On with Kara Swisher

Latest Episodes:

Twitter Spaces On: WTF is Happening in the UK and the World Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re sharing a bonus episode of Kara’s Twitter Spaces conversation recorded on Monday night. In the first part of the conversation, Kara talks to Jonathan Freedland, a British journalist and columnist for The Guardian, about the fall of Liz Truss, the rise of Rishi Sunak and the role of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in U.K. politics.

In the second part of the episode, Kara and Freedland are joined by yet another Jonathan: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. The trio discusses the rise of populism and hate speech today. They cover Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks on social media and discuss Freedland’s — aka British Jonathan’s — new book, “The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World.”

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

The Economy Stinks, and Dr. Doom is Not Hopeful Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Nouriel Roubini, a.ka. "Dr. Doom," became famous for predicting the 2008 global financial crisis. Now, he is back with another grim forecast, in his new book, "MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them." He and Kara discuss the book, his prediction that we’re headed towards a stagflationary debt crisis, and US-China relations. Dr. Roubini also explains why cryptocurrency is fundamentally flawed (in fact, he thinks it’s less sophisticated than what the Flinstone’s had).

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema discuss Sheryl Sandberg’s new report, “Women in the Workplace,” a joint venture by her organization, Lean In, and McKinsey & Company. And they talk about China’s president Xi Jinping — who is leaning into a third term as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit: podcastchoice.com/adchoices

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

Airbnb’s CEO on Nomadic Life, Loneliness… and Cleaning Fees Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky took the company public, laid off 25% of its staff and navigated worker demands for flexibility – all during the pandemic. Oh, and his mom moved in (and made him quiche every day). In this conversation with Kara, Brian discusses the challenge of being professionally successful and, sometimes, personally lonely. They talk about how the pandemic may have permanently changed how we work, travel and live. And Kara gets answers about the company’s lack of transparency on those dreaded cleaning fees.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about billionaires owning social media networks. They discuss Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who seems to be riding the MAGA train to amass power in the Republican party. And they reflect on the story of Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi, who caused a stir on social media this week in the midst of the nation’s anti-government protests.

… oh yes, and they dispense some dating advice. If you want advice – it doesn’t have to be about dating – call 1-888-KARA-PLZ!

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

Twitter Spaces On: Elon, Elon, Elon … and Trump Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re sharing a bonus episode of Kara’s Twitter Spaces conversation that was taped on Monday night. She’s joined by William Cohan, journalist and founding partner of Puck, and Scott Galloway, business professor and co-host of the Pivot podcast. Nayeema pops in with a question at the end — and you can too, if you join our next Twitter Spaces.

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

The Billionaire Who Took America Online Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Kara and Steve Case go back — way back, to the 1990s. She was a young Washington Post reporter covering a new thing called “the Internet” … and he was a co-founder of the company that became AOL. In this conversation, they take a walk back through time to look at how far the world has come and where tech companies have stumbled or fallen flat. They discuss Case’s new book, “Rise of the Rest,” which offers an optimistic future for the expansion of entrepreneurship and innovation beyond a handful of places like Silicon Valley, Boston and New York City. They also discuss whether a more equitable distribution of economic growth is possible, given some of the nation’s political divides — and potential solutions for bridging those divides.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about the newsmakers of the day, including Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes, who is seeking a new trial, and the deep pockets of “anti-woke” investors in Silicon Valley including, of course, Peter Thiel. As always, Kara offers unsolicited advice.

Do you want some (solicited) advice from Kara? Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave a message.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

Will Stacey Abrams (Finally) Win? Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

It feels like deja vu. Stacey Abrams is running for governor of Georgia, again … against Brian Kemp, again. The two last faced off in a heated contest in 2018, with Kemp’s win hanging on 54,723 votes. This time, he’s an incumbent and even further ahead in the polls. So, Kara asks Abrams: what is different now?

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about newsmakers – from the LA City Council members to the artist formerly known as Kanye West. And afterward, Kara answers a listener question about how she got so damn confident.

