls.” He talks about how fact checking sites like Snopes are fighting a losing battle against the tide of disinformation on the internet, he spells out how experts share part of the responsibility for the rebellion against knowledge, he talks about Donald Trump's professed "love" of "uneducated people," and how the embrace of ignorance could lead to an erosion of democracy in America. Plus, how to consume a balanced diet of news every day, and how to win at Jeopardy!

Order The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters on Amazon. You can visit Tom Nichols at www.tomnichols.net and follow him on Twitter at @RadioFreeTom.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Henry Winkler on the Fonz, Fonts & Helping Dyslexic Kids Mar 20, 2017

Show notes

Actor, producer, and author Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development) talks about his best-selling series of Hank Zipzer books for children with dyslexia inspired by his own childhood struggles with the learning disability. He shares how his reading disorder led to some creative auditioning when he tried out for Happy Days, his fondest memories of the show’s creator Gary Marshall, and why the network tried to shoot down the Fonz’s famous leather jacket. He discusses how he navigates the hurdles presented by his learning disorder in his roles as actor, producer, and author, and he talks about the innovative new font he uses in the Here’s Hank books that actually makes reading easier for dyslexics. Plus, why bad grades aren’t the end of the world and why “jumping the shark” isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There are 17 books available in Henry Winkler’s Hank Zipzer: World’s Greatest Under-Achiever series (ages 8-12) and 9 books in the Here’s Hank series (ages 6-8) including his latest Here’s Hank: Always Watch Out for Flying Potato Salad available to order on Amazon. Follow Henry Winkler on Twitter at @hwinkler4real.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Making a Murderer: Jerome Buting vs. Ken Kratz Mar 16, 2017

Show notes

Making a Murderer received over 16 million viewers in its first two months on Netflix, and the docu-series made convicted murderer Steven Avery a household name. Many people now believe Avery was framed and over 500,000 Americans have petitioned the President for a pardon for Avery.

Today, the prosecutor Ken Kratz and Jerome Buting, the defense attorney for Steven Avery, will argue their cases and discuss what Making a Murderer did and didn’t show you. They’ll both share their thoughts on the appeal of Brendan Dassey’s conviction and recent statements by Steven Avery’s former girlfriend Jodi Stachowski in which she says he’s guilty. Plus Jerome Buting will discuss alternative suspects for the Theresa Halback murder, and Ken Kratz reveals why he and Steven Avery later became pen pals.

Order Jerome Buting’s book The Illusion of Justice: Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System and Ken Kratz’s book Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong on Amazon or download the audio versions for free with a special offer at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. You can watch all 10 episodes of Making a Murderer with a subscription to Netflix.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Evgeny Afineevsky Discusses His Documentary "Cries from Syria" Mar 13, 2017

Show notes

Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) returns to the podcast to talk about his new HBO documentary Cries from Syria. Evegny details how Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad helped fuel radical groups like ISIS to force the Free Syrian Army to fight a war on two fronts and misdirect media attention toward ISIS instead of Assad’s own crimes. He shares evidence that Assad continues to use chemical weapons on his own people and bombs civilian neighborhoods, hospitals and schools in a deliberate campaign of terror. He tells some of the heartbreaking stories of the thousands of children who have become the innocent victims of the Syrian War and he debunks Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia is helping to fight ISIS in Syria. Plus Evgeny’s thoughts on the murky Trump-Putin relationship.

CRIES FROM SYRIA airs tonight Monday, March 13 at 10PM Eastern on HBO or you can view it whenever you want with a subscription to HBO NOW or HBO GO. For more information, visit www.HBO.com/documentaries. Follow Evgeny Afineevsky on Twitter at @evgeny_director and visit his production company at www.NewGenerationFilmsInc.com.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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Man of 1000 Voices Rich Little Mar 09, 2017

Show notes

“The man of 1000 voices” celebrity impersonator Rich Little talks about his 50 years in showbiz and his memoir Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been. He discusses the time he stood in for Ronald Reagan at a White House press conference, the time Jack Benny led him on a ridiculous quest for the perfect chicken noodle soup, an embarrassing cocktail party at Richard Nixon’s house, and how a trip to the San Diego Zoo helped him perfect his Johnny Carson impersonation. He says Ed Sullivan was dumb as a rock, Cary Grant was surprisingly insecure, and Jimmy Stewart avoided signing autographs by acting like Quasimodo. Rich Little even shares some tips on how to do celebrity voices.

Order Rich Little’s book Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been on Amazon or you can download the audio version for free with special offer for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Visit Rich at www.RichLittle.com or on Facebook and buy tickets for Rich Little Live! at the Tropicana in Las Vegas at www.troplv.com.

Please subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook at Kickass News or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod. You can also visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.

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