Katie Couric

On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie explores the subject of happiness. Because as a culture, we seem to be obsessed with achieving it. Just look to higher ed. Some of the most elite universities tout courses on happiness — the science of it, the value of it, the history and future of it. But the search for happiness has also seeped into our regular podcast consumption and our must-watch TV shows. So what’s the deal? Why is happiness the carrot dangling just outside of our reach? And what defines happiness anyway? To find out, Katie talks with one of those aforementioned happiness scholars, Arthur C. Brooks, whose most recent book is called “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago, on Oct. 5, 2017, the New York Times published an article written by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. The headline read: “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” Fueled by the Hollywood stars in the story, Jodi and Megan’s reporting made the Me Too movement — started by Tarana Burke in 2006 — go viral. Now the reporters and their incredible investigation are the subjects of a feature film called “She Said,” which is based on the eponymous book they co-wrote in 2019. The movie stars Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan and not only focuses on the personal lives of the reporters and how they got the story no one else could, but also the lives of their sources — the regular women whose careers were cut short and lives altered because of Weinstein’s torment. “They wanted to break into the industry,” Megan tells Katie, “and instead they experienced attacks and harassment and abuse and to see in this movie the toll that has taken on their lives so many years later. I mean, it wrote th

Charlayne Hunter-Gault has spent nearly sixty years chronicling history as a journalist, but when she was just 19 years old, she played a crucial role in making it. On January 9, 1961, she and her classmate Hamilton Holmes bravely walked onto University of Georgia’s campus becoming the first two Black students to integrate the school. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with Charlayne about that historic day and a career that stationed the journalist at some of the most respected media outlets in the country, including the New York Times, the New Yorker, and PBS Newshour. No matter the outlet, Charlayne made it her mission to cover “Black people in ways they were rarely portrayed in the media — in their full humanity.” Katie and Charlayne talk about some of her most impactful stories, many of which have been collected into her new book, “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than two decades, Kelly Ripa has been welcomed into millions of people’s homes, kitchens, and even bedrooms, as the co-host of ABC’s daytime talk show “Live!” And it’s easy to see why: she’s funny, warm, and perpetually self-effacing. And those same endearing qualities come through in her writing, too. Her first book, “Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories,” is a collection of hilarious, revealing, and tender memoirish essays that highlight moments of transition in her life — from meeting her husband on a soap opera set, to her awkward tryout for “Live!”, to dropping her youngest child off to college and facing an empty nest. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Kelly talk about it all, including their shared frustrations working in the male-dominated media industry and what it was like for Kelly to set the record straight on a few false headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new movie “Call Jane” is a period piece about abortion and reproductive activism in the years before Roe vs Wade was enacted. But given our post-Roe world and the very real consequences of abortion bans across the country, the plot — about a suburban housewife who desperately needs an abortion but can’t get one in her state — sounds like it could be ripped from our 2022 headlines. What can a story about our past struggles teach us about our present circumstances? Why is levity a convincing tool in the fight for bodily autonomy? Can a movie like “Call Jane” affect the fast-approaching midterms? On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie talks with the movie’s director, Phyllis Nagy, and its star, Elizabeth Banks, about the movie’s poignancy, some of its blood-boiling scenes, and why the movie’s not just preaching to the choir. “Call Jane” is in select theaters starting Oct. 28. For more information about abortion access in this country, check out Katie’s six-part podcast series on the subjec