Do you want Kara’s advice? Send us your questions! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave a message.

You can find Kara Swisher and Nayeema Raza on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

John Fetterman and Kara Talk Strokes, Recovery & Senate Race Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Pennsylvania Lt. Governor and Senate candidate John Fetterman and Kara share a few things in common. As she puts it: they were both born in Pennsylvania, both wear sloppy clothes and both have survived a stroke. Kara’s hit 11 years ago, while Fetterman’s came last May. But for Fetterman, who is recovering steadily, that health incident has been weaponized against him in the race against Dr. Oz. In this conversation, Fetterman explains why it won't stop him in a contest that is critical for Democrats — one of the party’s best shots at flipping a seat and maintaining control of the Senate.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about Elon Musk’s latest antics, including efforts to make the Twitter deal contingent on financing and dabbling in Russia-Ukraine peace plans. They also look at the jam that President Biden finds himself in 4 weeks before the midterms, and Kara offers unsolicited advice to ... everybody.

Do you want some (solicited) advice from Kara? Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave a message.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

Maggie Haberman Makes Sense of Donald Trump Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

Donald Trump has said journalist Maggie Haberman is like his “psychiatrist” — a remark she dismisses as a meaningless and failed attempt at flattery. Yet Haberman does have a deep understanding of what makes the former president tick, cultivated through years of covering City Hall in New York City and then Donald J. Trump for The New York Times. Her recent book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” tells Trump’s origin story and chronicles his unexpected takeover of the Republican party and his consolidation of power in Washington. “He’s not a political genius,” Haberman tells Kara, “he is a genius about human emotions and a certain darkness in what animates people.” So will Trump run again in 2024? Haberman says that “he’s backed himself into a corner where he has to,” but she’s not sure whether she'll be covering him.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about the newsmakers: Elon Musk’s about-face on the Twitter deal and Peter Thiel’s financing foray into key Senate races and ... a conservative dating app.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

So ... Should We Ban TikTok? Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Kara loves air fryer TikToks. But she only dares to scroll through them on a burner phone, as she tells TikTok’s Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa Pappas.

As the social media platform has gone gangbusters – accumulating over a billion monthly users globally – concerns have emerged about TikTok’s ownership structure and roots in China. The U.S. government has questions about what data the app is amassing, whether that data can be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party and if the platform is a tool for espionage or foreign interference and propaganda. Kara has those questions too. And she asks Pappas all of them.

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about the newsmakers of the day. They scan through the Elon Musk text messages released in the Twitter-Musk proceedings and explore what the texts reveal about Silicon Valley’s powerful elite – including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. They also discuss recent layoffs at Meta – and how Mark Zuckerberg will navigate the company’s recent struggles without his former right-hand exec, Sheryl Sandberg.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

Hillary Clinton Lets Loose with Predictions Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

This is Kara’s 5th interview with Hillary Clinton. So what’s changed since their first conversation in 2015? According to Kara, it’s that the former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee for President has “run out of f***s." In this conversation, taped live at The Texas Tribune Festival, Kara notes that many of Clinton’s past predictions about Donald Trump have come through and asks what may unfold if Trump runs again in 2024. They discuss Hillary’s role in the Democratic Party, and the upcoming midterms. And they talk about the emails (again), with Kara laying out one conservative narrative that seeks to equate Clinton’s emails with the documents Trump stashed away at Mar-a-Lago. As Hillary puts it: “I have testified for 11 hours. I would love to see Donald Trump testify for 30 minutes in public about any of this.”

Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema talk about newsmakers – from Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell’s decision to back a bill that would overhaul how Congress counts electoral votes to Giorgia Meloni’s win in Italy. They also run down things they’ve found despicable, delightful – or both – this week. Plus, Kara gives some advice. This time: it’s solicited.

Do you want Kara’s advice? Send us your questions! Call 1-888-KARA-PLZ and leave a message.

You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected