

Next Question with Katie Couric
iHeartPodcasts
Tired of political headlines that feel like déjà vu? Wondering if you actually need to care about every controversy? This season, Katie’s asking those same questions—and talking to the people who have real answers. From political insiders to sharp-eyed journalists, she’s breaking down what’s worth your attention (and what’s not), with smarts, sanity, and even a little humor. Because none of us can be tuned in 24/7—but we can stay informed without losing our minds.
Tune in every Thursday and join Katie Couric and her guests for a conversation on NEXT QUESTION.
Tune in every Thursday and join Katie Couric and her guests for a conversation on NEXT QUESTION.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 30, 2023 • 41min
Jonathan Van Ness on Body Acceptance and Feeling Gorgeous
On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, produced in partnership with Katie Couric Media and Equip—the leading evidence-based virtual eating disorder treatment program—Katie sits down with one of the stars from Netflix’s Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness, and Dr. Jessie Menzel, a clinical psychologist. In honor of Pride month, they discuss the importance of access to care for disordered eating for the LGBTQIA+ community; they also cover Jonathan’s tumultuous childhood, coming to understand his gender identity, his experience with body dysmorphia and disordered eating, and the way these issues uniquely impact those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Jonathan and Jessie offer effusive support, as well as practical advice, on developing a healthy relationship with body image. (A note for readers: this episode contains sensitive material, including eating disorders and sexual assault.) Link: https://equip.health/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=KCM_JVN&utm_adgroup=&utm_term= Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 21, 2023 • 36min
Assessing the Racial Wealth Gap
On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, produced in partnership with Ally and Katie Couric Media, we’re taking a look at the racial wealth gap; the systemic and historical factors that have contributed to persuasive economic inequality, as well as how we can work together to navigate a new path forward. First, Katie is joined by financial columnist Michelle Singletary from the Washington Post. Her series, “Sincerely, Michelle,” was not only a reaction to the murder of George Floyd, but also an invitation to millions of Americans to see the reasons for the stark financial disparity that falls along racial lines. Next, Katie speaks to Chloe McKenzie, founder of Black Fem, an organization dedicated to reimagining wealth opportunities for Black women. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 15, 2023 • 32min
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Optimistic
When it comes to priorities, Julia-Louis Dreyfus has had hers in place for a long time. As a young mother when she played Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, Julia had to figure out how to separate the demands of working on set, from the demands of being a committed parent. Even so, she tells Katie, “Being a mother who is working outside the home is a bitch. It’s very difficult to do both well.” On this episode of Next Question, Katie and Julia discuss the challenges of maintaining a healthy sense of self worth — a central theme of Julia’s new movie, You Hurt my Feelings. They also candidly discuss the ways that older women feel “liberated” from these concerns, as Julia has learned from her new hit podcast, Wiser Than Me (hint: they “don’t give a shit”). Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the host of the new podcast Wiser Than Me produced by Lemonada Media. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 8, 2023 • 34min
Frances Haugen: How One Whistle Makes a Difference
Just as Facebook was on the verge of becoming Meta Platforms, Inc. in late 2021, a scathing series of articles was published by the Wall Street Journal. The reporting was based on internal documents that detailed the ways Facebook’s platforms “are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways that only the company fully understands.” The source for these internal documents — some tens of thousands of pages — became known as The Facebook Whistleblower. The name behind these revelations is ex-Facebook product manager Frances Haugen. On this episode, Haugen reveals why she came forward, what she hopes to accomplish with her new book, The Power of One, and what she sees as the perils — and promise — of an ever-changing technology landscape that requires transparency to keep itself honest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 5, 2023 • 37min
What’s Your Money Story?
