Kickass News

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 talks Pregame rituals, the secret to a good head-fake, and black fatherhood. Order Dwayne Wade's new book DWAYNE on Amazon or wherever books are sold, and follow him on Twitter at @DwayneWade. Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 history of magic.  Plus we discuss some of Houdini's most famous escapes, the under-told story of women in magic, and the weird and wonderful stories behind some of the most colorful conjurors! Order David's new book David Copperfield's History of Magic on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  It's full of beautiful photos from his private collection and makes a great holiday gift.  Visit www.davidcopperfield.com to learn more and order tickets to Copperfield's show An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.  Follow him on Twitter at @D_Copperfield. Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Order Brad's book I Am Oprah Winfrey on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold and check out all of his books for kids at www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com.  Follow him on Twitter at @bradmeltzer.  Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 remove Trump from office.  They discuss the two times when General Mark Milley had to call his Chinese counterpart to assure him that Trump wasn't about to launch an imminent attack on China.  Plus they weigh on whether Trump will run in 2024, finding the “operational commander” behind the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and a crash-course in the Bob Woodward school of journalism. Order Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's new book Peril on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Follow them on Twitter at @realBobWoodward and @costareports.  Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Follow Mary on Twitter at @mary_roach or at www.maryroach.net.  Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 discusses his following in father’s footsteps as a working character actor, and why his dad was the best acting coach that he and Ron could have asked for.  Plus they have some sage advice for pushy stage parents and showbiz kids. Order Ron and Clint's new book The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keep with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Good Job Brain, Big Picture Science, Legends of the Old West, Investing for Beginners, Into the Impossible, and other great podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 one hears gets VC meetings, and the time Reid said "no" to a startup when he should have said “yes.” Order Reid and June's book Masters of Scale: Surprising Truths from the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs at https://book.mastersofscale.com.  Subscribe to Masters of Scale podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen.  Follow them on Twitter at, @mastersofscale , @reid hoffman, and @junecohen. Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keel with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Infamous America, Investing for Beginners, The Accidental Creative, and Into the Impossible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 silence him, how his military training came in handy when he testified in the Congressional Impeachment Hearing, and why he feels that the Impeachment committee and the press focused too much on the prospect of a "quid pro quo."  Plus he talks about the effort to rob him of his expected military promotion and how he's now reaching out to help other victim's of bullying. Order Alexander Vindman's new memoir HERE, RIGHT MATTERS: An American Story on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Subscribe to Kickass News on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and keel with us at www.kickassnews.com or on Twitter at @KickassNewsPod.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Visit Airwave at www.airwavemedia.com or on Apple Podcasts to discover our other excellent podcasts like Infamous America, Investing for Beginners, The Accidental Creative, and Into the Impossible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 anatomy of real crises, large and small, how they might have been prevented, and how they were resolved...or managed when they couldn’t be. In this episode, Frank talks with Jeff Miller, former Chief Security Executive of the NFL, about Super Bowl security, and then Jeff discusses the most difficult experience of his professional life: managing the unfolding tragedy of a school shooting in front of media from around the world. If you enjoy this episode, please listen and subscribe to When Things Go Wrong on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; Native American leaders like Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse; and rowdy towns like Deadwood, Tombstone and Dodge City. Subscribe to Legends of the Old West on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. etc.  Also check out Chris Wimmer's historical true crime podcast Infamous America on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.   Infamous America and Legends of the Old West are produced by Black Barrel Media and are part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 wildest, and sometimes darkest, chapters of American history. From the Salem Witch Trials to the gangsters of the 1930s to assassins, traitors, outlaws, scandals and events that still defy explanation, you’ll hear them all on Infamous America. Subscribe to Infamous America on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Also check out Chris Wimmer's western history show Legends of the Old West on Apple, Spotify, etc.  Infamous America and Legends of the Old West are produced by Black Barrel Media and are part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 partly to blame for figures like Orban, Putin, and Xi, and he even weighs in on the government’s joint intelligence report about Unidentified Arial Phenomena. Order Ben's new book After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Subscribe to Ben’s podcast Pod Save the World wherever you like to listen, and follow him on twitter at @brhodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 extra-marital affair.  