On with Kara Swisher

Latest Episodes:

Rachel Maddow on Trump, Biden’s Dilemma & America’s Fascist History Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

As unlikely as it may seem, until this episode was recorded, Kara Swisher and Rachel Maddow had never met. The two sat down for a riveting conversation that connects America’s unsavory and under-told authoritarian history with the unprecedented political peril we find ourselves in today.

After addressing the increasingly desperate calls for President Biden to step down from members of the media and his own party, Kara and Maddow turn to her latest project: the podcast Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra. It focuses on far-right extremism and Nazi propagandists in American politics during the 1930s to 1950s. It’s a story that she connects to the country’s present existential crisis — and one she looks to for guidance, as well. We ask her to explain.

Please note — this interview was recorded prior the the assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13th.

SEND US A QUESTION: Kara is talking to Dr. Becky this week about parenting, tech and social media and we’re opening the floor to listener questions. What would YOU like to ask her about kids and tech? Leave a voicemail at 1-888-KARA-PLZ.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is Leading During “A Really Heavy Time” Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Gretchen Whitmer might be one of the most down-to-earth politicians in America — the governor from Michigan began her conversation with Kara with a bawdy joke about menstruation that she takes with her to the debate stage, and at no point during the interview did she hesitate from cursing. But with the calls for President Biden to resign growing louder, the Governor is an unenviable position. She’s considered a rising star within the party, and potential presidential candidate by some, but as a co-chair for the Biden/Harris re-election campaign she has to toe the line without seeming unaware of concerns that Biden just isn’t up to the task.

Governor Whitmer and Kara discuss the Democratic party’s current conundrum, as well as her new memoir, True Gretch, the infamous foiled attempt to kidnap and assassinate her, the best way for Biden (or any Democrat) to win Michigan’s 15 electoral votes, and her campaign slogan for 2028.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Threads/Instagram @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Too Old or Still Relevant? NATO at 75 with Ambassador Julianne Smith Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

The Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed 75 years ago to protect Europe and North America against Russian aggression – a mission that is once again top priority, as NATO supports Ukraine’s battle against President Vladimir Putin. Ahead of the NATO summit and anniversary celebration in D.C. this week, Kara sits down with US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith to talk about the war and Ukraine’s prospective membership in NATO, why the alliance is increasingly looking for partners in Asia and Africa, what members are saying about former president Donald Trump’s threats to quit the team, and how cybersecurity, climate security and AI will play a greater role in the years ahead.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July 4th Special: Why Heather Cox Richardson Still Has Hope for American Democracy Jul 04, 2024

Show notes

Trump’s historic felony conviction, a SCOTUS ruling in favor of presidential immunity, and a dumpster fire Biden vs. Trump debate: Those are just a few of the things that have happened on the American democracy front since Kara spoke to historian Heather Cox Richardson in January. In a special Independence Day episode, Kara and Heather replay that conversation, including history lessons from her book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, and then rejoin at the end. They discuss what Heather thought of the first presidential debate, why she believes changing presidential horses mid-race would be disastrous for Democrats, and how events of the past six months have (or haven't) changed her perspective about American Democracy.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Creepy Fingers, Deep Fakes, and Fair Use with Getty Images CEO Craig Peters Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Hands with six fingers, mouths with dozens of teeth, hairlines and limbs out of whack: We’ve all seen eye-roll worthy generative AI images. But despite the prevalence of these easy to spot fakes, photography and video media companies like Getty Images are already feeling the impact of AI and trying to integrate the technology without compromising their core business. Kara speaks with Getty CEO Craig Peters about why he can promise users of the Getty AI Generator “uncapped indemnity”, whether he thinks licensing agreements with OpenAI and similar AI companies are “Faustian” deals with the devil, and how better standards to protect visual truth and authenticity could help the industry remain financially viable in the long run. Plus: how worried should we be about deep fakes impacting the 2024 election?

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump vs. Biden 2.1 with Stephanie Ruhle, Eliana Johnson and Mike Madrid Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

The 2024 race is ON and the gloves are coming off: President Biden and former President Donald Trump will go head-to-head tonight, in the first debate of this campaign season [Thursday, 9 pm ET on CNN]. The two are basically tied in the polls, so both candidates are vying for independent voters in a handful of swing states to secure the Oval. Kara hosts a panel of political junkies (Stephanie Ruhle, host of MSNBC's The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle; Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief at the neoconservative Washington Free Beacon; and veteran Republican strategist Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and author of a new book The Latino Century, How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy) to discuss the top issues for voters, what could turn the tide for Trump or Biden, and whether this debate – or any – can change hearts and minds.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Storytelling, Family & Tragedy with Griffin Dunne Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Actor and Director Griffin Dunne grew up surrounded by Hollywood fame and celebrity — his father was a TV producer, his aunt the renowned writer Joan Didion, his sister a blossoming actress and the late Carrie Fisher his best friend and onetime roommate. But the Dunne family became famous for tragedy when Griffin’s 22-year-old sister Dominique was murdered by her boyfriend. Dunne’s father, Dominick, chronicled the tumult of the murder trial for Vanity Fair, while privately struggling as a closeted homosexual. Kara talks to Dunne about the difficult decision to revisit these moments in his new memoir The Friday Afternoon Club.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Threads/Instagram @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Flags, Free Trips & Secret Recordings: The Cases, Trials & Tribulation of SCOTUS Jun 20, 2024

Show notes

Late spring/early summer is always a busy time for the Supreme Court, but this year, it’s not just the controversial decisions that are making news. The justices themselves have been in headlines — for all the wrong reasons. Kara and an expert panel discuss the ethical lapses, refusals the recuse, and of course, the cases themselves — including the big one, over Trump’s claim to “complete and total” immunity.

The panelists are: Judge Nancy Gertner (retired), a lecturer at Harvard Law School and former US District Court judge for the District of Massachusetts who served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court; Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel, and senior director for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center; and Judge David Tatel (retired), a former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and author of the new book Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice.

This interview was recorded on Tuesday June 18.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Doing Death, Truth-Telling in Comedy and Getting Wiser Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus is most famous for her comedic TV characters Elaine Benes in Seinfeld and Veep’s Selina Meyer. But in recent years, Louis-Dreyfus has been showing her dramatic chops, including in her latest film Tuesday, in which she takes on grief, denial and death. She's also been winning awards as the host of her podcast Wiser Than Me. Kara and Julia discuss how in-depth conversations with iconic older women have radicalized her, her concerns about the commercialization of art films and why she thinks comedy is risky - but still very much possible.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laurene Powell Jobs and Kara Talk Tech, AI & Journalism Jun 14, 2024

Show notes

Kara takes the stage with Laurene Powell Jobs at Sixth & I in Washington D.C. to talk about Kara’s recent memoir, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story. In this bonus episode of On, Powell Jobs interviews Swisher about her life as a tech reporter, the incredible influence of tech CEOs, the need for regulation, AI and the best devices of all time.

This episode was originally taped on February 29, 2024 and has been edited for clarity and length. You can find the full version of their conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrSy8XJgjjE

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices