Cape Up With Jonathan Capehart

Alex Edelman has just won a Tony award for his Broadway solo stand-up show "Just for Us" that he also turned into a HBO special. In this encore presentation from April, Edelman talks about exploring antisemitism through humor in the hit show and why the special “felt conversant with the moment but also sort of an escape from” Hamas’s October 7 attack. Conversation recorded on April 3, 2024.

Historian and special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about the spike in antisemitism following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, her role at the State Department, her scholarship about the Holocaust and the lessons of the past for today. Conversation recorded on Thursday, June 11, 2024.

Following its success as a 45th annual Telly Award winner in the DEI category, we revisit a 2023 conversation with Alicia Roth Weigel, an activist profiled in “Every Body," a new documentary exploring the lives of intersex people who are born with a combination of male and female biological traits as she discusses the intersex community, gender identity and the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in the country. Conversation recorded on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Actor Hoa Xuande, star of the new espionage thriller "The Sympathizer," talks about his role as a double agent in the miniseries, how the show reexamines the Vietnam war through the Vietnamese perspective and how growing up in Australia led him on a path to "figure out who he really is." Conversation recorded on Thursday, May 23 2024.

Historian and Washington Post editor at large Robert Kagan joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about the stakes in the 2024 presidential election, the historical parallels to this moment in American politics and what he calls the “anti-liberal rebellion.” Conversation recorded on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

During Washington Post Live's World Press Freedom Day event on May 3, Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Clayton Weimers, executive director of RSF USA and president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Stephen Capus assess the state of global press freedom, ensuring the safety for journalists around the world, the technological shifts reshaping the industry and what's at stake as billions around the world head to the polls this year.

Acclaimed author Percival Everett joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about Everett’s latest novel, “James,” which reexamines Jim from Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in an attempt to give the character “control of his own story.” Everett also tackles the issue of book bans across the country, Twain’s use of the n-word in his literature and why Everett believes “it belongs there.” Conversation recorded on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

Legendary musician Jon Bon Jovi of the band Bon Jovi, joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about the group’s new Hulu docuseries, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” which chronicles their journey from Jersey Shore clubs to some of the largest stages in the world, their trials and triumphs, what their legacy means and the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. Conversation recorded on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at the Motion Picture Association.

Longtime SNL cast member Colin Jost will be hosting this year's White House correspondents’ dinner. We revisit a 2020 conversation with Jost about how he has used the power of the written word and comedy to get through life’s challenges and some of the poignant events that have shaped him. Conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, 2020.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on April 3, comedian Alex Edelman talks about his HBO comedy special “Just for Us,” how it became “conversant with the times” in the aftermath of Oct. 7, the mechanics of his comedy and why he’s decided to stop doing the routine.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 21, Skydio CEO Adam Bry talks about the prominence of China in the drone industry, why it threatens U.S. national security, and how the company’s drones are being used both in Ukraine and here in the United States.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 22, actor Regina King breaks down her starring role as Shirley Chisholm in the new biopic, “Shirley,” talks about why the film took 15 years to make and explores the lawmaker’s enduring legacy.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 13, actor and comedian Julio Torres talks about his directorial debut, “Problemista,” which he also wrote and stars in, digs into how his own experience with the U.S. immigration system informs the film and explores the importance of the protagonist Alejandro being a fully fleshed character.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March. 6, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) breaks down why he’s worried President Biden’s support for Israel is fraying the Democratic coalition, how Congress should investigate the administrations steady and quiet transfer of arms to Israel, how activists’ calls for a permanent cease-fire have affected White House messaging, and what he hopes to hear from the president’s State of the Union address.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 23, Oscar-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright discusses his latest film, "American Fiction," how the movie further explores themes of race and identity, how to have "better discourse" regarding race and the landscape for Black storytellers in Hollywood.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 15, two-time WNBA champion A’ja Wilson discusses her new book, “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You,” as well as how her grandmother made her a dreamer, what brought her to basketball and why Black women and girls need to have “the talk” that’s associated with Black men and boys since the death of Trayvon Martin.”

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 14, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talks about how the influx of migrants sent to his city has pushed it to “a breaking point,” what the impact of the bipartisan Senate immigration bill would have been and how former president Donald Trump is trying to keep the crisis going.

Almost four months since Hamas’ barbaric attacks, Israel’s bloody operation in Gaza is still ongoing, with civilian casualties mounting by the day. The war has dominated our news feeds and dinner table conversations, and opened up rifts that cross traditional partisan lines. Three of our columnists — Jason Rezaian, Alyssa Rosenberg and Shadi Hamid — got together to discuss if the war is changing how they think about America, its moral standing in the world and what it means to be an American. Keep listening for updates on more conversations coming from the Opinions team at The Post. Capehart will be back with a new episode next week.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 2, actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor digs into her new film “Origin," working with director Ava DuVernay, and how she prepared her portrayal of author Isabel Wilkerson writing the best-selling book, “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.” 

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Jan. 19, Post columnist Michele L. Norris discusses her new book, “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity,” how she got people to open up about such a fraught topic, and the difference between “race” and “racism.”