Plus we discuss Bezos’s relationship with frienemy Elon Musk, why he’s choosing to retire from Amazon, and what’s next for the company known as the “Everything Store.” Order Brad Stone's new book Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Follow Brad on twitter at @Brad Stone Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Check out some of Airwave's other great shows like Movie Therapy, When Things Go Wrong, Legends of the Old West, and My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 his latest offering. Order Malcolm's new book The Bomber Mafia on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Check out some of Airwave's other great shows like Infamous America, Investing for Beginners, and My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 future of the Republican Party, and Jon shares what his late friend George H.W. Bush thought about the rise of the alt-right. Subscribe to Jon Meacham's podcast FATE OF FACT on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen.  Follow Jon on twitter at @jonmeacham and at www.jonmeacham.com.  Today's episode was brought to you by Gastropod podcast.  Kickass News is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.  Check out some of Airwave's other great shows like Infamous America, Investing for Beginners, and My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 cooking, eating, and how food affects us all – our lives, our health, our planet. They talk recipes, ingredients, how to shop, what to cook tonight, and what you can do to help build a better food system. Mark even takes your questions, and gives advice – cooking and otherwise! Whatever you want is fair game, from how to boil an egg to how to feed your picky toddler to how to increase people’s control over the role food plays in our lives. Click here to subscribe now to FOOD WITH MARK BITTMAN on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t miss the first episode May 24 with Mark's special guest - the fabulous Nigella Lawson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I love sharing new podcasts, and in this special bonus episode, I want to introduce you to my friend Seth Godin and a great new podcast called Akimbo.  The first episode is about the hype around grand openings, whether it’s a summer blockbuster or a new startup, and in the second episode of Akimbo, Seth Godin delves into status roles in society, how we measure up alongside others, and what we’re willing to do to achieve a higher status role.  Subscribe to Akimbo in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen, or go to www.akimbo.me.  You can also follow Seth Godin on twitter at @ThisIsSethsBlog or at www.sethgodin.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to www.podcastawards.com and nominate KICKASS POLITICS in the categories for PEOPLE'S CHOICE and NEWS & POLITICS.   Share your support on Twitter by tagging @podcastawards and @KApolitics & using the hashtag ‪#‎pca16‬.  The deadline for nominations is this Sat 4/30 so don't wait and nominate the show now!  Thanks for listening!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 as Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 now on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 increas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-called Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, how the H Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 for dis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 wo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 iconic s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 fighters, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 that Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this age of insurmountable consumption of media where bad news travels fast from all directions, comedian Tom Papa wants to remind us to take care of ourselves, embrace who you’ve become, and absorb the beauty of life in his new Netflix special Tom Papa: You're Doing Great!  In this February 2020 interview, Tom reveals where his trademark optimism comes from, why he rejects the cynicism often associated with standup comedy, and what he learned about being true to your comedic voice while tourin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

True crime documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, Paradise Lost) discusses his new Netflix docu-series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel that deconstructs the mythology and mystery surrounding infamous locations in contemporary crime.  He explains the dark history of the Cecil Hotel and why the socio-economics of downtown Los Angeles have made it a haven for the downtrodden, desperate, and despicable, including Richard Ramirez aka the Nightstal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 2018 interview with David Mamet, the Pulitzer-winning writer/director discusses how the old gangster stories he heard as a child inspired him to write CHICAGO: A NOVEL.  He talks about his love of classic noir and hot jazz, and dislike of social media, computers, and flowery prose.  He shares why famous figures are better felt than heard in historical fiction, why he says Hollywood is dead, and why he never reads his own reviews.  He teases his latest play about Harvey Weinstein, and reveals hi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Duplass and Zackary Drucker discuss their new docu-series The Lady and the Dale about the rise and eventual fall of automaker and trans trailblazer Elizabeth Carmichael.  We talk about Carmichael's three-wheeled car that claimed to get 70 per gallon and how the 70s gas crisis fueled incredible interest in "the Dale."  We Carmichael's shady past, and life on the run from the law, and how it inevitably caught up to her.  