We are just a few weeks out from the 2022 midterms and there is a lot to unpack — makeup of the House, will the Senate flip, the very future of our democracy! To help us understand what is truly at stake this Nov. 8, Katie brings on three political strategists to break it all down. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie is joined by her former podcast co-host (and current Democratic political and media strategist) Brian Goldsmith, as well as Lis Smith, who is a 20-year veteran of Democratic political campaigns -- from Barack Obama 2012 to Pete Buttigieg 2020 -- and Republican political consultant Mike Murphy who, with David Axelrod, hosts the political podcast “Hacks on Tap”. The group walks through the biggest issues driving voters to the polls, the impact of Roe, the races that could change up Congress and how all of this affects what’s to come in 2024. Check out Lis Smith’s new memoir, “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Hamm has been busy. On a fall visit to New York City, while shooting the next season of The Morning Show, and amid actual morning show visits to promote his new comedy, Confess Fletch, Jon stopped by the studio to chat with Katie -- blissfully -- face-to-face. On this episode of Next Question, they discuss the challenges of rebooting an iconic character, Jon’s early years as a struggling actor in LA, and how he broke out of the Don Draper shackles.  Katie and Jon also bond over their cancer losses and Jon shares some of his therapy journey. Naturally, Katie can’t help but dig into Jon’s personal life. Find out what he divulges. Catch Confess, Fletch, on digital video on demand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geena Davis has been a face we have come to know on screen for 40 years. And despite being in the public eye for so long, Geena is one of those actors who has cleverly obscured herself and her personal life behind the scenes. But now, she’s putting her whole self out there with a memoir called Dying of Politeness. On this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie and Geena talk about her “throwback” childhood, girlhood trauma, and some of her most iconic roles. They talk about the feminist thread that has shaped Geena’s career, the inescapable misogyny of Hollywood, and how she carved her own professional path in the second phase of life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie has always been vigilant about her health. Ever since her husband Jay died of stage four colon cancer in 1998, Katie has been a cancer screening advocate, sharing information about and helping to normalize seemingly intimidating procedures that can detect cancer early and save lives (you might recall Katie’s on-air colonoscopy?). When Katie realized she had missed a mammogram, she decided to take listeners into the procedure room with her to understand why it’s important for women like Katie, who has dense breasts, to get not only a mammogram but also an ultrasound. But then, Katie gets the news that no one wants to get. On this very personal episode, Katie — with the help of her doctors and daughters — takes listeners behind the scenes of her cancer diagnosis, treatment and long term plan. Katie also introduces listeners to cancer survivor and activist, Michele Young, who beat the odds and is changing the breast cancer screening system. Also, check out Ellie and Carrie Monahan’s podcast, All Each Other

There is no better — or funnier — way to launch a new season of Next Question with Katie Couric than an interview with comedian and actor, Billy Eichner. Billy is best known for his 2010s cult-favorite pop culture quiz show, Billy on the Street. And after regular side-kick appearances on the small and big screens, he is now leaping confidently into starring-man status in the groundbreaking and hilarious boy-meets-boy comedy, Bros (opening in theaters September 30). Billy is the first openly gay man to both write and star in a gay romcom from a major movie studio and while there’s a lot riding on the success of this movie, Billy proves he’s enjoying the sometimes turbulent ride. Katie and Billy talk about the long journey to Bros, the importance of supportive parents, some of his all-time favorite Billy on the Street clips and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After deep-diving into the history and future of abortion access with her investigative series Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie Couric is eager to return to her favorite format, the intimate interview. In fact, she’s brimming with questions. Big questions about how to find happiness and purpose in life. Pressing questions about the future of the GOP and if there’s any common ground to be found in our polarizing politics. Intimate questions about health, dating, parenting and love. And a million more questions for a whole new slew of interesting creators, thinkers, scientists, authors, activists and plenty of high profile actors. On this season of Next Question: new guests, new topics, same curious Katie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Question with Katie Couric is launching an all new season on September 29th. In the meantime, Katie shares a delightful conversation she had with the ever charming and talented, Michelle Pfeiffer. They talk about the Showtime series, The First Lady, and what it was like to not only become Betty Ford, but also to really get to know her (and step into her pretty spectacular 70s wardrobe). Michelle also shares her decades-long journey to entrepreneurship and what it was like to create a “clean,” unisex fragrance line, Henry Rose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2002, journalist Ken Auletta tried to expose Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse of women in a New Yorker profile he was writing about the powerful film mogul, but his sources were unwilling to go on the record. It would take another 15 years for the full story to come to light through Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s reporting for the New York Times and Ronan Farrow’s for the New Yorker. For his new book, “Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence,” Auletta revisits the story that got away and offers up a fascinating portrayal of Weinstein’s life and career. And for this bonus episode, he talks with Katie about what exactly motivated Weinstein to commit such horrific acts, the culture of complicity that enabled him, and the current state of the #MeToo movement that his toppling set in motion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this mid-season bonus of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie shares an urgent conversation she had with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the President. Katie has called on Dr. Fauci to help her and her listeners navigate all of the endless questions and concerns throughout the pandemic. For this latest episode, they dig into the recent covid surge, latest subvariant, and the emergence of yet another infectious disease outbreak – monkeypox. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie’s special series, Abortion: The Body Politic, has wrapped, but we wanted to give the very last word to a special group of people — people who have had abortions. These first-person stories reveal the lengths people have always had to go through to get an abortion — enduring unnecessary waiting periods, lengthy travel, parental consent needs, manipulative partners, unsupportive family members, shame, guilt, and more. These abortion stories span decades, cultures, race, faiths and gender. They reveal how common abortion is and yet how consistently stigmatized. This episode is dedicated to abortion storytellers everywhere whose voices and personal experience help normalize abortion for all.  This episode includes stories from Busy Philipps, Gloria Steinem, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and more.  More about the organizations mentioned in this podcast:  We Testify Shout Your Abortion Physicians for Reproductive Health ReproAction Action items: How to find, contact, and donate to your local abortion fund

