Cape Up With Jonathan Capehart

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Aug. 11, director Pete Berg talks about his new limited series, “Painkiller,” which details the efforts by the Sackler family to aggressively profit from OxyContin by expanding the availability and marketing of the prescription opioid.

In this conversation recorded on July 19 for Washington Post Live, 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, joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about the intersex community, gender identity and the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in the country.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Aug. 2, University of Florida professor of history Paul Ortiz discusses the state’s efforts to curtail the teaching of African American history, including new curriculum standards to teach how enslaved people benefited from skills gained during slavery.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 12, Washington Post opinion writer Christine Emba and Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, discuss Emba’s essay, “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness,” how to address issues facing the modern American male and why the phrase “toxic masculinity” is a problem.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, Colson Whitehead discusses his new book, “Crook Manifesto,” how the novel fits into the Harlem trilogy, his writing process and what genres he plans to conquer next.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 12, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, discusses the company’s ongoing efforts around equity and justice as well as its response to the Supreme Court’s curtailing of affirmative action in higher education.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 22, two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter discusses her new book, “The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther,” dives deep on her creative process, and reflects on how her work has helped define Black style and culture.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 29, Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for Health at the Department of health and Human Services, discusses the interlocking issues that lead to disparate health outcomes in Black and Brown communities and gives her thoughts on the rash of anti-LGBTQI+ bills popping up around the country.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 15, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) talks about his fierce opposition to the his state’s recently passed 12-week abortion ban, contending with the Republican supermajority in the state legislature, Donald Trump’s second indictment and why he thinks President Biden can “absolutely” win North Carolina in 2024.

In this Pride encore presentation of Capehart recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 22, Demetre Daskalakis, a career HIV specialist and advocate currently serving as the deputy coordinator for the White House National Mpox Response, discusses the search for an HIV vaccine, the role stigma plays in viruses propagating and whether eradicating HIV is possible in the near future.

In this Washington Post Live conversation recorded on May 17, composer Carlos Simon digs into his new work inspired by George Floyd’s life, “brea(d)th,” discusses the process of composing the work with librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph and how it reflects the promise of an equitable future in America.

In this Washington Post Live conversation, first recorded on May 24, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison talks about the third anniversary of George Floyd's murder, his role in holding former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin accountable, how Floyd’s death fits into a horrific pattern of violence in American life, and his new book, “Break The Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.”

In this Washington Post Live conversation first recorded on May 24, Susan Rice, the only person to serve as both national security adviser and domestic policy adviser in the White House, talks about her decision to leave her role, how her work in national security helped her in domestic policy as well as her greatest accomplishments and regrets.

In this Washington Post Live conversation from May 10, Oscar Munoz, the executive chairman of United Airlines, talks about his new memoir, “Turnaround Time,” in which he reveals that he was undocumented when he first came to the United States and recounts his journey to the c-suite of one of the country’s top four airlines.

In this Washington Post Live conversation from May 10, Chasten Buttigieg discusses the new edition of his memoir, “I Have Something to Tell You,” which he rewrote for young adults, why he thinks the far right is going after LGBTQ Americans and what he hopes for his two children when they are old enough to read his book.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on April 28, Kristina Ishmael, deputy director of the Education Department’s Office of Educational Technology, discusses the barriers to closing the digital divide, the importance of reliable internet access in providing equitable education and the obstacles to distributing financial assistance where it’s needed most.

In this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 27, Yale University professor Ned Blackhawk discusses his new book, “The Rediscovery of America: Natives Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” which explores the foundational role Native Americans have played in U.S. history, including in the formulation of our country’s Constitution, and how their presence and contributions are frequently overlooked, or worse, erased.

In this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 17, CNN senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic discusses her new book, “Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court’s Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences,” which explores the rise of the court’s 6-3 conservative supermajority, the role of the Federalist Society in shaping it, and the complicated roles of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

In this Washington Post Live conversation from Oct. 5, 2022, famed author and poet Nikki Giovanni discusses her children’s book, “A Library,” explores the freedom books give our lives and explains why she’s against banning any book.

In this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 6, artist Mickalene Thomas discusses her work celebrating the beauty of Black women, her exhibitions around the world and the power of seeing Black people engaged in leisure and relaxation.