We also cover some of the prejudices she faced and what her trial meant for the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five-time Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe talks about his acclaimed new motion picture Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the legacy of the original the original Mother of the Blues, and what went into transforming Oscar-winner Viola Davis into this larger than life icon. He discusses what the Chicago jazz scene meant to black musicians who migrated from the Jim Crow South in the 1920s and some of the creative ways that he found to visually depict the foreignness of the urban north for those who made tha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 2017 interview, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about his 50 year friendship with the "Wizard of Westwood" UCLA Coach John Wooden.  He says Coach Wooden was more concerned with his players’ grades than with winning basketball games, he shares some of the wisdom that Coach Wooden imparted, and talks about the time Coach helped Abdul-Jabbar forgive another one of his early mentors who used a racial slur.  He talks about how he felt when the NCAA banned dunking and how Coach Wooden hel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert Ballard is the famed ocean explorer responsible for some of the greatest undersea discoveries including the RMS Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, and John F. Kennedy's WW II boat PT-109.  Today Dr. Ballard reveals that he was actually on a top secret government mission when he found the Titanic, what it was like the first time he physically went down to visit Titanic, and his outrage at those who are looting this sacred burial ground for profit.  We also discuss what really sank the L Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey talks about his latest book Fast This Way: (How to Lose Weight, Get Smarter, and Live Your Longest, Healthiest Life with the Bulletproof Guide to Fasting).  He discuss why diets and New Year's resolutions never work, the difference between fasting and dieting, and why science is just starting to take intermittent fasting seriously.  He shares how fasting can reduce inflammation, increase your sharpness and productivity, boost your immune system, and even add years t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Rowe has handled some of the toughest and most disgusting jobs during his nine seasons as host of Discovery's Dirty Jobs.  Now he's putting that same work ethic to work to prove once and for all that everything in the world is connected for his discovery+ series Six Degrees with Mike Rowe.  Mike reveals how he faked his way into his first job as an opera singer, some of the strangest products he used to pitch as a late-night host on QVC, and the hardest thing he ever had to do as host of Dirty Job Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Documentary filmmaker Ryan White (The Case Against 8, The Keepers) talks about his new film Assassins about the murder of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un's half brother Kim Jong-Nam.  He recounts how Kim Jong-Nam was killed in broad daylight with the deadly VX nerve agent, questions the press’s sensational portrayal of two young Southeast Asian women as diabolical black widow assassins, and reveals that the truth of what happened is even more bizarre than anything that the media could make up. Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Academy Award-winning director Bryan Fogel (Icarus) discusses his gripping new documentary thriller The Dissident about the 2018 execution of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul.  He discuss how Jamal Khashoggi went from being an insider in the Saudi royal family to a harsh critic of the House of Saud, how a sophisticated cyber hack and the ultimate Twitter war put Khashoggi squarely in the cross hairs of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (aka MBS), an Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madeleine Albright fled fascists during her childhood and faced them down as Secretary of State, and today she comes on the podcast to warn that fascism is once again on the rise.  She shares how her own refugee experience during World War II and the Cold War shaped her worldview and recalls her meetings with with authoritarian strongmen like Kim Jong-il, Slobodan Milošević, and Vladimir Putin.  She reveals that most fascists come into office through democratic elections or a constitutional transfer of Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After eight years as a comedy writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bess Kalb recently wrote and produced a new comedy special that "eulogizes" the year 2020.  Yearly Departed is available on Amazon Prime Video beginning 12/30.  Bess comes on the podcast to talk about her own trials and tribulations over the past year, including a recent Covid-scare at the pediatrician, how she finds catharsis through laughter, and how that inspired her to bid adieu to 2020 with a rollicking roast-style memorial service. She rev Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel McHale (Community, The Soup) shares his excitement for his first time co-hosting a New Years Eve special and how he’s looking forward to relentlessly roasting his pal Ken Jeong for a full three and half hours on Fox’s New Year’s Roast & Toast 2021. Joel reveals why he and Ken just can’t quit each other and the origins of their recent pandemic themed podcast The Darkest Timeline. We also discuss how Netflix has breathed new life into Joel and Ken’s series Community, what it was like to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loudon Wainwright III is best known as a folk singer and songwriter, but now he is lending his unique interpretation to the music of the great American songbook on a new album that he recorded with big band bandleader Vince Giordano and his Nighthawk Orchestra.  They talk about their deep affection for the music of composers like Irving Berlin and Rodgers & Hart and some of their favorite tracks  from their album I’d Rather Lead a Band.  