Two years ago, Daisy Edgar-Jones got everyone’s attention as Marianne in the hit BBC adaptation of the Sally Rooney novel, “Normal People.” The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination and, at 24, pegged her as one of the most exciting young actors working today. She now stars as Kya Clark, aka “the Marsh Girl” in another book to film adaptation, the much anticipated “Where the Crawdads Sing” based on the bestselling novel by Delia Owens. For this bonus episode of Next Question, she sits down with Katie to talk not only about how she transformed herself into Kya, but also about her early life growing up in London as an only child, her path to acting, and what she plans to do next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abortion: The Body Politic started on the ground, visiting two abortion clinics 15 minutes away from each other in two very different states: Missouri and Illinois. On this last episode, we check back in with someone who works in those two clinics to understand the immediate impact the Supreme Court decision had on their patients. Then we consider, what now? Katie interviews Rep. Jayapal (D-WA) who has been a legislative leader in the fight for reproductive rights to understand what lawmakers can do to protect abortion now and in the future. Finally, we hear from a new generation of activists, actors (like Busy Phlipps), musicians (like MILCK and Amanda Shires), and TikTokers about how they are using their platforms, social media and art to not only normalize abortion but also share information (when that information could be criminalized), and, perhaps, change hearts and mind one person at a time.  More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Planned Parenthood National Advocates for Pregnant Wo

In Part 5 of Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie looks abroad for models of progress — and regress — when it comes to reproductive rights and abortion access. What are the trends and how does the U.S. now compare? We check in with the Center for Reproductive Rights to find out. Perhaps no region has seen more progress than Latin America. Human Rights lawyer and one of the founders of the Green Wave movement, Paula Ávila-Guillén, shares her experiences on the front lines of the decades-long fight for reproductive justice and what Americans can learn from our sisters to the South. We also hear from an activist in Mexico who is helping people across the border access abortion care they can no longer get in the United States. And academic, Lina-Maria Murillo gives us context for the unique relationship the United States and Mexico share when it comes to abortion access. There’s no denying the fact that many of the countries we are highlighting are largely conservative and Catholic. What does the progress these Cath

In Part 4 of Abortion: The Body Politic, Katie examines how abortion is explored and reflected in popular culture and Hollywood. Because whether we realize it or not, the movies we have loved and the TV shows we watch represent the collective imagination of our culture at particular moments in time. And for much of the past 50 years, that collective imagination was riddled with problematic abortion tropes that perpetuates stereotypes about the procedure and the people who seek it out. But the good news is that in the past decade, more showrunners and filmmakers — and even studios — telling more abortion stories and even taking some risks. Katie takes listeners to the front row of a new comedy show about abortion, aptly named, “Oh God A Show About Abortion,” from comedian Alison Leiby. Filmmakers Gillian Robespierre (“Obvious Child,” 2014), Rachel Lee Goldenberg (“Unpregnant,” 2020), and Dawn Porter (“Trapped,” 2016) share the origin stories of their narrative-busting movies and what more Hollywood and creativ

On Part 3 of Abortion: The Body Politic focuses on Roe and its unraveling. The last living Roe prosecutor, Linda Coffee, shares her recollections of that historic Supreme Court case and how she found out she had won. We learn of  the immediate failings of Roe, especially for Black women, and the birth of the Reproductive Justice movement. Experts trace the politicization of abortion, the belated moral-issue grab by evangelicals,  the violence that hit abortion doctors and clinics in the 1990s, and the anti-abortion strategy that forever altered American politics. We hear first-person experiences of long-time abortion doctors as well as fresh medical students who share why they felt inspired to join the cause. We also hear from two abortion storytellers about their experiences navigating a convoluted system that can be particularly apathetic to the needs of those seeking later abortions. More information on this episode’s guests and resources: Access Reproductive Justice Boulder Abortion Clinic The Bixby