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Kickass News

Airwave Mediawww.kickassnews.com
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!
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Episodes

Introducing Everything Everywhere

Today I am sharing a preview of one of my favorite podcasts and a brand new addition to the Airwave Media podcast network. Everything Everywhere is a daily podcast that literally covers everything everywhere from the Eiffel Tower and Air Force One to tsunamis, Dracula, and daylight savings time. Hosted by globe-trotting travel writer Gary Arndt, Everything Everywhere is the perfect way to learn something new every single day. I hope you enjoy this preview of one of my favorite episodes about the...

Feb 16, 202213 min

Basketball Great Dwayne Wade

Basketball great Dwayne Wade discusses the game that put him on the map when Marquette University beat top-seed Kentucky, what it was like to represent his country on the redeem team during 2008 summer olympics, and how he, Lebron James and Chris Bosh became the big three for the Miami Heat. He talks about returning to his home town of Chicago to play for Bulls, his brief stint playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, why he wanted to finish his career playing for the team that made him. Plus Dwayne...

Dec 06, 202132 min

Master Magician David Copperfield

Master illusionist David Copperfield recalls his beginnings as a childhood magician, his very first magic act, and why his early heroes were filmmakers and dancers instead of magicians. He reveals how he comes up with new ways to astound audiences and the remarkable 100 year evolution of his most famous illusion. He talks about how he quietly began amassing the world's largest magic collection, some of his favorite pieces from the collection, and how these one-of-a-kind items tell the entire his...

Nov 16, 202140 min

Brad Meltzer Returns

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer returns to talk about his Ordinary People Change the World series of children's books and the importance of giving kids real heroes. He discusses his latest children's book I Am Oprah Winfrey, why he thinks kids will find Oprah's story inspirational, and why he didn't want to gloss over the darker parts of her story. Plus Brad talks about his successful battle with a school district that tried to ban his children's books about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks...

Nov 08, 202131 min

Bob Woodward and Robert Costa

Acclaimed journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa talk about the candid moment when President Donald Trump privately admitted that he had lost the 2020 election, how Rudy Giuliani convinced him to contest the results, and why Senate leaders in Trump’s own party decided that Trump’s case had zero merit. They reveal the other former Vice-President who convinced Mike Pence to certify the 2020 election for Biden, and the brief moment when Pence actually considered invoking the 25th Amendment to re...

Nov 02, 202147 min

Science Writer Mary Roach on Animal Law-Breakers

Science writer Mary Roach returns discusses the various animals that have stood trial in actual courts throughout history, and how that inspired her latest book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. She talks about traveling the globe from Reno to the Himalayas to attend an animal forensics conference, track man-eating leopards, and blow up trees (yes Mary blew up a tree!). Plus , drunk elephants, monkey muggers, and much more. Order Mary's new book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law on Amazon, Audibl...

Oct 25, 202139 min

Ron and Clint Howard Recall Their TV Childhood

Ron and Clint Howard talk about what it was like to balance school and their hit tv series The Andy Griffith Show and Gentle Ben. They fondly recall how their midwestern parents helped them pursue their dreams in showbusiness while always keeping them grounded. Ron shares some crucial advice that his dad gave Andy Griffith about the relationship between Andy and Opie, and how Ron later channelled his father’s strong will when he had stand up for himself during his time on Happy Days. Clint discu...

Oct 14, 202140 min

Masters of Scale Reid Hoffman & June Cohen

Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn, Partner at Greylock, and Host of Masters of Scale Podcast and June Cohen, his producer and Co-Founder and CEO of WaitWhat, discuss their new book Masters of Scale: Surprising Truths from the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs. They talk about the entrepreneurial mindset, the keys to blitzscaling your way to success, and the underrated importance of a company's culture. Plus they explain the value of embracing resistance, the various kinds of “no”s that on...

Oct 06, 202143 min

Alexander Vindman on Doing What's Right

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman (Ret.) is the whistleblower who exposed former President Donald Trump's notorious phone call Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zellensky that led to the second impeachment of Trump. Vindman reveals the weird activity that tipped him off that this was going to be an unusual phone call, the moment when he realized Trump may have violated the law, and what happened when he reported the matter to his own brother. He describes the almost immediate pressure campaign to...

Aug 26, 202145 min

When Things Go Wrong

This is a preview episode of the new podcast When Things Go Wrong, hosted by Frank Supovitz. Frank served a combined 23 years as Senior Vice President, Events for the National Football League and the Group Vice President of Events & Entertainment for the National Hockey League. He's seen it all, and knows how to handle a crisis such as the time the lights went out in the middle of the Super Bowl! Frank interviews leaders in sports, news, music, movies, tech, politics and more about the anato...