Loudon recalls fond memories of his father playing these songs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank and filmmaker Deon Taylor talk about their new film Fatale and their love of classic film noir directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Brian Depalma. Hilary explains what drew her to finally play an antagonist on screen and how she found a way into that character that strikes right at the heart of worst fears and most basic instincts.  Plus we talk about expanding the range of female villains beyond shallow "psycho woman" roles and the social responsibility of depicting p Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author, professor, and leading public intellectual Dr. Michael Eric Dyson talks about his decision to address race in America through a series of letters to black martyrs, why we all know the name George Flloyd, but we might not know the name Elijah McClain, and how he’s seeking to educate white people about the centuries violence against blacks that have led up to this moment in his new book Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America.  He explains the origins of what he calls the black Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Hamm talks about making his first trip to Ireland for his new movie Wild Mountain Thyme, filming in the ancestral hometown of President-elect Joe Biden, and why he was blissfully relieved that he didn’t have to attempt an Irish accent.  Jon recalls his childhood growing up in St. Louis, the unusual side job he had when he was starting out as a struggling actor, and the deadline he gave himself to make it in Hollywood.  Jon discusses the lengthy audition process for the role that made him famous o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his more than 50 years in music, drummer John Densmore has played with and gotten to know some of the greatest musicians of our time, from Janis Joplin and Paul Simon to Ravi Shankar and Willie Nelson, as well as some inspiring non-musicians from the Dalai Lama to screenwriter Joseph Campbell.  He has managed to learn something from many of those interactions - lessons he writes about in his new book THE SEEKERS: MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MUSICIANS (AND OTHER ARTISTS).  John Densmore discusses the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed actor, writer, and theatre director André Gregory joins me on the show to talk about his unusual life from his Jewish father’s possible collaboration with the Nazis and his mom’s affair with Errol Flynn to the 14 year rehearsal for his production of Ibsen’s The Master Builder and the time the local Sheriff escorted him out of his own repertory theatre and dumped him across the state line in the middle of nowhere.  We get into his longtime collaboration with actor/writer Wallace Shaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2019, Chef Magnus Nilsson closed Fäviken, his one-of-a-kind Michelin-starred restaurant in remote Sweden at the peak of its success.  He shares how Fäviken became one of the top restaurants in the world, how the industry it was a part of has changed, and why he eventually elected to pursue new projects.  He talks about his reliance on fresh local seasonal ingredients, the difference between great produce and "exceptional produce," and why he’d rather eat an exceptional carrot than imported kobe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award-winning actor, but he is also a poet, philosopher, husband and father of three, global traveler, writer, occasional orchestra conductor, and passionate student of life.  Today he shares some of things he's learned about himself, others, and the world around him.  He discusses what he calls the "wild rodeo marriage" of his mom and dad, the moment when he became a man in his father’s eyes, and the long line of cattle rustlers, hustlers, and river boat gamblers in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a rerun of my interview with astronaut Captain Scott Kelly.  He talks about his year on the International Space Station, including how it pushed his body the limit, why the hardest physical test was re-adjusting to life on earth, and how his experience could get NASA one step closer to a manned mission to Mars.  He reveals how he combatted boredom in space, what he missed most about earth, and how he got along with his Russian crew-mates amid strained US-Russia relations.  Plus Scott tells m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re doing something a little different today.  Instead of a regular episode of KickAss News, we wanted to share a clip from our friends over at the Get Wired podcast.  Get Wired is produced by Wired and hosted by senior writer Lauren Goode. It’s all about how the future is realized.  It’s the news of tomorrow, delivered to you today.  The show is nerdy, innovated, and heavy on research.  They’re stories you can trust on everything from the rise of virtual beings and the science of fire torn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I talk with Joe Scarborough, host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, about our mutual affection for the politician dismissed as the “strange little man” from Missouri, why Harry Truman couldn’t even get respect from his own wife and mother-in-law, and how historians have gradually rehabilitated the legacy of our 33rd President.  Joe tells the story of the twin crises that kicked off the Cold War and the speech redefined US foreign policy.  We discuss how Truman pulled America out of its isolationist past, the Republican Senator who helped him do it, and how they forged a bipartisan coalition that held for more than 70 years and eventually defeated communism.  He discusses Donald Trump’s efforts to reject the Truman Doctrine and undermine longstanding alliances such as NATO, the degree to which President-elect Biden can undo Trump’s disastrous foreign policy, and whether Joe Scarborough, a former Republican Congressman, thinks that he will ever return the GOP.  