Larry is joined by actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr. and they begin their conversation by acknowledging Black History Month. Roy then breaks down his new CNN show ‘Have I Got News for You’ and opines on whether or not comedic "bubbles" will last under the new Trump administration (5:41). They then pivot to his recently released stand-up special on Hulu, ‘Lonely Flowers’, and examine the different ways some of their favorite comedians navigate performing darker or more emotional comedic material (20:51). Roy ends the pod sharing his love for Alabama and shining a light on the importance of community (52:37).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Roy Wood Jr.

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by journalist and MSNBC political analyst Juanita Tolliver to discuss her new book, ‘A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics’. They begin their conversation by talking about what inspired Tolliver to write about the legendary political fundraiser and shining a light on the many influential luminaries that were in attendance, including Huey Newton, Flip Wilson, and Berry Gordy. After the break, Larry and Juanita talk about the converging ideologies that aligned themselves with Chisholm’s groundbreaking campaign and draw comparisons between her and Kamala Harris’s recent bid for the presidency (30:19). Juanita ends the pod by contemplating on who could fill Shirley Chisholm’s revolutionary shoes in today’s politics, and sharing some of the favorite things she learned while researching the book (46:03).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Juanita Tolliver

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by CNN Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates, and they begin their conversation by talking about Laura’s stylistic approach to the interviews she conducts on her show ‘Laura Coates Live’. They then break down the defamation case between ABC News and Donald Trump and discuss the reasons why there is currently a general mistrust in the mainstream media (11:30). This leads to a conversation about how to avoid bias in journalism and the role social media plays in people’s perception of the news (18:08). After the break, Larry and Laura look ahead to Trump’s upcoming inauguration and examine the legalities behind some of the executive orders he wants to enact on his first day in office (26:37). They end the pod by examining the definitions between the right and left political factions, shining a light on how the rest of the world may be preparing for the new presidential administration, and speculating on how long the Trump/Musk love affair will last (44:30).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Laura Coates

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry weighs in on the L.A. fires. He’s then joined by writer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker RaMell Ross to discuss his newest movie ‘Nickel Boys ’(8:33). They begin their conversation by talking about how the project came together, RaMell's experimental inspirations, and the screenwriting process with co-writer Joslyn Barnes. Next, they dive into RaMell’s personal connection with the Colson Whitehead novel that provides the movie's base and break down the "epic banal" philosophy behind the images in his storytelling (24:10). After the break, Larry and RaMell shine a light on the exquisite casting for ‘Nickel Boys’ and discuss what Ross took away personally from making the film (36:14). RaMell ends the pod by discussing why he loves teaching so much and his thoughts on the state of the movie industry (55L43).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: RaMell Ross

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Alan Zweibel to discuss his experiences working on ‘Saturday Night Live’ during its first few years on the air. Alan begins the conversation by sharing his feelings about the 50th anniversary of ‘SNL’ and detailing the anatomy of a good joke. Larry and Alan then talk about Lorne Michaels’s original concepts for the show and detail the inspiration for some of Zweibel’s favorite sketches (15:34). Next, they examine some of the iconic performers and hosts who made those first shows so special, including Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Andy Kaufman (24:36). After the break, they talk about the lasting influence of ‘SNL’s early commercial parodies and pay tribute to the great Gilda Radner (38:11). Alan ends the show by remembering some of the lessons he learned as one of the original writers at ‘SNL’ and some of the projects he has lined up for the future (49:17).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Alan Zweibel

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by technology journalist Emily Chang to talk about her Bloomberg Originals limited series ‘Posthuman’, and her podcast ‘The Circuit’, which features interviews with influential figures in the tech industry. They begin their conversation by discussing the inspiration for ‘Posthuman’, which delves into humanity’s connection to artificial intelligence, and shine light on some of AI's latest innovations. Larry and Emily then touch on many hot-button topics regarding AI, including its uses for medicine, warfare, and mental health (15:57). They end the pod by sharing their predictions, hopes, and fears about the future of AI (37:33).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Emily Chang

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by writer and historian Timothy Shenk to discuss his newest book, ‘Left Adrift: What Happened to Liberal Politics’. They begin their conversation by talking about why they think the Democrats failed with their messaging in the 2024 election and what the rise of Trumpism means about American culture today. Next, Shenk shares the historic and societal reasons he was inspired to write his book, which tells the story of modern Democratic ideology through the lens of highly influential political thinkers like Stan Greenburg (19:23). They then look at historical figures like George Wallace and Eugene McCarthy to see how their vision of populism led to the rise of politicians like Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Barack Obama (24:50). After the break, Larry and Tim debate what the Democrats can do to reconnect to the working and lower classes and examine which major political party is best positioned for success going forward (52:05).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Timothy Shenk

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry weighs in on the results of the presidential election and the future of the Democratic Party. He’s then joined by political commentator and host of the new iHeartRadio podcast ‘Off the Cupp’, S.E. Cupp, and they begin their conversation by sharing their reactions to Donald Trump winning the presidential election (18:01). They then examine the apparent cultural shift in America to the idealistic right and the viability of Trumpism in the Republican Party (30:46). This leads to a discussion about the appointment of Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Elon Musk’s influence on Trump's developing administration (40:24). After the break, Larry and S.E. shine a light on what’s left of "wokeism" in politics and discuss their biggest fears about the impending Trump presidency (55:28). They end the pod by diving into the state of cable news and trying to make sense of the Tucker Carlson zeitgeist (1:07:16).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: S.E. Cupp

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by comedian Samantha Bee and chief content officer at The Daily Beast, Joanna Coles, to discuss their latest venture ‘The Daily Beast Podcast’. They begin their conversation by shining a light on how they started the podcast and the interesting way Joanna connects creative luminaries in her industry. They then quickly pivot to an examination of the divisive nature of the Republican Party, speculate on how either Trump or Harris will win the election, and dive into the government's flawed response to the COVID epidemic (15:41). After the break, Larry, Sam, and Joanna talk about how they consume news, Melania Trump’s book, and Kamala Harris’s biggest hurdles as we race closer to Election Day (38:32).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guests: Samantha Bee and Joanna Coles

Producer: Chris Sutton

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Larry is joined by journalist and writer Craig Unger to discuss his newest book ‘Den of Spies: Reagan, Carter, and the Secret History of the Treason That Stole the White House’, which investigates the secret collusion between the U.S. government and Iran and how it affected the 1980 presidential election. They begin the pod by diving into the history of the C.I.A.’s involvement in the Middle East and how the events in the book led to future events like the Iran-Contra scandal. This leads to a conversation about the myriad of famous participants involved in these covert operations and how the media turned a blind eye to the truth while it was going on (23:30). After the break, Larry and Craig shine a light on the mysterious deaths that happened during those years before talking about the current state of the C.I.A. (34:05). They end the pod by examining Donald Trump’s compromising ties to both the Russian mob and government (48:58).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Craig Unger

Producer: Chris Sutton

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