Next Question with Katie Couric

This week on Next Question, Katie is sharing some interviews from her whirlwind, nine-city book tour, where she brought her memoir, “Going There,” to life and also shared the stage with some very special guests. On Oct. 30, Katie traveled down to Washington, D.C. and was joined at The Anthem theater by Kara Swisher — tech journalist, podcast host, nuisance to all of Silicon Valley. Katie and Kara talk about the future of media, the public’s disintegrating trust in journalism, and all of those Facebook documents. Katie and Kara reference an interview Katie did with Sheryl Sandberg in 2019, where Katie held the Facebook COO’s feet to the flame. You can find that interview and episode here. Get more from Kara Swisher on Twitter, or her podcasts Sway from the New York Times, and Pivot from New York Magazine. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Next Question, the last of the season, Katie is sharing some moments from her whirlwind book tour. After “Going There” came out in late October, Katie criss-crossed the country to bring the book — and her personal and professional life — to in-person audiences (such a novelty!) in nine different cities. Katie shared parts of her childhood, her rise to “Today Show” host, the journey to media entrepreneur, as well as the loss of her husband Jay and her second chance at love. She also brought some famous friends along, from Ina Garten and Kim and Brad Paisley, to Kara Swisher and Leslie Jordan (more on those interviews in special bonus episodes to come). But on today’s episode, Katie is bringing conversations with some people you may not know, but should. These are people who Katie met along the way who were at the center of some of the biggest news stories of her career, from 9-11 and the Boston Marathon bombing, to the country’s gun violence epidemic. These are ordinary people who responded to extraordinary events in inspiring and life-changing ways. Find out more about the organizations mentioned in this podcast:50 LegsPurpose over PainAimee Copeland FoundationOral Lee Brown FoundationGet your copy of “Going There,” by Katie Couric. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie’s out for one more week and her former producer and co-host Brian Goldsmith is stepping in. Brian was a part of the team behind Katie’s iconic interview with Sarah Palin in 2008. And he’s just as obsessed with elections today as he was back then. So, on this episode of Next Question, Brian looks ahead at the political landscape and the 2022 midterms — who will be the key players, what are the forces shaping the election, and what about that Trump-shaped shadow looming in the distance? Brian is joined by two of the wittiest, smartest politicos he knows: Republican strategist Mike Murphy (who has worked on campaigns for John McCain, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more), and Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist whom Brian met when she was the senior communications adviser to then-presidential contender, Pete Buttigieg. It’s a lively and helpful conversation to prepare you for the big election year ahead. And make sure you’re registered to vote! Check out vote.gov to find out how in your state. Also, check out Mike Murphy’s podcast with David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs called Hacks on Tap. Katie returns to the podcast next week! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re not familiar with Huma Abedin, that was her intention. For two decades, Huma has been mostly in the background, as the long-time trusted aide of Hilary Clinton. She was reluctantly wrenched from the shadows thanks to the public downfall of her (now ex) husband Congressman Anthony Weiner who was embroiled in multiple sexting scandals, one of which sent him to jail. Now, Huma is choosing to step into the spotlight and tell her own story with the release of her memoir, “Both/And.” “When I started writing this book, my researcher said the two most common articles out there in the world about you, Huma, are, number one, what is wrong with her and, number two, what is she thinking?,” Huma tells Katie. “And so I chose to put exactly what I was thinking into this book.” On this bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Huma about her career, her history, her intimate relationship with Hillary Clinton, and the heartache and humiliation of her first love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The holidays are upon us, which means we’re all probably thinking about, talking to, and meeting up with more family members than at any other time in the year. And that’s not always easy. “Family by definition is complicated,” says photographer Gillian Laub, whose new book and exhibition called “Family Matters” explores the dynamics within her own tight-knit family, and the political rift they’re still trying to mend. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, while Katie takes a short break, special guest host Alison Roman (chef, cookbook author, “Dining In,” “Nothing Fancy”) steps in to talk with Gillian about the awkward intimacy of photographing her family and how the lessons of Gillian’s personal story transcend the specifics of her “live out loud” relatives. Katie will return in two weeks.Gillian Laub’s photography book “Family Matters” (Aperture) is out now. Her exhibition of the same name is at the International Center for Photography (ICP) in New York City through Jan. 10, 2022.Alison Roman is a New York-based cook, writer, and author of the New York Times bestselling “Nothing Fancy” and “Dining In” cookbooks. She is the creator of a bi-weekly YouTube series called Home Movies as well as a weekly newsletter not-so-cleverly titled A Newsletter. You can find her recipes, videos, recommendations and more, at alisoneroman.