Order Joe Scarborough's book Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Watch him on Morning Joe weekday mornings from 6-9 eastern on MSNBC, and follow him on twitter at @JoeNBC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Steve McQueen won an Academy Award for Best Picture for telling the dramatic true story of a free African-American who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in his film Twelve Years a Slave.  Now he’s addressing a form of racial oppression that hits a lot closer to home for him in a new anthology of films called Small Axe, which collectively captures the lives of London’s West Indian community in the 1970s and ’80s and their force of will against systemic racism and discrimination.  Stev Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary FBI criminal profiler John Douglas talks about some of the 5000 cases with which he has been involved and his chilling face to face encounters with the worst monsters in recent memory from Edmund Kemper to Ted Bundy.  He reveals why he first began interviewing serial killers without the FBI’s knowledge or permission, how he prepared for these deeply disturbing meetings, and he and his colleagues found commonalities that would help the FBI catch the most horrific of murderers of our time.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Sedaris returns to the podcast to talk about his pre-election anxiety, his lifelong blackout of all social media, and the time he got bullied while testifying before the British House of Commons.  He discusses what it was like the comb through 25 years of material for his new collection of essays The Best of Me, the strangeness of putting out a book without the traditional book tour, and the essay that got him in hot water with bear activists. Order David's latest book The Best of Me on Amazon, A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Post theatre columnist Michael Riedel shares his thoughts on Broadway's uncertain future, what New York theatre may look like whenever it emerges from the pandemic, and some hopeful lessons from Broadway’s dramatic recovery in the wake of the attacks on 9/11.  He says he didn't intend for the title of his new book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway to be ironic, but a tribute to boom in American theatre in the 90s and the enduring influence of one of America's greatest cultural export Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Joe Biden taking a razor thin lead in George and a run-off election expected to decide who controls the Senate, many credit Stacey Abrams with making sure that every vote gets counted and likely delivering Georgia for the Democrats.  Today's episode is a re-release of my 2019 interview with Stacey Abrams in which she discusses why she refused to concede defeat in the 2018 gubernatorial race, why she believes widespread voter suppression tipped that election to her opponent, and how she's continuing th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Heidecker talks about his new comedy series Moonbase 8, collaborating with fellow comedy geniuses John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen, and Jonathan Krisel on the show, and what it was like to visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and SpaceX headquarters as part of their research.  He discusses how Bob Odenkirk gave him his first big break, the cult following for his Adult Swim series The Time and Eric Awesome Show, and how one Tim and Eric sketch got the attention of QAnon conspiracists.  Plus Tim weighs in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary newsman Dan Rather talks about his 60 year career and how his travels and conversations have given him a “wide shot” of the American experience and the values that unite us.  He condemns recent attacks on some on those values (including freedom of the press), he shares his own family's experience during the Great Depression as a lesson in empathy, and he recalls how his time spent with men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Medger Evers opened his eyes to institutionalized racism in America.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grammy-wining musician Lenny Kravitz shares how his parents' biracial marriage and very different personalities fostered what he calls his "gemini soul," how his mom, actress Roxy Roker from TV's The Jeffersons, inspired the artist in him, and how he and his dad still found connection through music even as their relationship deteriorated. He recalls the rock concert that changed his life, the first song he ever wrote, and sneaking out of his parents' house every night to explore LA’s thriving music s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock legend Peter Frampton talks about the making of that seminal rock album Frampton Comes Alive! and the story of his famous guitar that he nicknamed "The Phoenix."  He recalls learning to play guitar by ear when he was a boy, growing up with another future rock legend David Bowie, and what it was like to be in high school during the day and perform in a rock band at night.  He tells the story of the time he barely escaped Noriega’s Panama with his life, how he took the the news of the death of hi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the actor and writer behind Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and films like A Fish Called Wanda, John Cleese is among the most creative minds in entertainment.  He opens up about his writing process, why he often finds inspiration in the most unlikely of places, and how you can foster creativity in whatever you do.  He explains why overconfidence is the enemy of creativity, where he gets his particular disdain for pompous politicians and feckless authority figures, and why he says that people in charge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt discusses how former college football coach Bill Campbell mentored him and many of Silicon Valley's greatest visionaries from Jeff Bezos and Larry Page to Marc Andreessen and Steve Jobs.  Eric recalls how he initially reacted when venture capitalist John Doerr suggested that he work with a coach, how Coach Campbell helped shape the relationship between Eric and Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and how the coach talked Eric out of resigning as Goo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar-winning actor/writer/director/producer Tim Robbins shares how he originally developed his latest project Bobo Supreme as a movie with the director Adam McKay, but he was inspired to adapt his screenplay for an auditory medium when the pandemic shut down film production. He reveals how he managed to record with 35 different actors in 35 different locations simultaneously during quarantine, and how it has given him a renewed appreciation for the radio dramas of Orson Welles and his Mercury Radio Thea Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

