

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 3, 2020 • 1h 20min
Back to Biz with Katie and Boz: Bishop T.D. Jakes and Opal Tometi
On Monday, May 25, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, accused of using a counterfeit $20 at a deli, was killed in police custody. The next day video captured by bystanders, and spread widely on social media, revealed how brutal and inhumane Floyd’s arrest and last living moments — at the hands of a white cop — really were. Since that video’s release, protesters have taken to the streets in at least 140 cities, demanding justice not only for George Floyd, but also for Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all black lives. On this episode of Back to Biz with Katie and Boz, Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John speak with Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi about what that justice should look like. They discuss the desperate need to not only stop the harm against black people but also repair centuries of damage and why everyone has to step up and speak up for the benefit of all. “This is not a black people’s problem. This an American crisis,” Bishop T.D. Jakes says. “The choice you really have,” Opal Tometi says, “is to be a part of justice or know that you are impeding justice.” Click here for a detailed list of anti-racist resources.Click here for more information or to support Black Lives Matter.Click here to sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter “Wake-Up Call.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 22, 2020 • 2min
Introducing “Back to Biz with Katie and Boz”
How will the pandemic change the way we work, go to school, go out, travel, and experience the world? In this new limited series, co-hosts Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John set out to understand how this unprecedented moment will change our future. In weekly episodes, Katie and Boz interview CEOs, innovators and thought leaders in industries from tech and media to education and entertainment to fashion and sports, to find out how they are adjusting to — and innovating in —this new world order. Back to Biz with Katie and Boz releases Thursdays during the summer of 2020 right here in the Next Question feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 21, 2020 • 51min
Back to Biz with Katie and Boz: Tech journalist Kara Swisher
Katie Couric still has questions. But right now they're mostly focused on the future of business. Considering this unprecedented economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, how will industries like tech, education, entertainment, travel, and fashion adjust and innovate to fit our new world order. Introducing "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz," a new interview series co-hosted by award-winning journalist Katie Couric and trailblazing marketing executive Bozoma Saint John. On the premiere episode of "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz," the co-hosts set the stage for their forward-looking series with their first guest, tech and media journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher who offers a big-picture look at the ways the shuttered economy has made Big Tech even bigger — for better and worse. "Any trends that were present have been accelerated and then helped by tech," Kara says. "You could go around from industry to industry. Look at streaming entertainment that people have been using. Look at Netflix — [it's] never had more usage." Katie, Boz and Kara discuss what it means to be an essential worker and why all businesses will have to reassess what "gig work" means. They also talk about the future of education, why TikTok is having more than a moment, and the innovations that are bubbling up in tech right now. Each episode of "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz" will run right here in the Next Question feed. For more information on this episode, subscribe to Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. And make sure to follow Katie Couric and Bozoma Saint John on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 14, 2020 • 53min
Can this pandemic make us better people?
On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie interviews Bozoma Saint John, the Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor and an all around trailblazing businesswoman who has broken glass ceiling after glass ceiling in Silicon Valley and beyond. Bozoma, who goes by Boz, and Katie talk about what makes brands and leaders authentic and how to help others during this trying time, even when you're feeling depleted yourself. Boz also shares the lessons she learned about overcoming adversity and her own personal crisis after her husband died and how she found her way back to her career and the things that bring her joy. Bozoma Saint John is someone Next Question listeners will want to get to know because Katie and Boz are cooking up something exciting to be released in the Next Question feed very soon. Stay tuned for that, but in the meantime take a moment to learn a bit from Boz about how to excel by being your true self. For more, subscribe to Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 13, 2020 • 33min
Bonus: Will the pandemic forever change America's place on the world stage?
In this special bonus episode of Next Question, Katie takes a step back to consider what the bigger, global picture might look like in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. She speaks with Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who shares his belief that this crisis won’t so much change the basic direction of world history, but will “accelerate” it. He also talks about his new book, “The World: A Brief Introduction” and his hope for an informed citizenry in which all Americans are equipped with the “foundation of understanding” about our country and the larger world.For more, sign up for Katie's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 7, 2020 • 31min
How can the restaurant industry get back to business?
