On with Kara Swisher

Authors Michael Lewis and Jacob Weisberg have built careers on writing deeply researched books about the ways human judgement shapes powerful institutions, especially the U.S. government. Their latest books are a study in contrasts. In “Profiles in Cowardice,” Weisberg scrutinizes the people in positions of great power who folded to President Donald Trump’s power grab at the start of his second term. Lewis’s “Blockers” highlights the opposite: the nameless career bureaucrats who tried to defend federal laws and norms in the early days of DOGE.

Kara, Michael and Jacob talk about the ways the second Trump administration has been dramatically different from the first, whether Elon Musk and his DOGE “musk-rats”really intended to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, and why gutting the civil service left all of us worse off. They also talk about the upcoming midterm elections and how Democrats can work to hold the Trump administration accountable should they win back power in Congress.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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With less than a week to go until Election Day, Elon Musk is once again at the center of American politics. The world's richest man has poured nearly half a billion dollars into the midterms to stave off Democratic gains. Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation following revelations that Musk restricted Ukraine’s access to Starlink. And last week, Musk threatened Kara with jail time on X after she said he could face investigations if Democrats return to power.

Kara brings together a panel of experts to unpack the business interests behind Musk’s political bets: why he's spending big on the Texas Senate race, what’s driving a potential Tesla–SpaceX merger and whether a post-election reckoning could bring accountability and check his power.

Kirsten Grind is an investigative business reporter at The New York Times covering Silicon Valley and tech executives, including Elon Musk. Catherine Rampell is the Economics Editor for The Bulwark and an MSNOW contributor. Faiz Siddiqui is a tech reporter at The Washington Post and author of the book Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Welcome back to another episode of High Stakes, a limited series from Kara Swisher and co-host Hillary Clinton. It’s the last week before the midterms. Kara and Hillary hone in on the nation’s tightest deadlocks and most consequential House, Senate, and gubernatorial races. The Secretary touches on what it feels like to experience the pre-midterm week from the other side of the ballot. The two discuss final hail-marys in the mis- and disinformation space leading up to the vote…and remember Pizzagate.

Remember: vote! Also: Happy birthday, Ma’am.

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After nearly 30 years building Netflix – from its humble beginnings as a DVD-by-mail outfit to a streaming service powerhouse – co-founder and former chairman Reed Hastings fully walked away from the company when he stepped down from the board of directors this past June. His departure came at a tumultuous time in Hollywood and at Netflix itself. On top of the fallout from its failed bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix has also been struggling with stagnating engagement and slowing revenue growth, prompting a big C-Suite shakeup and a mass layoff earlier this month.

Speaking at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, Kara and Reed talk about Netflix’s future and why he thinks making better content is the key to turning its fortunes around. They also talk about why Reed remains bullish on AI’s future, especially when it comes to education.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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With just under two weeks until the midterms, Democrats have reason for cautious optimism.Analysts at the Cook Political Report project the party could flip the House. The Senate, meanwhile, has swung from Republican confidence earlier this year to a jump ball, and the Democratic party is also poised toregain a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. But voters have been burned by polls before.

Kara sits down with a panel of experts to talk about whether a “blue wave” is coming, or if a lack of enthusiasm from GOP voters will result in a “red undertow.” They also discuss the impact of prediction markets and the affordability crisis on voters’ decision making, how Gen Z is thinking about all political parties and what the midterms could signal for 2028.

Kristen Soltis Anderson is a Republican pollster, founding partner of Echelon Insights and focus group moderator for The New York Times Opinion section’s America in Focus series. She’s also the author of "The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (and How Republicans Can Keep Up)." David Wasserman is a senior editor and elections analyst for the non-partisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Terrance Woodbury is a Democratic pollster and president and founding partner of HIT Strategies, a research firm specializing in young voters and voters of color.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Welcome back to High Stakes, a limited series from Kara Swisher and cohost Hillary Clinton. Ten years after Hillary called Trump Putin’s “puppet” on the debate stage, the label is back, and so is the fight over Russia.

Corruption is now one of voters’ top concerns. If Dems take the midterms, Kara and the Secretary break down what a Democratic Congress should investigate first. Plus: Hillary looks back on her time as a young lawyer during the Nixon impeachment inquiry, and the two weigh in on Trump’s push to rename New Mexico. Everything you need to prep for midterms, right here.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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For literary fiction fans, 2026 has been a banner year, with new novels from award-winning American authors Barbara Kingsolver (“Partitia”), Min Jin Lee (“American Hagwon”), and Ann Patchett (“Whistler”). But amid shortening attention spans and fears that the ‘end of reading’ is fast approaching, what role do novels still play in modern life, and what does it take to find success as a writer today?

