Next Question with Katie Couric

David Axelrod is a renowned Democratic political strategist, most notably for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. These days, he runs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago and hosts a hit podcast, The Axe Files, where he interviews major political figures. In this special crossover episode, Katie and Brian turn the tables on "Axe" and get his own story, including his early days in gritty Chicago journalism, his father's death from suicide, and his family's efforts on behalf of his daughter, Lauren, who has epilepsy. Plus, they discuss his former client, Hillary Clinton, and the future of the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Savage has dished out love and sex advice in his syndicated Savage Love column for over 25 years. He's blunt, hilarious and empathetic-- and not just in his writing! Dan joins Katie and Brian to discuss working at Ann Landers' desk, being "monogamish" and the sex questions he gets asked the most. He also recalls what it was like to come of age during the AIDS epidemic. Plus, two words that Katie never expected to hear on the podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and Brian pay a visit to Disney's studios in Burbank, California to 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 Ava DuVernay Barbie 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.

Social media is supposed to help us connect with one another and reduce loneliness, but what if the opposite is true? Psychologist Jean Twenge just wrote a piece in The Atlantic asking, “Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” She joins Katie and Brian to discuss the costs and consequences of endless screen time. Twenge is an expert on what she calls "iGen," those born between 1995 and 2012. She explains the pros and cons of an all-digital world and breaks down the research on smartphones and mental health. Plus, the surprising benefits of boredom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark their podcast's first anniversary, Katie and Brian return to Washington, D.C.—this time, to interview New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. There they find lawmakers on the Capitol steps with a megaphone, leading an impromptu rally on health care. After interviewing folks in the crowd, Katie and Brian sit down with Senator Booker to talk about the future of the Affordable Care Act, criminal justice reform, the documentary that captured his biggest failure, and living in Newark's most dangerous neighborhoods.  Plus, what it was like growing up African-American in Harrington Park, as one of "four raisins in a tub of sweet vanilla ice cream." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz returns to answer listener questions on how to navigate leadership dilemmas at work. Plus, Katie and her husband John have some questions of their own! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie and guest host John Molner (aka Katie's husband) welcome Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz for a discussion about the psychology of leadership and his views on President Trump's mental health. They also talk about why many mental health professionals won't publicly comment on the psyche of public figures. Plus, Dr. Sulkowicz explains his unexpected path from practicing psychiatry and psychoanalysis to advising CEOs and corporate boards. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu knows that race is hard to talk about, but he thinks it's important to do it anyway. In fact, he recently put himself on the map with a powerful speech backing the removal of Confederate monuments in his city. Mayor Landrieu sits down with Katie and Brian at the Aspen Ideas Festival to delve into the history and context behind his now-famous remarks. They also discuss climate change in the Big Easy, the role of cities in the Trump era, and why Mayor Landrieu still wishes he could be a Broadway star. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another bonus episode! Katie and Brian ask Veep's Matt Walsh all the questions they didn't get to last week. Find out what Matt considers his big break and who he admires most in comedy. Plus, why he gave up on becoming a therapist– and a squirrel. Yes, a squirrel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his role as the beleaguered Mike McLintock on HBO's Veep, Matt Walsh is often the butt of the joke. In real life, however, Matt is revered— in the world of improv comedy, at least. He's one of the founding members the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy institution. Matt joins Katie and Brian to discuss improv vs. stand-up, what makes Julia Louis-Dreyfus so great to work with, and the advice he'd give to Sean Spicer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.