99% Invisible host Roman Mars discusses his new book why it’s taken him a decade to finally write a 99% Invisible book The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, all of the thought that this design fan put into the look of his first book, and some of the secret publishing considerations that determine everything from how many units get returned to whether a book gets sold by Costco.  We talk about the baseball player who became synonymous with stairs to nowhere and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster served in the US Army for 34 years and then as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump.  He discusses what it was like to take over that job in the chaotic period following the firing of his predecessor Michael Flynn, how studying LBJ's mistakes during the War in Vietnam made him even more determined to provide the current Commander-in-Chief with straight-forward, unvarnished policy advice, and why he believes that some others in the White House might not h Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Lithgow shares some of his favorite poems from his new book Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age and how a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous song inspired him to express his political voice through rhyme and verse.  He reveals that he originally wanted to go into fine art instead of acting, how his poetry books have returned him to his childhood love of drawing, and why the motley cast of characters around Donald Trump serve as endless sources of inspiration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Based on James Comey's memoir A Higher Loyalty, The Comey Rule is a two night television event that is written/directed by Oscar-nominee Billy Ray and stars Emmy-winner Jeff Daniels as the embattled FBI Director.  They join me on the podcast to open up about their own initial anger at James Comey over the 2016 Hillary Clinton probe and why they want to set the record straight about the man behind the two most controversial investigations of the 21st Century.  Jeff reveals what attracts him to roles tha Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar-nominated actor Richard Jenkins talks about his prolific career as one of Hollywood’s most reliable character actors and achieving fame later in life on the hit HBO series Six Feet Under.  He talks about some of his favorite films including Step Brothers and The Shape of Water, how director Guillermo del Toro gives actors a whole bible of background information on their characters, and the difference between working with the Coen Brothers and the Farrelly Brothers.  Richard discusses his role Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actress Carrie Coon talks about her incredible hot streak from The Leftovers to her new film The Nest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than 25 years, actors and musicians Jack Black and Kyle Gass have been performing as the rock satire band Tenacious D.  They’ve toured around the world, recorded Grammy-winning albums, started a music festival, made a tv show, made a movie, then made an animated movie, and now they’ve even put out a new graphic novel.  Today Kyle and Jack join me on the show as we get into how they’ve managed to outlast the lifespan of most bands and how satirizing rock bands has led to their playing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Official White House Photographer under Ronald Reagan and then Barack Obama, Pete Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth.  Now he's the subject of a new documentary film titled The Way I See It.  Pete discusses the life of a White House photographer and what it was like to go from being a journalist on the outside looking in to being at the President’s side all day, every day.  He talks about the delicate balance between g Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. David Eagleman is creator/host of PBS's The Brain, a professor of neuroscience at Stanford University, and CEO/founder of Neosensory, a company that builds the next generation of neuroscience hardware.  He overturns science's traditional understand of brain plasticity and explains how the mind is able to constantly adapt to suit different circumstances.  He shares how a child can still function with half his brain missing, how babies start modeling the world from the moment they are born, and what hap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer-winning historian Jon Meacham recalls his 30 year friendship with the late Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.  Meacham describes as an almost Biblical arc to John Lewis's life, and how Lewis’s Christian faith informed his activism.  He describes the horrible day in Selma, Alabama known as "Bloody Sunday," and how Lewis remained steadfast and at peace even as state troopers beat him within an inch of his life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.  He discusses his final conversation wit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 years after the film Erin Brockovich raised awareness about water contamination, the real Erin Brockovich talks about how her that movie changed her life, the moment when she realized that she had to stand up for the citizens of Hinckley, California, and her outrage that dangerous levels of Chromium-6 still exist in the water of hundreds of municipalities across the U.S.  