It's on. Twice a week, award-winning journalist Kara Swisher gets to the heart of the story through no-holds-barred interviews with power players across business, tech, media, politics and beyond. So why do her guests show up? “Smart people,” says Kara, “like difficult questions.”
Mondays and Thursdays from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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In this special Q&A episode, Kara Swisher leverages her extensive career experience to tackle diverse listener career advice questions. She offers blunt, practical tips on navigating professional hurdles, from dealing with toxic bosses and marketing creative work as an introvert to transitioning careers and preparing for retirement. The discussion also delves into the complex implications of AI on various industries and future job skills.
TMZ, the celebrity news juggernaut, opened a Washington, D.C., bureau this spring. Founder Harvey Levin joins Kara to talk about the stories his team is looking for and why he views politics as pop culture. Levin discusses TMZ’s earlier attempts to establish a presence in the capital and how the latest government shutdown helped revive the idea. He and Kara dig into TMZ’s standards, whether it pays sources, and Levin’s relationship with President Trump. They also discuss TMZ’s coverage of Spence...
Today, we’re bringing you an episode of “Create or Destroy: Reimagining Marketing with Seth Matlins,” a new podcast from the Vox Media Podcast Network. In this episode, host and marketer Seth Matlins speaks with political strategist David Axelrod, who was President Obama’s chief strategist and senior advisor. David is currently a senior political commentator for CNN and the co-host of Vox Media’s “Hacks on Tap” podcast. David sees the American brand as devalued but not beyond repair. He and Seth...
The low-budget horror film ‘Backrooms’ is the surprise hit of the summer so far, netting more than $200 million globally in its leap from YouTube to the big screen. But among the film’s producers is a Hollywood heavyweight: Peter Chernin. As the former president and COO of News Corp. and chairman and CEO of the Fox Group, Peter greenlit huge hits like “Titanic” and “Avatar,” before moving on to found both North Road and The Chernin Group. Kara and Peter talk about why “Backrooms” appealed to you...
The only real way for any of us to truly live forever is in the memories of others. In the final episode of the Hacking Longevity series, Kara talks to Valorie Jones, chief technology officer at StoryFile , which uses AI to create interactive video experiences. StoryFile also works with individuals to create a digital twin – or avatar – that can answer questions and create conversations long after they're gone. Kara then speaks with journalist Danielle Crittenden about her new book, Dispatches f...
Kara sits down live at the Tribeca Festival with comedian, actor and OG podcaster Marc Maron following the world premiere of his new film, “In Memoriam.” In it, Maron stars as Langston Stanfield, a fading, narcissistic actor who’s facing a terminal cancer diagnosis and is determined to secure his place in the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” montage. Kara and Marc talk about the film, death, legacy, anxiety, narcissism and why it’s easier for him to be candid with a room full of strangers than with the peo...
When FIFA picked the U.S. to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, Americans saw it as more than just a boon for the country’s tourism industry — it was a chance to finally prove to the world that the U.S. is a soccer-loving nation. But on the eve of kickoff, the tournament has been overshadowed by exorbitant ticket prices, disappointing global travel projections, the war in Iran, and uncertainty about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement plans at stadiums. Kara b...
How should we understand the relationship among sound, consciousness and a healthy mind? It has to do with the power of connection, not just to other people but the world around us. In this episode of the Hacking Longevity series, Kara talks to Dr. AZA Allsop, an artist and psychiatrist who runs a lab at Yale that studies how music and sound can affect mental well-being and the power of connections we feel with other people. Later, she talks to science journalist Michael Pollan, author of A Worl...
Kara talks to Theo Baker, a Stanford University student journalist and the youngest-ever George Polk Award winner, about his new book, " How to Rule the World ." In it, Baker unpacks his investigation into former Stanford president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne over research misconduct in labs he oversaw. He breaks down how the university reacted and what it says about power at Stanford and in the Valley Theo reveals the “Stanford inside Stanford” and the university’s lucrative, no-boundaries relationsh...