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Thanksgiving week, just a few days shy of what would have been Matthew Shepard’s 45th birthday, Katie considers his lasting legacy. In 1998, Matthew, a college freshman at the University of Wyoming, was the victim of a brutal hate crime. His death quickly became a national story and a clarion call for gay rights that inspired a whole new generation of LGBTQ activists. “Matthew Shepard was a huge turning point,” says Alan Cumming. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie revisits the interviews she has done with Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis, over the years and examines the impact they have had on gay rights legislation as well as the huge cultural shift society, in general, has experienced over the decades. Jeff Mack, a friend of Matt’s from university, who is now the executive vice president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation guides us through Matt’s impact, explains why his death is considered the “second Stonewall,” and why his friend changes the course of his life forever. “It just means so much to be doing what I’m doing,” Mack says, “life has come full circle for me.” Find out more about the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie just wrapped up a whirlwind nine-city national book tour for her memoir, “Going There.” And when she was in Los Angeles she interviewed Tarana Burke, the activist, advocate and founder of the Me Too movement. It was a powerful conversation that Katie just can’t stop thinking about. So, on this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares her conversation with Tarana Burke in full. Get your copy of “Going There,” by Katie Couric.Find out more about Tarana Burke and check out her new memoir, “Unbound.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Alan Cumming had the gall to release his new memoir the same day as Katie’s, Katie had to invite him on the podcast. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, an utterly delightful conversation with the ever charming, insightful and hilarious Alan Cumming. They talk about why Alan wanted to write a second memoir (this one is called “Baggage”), his mission to normalize the messiness of life, why he has always been so open about his sexuality, and how much has — and hasn’t changed — for the LGBTQ community. They also dive into his bestieship with Monica Lewinsky, some of the best famous-friends anecdotes and the time he got a tattoo of someone’s name on his groin after two weeks of knowing him. Alan Cumming’s new book is called “Baggage: Tales From A Fully Packed Life” and it’s out now.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past two weeks, world leaders and delegates from nearly every country have gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26. This annual summit on climate change will attempt to update the 2015 Paris agreement with accelerated action, higher targets and more ambitious cuts to carbon emissions -- our “last and best chance” at fighting climate change. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie looks back at the big weather events she has reported on and talks to her friend and weather forecaster Dave Price about how coverage of and interest in climate change has shifted over the years. We also hear from two experts on the front lines of the climate crisis, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, co-founders of Global Optimism and co-hosts of the Outrage + Optimism podcast. Christiana and Tom were both integral in getting the seminal 2015 Paris agreement to an agreement and they share what’s at stake if we can’t curb emissions as well as practical actions we can all make right now. For more information on climate science, the climate crisis and what you can do, check out “The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis,” by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, and listen to their podcast, Outrage + Optimism. Tri-staters, you can catch Dave Price at 11am and 4pm on your local NBC channel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Next Question with Katie Couric, part 2 of Katie’s behind-the-scenes look at the making of her memoir, “Going There.” Last week introduced listeners to her book team, Lucy Kaylin and Adriana Fazio (if you haven’t listened to that episode yet, go check it out first for helpful context and some fun stories). This week, Adriana, Lucy and Katie dive into the tough stuff — like writing about the death of Katie’s husband Jay to cancer at just 42, and processing the downfall of Matt Lauer. They also talk about how writing the book in 2021 — during a pandemic and racial reckoning — shed some much needed light on past interviews and moments in Katie’s life. You can buy “Going There,” by Katie Couric, on Amazon, your local bookstore or wherever you like to buy books. You can also find out where Katie is stopping on her book tour and how to get tickets by going to Ticketmaster.com/goingthere. Happy reading! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.