Aug 24, 202149 min

Legends of the Old West Presents The Pleasant Valley War

This is a preview of episode 1 of the latest season of Legends of the Old West about the infamous land dispute known as a the Pleasant Valley War. What began as a feud between two families turned into a decade-long war that engulfed much of the Arizona territory and became the most deadly range conflict in US history. In each season of Legends of the Old West, host Chris Wimmer tells the tales of lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok and the Texas Rangers; outlaws like Jesse James and Butc...

Aug 11, 202128 min

The 1978 Lufthansa Heist

Season 15 of the true crime history podcast Infamous America is all about the notorious 1978 Lufthansa Heist. It involved one of New York’s biggest crime families and nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry - the largest cash robbery ever on American soil at the time. The money and jewels are still missing to this day and the mystery remains largely unsolved! Enjoy this preview of Episode 1: The Robert's Lounge Gang. Hosted by Chris Wimmer, Infamous America takes you on a journey through the wilde...

Aug 09, 202131 min

Ben Rhodes on Activism vs Authoritarianism

Ben Rhodes, A former White House aide and close confidant to President Barack Obama, discusses what it was like to go from being the ultimate White House insider to reporting on world events from the outside. He talks about his conversation with the now imprisoned Russian activist Alexei Navalny, what he learned from the Hong Kong protesters, and how Hungarian strongman Victor Orban quickly consolidated power and rolled back post-Soviet freedoms. Plus he reveals why he believes that America is p...

Jul 05, 202145 min

Brad Stone Takes Us Inside Amazon

Bloomberg journalist Brad Stone discusses his book Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire. He talks about how Amazon has exploded during the pandemic, how the company’s purchase of Whole Foods proved all the critics wrong, and why the online retail giant is now making a big bet on brick and mortar stores. We get into the fraught process of selecting a location for Amazon HQ2 and how Bezos managed to triumph over a different public relations nightmare surrounding his extr...

Jun 23, 202146 min

Malcolm Gladwell on the Bomber Mafia

Malcolm Gladwell discusses the stranger fiction of the story of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history. Plus Malcolm talks about his heart-wrenching visit to museum dedicated to victims of the Tokyo firebombings, his revealing dinner with the top brass of the US Airforce, and why he’s making a big bet on audiobooks with hi...

Jun 14, 202143 min

Jon Meacham on the Roots of the Capitol Riot

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Jon Meacham returns to discuss the early rumblings within the Conservative movement that led to the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021 and why Democrats and Republicans can no longer agree on something as objective as facts. He reveals that the roots of January 6 go as far back as Barry Goldwater, how the GOP succeeded in squelching the John Birchers in the 60’s, but how they failed to control the radical elements in the party today. Plus Q-Anon, the fut...

Jun 01, 202139 min

Alex Gibney on the Crime of the Century

Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney discusses his new documentary The Crime of the Century about how big pharma knowingly got America hooked on opioids. Watch Alex's two-part documentary The Crime of the Century on HBO Max and follow Alex on Twitter at @alexgibneyfilm. Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Check out some of our other great shows like Food with Mark Bittman, Movie Therapy, and When Things Go Wrong on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. ...

May 24, 202139 min

Airwave Presents: Food with Mark Bittman

We're launching our new podcast network Airwave on Monday, May 24, starting with our first original podcast FOOD WITH MARK BITTMAN. Former New York Times food journalist and #1 bestselling author Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything, Eat Vegan Before 6:00) is obsessed with everything about food. Each week on FOOD, Mark sits down with a different guest, ranging from Chef Tom Colicchio to Jane Goodall to Carla Hall, and to important people in the food world you may not know about. They talk about ...

May 20, 20213 min

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on Ernest Hemingway

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick come back to the podcast to discuss their new 3-part documentary on Ernest Hemingway. They share their own memories of the first Hemingway books they ever read, the challenges of getting to the real person behind the legend, and what it was like to re-examining some of the trouble aspects of the writer’s personality from his views on women and race to his struggles with mental health. They reveal what they learned from the many contemporary authors with whom they spoke ...

Apr 05, 202144 min

Comedian Jo Koy

Comedian Jo Koy talks about growing up as a biracial military brat, his mom’s immigrant hustle, and his first taste of the spotlight as a childhood Michael Jackson impersonator. He recalls selling tickets door to door for his first comedy show, encountering racism in Hollywood, and how he's now paying it forward to other Philippino artists and comedians. Plus Jo talks about embracing our stereotypes, Philippino crucifixion rituals, and why there really are so many Phillipino nurses. Learn more a...

Mar 25, 202144 min

Melissa Bernstein of Melissa & Doug Toys

Melissa Bernstein co-founded the wildly successful toy company Melissa & Doug. You might think that this happily-married mother of 6, who has created over 5,000 toys which have sold over a billion dollars, is always chipper and full of positivity, but Melissa reveals that many days she wonders if she'll make it tomorrow. She opens up about how her lifelong battle with existential anxiety and depression almost drove her to suicide, why she finally learned to manage it at age 50, and how she’s...

Mar 22, 202152 min

Admiral James Stavridis and Novelist Elliott Ackerman

Former commander of NATO Admiral James Stavridis and decorated Marine and novelist Elliott Ackerman envision how a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea could lead to World War III in their disturbingly plausible work of speculative fiction titled 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. They discuss how they came together on this project and the power of fiction to draw attention to real world issues and potential areas of crisis. Admiral Stavridis talks about the China’s incr...

Mar 18, 202132 min

A Huge Announcement from Kickass News

It's official! We're launching a brand new podcast network called Airwave this May! In addition to Kickass News, Airwave will be the new home for many of your other favorite podcasts. Airwave will also debut over a dozen original shows hosted by some of the leading thought leaders and storytellers in audio entertainment, including many of my most popular past guests. We can't do it without you though! We need your financial support to fund our full production slate. Please become a part of Learn...

Mar 17, 20213 min

Walter Isaacson on the Next Scientific Revolution

Bestselling author Walter Isaacson (Jobs, Leonardo DaVinci) shares how Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jennifer Doudna and her collaborators blazed a trail in a field dominated by men and turned a curiosity of nature into an something that will transform the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA. He reveals how the technology known as CRISPR has launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies. Walter talks the controversy over so-c...

Mar 11, 202140 min

Comedian Howie Mandel

Howie Mandel talks about making his first comedy special in 20 years, his childhood growing up in Toronto, and how the show Candid Camera inspired him to pull an elaborate prank that got him expelled form high school. He shares how "winging it" the first time he want on stage turned into his signature improvisational style, and how he still finds much of his comedic inspiration from interacting with his audience. He recalls opening for Diana Ross in Vegas, his very first TONIGHT SHOW appearance,...

Mar 08, 202154 min

The Egyptian Indiana Jones Dr. Zahi Hawass

Dr. Zahi Hawass is the former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and Director of Excavations at Giza, Saqqara, the Bahariya Oasis, and the Valley of the Kings. He is often referred to as “the real Indiana Jones, and some of his major finds include the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza, the Valley of the Golden Mummies, and multiple undiscovered pyramids. Now he’s leading the biggest archeological excavation ever attempted in Egypt, and he is documenting the adventure in a new 2-hour special fo...

Mar 04, 202136 min

Mark Bittman on Our Complicated History with Food

James Beard Award-winning food writer and #1 bestselling author Mark Bittman offers a panoramic view of how the frenzy for food has driven human history to some of its most catastrophic moments, from slavery and genocide to our current moment, wherein Big Food exacerbates climate change, plunders our planet, and sickens its people. Mark reveals how he first got the world to take food issues seriously, how we can rethink our food distribution systems, and take a different approach to feeding the ...

Mar 02, 202142 min

Director Lee Daniels on Jazz Icon Billie Holiday

Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels (Precious, The Butler) talks about his latest film The United States vs. Billie Holiday and how the 1971 movie Lady Sings the Blues inspired him to go into entertainment. He reveals that he always has a personal connection to each of his films, that The United States vs Billie Holiday was the first movie that he has ever directed sober. and how his own struggle with drugs and alcohol gave him insight into Holiday’s lifelong addiction. We discuss how the iconi...

Feb 26, 202139 min

Gayle Lemmon on the Women Who Beat ISIS

Journalist and author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon talks about the women who fought ISIS in Syria. She discusses how the female fighters of Kobani helped to deliver the first blow to the previously unstoppable forces of the Islamic State and how that victory convinced the US that it had a reliable partner against ISIS. She shares the individual stories of some of the brave women she encountered, including some who rose to command both women and men in combat, and some who were forced to marry ISIS fight...

Feb 22, 202140 min

Jared Diamond Explores Nations in Crisis

Pulitzer Prize-winning author, scientist, and renowned polymath Jared Diamond reveals that many of the factors in how individuals cope with personal crises can also predict how countries survive national crises. He profiles six nations in transition in his book Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis, and shares his personal experiences and observations about those countries including why one should never utter the word "Finlandization" in Finland, how Chileans in the 1960’s never thought...

Feb 20, 202146 min
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