Longtime NPR co-hosts Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro are reuniting for a new CNN podcast, “ Engagement Party .” Each week, they unpack all the culture stories they’re obsessed with and that are generating buzz, from who’s still watching “Euphoria” to viral trends like “friction-maxing.” Their conversations are grounded in their decades-long friendship, even when they disagree. Kara, Audie and Ari talk about the stories they’re obsessed with right now, the challenges of making a culture podcast wh...
While the longevity field is filled with dubious claims and junk science, there have been some truly remarkable advances that will have an impact on how we can live longer and stay healthier. In this episode, Kara unpacks some of them with Dr. Eric Verdin , the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California. The Buck Institute was the first of its kind, and it’s at the forefront of all the latest research on longevity. Later she speaks to Dr. Vinod Balachandr...
Kara speaks with journalist and author Sebastian Mallaby about his new book, "The Infinity Machine," and its central figure: Demis Hassabis, the CEO and co-founder of Google's AI research lab, DeepMind, and a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. Sebastian argues that Hassabis is one of the original scientist-entrepreneurs of modern AI. And although he's extremely competitive and research-driven, Sebastian says Hassabis is also one of the few big names in AI development who genuinely cares about publ...
Happy Memorial Day from all of us at On with Kara Swisher! Today, we’re bringing you a special episode of " Pretty Tough ," a new podcast from the Vox Media Podcast Network hosted by tennis star and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova. Each week, Maria sits down with high-achieving women across industries for candid, wide-ranging conversations about their pursuit of excellence without apology. In this episode, Maria speaks with comedian and best-selling author Chelsea Handler, who's built a career on...
From GLP-1’s to peptides to hyperbaric chambers, we’re awash in medical information and wellness trends. But what do we really know about improving longevity and increasing your healthspan? This is the first episode of the Hacking Longevity series. Kara breaks down the best advice for actually living longer (spoiler alert: it’s boring, and you probably already know it), and hears from some members of her own medical team about how to make the best health decisions. First is Dr. David Agus , the ...
Kara is joined by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, Knight First Amendment Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer, and The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel to discuss FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s escalating campaign against media companies, broadcasters and speech President Trump dislikes. They discuss Carr’s threats against ABC/Disney , his attempts to revive old rules around “equal time” and “news distortion,” and the Trump administration's broader push to control federal agencies . They also e...
For her new book, “ I Am Not a Robot ,” journalist and longtime technology columnist Joanna Stern turned her life over to AI for one whole year. She let it fold her laundry, conduct interviews, drive her family around on vacation, review her mammograms — she even tried out a romantic relationship with a bot. Her experiences tell us a lot about the benefits — and limits — of this transformative technology. Kara and Joanna talk about how Joanna went about weaving AI into her life, where it helped ...
Kara talks to hotelier and hospitality entrepreneur Jeff Klein about the global private club boom. Klein is the founder of the San Vicente clubs , ultra-exclusive, members-only clubs in Los Angeles and New York. Klein explains how our era of loneliness and digital exhaustion paved the way for the resurgence of members-only clubs and why privacy is the ultimate luxury. He and Kara discuss his path from working as a bellman in New York to owning the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, and how he...
Journalist, author and podcaster Patrick Radden Keefe is renowned for writing stories about crime and corruption that expose deeper societal truths. His latest book, “London Falling,” explores the mysterious circumstances around the death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler. While London police ruled Zac’s death a suicide, his parents soon learn he’d been living a double life as the fake son of a Russian oligarch and gotten entangled in the city’s criminal underworld. Kara and Patrick talk about the boo...
Kara talks with "Hacks" creators and showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky about the state of comedy and ending the HBO Max hit on their own terms. The critically-acclaimed series follows Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian played by Jean Smart, and Ava Daniels, a young TV writer played by Hannah Einbinder, as the pair navigate the many ups and downs of show business. The team discusses Deborah and Ava’s “dark mentorship,” the intimacy of creative partnershi...