She explains why environmental regulators aren’t doing their jobs, and how she’s helped angry moms mobilize their communities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Greg Gutfeld was a Fox News star and a New York Times bestselling author, he was a self-help writer for health magazines who had no idea what he was talking about. Now, after years of experience, he finally feels qualified to guide people on the journey of life with his new book The Plus: Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help.  Greg returns to the podcast to share some of the lame self-help advice he used to give in magazines like Maxim and Men’s Health and why he generally abhors self-improveme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Carolla takes on cancel culture and hashtag heroes.  He explains why he has given up on apologizing to people, why he’s standing by his friend Jimmy Kimmel during the late night show host’s blackface controversy, and why he believes that people who virtue signal on behalf others are really quietly racist.  He discusses his political philosophy, his impression of Donald Trump from his stint on Celebrity Apprentice, and how a segment producer on that show hoodwinked him into getting fired from the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Belushi is a man of many talents, actor, singer, dancer, and now legal cannabis farmer.  He shares how he’s using cannabis to combat the opioid crisis and heal vets suffering from PTSD, how high school football might have led to his brother John Belushi's tragic death, and why he believes that John would be alive today if he’d done more weed and less cocaine.  Jim discusses some of his best films and his two seasons on Saturday Night Live, how a man known as the "Smell of SNL" is helping him Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin talks about his new book True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump.  He discusses why this was the hardest book he’s ever written, and how he managed to gain access to a number Robert Mueller’s lead investigators (including a few of those so-called "angry Democrats").  He reveals why Mueller declined to subpoena Donald Trump, why he never attempted to get ahold of Trump’s financial records, and why he ultimately stopped just short of Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN's chief national security correspondent and anchor of CNN NewsroomJim Sciutto discusses the Nixon-era origins of the so-called "Madman Theory" and how it applies to President Trump’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy.  He reveals that the President’s intelligence team deliberately avoids bringing up Russia for fear of upsetting him and how this has lead to a dangerous ignorance of America’s number one geopolitical foe.  Jim delves into the President’s fraught relationship with China, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ambassador Susan Rice is currently at the top of Joe Biden's shortlist for Vice-President.  It's not hard to see why.  She established a good working relationship with Biden during the Obama Administration, and she has been at the table during the most pressing international crises of the past 30 years.  She talk about her family’s unique American story and how playing peacekeeper during her parents troubled marriage made her grow up fast but also prepared her for a life in international diplomacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Begala, former strategist to Bill Clinton and CNN political commentator offers a game-plan for how Democrats can beat President Trump in November.  He starts be admitting what he didn’t understand about Donald Trump in 2016  and sharing which of the lessons learned in 2016 can be applied in 2020.  Paul tells the story of how the Obama White House warned the incoming Trump Administration about the threat of a global pandemic almost 4 years ago, and he outlines the best way for Joe Biden to addres Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Al Roker returns to the show to tell stories from The Today Show and his early days in local television including how he annoyed his way into his first gig as a TV weatherman, some of his worst on-air flubs, and what he loved about doing those quirky, feel-good segments at the end of your evening news.  He says every local news team has there own version of Ron Burgundy, recalls working with a young Maury Povich back when Maury was serious DC newsman, and how he once handled a racist comment from anot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silicon Valley icon Guy Kawasaki recalls his childhood in Hawaii, his start in the jewelry business, and how his skills at jewelry sales came in surprisingly handy when he became chief evangelist for Macintosh. He talks about personally witnessing the genius and dark side of Apple founder Steve Jobs, he shares some rules that he calls "the Gospel According to Steve," and opens up about the argument that led him to quit Apple in the 90s.  He talks about honor and honesty in the tech industry, his litmus te Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oscar-winning writer/director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK) discusses why he dropped out of Yale and volunteered to go fight in Vietnam, some of the horrors that he witnessed during that war, and how the black soldiers in his platoon opened his eyes to injustice and saved his life.  He talks about how writing a screenplay about the experience helped him process what he had been through in Vietnam, why it took him 16 years to get Platoon made, and how the ouster of Filipino strongman Ferdinand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Palmieri served as the former Communications Director to President Barack Obama and then for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.  She spent most of her career advocating for herself and for other women from "within the system," but now she says it is time from women to break from that system and rewrite the playbook in her new book She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man's World.  