Next Question with Katie Couric

Half of Americans say they have never met a Muslim. What’s it like to be Muslim in America today? Katie and Brian take to the stage at South by Southwest for a live podcast taping with guests Wajahat Ali, a New York Times contributing op-ed writer, and Mona Haydar, a Syrian-American rapper and activist. They have a frank conversation about the joys and pressures of being American Muslims, misconceptions about Islam, and how US media coverage plays into all of the above. Plus, they dig into the controversy surrounding Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first episode of Katie's National Geographic documentary series, America Inside Out, is out now! To mark the occasion, Katie and Brian welcome Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan could have gone anywhere—he chose to move to Alabama to help confront racial disparities and reform the criminal justice system. On the pod, they discuss Bryan’s childhood experiences with school segregation, the problem with Confederate monuments, and shining a light on one of the darkest chapters in American history: the post-Civil War period of Jim Crow and lynching. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cecile Richards has been president of Planned Parenthood for over a decade, but her interest in women's issues started before she could vote. As a teenager, she helped her mother, Ann Richards— who would go on to be governor of Texas— work on political campaigns for female candidates. Cecile joins Katie and Brian to discuss her trailblazing mom, her new memoir, and her decision to step down from her role at Planned Parenthood. Plus, she opens up about her meeting last year with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and clarifies some common misconceptions about Planned Parenthood.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aly Sheehy is a senior at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting last month. She joins Katie and Brian for an emotional account of how she and her classmates in Parkland, Florida have coped with the tragedy's aftermath and why they are now pushing for change. Katie and Brian also speak with Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, about state and local gun law reforms— and taking on the NRA. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian revisit the time they interviewed Ava DuVernay at Disney's studios in Burbank, California. They talk with the inimitable director of Selma and 13th about everything from A Wrinkle In Time to her relationship with Oprah. They also discuss #OscarsSoWhite, criminal justice and the AvaDuVernayBarbie doll. Plus, how Ava made the leap from publicizing movies to directing them.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the final installment in the Wonder Women series, Diane von Fürstenberg—the woman behind the iconic fashion line—welcomes Katie and Brian to her company's Manhattan headquarters for a conversation about her full and colorful life. They discuss her wide-ranging philanthropy, her famous husbands, and how her brand has evolved since she appeared on the cover of Newsweek at age 29. She also tells the story of her mother, a Holocaust survivor, and how she inspired Diane’s determination to be independent. Plus, DVF explains why she believes the most important relationship in life is the one you have with yourself: “If you have that, any other relationship is a plus and not a must." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kara Swisher is perhaps the most feared—and effective—journalist in tech. She first made a splash covering AOL in the 1990s and she's continued to scoop Silicon Valley players ever since. In this crossover episode with Kara’s podcast, Katie and Kara discuss the competition between Instagram and Snapchat, and why Facebook executives have been slow to acknowledge the site's role in the 2016 election. “They don’t want to take responsibility for the fact that their platform was used by a malevolent power to create discord in our country," Kara says. She and Katie also delve into tech addiction in kids, the effect of automation on jobs, and their long careers in journalism. Plus, Kara turns the mic around and asks Katie about her time at Yahoo, and what she'd like to do next. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie heads to Pyeongchang, South Korea to report from the 2018 Winter Olympics. First up: two Wonder Women from the U.S. women's ski jumping team explain their fight for recognition and resources that has been decades in the making. Next, New York Times sports reporter Karen Crouse explains how a tiny Vermont town has produced an outsized number of Olympians— and why these athletes are uniquely prepared to embrace life beyond sports. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne Cox is no overnight success. By the time she stepped onto the national stage (and the cover of TIME magazine) in 2014, she'd been dedicating her life to acting for well over a decade. "Being an artist is what informs everything that I do," she says. Laverne joins Katie and Brian to discuss everything from acting opportunities for trans women, her breakthrough role as Sophia on Netflix's Orange is the New Black, and her childhood in Mobile, Alabama. Plus, Katie and Laverne revisit the teachable moment they confronted together. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Schumer made a name— and a career— for herself with her unapologetically raunchy brand of stand-up comedy. But being known as "the sex comic" never phased Amy. "That just seemed like a stepping stone," she says. Katie joins Amy at home to discuss everything that came out of her success in stand-up comedy, including starring roles in movies and on Broadway, her Comedy Central sketch series, and her best-selling memoir. They also discuss the #MeToo movement, body image issues in Hollywood, and the tragedy that sparked Amy's involvement in gun safety activism. Plus, Katie and Amy revisit the dirty prank that drew them closer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.