Inside the Hive  - podcast cover

Inside the Hive

Vanity Fairwww.vanityfair.com

What won’t people do for power? On Inside the Hive, Vanity Fair’s editor in chief, Radhika Jones, along with executive editor Claire Howorth and Hive editor Michael Calderone, spotlight the players jockeying for status, the coattail riders, and the ones truly calling the shots. How far will these power seekers go? What rules will they break? And what happens to those who stand in their way? Each week Inside the Hive brings you tales of the rich and fickle. Power brokers eventually fall. Betrayals happen. And plots get twisted. 

Episodes

How to Survive America's Job Apocalypse

Are you about to lose your job to a robot? Adam Davidson, creator of NPR's "Planet Money," joins Nick to talk about his new book, "The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century," where he argues that capitalism isn't dead, a (coming) recession won't destroy America, and the world isn't in as terrible shape as we've all been led to believe—although, in order to survive the coming job apocalypse, you might need to become Amish. Stick around when Adam and Nick get meta...

Jan 17, 20201 hr

You Won't Believe What Trump Said About His Middle Name

Is the Iran skirmish over? Or is this the beginning of something bigger? Gabriel Sherman, special correspondent for Vanity Fair, joins Nick to explain how this all went down inside the Trump White House, why anti-immigration scribe Steven Miller still has a job, why Don Jr. will go on to run for office, but Ivanka won't, and—perhaps most importantly—what Donald J. Trump told a Republican pollster last week when asked what the "J" in his middle name stood for. Learn about your ad choices: dovetai...

Jan 10, 202047 min

Will 2020 Kick Off the Gene-Editing Revolution?

Thanks to the rise of the smartphone, the last decade saw the most dramatic technological change in centuries. Over the next ten years, the same thing will happen to science, healthcare, and space travel. D.A. Wallach, a former rockstar turned biotech investor, joins Nick to kick off the year by debating the scientific predictions for the next decade, including whether we will soon be able to print human organs, if healthcare will become so advanced that living past 100 will become routine, or i...

Jan 03, 202059 min

How Jared Kushner and Kim Kardashian’s Pet Issue Could Shape 2020

Is the American prison system the most broken part of this country? Believe it or not, prison reform might be the one issue Republicans and Democrats can agree on. Scott Budnick, the producer behind The Hangover and Just Mercy, joins Nick to elucidate the many pitfalls of the U.S. incarceration system, why over 6 million Americans are under correctional supervision, why America is the only country that jails kids for life, and why we need to start giving people a second chance. Learn about your ...

Dec 27, 201951 min

Ronan Farrow Tells All: Weinstein, NBC, and Why Cancel Culture Is Bunk

As the #MeToo movement continues to roil corporate boardrooms and Hollywood studios, the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow has been at its forefront. The author of Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, joins Nick to take listeners behind the scenes of his years-long reporting on Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Les Moonves, among others. The two also discuss Jeffrey Epstein’s death, why Donald Trump and Bill Clinton still haven’t gone down, and why cancel culture sometimes...

Dec 20, 201955 min

Why the $120,000 Banana Is the New Mona Lisa

Does the $120,000 sale of a banana duct-taped to a wall at Art Basel signify the decline of capitalism, or is just really clever P.R.? Stefan Simchowitz, the notorious art dealer, joins Nick to not only defend the banana, but to (genuinely) argue that it may be the greatest work of art since the Mona Lisa. Stick around to hear Nick and Stefan discuss an egg, consumerism, and the collective banality of social media. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Dec 13, 20191 hr

Is It Possible to Get Trump Out of Your Head?

Should we shut down the media complex in order to save democracy? Dylan Byers, senior media reporter at NBC News and MSNBC, joins Nick to talk about why news has become so divisive, why Bloomberg isn’t just another annoying billionaire, how to get Trump out of our heads, and why he thinks Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg aren’t as bad as the rest of America does. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Dec 06, 20191 hr 1 min

Three Mayors and a Turkey

Will 2020 be “The Battle of the Mayors,” in which former Mayor Mike Bloomberg takes on Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be the 2020 Democratic nominee? Senior Hive correspondent Emily Jane Fox joins Nick to talk about why the Democrats hate each other, if impeachment will hurt or hinder Trump’s reelection bid, and if the other former Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, really has an insurance policy on Trump. Stick around until the end of the show to talk turkeys and what we’re all grateful for this year. Learn about ...