Jennifer looks back at the roots of the American feminist movement, the surprising his Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Brooks (World War Z) discusses what a fictional Sasquatch massacre can teach us about the perils of eco-utopianism, what happens when man encroaches on nature, and those people who still refuse to wear a mask in public.  Max says people in the 21st Century are exchanging resilience and know-how for technological convenience - a trade-off that may not serve us very well when we’re put to the test in a true emergency like the COVID-19 crisis.  He talks about his childhood fascination with the legend o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ambassador John Bolton reveals what he witnessed during his 17 tumultuous months as National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump.  Bolton shares how he reacted to Trump’s eagerness to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, why the second North Korea summit was so hastily put together, and what took place behind closed doors in Trump’s infamous one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.  He says the President rarely ever reads and recalls his frustrations at trying to educate a Tr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Savage (Mythbusters, MythBusters Junior) talks about building a working prototype of Marvel’s Iron Man suit for his series Savage Builds and what it was like to fly around with tiny jet engines strapped to his forearms.  He discusses how Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson helped him take to the skies in a real World War I dogfight, why Adam's attempt recreate one of World War II’s most bizarre contraptions was less than successful, and how it served as a lesson in the importance of embracing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Zimmern host of Bizarre Foods on The Travel Channel talks about how he became the man who’ll eat anything and some of the weirdest foods he’s tried over the years.  He reveals some of the strangest delicacies that turned out to be surprisingly good and whether he’s finally learned to love his old nemesis - the infamously stinky durian fruit.  He’ll discuss his broader mission to spread tolerance and understanding because as he puts it, "social change often starts with our stomachs."  He Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Monday June 29, the world lost comedy legend Carl Reiner at the ripe old age 98.   In his honor, we’re sharing a conversation that I had with Carl in 2017.  He talks about working with Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows, making The 2000 Year Old Man, and directing Steve Martin in The Jerk.  He also discusses his pride over his son director Rob Reiner's career, his thoughts on politics and Donald Trump, his enduring friendship with Mel Brooks, and how he stays sharp and spry well into his 90s. See o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Michael Caine has starred in over 100 movies and won two Academy Awards, and today he shares stories and advice from his remarkable career.  He reveals why he never believed in taking advice from older movie stars, why he never wanted to be James Bond, and how the 1960’s made it cool to be a young cockney in the movies.  He recalls his humble working class beginnings in the projects of London known as the Elephant Castle, shares how he learned his famous discipline while serving in the Korean War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that America overuses (and often MIS-uses) the military to achieve its strategic goals while neglecting other (and often better) non-military options.  He discusses how Congress and the last 5 Presidents have allowed many of those non-military instruments of power to wither and die in the three decades after the Cold War.  He suggests that the United States needs to be "less monastic and more Madison Avenue" in how we talk about the good we do around the worl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer Prize-winning Conservative columnist George Will answers the fundamental question “what is it that conservatives mean to conserve" and suggests that modern conservatives are losing sight of that purpose.  He extolls James Madison’s belief in the importance of natural rights and government’s role in protecting them, and he makes that case against his fellow Princetonian Woodrow Wilson who did the most to unravel the Founders’ vision.  George discusses his decision to change his political affiliation from Republican to Independent in 2016, why he still can’t make the leap to the Libertarian Party, and why he believes it would be better to vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020. Order George Will's book The Conservative Sensibility on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sold.  Follow him on Twitter at @GeorgeWill and look for his regular column in the Washington Post.  Today's podcast was sponsored by BetterHelp and Ben & Jerry's. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter takes me behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of the Pentagon, its vital mission, and what it takes to lead it.  He describes just how massive the D.O.D. is, how he managed a $700 billion dollar budget, and how he recruited top tech talent to the Pentagon.  Ash Carter reveals why his background as a physicist came in handy in the Pentagon and how it led him to oppose President Ronald Reagan’s "Star Wars" program in the 80s.  He discusses how he came up with his successful strategy to defeat ISIS, but cautions President Trump against pulling out of Iraq and Syria entirely.  He talks about his effort to reach out to non-traditional military recruits and his history-making decision to open all combat roles to women.  Order Ash Carter's book Inside the Five-Sided Box: Lessons from a Lifetime of Leadership in the Pentagon on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sold.  Today's podcast was sponsored by TruGreen mosquito defense. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices