Pivot

Ben Stiller knew he needed to make Severance the moment he read an early version of the show in a writing sample its creator, Dan Erickson, submitted to his production company. Now, years later, Severance is a hit, reportedly generating $200 million for Apple TV, and Stiller is the series’ executive producer and go-to director responsible for some of its most pivotal episodes. Kara talks to Stille...

Kara and Scott discuss President Trump’s call with Vladimir Putin about Ukraine, inflation rising 3% in January, and Elon Musk’s Oval Office appearance. Then, Sam Altman has some harsh thoughts about Elon Musk following his bid for OpenAI, an AI deal between China’s BYD and DeepSeek threatens Tesla, and the AP gets punished for deadnaming the “Gulf of America.” Stick around for Scott’s prediction...

​​Kara and Scott share their reactions to Elon Musk calling them "cruel, mean, & deceitful human beings." Then, they dig into Elon (and a group of investors) making a $97 billion bid for control of OpenAI, and what exactly will come of it. Plus, Trump's latest tariff threats, and his master plan to discredit judges and weaken the judiciary branch. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcas...

Kara and Scott discuss Elon Musk's continued coup, and how Democrats are starting to push back. Then, President Trump shares his bizarre idea for the U.S. to take over Gaza, but is it just part of a larger plan to flood the zone, and distract from Elon's power grab? Plus, the latest earnings from Disney, Alphabet, and Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us...

Kara and Scott discuss President Trump's nonsensical trade war, and if there's an actual endgame to these tariffs. Plus, Elon Musk and his DOGE cronies get access to the federal payment system, and important information on government websites starts to disappear. Then, the winners and losers from Big Tech's recent earnings, and OpenAI in talks for a huge funding round. This episode was recorded on...

Kara and Scott are joined by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and the author of the new book: "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." They discuss DeepSeek hype and fears, and why spending money on AI is a good thing. Then, Meta settles with Trump for $25 million, and the White House takes a page out of Elon's playbook to offer buyouts to federal employees. Plus, the c...

Kara and Scott discuss the panic in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street over China's new AI model DeepSeek, which sent Nvidia and other tech stocks plunging. Is this a troubling trend for AI and the markets? Then, Trump almost starts a trade war with Colombia, and Oracle is reportedly in talks to take over Tiktok. Plus, Target becomes the latest company to end its DEI efforts. Follow us on Instagram...

Kara and Scott discuss Netflix's stock surging as subscriber growth breaks records yet again, and the SEC forming a crypto taskforce. Then, the Trump administration's disturbing new policy orders federal employees to report on their colleagues as part of the DEI crackdown. Plus, Elon trolls the new Trump-supported AI venture, and gets trolled by Sam Altman in return. Finally, the latest names in t...

Kara and Scott are coming to you on a Wednesday to discuss President Trump’s inauguration, and his barrage of Day 1 executive orders. Then, TikTok is back in the U.S. after briefly shutting down: what happens next? Also, President Biden’s last-minute pardons, Vivek Ramaswamy’s DOGE departure, and the First Couple’s meme coin frenzy. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Foll...

Kara and Scott preview all the Big Tech leaders going to Washington to kiss the ring at Donald Trump's inauguration. Then, Biden issues a warning about the dangers of ultra-wealthy oligarchy and the "tech industrial complex," but is anyone listening? Plus, as the hearings for Trump's cabinet nominees get underway, are the right questions being asked? Finally, Scott discusses latest venture – sport...

Kara and Scott discuss TikTok's prospects after the recent Supreme Court hearing, and Steve Bannon taking on Elon Musk. Then, firefighters are still battling California's wildfires, but misinformation on social media is making things worse. Plus, Mark Zuckerberg praises "masculine energy," and of course, Kara and Scott have thoughts. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Fol...

Kara and Scott discuss the devastating fires in Los Angeles. They also have thoughts about the decision to end Meta’s fact-checking program. Plus, President-elect Donald Trump has spent the week talking about annexing Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and making Canada the 51st state. Finally, a listener mail question about responsible podcasting. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivot...

As 2025 gets underway, Kara and Scott discuss Donald Trump's latest moves to stop the TikTok ban, net neutrality struck down again, and Meta's big staffing change ahead of inauguration. Then, Tesla's annual sales numbers fall for the first time in over a decade. But do investors even care, given Elon's bromance with Trump? Plus, Kara talks about assembling a group to make a bid for The Washington...

