On with Kara Swisher

In “The American Revolution,” a new six-part docuseries airing on PBS this week, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein take a deep look at the American Revolutionary War and the years before and after. They debunk many of the idealized myths we tell ourselves about the country’s founding and the complex motivations of the men who championed independence. At once critical and patriotic, it examin...

Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, known as one of the “godfathers of AI” for his pioneering work in deep learning and neural networks, joins Kara to discuss the technology he helped create — and how to mitigate the existential risks it poses.  Hinton explains both the short- and long-term dangers he sees in the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, from its potential to undermine democracy to the e...

Futures designer Nick Foster spent decades helping tech companies create products many of us didn’t even know we wanted. As the head of design at Google X — a.k.a. Alphabet’s “Moonshot Factory,” which is now known simply as “X” — he led teams working on brain-controlled computer interfaces, intelligent robotics, and even neighborhood-level nuclear fusion. He also designed emerging technologies for...

Under President Trump, the Department of Justice’s long-standing mission to uphold the law “without fear or favor” has been turned on its head. Attorney General Pam Bondi has followed Trump’s directives to target his political enemies and help his allies. But in their new book, Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department, investigative journalists Carol Leonnig and Aar...

Scott Galloway has spent the last few years ringing the alarm about how boys and young men are falling behind. Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University, best-selling author, and Kara’s ‘Pivot’ co-host, says his concern stems from the fact that he can relate to their problems. As a young boy raised by a single mom, Scott struggled in school, didn’t have many friends, and barely got in...

When Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard first got into business, all he wanted to do was make better equipment for himself and his fellow “dirtbags.” Over 50 years, he built Patagonia into a global outdoor retailer with a sustainable mission and ensured that the company’s profits will go toward protecting the environment for years to come. In his latest book, “Dirtbag Billionaire. How Yvon Chouinard...

From an early age, writer, director, and producer Judd Apatow has been obsessed with comedy. What started as a quest to interview comedians for his high school radio station ultimately evolved into one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood today, with hits like “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” and “Anchorman.” Now, Apatow is looking backwards. His new book, “Comedy Nerd,” is a visual me...

When the Department of Justice has to investigate politically sensitive matters, those investigations are typically handled by outside prosecutors known as Special Counsels: independent investigators given the freedom to unearth the dirtiest dirt against executive branch officials, including the president.  Kara speaks with CNN senior legal analyst, former prosecutor, and best-selling author Elie...

In the wake of President Trump’s return to the White House, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spent months crisscrossing the nation rallying huge crowds in red and blue states during his Fighting Oligarchy tour. His new book, “Fight Oligarchy,” is an extension of those rallies and also serves as a blueprint for how everyday Americans can push back against the deep-pocketed forces shaping pol...

Will artificial intelligence be a job creator or a job destroyer? Who will be most affected — and how long will the AI revolution in employment take?  Futurist Martin Ford and economist Betsey Stevenson join Kara to unpack the realities behind the AI hype. They explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work, from the fate of blue-collar jobs amid advancing robotics to the gove...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Kara to talk about her new book, “107 Days,” in front of a packed house at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. They discussed President Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department, the tech industry’s rightward shift, and how to combat Trump’s march toward autocracy in an age of disinformation, blatant power plays, and political exhaustion. Want to...

Acclaimed researcher, podcaster and best-selling author Brené Brown joins Kara to unpack her vision of leadership, as outlined in her latest book, "Strong Ground." They discuss the dangers of "power over" leadership, why courage and vulnerability are essential traits for real leadership, and how turbulent times can pave the way for bad leadership. They also explore the impact of AI on human connec...

In the late 80s and early 90s, makeup artist Bobbi Brown made a name for herself by pioneering a more natural look long before it became the dominant trend. She eventually turned her side hustle selling lipstick out of her house in suburban New Jersey into a billion-dollar eponymous makeup brand that changed the beauty industry. But her unceremonious exit from parent company Esteé Lauder, with app...

Universities have been in the crosshairs of the White House since President Trump took office — and Princeton University president Christopher Eisgruber is one of a handful of college administrators who have spoken out against it.  Kara speaks to the Eisgruber about his new book, Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right, and right-wing attacks on universities that come under the guise...

At age 67, Sen. Tina Smith (D, MN) is doing something that’s still rather rare for senators: retiring at a relatively young age, after just one full term in office. Smith’s open Senate seat is one of five Democrats will have to defend in next year’s midterm elections, in what’s shaping up to be a tough cycle. But with a little more than a year left in office, she still has to work on the big probl...

Matt and Maria Raine say their son, 16-year-old Adam Raine, started using ChatGPT-4o in September 2024 to help with his homework. After Adam died by suicide this past April, his parents realized that ChatGPT was also lending an ear to Adam’s suicidal ideations and giving him advice on techniques. In a lawsuit filed against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, the Raines allege that the chatbot actively...

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is on the shortlist of Democrats expected to make a run for the White House in 2028. Six years ago, the then-mayor of South Bend, Indiana, burst onto the national political scene as the first openly gay major presidential candidate. His centrist appeal and platform of good governance helped him win the Iowa Caucuses, edging out independent Ver...

For years, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia was a Democrat with a habit of voting against the party line. Not surprisingly, that was something many Democrats despised and Republicans relished. His resistance cost Democrats big legislative wins, including President Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act in 2021. After being called a DINO (Democrat in Name Only) for years, Manchin flirted...

As more companies push AI in their workplaces, the technology is rapidly reshaping the way many of us do our jobs. But a lot of people — from entry-level employees to the C-Suite — are still in the dark about the limits of AI, its best uses, and how to make it work for them.  We called in a panel of AI experts to answer some our listeners’ burning questions about how to use it at work: Sayash Kapo...

AI video generators are making storytelling more affordable — and one day, the tools may allow anyone with enough creativity to become a filmmaker. But the same technology can power convincing deepfakes that undermine our shared reality and destabilize our politics.  Cristobal Valenzuela, the co-founder and CEO of Runway AI, joins Kara to discuss how its tools are disrupting the advertising and fi...

In her latest book, We the People, the historian, New Yorker staff writer, and Harvard University professor Jill Lepore turns her attention to the history of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, she focuses on all the ways our government’s foundational text has changed throughout its nearly 250 year history. Lepore calls Article V, which lays out the Constitution’s amendment mechanism, by far its...

While media pioneer John Malone may not be a household name, he’s had a hand in shaping how all of us watch TV. Malone built Denver-based Tele-Communications Inc. into the largest cable company in the country, and then carved out Liberty Media from TCI. Liberty, along with various spinoff companies, have owned controlling stakes in companies like Discovery, SiriusXM, the Atlanta Braves, and Formul...

Happy Labor Day! Today, we’re bringing you a special episode from our friends at Hacks on Tap. This one is hosted by David Axelrod and John Heilemann, and they’re joined by Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, mayor of Chicago and ambassador to Japan.  The trio discusses President Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, the FBI’s investigation into former National...

Joy Reid was an early social media adopter — which didn’t always go over well with her former bosses at MSNBC. But after her primetime show, The ReidOut, was canceled as part of MSNBC’s shakeup, this past February, Reid quickly used social media platforms to successfully pivot to independent media.  Kara and Reid discuss the evolving landscape of cable news, how her Substack, "Joy's House", and he...

How do artists hold the powerful to account? Graphic novelist Alison Bechdel and editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes have been grappling with that question for decades, in their own very different ways.  Bechdel is the creator of the seminal comic strip, “Dykes to Watch out For,” which she self-syndicated for 25 years. She’s also the author and illustrator of four graphic novels, including “Fun Home,...