Nov 29, 201955 min

Can a Whistleblower Really Bring Down Trump?

The chaos inside the White House, from immigration to Ukraine, would still be a big secret if not for whistleblowers in the Trump administration. John Tye, a former government official turned whistleblower himself, joins Nick to talk about the rise of people leaking information from all corners of America, from the MeToo movement to Trump’s misdeeds to employees at Google decrying projects they see as uniquely evil. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Nov 22, 201946 min

Are Evil Capitalist Overlords Ruining Our Lives?

Is Bernie right—has capitalism broken America beyond repair? Yancey Strickler, former CEO of Kickstarter and author of the book, “This Could Be Our Future,” joins Nick to explain how Wall Street, game theory, and the disgusting modern day-business habit of maximizing shareholder value, has destroyed our democracy, and how we can fix it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Nov 15, 20191 hr 1 min

Director Errol Morris on Bannon, Holmes, and the Scam of the Century

Is Steve Bannon a white nationalist, a patriot, or something way more sinister? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris joins Nick to discuss his new film about the Trump White House, the rise of the alt-right, and why Bannon might be the biggest hypocrite in the history of politics. Plus: the latest juicy gossip about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Nov 08, 20191 hr 6 min

Kanye, Kim, Trump and the Battle for the White House

Should we boo and yell “Lock Him Up!” at Donald Trump? Or should we go high when they go low? DeRay Mckesson, the inimitable, Patagonia vest-wearing civil rights activist who helped start the Black Lives Matter movement, joins Nick to discuss how to effectively protest the Trump administration, who might be able to beat Trump in 2020, and why Kanye West and Kim Kardashian just need to go. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Nov 01, 20191 hr 5 min

Sam Harris Explains Why There’s No Free Will

Take a deep breath and forget about Donald Trump. On this week’s show, Nick sits down with renowned neuroscientist and author Sam Harris to discuss the science of meditation, why free will is an illusion, and how to get through 2020 without losing your mind. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Oct 25, 20191 hr 16 min

The 2020 Terror That Keeps Democrats Up at Night

Joel Stein, a writer for The Los Angeles Times and author of a new book, “In Defense of Elitism,” joins Nick to explain how impeachment could backfire on Democrats, why the best chance to win in 2020 is a bipartisan ticket, and why “ozone chambers” are the hottest new health fad. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Oct 18, 20191 hr 2 min

Why Can’t #MeToo Bring Down Trump?

And why wasn’t the movement been able to touch Brett Kavanaugh? Nick talks to New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly about their new book, “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh,” which includes new allegations against the Supreme Court justice and shines a light on whether he could be impeached if Trump loses reelection in 2020. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Oct 11, 201956 min

Will Impeachment Cost Democrats the White House?

Or will it cause Trump to unravel? David Plouffe, former campaign manager for Barack Obama, joins Nick to discuss the chances of Trump winning a second terrifying term, whether Dems can retake the Senate, and why 2020 will be the most important election in a hundred years. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Oct 04, 201955 min

Inside the 9/11 Coverup Worse Than Ukraine

Forget impeachment, let’s talk hidden government torture programs and shell corporations stealing money from the poor! Filmmakers Steven Soderbergh and Scott Z. Burns join Nick to talk about writing and directing “The Laundromat” and “The Report,” two films that explore the dark world of the Panama Papers, and how the Bush and Obama administrations hid post-9/11 CIA torture programs from the public. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Sep 27, 20191 hr 5 min

Did Adnan Syed Do It?

And was Meek Mill targeted by a rogue judge? Tyler Maroney, a former journalist-turned private investigator with QRI, talks about some of the most bizarre and infuriating cases he’s covered as a P.I., as well as his upcoming book, “Corporate Dick.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sep 20, 201957 min

Was Uber's CEO a Sociopath?