On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, produced in partnership with Ally and Katie Couric Media, Katie sits down with Ally’s Jack Howard, Senior Director of Financial Health and Wellness. Together, they discuss how our emotions around money come from our past and make up our “money stories.” These narratives find their way into our attitudes about money, and can wreak havoc in our relationships. Kiersten and Julien Saunders, founders of Rich and Regular, offer helpful advice about how couples can avoid these pitfalls; by understanding each other’s money stories better, couples have a much better chance of writing their own financial happy ending.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 1, 2023 • 38min
Supermodel Geena Rocero on Living Your Truth
Geena Rocero is known as a storyteller, a supermodel, and an activist, who decided after nearly a decade in the public eye that she could no longer live under the burden of her greatest secrets. So she revealed them all. In her new memoir, Horse Barbie, Geena recounts her journey from extremely humble beginnings in the Philippines to headlining fashion runways all over the world - all while hiding her truth. She reveals to Katie the years-long terror she felt of being outed as a transwoman, and the fear that her career as a supermodel would be crushed if anyone were to find out. Geena discusses why support from the matriarchs in her life - from the mother who raised her to the drag mother who helped her flourish - are the reason she can now be a light for others, through her activism and community outreach work. In this thought-provoking conversation, Geena illustrates why coming out about who you are can often be the only way to live a life that matters. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 25, 2023 • 36min
Judy Blume Will Not be Silenced
For author Judy Blume, writing is about making connections. Her genius has always involved finding a path into the intimate spaces of her readers’ hearts; it’s the very thing that drove her to write. Now, at 85, she’s reaching her third generation of readers — and she’s connecting as powerfully as she did in the late 1960s when her first book was published. A new documentary, Judy Blume Forever, explores this phenomenon, and the deep cultural reach of her books. On this episode of Next Question, Katie chats with the incredibly energetic Judy Blume, as well as the doc’s directors, Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok, about the power of books as a force for transformation, identity, disruption, escape, and revolution. They discuss why Judy’s books have been embraced and feared, and why the connections she has made are just as strong as ever — even though there are people who would like to silence her altogether. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 18, 2023 • 37min
Senator Amy Klobuchar Finds Joy in Perseverance
Senator Amy Klobuchar believes that a certain amount of optimism is essential in overcoming obstacles, “Whether it’s through an illness, or whether it’s through trying to get a bill through congress.” And she’s had more than her share of experience with both. On this episode of Next Question, Katie and Senator Klobuchar talk about her getting-things-done mindset, and how it found its way into the pages of her new book, The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Pandemic, a Campaign, an Insurrection, and Life’s Other Unexpected Curveballs. While the Senator has been through a lot the past few years, she’s well aware that she’s not alone. Now, she’s ready to rejoice in the comeback. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 11, 2023 • 39min
Michael J. Fox: The Heroic Story of an Unlikely Hero
When Academy-Award winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim set out to make Still, a film about Michael J. Fox, he imagined he’d be making a hybrid documentary/80s movie. What he discovered along the way, however, was something deeper: his subject is far more than an iconic mega-star — Michael is an inspiration. After decades of living with the degenerative and debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease, Michael J. Fox reveals his personal philosophy: “With gratitude, optimism is sustainable.” Katie’s conversation with Michael and Davis is funny and revealing, and traces the highs and lows of creating a film about an incurable optimist trying to overcome an incurable disease. Want to be a know-it-all? Subscribe to Wake Up Call, our jam-packed newsletter. Monday through Saturday, we break down the top news stories of the day, answer your pressing questions, and scour the internet for the best entertainment tidbits, streaming recommendations, recipes, and health and wellness tips. To sign up, go to katiecouric.com, or click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 4, 2023 • 46min
Extremism: The Dangerous Origins of the Radical Right
Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin has covered Some of the most notorious figures in U.S. history. Now, in his book “Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of RIght-Wing Extremism,” Toobin takes on the man behind the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Toobin puts the incident into historical context by tracing the roots of McVeigh’s actions from the standoff at Ruby Ridge, to President Clinton’s ban on assault weapons, and all the way through the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In this episode of Next Question, he tells Katie, “That's why I wrote Homegrown to show that [McVeigh] was not an aberration. And that his legacy lives on in both people and ideas that are persistent to this day.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