Kara speaks with Barbara, Min and Ann about the unifying themes across their latest novels, how they’ve adapted to changes in the publishing industry over the last few decades, and how they continue to reach new, younger audiences. The authors also bring their own burning questions for each other.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Keri Russell never dreamed of becoming an actor. But she’s built an impressive career playing nuanced and complex women in critically acclaimed series like “Felicity,” “The Americans” and most recently “The Diplomat,” which has earned her three Emmy nominations in as many years.

Kara sits down with Keri to discuss the new season of the hit Netflix series, created by “The West Wing” and “Homeland” veteran Debora Cahn. They talk about bringing Ambassador Kate Wyler to life, working alongside greats like Allison Janney and Rufus Sewell, and what it means to play a skilled, serious, yet imperfect woman in Hollywood. They also dig into some real-life diplomatic drama, and Keri fields an expert question from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Season 4 of “The Diplomat” premieres October 15th on Netflix.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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The midterms are approaching, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Welcome to High Stakes, a limited series from Kara Swisher and the former Secretary of State herself: Hillary Clinton. For the next six weeks, the two are here to break down this year’s most consequential races, highlight the biggest issues on the ballot, and prepare you for the midterms elections… and what comes next.

First up, it’s the affordability episode. From Elon Musk’s massive political spending to rising costs for gas, groceries, and health care, Kara and Hillary weigh in on whether money can sway voters—and how Democrats can focus on making everyday life more affordable. They also break down key Senate races in Michigan and Maine, the one message Democrats need to hammer home into November, and the dangers of turning government into a spectacle.

Plus, Hillary reflects on her own experience with political attacks, and the lessons Pete Hegseth could learn from Osama Bin Laden’s death.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. New HIGH STAKES episodes drop Wednesdays.

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Sixteen years after “The Social Network,” Aaron Sorkin is back with “The Social Reckoning,” a new film he wrote and directed. It focuses on whistleblower Frances Haugen, a data scientist and former Facebook product manager who leaked troves of damning internal documents to Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, leading to a 17-part investigation in the fall of 2021.

Kara sits down with Sorkin and lead actor Jeremy Strong, who plays Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin talks about what made him return to Facebook and why the January 6th insurrection is pivotal to the story. And Strong explains why he approached Zuckerberg with a "radical amount" of empathy, and why he sees him as idealistic but "misguided and myopic."

“The Social Reckoning” is in theaters now.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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In his new documentary, "Musk," filmmaker Alex Gibney set out to answer two big questions about the world’s first trillionaire: How has Elon Musk assumed so much power, and why have we given it to him so willingly? Over nearly four hours, the film connects the dots between Musk’s various ventures — SpaceX, Tesla, Starlink, X, xAI, and Neurolink — to tell a bigger story of the unique threat he poses to democracy. The film also includes revealing interviews from people who know Musk personally, including his first wife, the writer Justine Musk, who hasn’t spoken publicly in years.

Kara sits down with Alex and Justine to talk about making the film, Musk’s obsession with being seen as an “engineer,” and Alex’s use of a computer-generated Elon as a stand-in for an interview with him (Musk declined to participate in Gibney’s film and declined to comment on this interview). They also talk about Musk’s hard shift toward right-wing politics and what it means for the midterms and future U.S. elections.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Ari Emanuel built a name for himself in Hollywood as a firebrand agent filled with rage. In his new memoir, “Roll the Calls,” he reflects on how that rage shaped his career and argues it helped him transform the entertainment industry. He’s now the executive chair and CEO of TKO and executive chairman of the WME Group.

In a live conversation hosted by Live Talks Los Angeles, Kara and Ari talk about the ways growing up in the shadow of two talented older brothers shaped his perception of himself, and why Kara believes the book reveals a softer side of the notoriously fiery “ragent.” They also talk about David Ellison and the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the arrival of AI in Hollywood, and why Ari continues to talk to Elon Musk and President Trump.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Kara sits down with Bravo network icon Andy Cohen, the host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live and executive producer of the Real Housewives franchise. He takes Kara on a tour of the business behind the reality TV juggernaut and why he sees himself as less of a “Bravolebrity” and more of a producer and a broadcaster. They also get into Andy’s longtime friendship with Anderson Cooper, how fatherhood has changed him and why he remains outspoken even when his opinions are controversial.

Plus: Kara and Andy talk about his soon to be released book Andy’s Bravo Scrapbook, a coffee table collection of his own behind-the-scenes photos from 20 years of Bravo reunions.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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As a longtime partner and former chairman of the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia, Sir Michael Moritz had a direct hand in building the modern internet. His early investments in companies like PayPal, Google, and YouTube earned him a reputation as a kingmaker in tech and made him a billionaire a few times over.

