Katie Couric

David Axelrod is a renowned Democratic political strategist, most notably for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. These days, he runs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and hosts a hit podcast, The Axe Files, where he interviews major political figures. In this special crossover episode, Katie and Brian turn the tables on "Axe" and get his own story, including his early days in gritty Chicago journalism, his father's death from suicide, and his family's efforts on behalf of his daughter, Lauren, who has epilepsy. Plus, they discuss his former client, Hillary Clinton, and the future of the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Savage has dished out love and sex advice in his syndicated Savage Love column for over 25 years. He's blunt, hilarious and empathetic-- and not just in his writing! Dan joins Katie and Brian to discuss working at Ann Landers' desk, being "monogamish" and the sex questions he gets asked the most. He also recalls what it was like to come of age during the AIDS epidemic. Plus, two words that Katie never expected to hear on the podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian pay a visit to Disney's studios in Burbank, California to talk with the inimitable director of Selma and 13th about everything from A Wrinkle In Time to her relationship with Oprah. They also discuss #OscarsSoWhite, criminal justice and the Ava DuVernay Barbie doll. Plus, how Ava made the leap from publicizing movies to directing them.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media is supposed to help us connect with one another and reduce loneliness, but what if the opposite is true? Psychologist Jean Twenge just wrote a piece in The Atlantic asking, “Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” She joins Katie and Brian to discuss the costs and consequences of endless screen time. Twenge is an expert on what she calls "iGen," those born between 1995 and 2012. She explains the pros and cons of an all-digital world and breaks down the research on smartphones and mental health. Plus, the surprising benefits of boredom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark their podcast's first anniversary, Katie and Brian return to Washington, D.C.—this time, to interview New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. There they find lawmakers on the Capitol steps with a megaphone, leading an impromptu rally on health care. After interviewing folks in the crowd, Katie and Brian sit down with Senator Booker to talk about the future of the Affordable Care Act, criminal justice reform, the documentary that captured his biggest failure, and living in Newark's most dangerous neighborhoods.  Plus, what it was like growing up African-American in Harrington Park, as one of "four raisins in a tub of sweet vanilla ice cream." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz returns to answer listener questions on how to navigate leadership dilemmas at work. Plus, Katie and her husband John have some questions of their own! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and guest host John Molner (aka Katie's husband) welcome Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz for a discussion about the psychology of leadership and his views on President Trump's mental health. They also talk about why many mental health professionals won't publicly comment on the psyche of public figures. Plus, Dr. Sulkowicz explains his unexpected path from practicing psychiatry and psychoanalysis to advising CEOs and corporate boards. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu knows that race is hard to talk about, but he thinks it's important to do it anyway. In fact, he recently put himself on the map with a powerful speech backing the removal of Confederate monuments in his city. Mayor Landrieu sits down with Katie and Brian at the Aspen Ideas Festival to delve into the history and context behind his now-famous remarks. They also discuss climate change in the Big Easy, the role of cities in the Trump era, and why Mayor Landrieu still wishes he could be a Broadway star. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another bonus episode! Katie and Brian ask Veep's Matt Walsh all the questions they didn't get to last week. Find out what Matt considers his big break and who he admires most in comedy. Plus, why he gave up on becoming a therapist– and a squirrel. Yes, a squirrel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his role as the beleaguered Mike McLintock on HBO's Veep, Matt Walsh is often the butt of the joke. In real life, however, Matt is revered— in the world of improv comedy, at least. He's one of the founding members the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy institution. Matt joins Katie and Brian to discuss improv vs. stand-up, what makes Julia Louis-Dreyfus so great to work with, and the advice he'd give to Sean Spicer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian takes the wheel this week and sits down with Graham Allison, the founding dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a leading military strategist. For decades, Allison has advised defense secretaries and presidents on both sides of the political aisle. Now he's out with a new book that examines whether America and China are destined to go to war. He and Brian delve into the challenges associated with China's rising power, the diplomatic implications of the Paris Climate Accord, and why the U.S. seems caught in a slow-motion Cuban Missile Crisis with North Korea.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Sheila Nevins started her career in the 1960s, she didn't know women could be bosses. After all, she'd only ever worked for male supervisors. Now, at 78, she's the president of HBO Documentary Films. Sheila joins Katie and Brian for an unflinching conversation about everything from her painful childhood memories to her plastic surgery. Plus, they discuss what makes a great documentary and listen to celebrities read excerpts from Sheila's new book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surprise! Katie and Brian serve up a podcast extra featuring Christie Todd Whitman, the Republican former governor of New Jersey. In this debut bonus segment, Governor Whitman offers some exclusive insights into her life and career, including what her parents taught her and what she sees as her biggest mistake. She delves into everything from her first job, as a candy striper, to her favorite job: being governor. Plus, she shares her top tip for a successful marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christie Todd Whitman was New Jersey's first female governor, but she didn't grow up thinking that she'd like to run for office. She joins Katie and Brian to discuss her path to public service, why she left as George W. Bush’s EPA Administrator, and her assessment of New Jersey’s current Governor Christie. Plus, she talks about the state of her party, and the country, under President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has scored the most points of any NBA player in history, and basketball isn't the only arena where he's found success. At 70, he's a best-selling author, an award-winning cancer research advocate, and a prolific cultural commentator who isn't afraid to speak out on controversial political and social issues. Kareem joins Katie to talk about being black and Muslim in America, surviving cancer, and watching the game of basketball change since his own heyday. Plus, he explains what was so special about his friend and mentor John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach who is the subject of his latest book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than 40 years working in America's top newsrooms, Marty Baron is one of the most respected names in news. As editor of the Washington Post since 2012, he has led his staff to Pulitzers and helped them weather the changes that came when a tech billionaire bought the paper. Marty talks with Katie and Brian about the state of journalism, fake news, and how technology has changed his job. They're also joined by Jessica Lessin, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, an innovative news site covering Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After her husband died suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg (Lean In) thought she would never experience true joy again. Nearly two years later, she is out with a new book, Option B, that delves into how she proved herself wrong— and how others can build resilience in the face of trauma, too. Sandberg wrote Option B with her friend Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and Wharton professor. They both join Katie onstage at 92Y (92Y.org) in Manhattan to discuss insights from the book, including how to support grieving children, dating after loss, and the "three P's" that can hinder recovery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ina Garten welcomes Katie and Brian to her home on Easter morning for a lesson on slow-cooked scrambled eggs (with truffles!) and a wide-ranging conversation at her kitchen table. Between bites of breakfast, they discuss Ina's views on feminism, other celebrity chefs, and her unlikely path from White House nuclear energy expert to Food Network star. Plus, an unexpected cameo from Jeffrey, Ina's husband of 48 years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (the host of StarTalk) fell in love with the cosmos at age 9, on a visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. Not only did he fulfill his childhood ambition of becoming an astrophysicist, today he’s the director of the Hayden Planetarium and one of America's most beloved scientific educators. Dr. Tyson joins Katie and Brian to discuss science in the Trump era, the future of space exploration, and why a TV appearance in 1989 changed his life. Plus, he gives a preview of his latest book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Taberski is the host and creator of the hit podcast Missing Richard Simmons. Dan made the six-episode series in an effort to find out what was going on with his friend Richard Simmons, who hasn't been seen in public in over three years. Missing Richard Simmons became the #1 most downloaded podcast on iTunes but now that the show is over, questions still remain. Beyond what's going on with Richard -- physically and mentally -- Dan himself has been under fire for the ethics of his project. In this ad-free bonus episode, Dan joins Katie to talk about his experience of making the podcast, what he decided to leave out of it, and his reaction to the criticism he's faced. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.