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a cultural event 20 years in the making — and it doesn’t disappoint. Kara invites screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel to discuss the film, its making, and the state of media and Hollywood today. Aline and David talk about why they waited so long to revisit the world of The Devil Wears Prada , how the media business has changed in the interim, and how the films have shaped the public’s understanding of women, ambition, and power. The trio also di...
Jeanne Gang is a renowned architect and the founder of Studio Gang , an international architecture and urban design firm. She joins Kara to discuss her work and the design philosophy behind some of her most recognizable buildings, including the Aqua Tower in Chicago and the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Jeanne explains her concept of “actionable idealism" and why she believes architecture has the power to connect people to each other and the environment. Je...
Political journalist Astead Herndon is using his new Vox podcast America, Actually with Astead Herndon to ask what feels like an unfathomable question: What does our country look like after President Trump; and can we even talk about politics without putting him at the center? As we head towards its first truly open presidential election since 2016, Kara and Astead talk about the ways politics has changed in the last decade, and what it takes to attract voters today. They discuss the growing dis...
Kara sits down with New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai to talk about betting big on the WNBA and why the momentum for women’s sports isn’t slowing down. Clara explains why she saw the Liberty as a distressed asset worth rebuilding and how investments in players, facilities and visibility helped fuel a turnaround. She breaks down what’s driving the WNBA’s growth, from the Caitlin Clark effect to media deals, and why, despite surging popularity, the league is still undervalued. They also get int...
Comedian Nikki Glaser’s star is on the rise. The two-time host of the Golden Globe Awards is set to take the mic for a third straight year in 2027. Glaser was also just named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of the year. And on Friday, Hulu is releasing her latest hour-long comedy special, “ Good Girl .” It’s an exploration of aging, fame, and sexuality in Glaser’s signature raw and self-deprecating style. Kara and Nikki talk about why she thinks it's wrong to shame women who spend...
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor joins Kara to talk about her new book, “How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work.” It’s a guide for young people starting their careers in an age of AI disruption, economic instability and political chaos. Jodi acknowledges the difficult reality graduates face and tries to offer practical yet empathic advice. She argues that meaningful careers are built on “craft” and “need.” Kara and Jodi discuss how to find workarounds ...
On the heels of the weekend premiere of her new CNN series, “ Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever, ” Kara brings together a panel of experts to talk more about longevity, anti-aging, and the money that’s pouring into the wellness industry. Katie Couric is a journalist. She’s also been a longtime advocate for early cancer screenings since her first husband died of colon cancer and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Amy Larocca is an award-winning journalist and author of the book, “ How To Be W...
Dr. Eric Topol, the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute , joins Kara to discuss reality versus the hype in the booming longevity business ahead of her new CNN series "Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever." Dr. Topol has written several books, including his latest, "Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity," which explores the science behind anti-aging and longevity. He explains why the biggest breakthroughs in aging science focus not on extending lifesp...
Kara’s 2023 interview with journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson about his Elon Musk biography was one of her most contentious conversations ever — and one of the show’s most popular episodes. They’re still friends, though. And at this year’s New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, Isaacson got his chance to put Kara in the hot seat. In this live conversation, recorded last month, Kara and Isaacson talk about the future of A.I., how power is shifting in the United States, and how tho...
Louis Theroux joins Kara to discuss his new Netflix documentary, "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere." The film explores the online world of male influencers selling fitness, wealth and self-improvement through ultra-masculine and misogynistic ideologies. Louis focuses on the extreme fringes of the manosphere, where racist, homophobic and antisemitic rhetoric mixes with conspiracy theories – and his depiction of these influencers manages to be both hilarious and nerve-racking at the same time....
Since announcing his decision to retire last year, North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has become a kind of thorn in MAGA’s side, holding up appointments and voicing criticisms about legislation favored by President Trump. But his resistance raises a perennial question about Republicans in the Trump era: Why do lawmakers only push back when they’re on the way out? Kara and Sen. Tillis talk about his concerns over the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran; why he thinks newly ...