But after retiring in 2023, Moritz leaned on his early background as a journalist to investigate his own family’s story for his latest book, “Auslander.” He retraces his parents’ escape from Nazi Germany as children during the lead up to World War II and pieces together the stories of other close family members who were killed in the Holocaust.

Kara and Michael talk about why his parents never identified as “survivors” of the Nazis, and the ways tragedy and grief are passed down through generations. They also reflect on the modern rise of authoritarian leaders around the world, and the parallels Micahel sees to the past.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Our relationship with the digital world is more intimate than ever before – and in her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, pioneering tech researcher Sherry Turkle explores the rise of AI companions and what they’re doing to our relationships and identities.

Kara and Sherry talk about how chatbots aren’t just competing for our time – they’re designed to become objects of emotional attachment. They also discuss the risky appeal of friction-free relationships, the importance of boredom and vulnerability to development, and what we lose when we outsource our thinking and emotional lives to machines.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Are the people building AI going to kill us all? That's the question sparking debate across the country right now. While fears of an AI doomsday aren’t new, they broke into the mainstream this month after Jacob Coxon, a 27-year-old British researcher, publicly quit his job at Anthropic and accused the leading AI developers of gambling with our lives.

Kara convened a panel of experts to help break down the latest:

New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores is a computer engineer by training. His unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat earlier this year became a flashpoint in the debate over AI safety and industry regulations. He’s now launching a political advocacy group called “Who Decides” aimed at shaping the ways Democrats talk about AI.

Renee DiResta is an associate research professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and author of the book, “Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality.” Her research focuses on disinformation, influence, propaganda, and narrative power.

And Casey Newton and Kevin Roose are longtime technology journalists. The duo just announced a new partnership with NPR for a video-first tech show called “Machine Gods.” Kevin also has a new book coming out next month called “The AGI Chronicles: The Inside Story of the Race to Create an Artificial Superintelligence.”

Kara and the group talk about why Coxon’s warnings spurred a global conversation and how tech leaders are responding. They also discuss whether Congress can finally get its act together and pass meaningful AI regulation.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Jessica Tarlovsays she has “the coolest job in media for a liberal.” As a Democratic co-host of The Five on Fox News, she knows how to navigate contentious political conversations and make clear arguments based on data and research. Now, she's written a book calledI Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends.

Kara and Jessica talk about her unique approach to finding common ground with others during an intensely polarized time, and why it's worth doing so. They also discuss polling and strategy ahead of the midterms.

Plus, what being a "moderate" means today, and how Jessica really feels about her other gig hosting theRaging Moderates podcast alongside Scott Galloway.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Flock Safety, the company that makes the automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras used by over 7,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies, is facing a public backlash against surveillance tech. Nearly half of Americans surveyed in an August poll said they opposed ALPRs. The opposition is part of a long-simmering mistrust of big tech and concerns over privacy and data security.

Kara speaks with a panel of experts about how the backlash to Flock and street surveillance cameras squares with the boom in wearable tech and AI-powered smart devices. Plus, they discuss – and question – the usual framing of a trade-off between privacy and security.

Jason Koebler is a co-founder of 404 Media. He and his colleagues have been reporting on Flock for the past few years.

Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble is the David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the Director of the Center on Resilience & Digital Justice and is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant.” She’s also the author of Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.

Victoria Song is a senior reviewer for The Verge and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She specializes in emerging technologies in wearables, health and fitness and XR.

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As ballots start to hit mailboxes ahead of the November midterms, Democrats are finally feeling some long-awaited electoral optimism. But to build a coalition that can defeat MAGA politics for good, the party will have to win back voters it's lost. In her new book, “How to Eat An Elephant,” Sarah Longwell, founder and publisher of The Bulwark, gives readers a blueprint to do just that.

In a live conversation recorded at Sixth & I in downtown Washington, D.C., Kara and Sarah talk about the hundreds of voter focus groups Sarah’s conducted since President Trump first won the White House a decade ago, how Trump convinced swing voters he was the “lesser of two evils” in 2024, and why she thinks Democrats need a stronger message on immigration. Sarah also offers her opinion on which Democrats are — and are not — best positioned to win the White House in 2028.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok,Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Ripple CEO Chris Larsen once told Kara he’d rather vomit blood out of his eyeballs than run for public office. But that doesn’t mean he won’t use his wealth to influence politics or install a Flock surveillance system that helps the San Francisco Police Department. The latter has some civil liberties advocates crying foul.

Kara presses Larsen on everything from surveillance, the AI arms race, cryptocurrency regulations, California's billionaire tax ballot measure, and the midterms. This conversation was recorded live at San Francisco’s Pier 27 as part of the Odoo Experience.

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