Just a few months ago, restaurants were the places we chose to see friends, mark our milestones, celebrate our special occasions, or unwind after a stressful week. But today, in our social-distancing world, just imagining the typically crowded, intimate scene of a Friday night at your favorite neighborhood spot can send a shiver down your spine. Which is why the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic so far, with more than 8 million employees laid off and a more than 80-billion sales loss. As we continue to explore what life will look like once we begin to get back to some sort of normal, Katie Couric turns to business leaders and entrepreneurs to find out how they see their industries re-emerging. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie speaks with restauranteur Danny Meyer and Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti to find out how the restaurant industry can get back to business.For more, sign up for Katie Couric's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.dom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 1, 2020 • 26min
Bonus: An interview with California Gov. Gavin Newsom
In this special bonus episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares her conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom, which was recorded as part of her ongoing video series with Time Magazine — 'TIME Reports with Katie Couric' — that shines a light on the heroes and newsmakers of this COVID moment. Governor Newsom has been praised for his leadership of California, which despite being among the first to report cases of the virus, has managed to avoid the catastrophic spread we've seen in other places. He shares with Katie the guiding principles that shaped his early response and considers the way forward for his state — and all of us. For more, sign up for Katie's morning newsletter "Wake-Up Call" at KatieCouric.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 30, 2020 • 25min
How will the pandemic change jobs — and who will be left behind?
With widespread shelter-in-place orders shutting down major cities and many states, the U.S. economy has come to an abrupt standstill. And after just five weeks, this COVID crisis has forced more than 26 million Americans to file for unemployment. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks to Victor Tan Chen, sociology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and author of “Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy.” Chen explains what makes this unemployment crisis so unprecedented, why it’s underscoring pre-existing inequalities in the labor force and how the pandemic could change the job market — and who it could leave behind. Throughout the episode, we also hear from the people behind the unemployment statistics.Read the Atlantic article ‘The Second Phase of Unemployment Will Be Harsher,’ by Victor Tan Chen and Ofer Sharone.Sign up for Katie Couric’s morning newsletter, Wake-Up Call. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 29, 2020 • 32min
Bonus: When -- and HOW -- can we return to 'normal'?
As our loyal listeners know, Next Question with Katie Couric has been devoted to covering the coronavirus crisis from the moment this unprecedented pandemic began to upend virtually every facet of our daily lives. Now, with this special bonus episode, Katie begins a new chapter, exploring something most all of us are surely wondering -- what will “life after coronavirus” look like? First up, a conversation with one of the most respected and experienced authorities in public health today, Dr. Tom Frieden. Dr. Frieden is the former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (aka the CDC) and is currently President of the non-profit, Resolve to Save Lives, which aims to make the world safe from epidemics. He shares with Katie his plan to “box in” the coronavirus, so we can safely get the country up and running -- and, hopefully, begin to find and embrace our "new normal." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 24, 2020 • 40min
America’s Maternal Mortality Crisis, Part 2
Yesterday, on “Next Question with Katie Couric,” we heard the devastating story of how one mother, Kira Johnson, became a part of a shameful statistic:that between 700 and 900 American women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. We learned that structural issues like racism as well as an increase in medical interventions during labor, have led to more women dying from pregnancy and childbirth today than they did 30 years ago. Today, in Part 2, Katie tackles her next question: What is being done to better protect American mothers, and particularly women of color? Katie talks to Olympic runner Allyson Felix who, in 2018, became one of the 50,000 women who nearly die from pregnancy-related complications. “Being a professional athlete,” Allyson says, “I just thought that will never happen to me.” Katie also hears from public health leaders like Dr. Debra Bingham and politicians like New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy who are actively trying to turn high maternal mortality rates around. Today, given the additional challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the existing racial health disparities COVID-19 has only exacerbated, this kind of work is more urgent and relevant than ever. Guests and resources for this episode include: Olympic runner Allyson Felix helps March of Dimes advocate for the health and safety of moms and babies. New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy launched in 2019 Nurture NJ, a statewide awareness campaign committed to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. New moms can stay on top of symptoms with the Post-Birth Warning Signs factsheet from the The Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement To help families like the Johnsons, visit 4Kira4Moms.com For more information, sign up for Katie Couric’s newsletter Wake-Up Call at KatieCouric.com.Correction (4-27-20):The podcast incorrectly attributes the "Save Your Life" POST BIRTH warning signs handout to the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement. It was developed under the leadership of Debra Bingham, DrPH, RN, FAAN when she worked at the Association of Women's Health Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


