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Next Question with Katie Couric
George Conway's Political Transformation
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Once a loyal Republican who celebrated Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, George Conway is now one of this administration’s most outspoken critics and a Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 12th District. In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, he sits down with Katie to discuss what motivated him to run for office and why this moment requires more than commentary and criticism. He traces the early days of the first Trump administration, when he began to see something he could no longer ignore, and how that realization reshaped not just his politics, but his personal life, including his high-profile marriage to political consultant Kellyanne Conway. Along the way, he examines why so many Americans remain loyal to Trump, drawing on psychology, identity, and what he calls a growing “permission structure” for division and resentment. Ultimately, he sees this as a moment that demands engagement, not passivity, and one that will help define the future of American democracy.
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Earl Spencer on Why the World Won’t Forget Princess Diana
01:17:51|Nearly 30 years after Princess Diana’s death, her younger brother, Charles Spencer, is telling his story. In his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, the 9th Earl Spencer writes about the childhood they shared at Park House, Diana’s doubts before marrying Prince Charles, and the tumultuous days following her death in Paris.Katie talks with Spencer about the revelations that have made headlines: his clashes with the future king over Diana’s funeral, walking behind her coffin alongside William and Harry, and the eulogy the palace tried to vet. They also discuss the backlash to the book, whether Diana would have wanted this story told, and the unique and often lonely grief of losing a sibling.Danny Meyer on Scaling Culture and Betting on the Upside
01:18:16|The name Danny Meyer is synonymous with the New York City food scene. His restaurants have become Gotham institutions, from Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern to The Modern and, of course, Shake Shack, which started as a small burger stand in Madison Square Park and has since grown into a global chain with more than 700 locations.In this episode of Next Question, I spoke with Danny about his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture, and the lessons he’s learned over four decades as a restaurateur. We talked about failure, leadership, the power of optimism, and how to build a culture that can endure as a business grows.All the Wrong Moves: Katie's One-on-One with Anthony Scaramucci
01:28:17|Anthony Scaramucci has led a life full of unexpected twists and turns. After building a successful career on Wall Street, he spent a memorable and famously brief 11 days as President Trump's White House communications director. Since then, he's become a bestselling author, co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is Politics: US, and one of the president's most outspoken critics. His new book, All the Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump, argues that today's political divisions didn't emerge overnight. Instead, Scaramucci traces them back to three bipartisan policy decisions that he believes fundamentally reshaped the American Dream and paved the way for our current political moment. In this conversation, Katie and Anthony discuss where he thinks America went wrong, what he's learned from his own unlikely journey, and why he believes understanding the past is the first step toward rebuilding the future.Patti Smith on Bread of Angels and the People Who Shaped Her
01:21:39|Patti Smith has spent decades turning her life into art as a poet, musician, artist, and author. In her new book, Bread of Angels, she goes back to the very beginning, tracing the people and moments that formed her, from childhood and her creative awakening to marriage, motherhood, and the present day.In this conversation, Patti talks with Katie about the relationships that shaped her, the losses she’s carried and what they’ve taught her, and how she’s held on to her sense of self through every chapter of her life. She also reflects on creativity, memory, and what it means to look back on a life that’s still unfolding. Bread of Angels is out now in paperback.Marc Elias: We Didn't Save Democracy — We Bought Time
01:26:32|With less than 50 days until the midterm elections, major battles are already underway over voting rights, election rules, redistricting, and how Americans vote.Katie Couric sits down with Marc Elias, a leading election lawyer, founder of Democracy Docket, and founder of Elias Law Group, to discuss the legal fights shaping the 2026 midterms.They discuss the Supreme Court’s recent rulings on mail-in voting, rapidly changing congressional maps, voter rolls, election security, and what could happen if election results are challenged after Election Day.Colin Kaepernick on His Legacy, the NFL, and Roger Goodell
01:02:52|In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick made global headlines when he decided to take a knee during the National Anthem in response to a spate of killings of young Black men by police in a number of cities across the country: Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Now, 10 years after he first refused to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner, he’s written a memoir called The Perilous Fight.Why Has Medicine Treated Women Like "Small Men with Boobs?" with Dr. Sharon Malone
32:43|Katie sits down with Dr. Sharon Malone at the Aspen Institute to talk about why women's health has been under-researched and under-funded for centuries -- which also happens to be the subject of Katie's new documentary, HORMONAL!. The numbers are staggering: PMS affects 90% of women but gets a fraction of the funding erectile dysfunction research receives. The NIH didn't require women to be included in clinical trials until 1993. Katie also shares how her own breast cancer diagnosis has shaped her relationship to hormone therapy. It's a candid, infuriating, ultimately hopeful conversation about what it will take to close the gender gap in medicine.Rob Lowe Reflects on His Career, Family, and the Impact of Cancer Clinical Trials
39:23|Rob Lowe is best known for his decades in Hollywood, from The West Wing to Parks and Recreation and beyond. In this episode of Next Question, I spoke with him about his career, his long marriage, and his family’s experience with cancer — including how a clinical trial helped extend his grandmother’s life after her breast cancer diagnosis. We also discussed why he’s become an advocate for helping people better understand what cancer clinical trials are and how they work in cancer care.Presented in partnership with @EliLillyandCompany #LillyPartner#sponsoredKatie’s One-on-One with Professor Timothy Snyder
01:04:25|The Trump administration is testing the boundaries of presidential power in ways that are reshaping American politics and raising profound questions about the future of this country's democratic institutions. From a war with Iran with no clear end in sight to growing concerns about the use of public office for private gain, the stakes are higher than ever. In this episode, Katie speaks with historian and authoritarianism expert Timothy Snyder to examine why this moment matters, what historical patterns Americans should recognize, and how the choices made in the months ahead could shape not only the outcome of the midterm elections, but the future of American democracy itself.