Travis Kalanick did unspeakable things to grow his company. But is the rest of Silicon Valley any better? Mike Isaac, a tech reporter at The New York Times, joins Nick to discuss all the insider drama, boardroom knife-fighting, and other juicy details in his new book, “Super Pumped.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sep 13, 20191 hr

Trump and “1984”: Inside the Plot to Break the Media

As the election nears, Republicans are going full Mao Zedong on the media. Can journalism as we know it survive? Joe Pompeo, Media Correspondent for Vanity Fair, joins Nick talk about the new right-wing plot to expose reporters’ old tweets, how fake news can be a weapon of war, and why Americans are giving up on the truth. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sep 06, 20191 hr 2 min

Could Gene Editing Turn You Into Captain America?

Scientists are on the brink of creating super humans that are stronger than Chris Evans and faster than Usain Bolt. But should we? Jamie Metzl, author of the book “Hacking Darwin,” joins Nick to discuss the future of gene editing, why eradicating disease could ruin our ability to create art, and how China could be using CRISPR to breed a terrifying new type of super soldier. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Aug 30, 201953 min

Marianne Williamson on God, Guns, and Transcendental Meditation

Do Democrats need to find God before they can defeat Trump? Marianne Williamson, the controversial spiritual guru turned presidential candidate, joins Nick to explain how the left lost religion, why America needs a Department of Peace, and her plan to defeat the “dark psychic force” of the Trump administration. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 23, 201959 min

Was Jeffrey Epstein Murdered?

Everything about Epstein’s alleged suicide seems fishy, from the the sleeping guard to his broken neck. Vanity Fair correspondent Emily Jane Fox and writer-director Lee Eisenberg join Nick to talk conspiracy theories, comedy in the age of Trump, and why a TV show about immigration might help us make it through the 2020 election with our sanity intact. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 16, 20191 hr 12 min

Is Your Phone Trying to Kill You?

Breaking news. Push notifications. Email alerts. We live in a world where technology has become inescapable—and where tech CEOs profit from our addictions. Ryan Holiday, author of a new book on “Stillness,” joins Nick to explain how to turn off your phone, tune out Trump, and drop off the grid. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 09, 20191 hr 1 min

#MoscowMitch and the Republican Plan to Steal 2020

Is Mitch McConnell a secret Russian agent, or just an unpatriotic hack? Political reporter Abigail Tracy joins Nick to discuss how Republicans plan to win in 2020 and whether Warren, Biden, Buttigieg, or Harris can stop them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Aug 02, 20191 hr 5 min

Epstein, Mueller, and the Secret of Human Life

In this jam-packed episode, Emily Jane Fox joins Nick to reveal her most startling reporting about Jeffrey Epstein, Mueller, and Michael Cohen. Afterward, musician-turned-tech investor D.A. Wallach stops by to debate Nick about consumerism, dining furniture, and why we exist in the universe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 26, 20191 hr 22 min

Wall Street Braces for Trump’s Economic Colonic

Recession! Inflation! Economic collapse! We’ve heard the doomsday predictions for Donald Trump’s economy, but will any become a reality? William D. Cohan, the Hive’s resident Wall Street expert, joins Nick to explain how and when the stock market might tank. Stick around to hear about Cohan’s new book, “Four Friends,” which explores the lives of four young men, including JFK Jr., who died too young. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Jul 19, 201949 min

QAnon, UFOs, and America’s Craziest Conspiracy Theories

When the hell did American politics get so weird? Investigative journalist Anna Merlan joins Nick to talk about her new book, “Republic of Lies,” which details all of the conspiracy theories currently floating around the U.S., including Pizzagate, the Pee Pee Tape, secret CIA programs, and “Q.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jul 12, 201954 min

Bill Nye the Science Guy on Aliens, the Universe, and Trump

Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? What about in the White House? Bill Nye the Science Guy joins Nick to answer all of the questions that keep you up at night, including why we’re here, the odds that climate change will destroy civilization, whether humanity will ever fully explore the cosmos, and most important, why Trump is such a pathological liar. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...

Jul 05, 20191 hr 4 min

Why Kumail Nanjiani Is Sick of Big Tech

The star of Silicon Valley (the HBO show) joins Nick to explain why he hates Silicon Valley (the industry), why so many CEOs appear to be sociopaths, and the reason he all but stopped using Twitter. Plus: the importance of comedy in the Age of Trump. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 28, 20191 hr 6 min