It’s time for our annual predictions episode! Kara and Scott share their 2025 predictions on Trump’s second term, AI, podcasting, the IPO of the year, and more. Plus, some Friend of Pivot predictions from Don Lemon, Anthony Scaramucci, Zoë Schiffer, Bill Cohan, Ian Bremmer, and Kyla Scanlon. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social....

Sam Harris is a philosopher, neuroscientist, and the host of the Making Sense podcast. He joins Preet to discuss political debate in the Trump era, the end of identity politics, and the morality of the Hunter Biden pardon.  Plus, could Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell? What does Preet think about Kash Patel? And how might Trump use the Vacancies Act?   Listen to more from Stay Tuned with Preet h...

Scott breaks down the best and worst purchases he’s ever made, and why he prefers spending money on experiences rather than things. He also shares how his childhood still impacts the way he thinks about spending. Scott and Ed then discuss how to navigate spending in common situations such as dinners with friends, weddings, and the holidays. Ed asks for advice about how to prepare for the cost of h...

We're bringing you a special episode of On With Kara Swisher! Kara sits down for a live interview with Meta's Yann LeCun, an “early AI prophet” and the brains behind the largest open-source large language model in the world. The two discuss the potential dangers that come with open-source models, the massive amounts of money pouring into AI research, and the pros and cons of AI regulation. They al...

It’s our second call-in show! Kara and Scott talk to Pivot listeners and answer questions about investing in your 50s, how much is enough, and what is going with the job market in tech. Plus, how to approach parenthood in today’s age, and how to address racial biases in venture capital. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social. Foll...

Kara is joined by Nobel Prize-winning economist, and recently retired New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman. They discuss SoftBank's $100 billion investment in U.S. projects, ABC News settling with Donald Trump, and TikTok's latest legal setback. Then, OpenAI fires back at Elon Musk, and Apple's foldable future. Plus, Paul gets a little wonky, and weighs in on crypto's actual value, and what Trum...

Kara and Scott discuss President Biden’s clemency announcement, Rupert Murdoch’s succession scheme backfires, and GM scraps its Cruise robotaxi program. Plus, the entire internet tries to analyze Luigi Mangione — Scott and Kara have opinions about that. Also, President-elect Donald Trump has named Andrew Ferguson to lead the FTC, and our thoughts on Time’s Person of the Year. Then, Friend of Pivot...

Kara and Scott discuss TikTok's latest legal setback, and what Donald Trump will do (if anything) if the ban goes into effect next month. Then, Trump appoints investor, podcaster, and Elon minion, David Sacks, as the new "White House AI and crypto czar." Will this position have any real power? Plus, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield backs away from a controversial plan to only pay for anesthesia for a...

Kara and Scott discuss the highlights from The New York Times DealBook Summit, including Jeff Bezos saying he’s “optimistic” about a second Trump term, and Sam Altman trying to make nice with Elon Musk. Then, the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has prompted a wave of reactions on social media. Plus, the French government collapsed on Wednesday, and South Korea’s president is facing...

Kara and Scott discuss the Hunter Biden pardon, and its repercussions for President Biden. Then, President-elect Donald Trump selects Kash Patel to run the FBI, and new reports raise questions and concerns about Pete Hegseth. Plus, Elon Musk takes aim at Sam Altman and OpenAI, yet again. Our Friend of Pivot is filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, whose new docuseries, "Social Studies," provides an inside...

Happy Thanksgiving! Pivot is off for the holiday, so we're bringing you an episode of Decoder with Nilay Patel. Nilay is talking about something we've discussed a lot on Pivot — Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Tesla. How is the CEO of an electric car company, an outspoken advocate for combating climate change, going to square his support for Trump and a Republican policy agenda centered on climate ch...

Kara and Scott discuss the "Glicked" effect on the box office, and Amazon's new $4 billion investment in Anthropic. Then, Elon Musk and Vivek Rameswamy bring their Silicon Valley buddies into the Department of Government Efficiency, while President-elect Donald Trump gets Wall Street's approval with his Treasury Secretary pick. Plus, Bluesky continues to surge, and Meta appears to be feeling the h...