Next Question with Katie Couric

The pod heads across the pond to London, where Katie and Brian turn the tables on Graham Norton, Britain's most popular chat show host. They revisit highlights from his long-running talk show, including the time he told Judi Dench, "You lie like a rug." Graham also opens up about growing up Protestant in a Catholic stronghold and his total commitment to becoming a comedian and actor as a young man. "I had no plan B," he says. Plus, they dig into Graham's views on Brexit and Ireland's recent landslide vote on abortion.

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Julianna Margulies has been lighting up the small screen for over two decades, with standout roles on TV shows like ER and The Good Wife. She joins Katie and Brian to discuss everything from the big impact George Clooney had on her career to what she loved about playing Alicia Florrick. She also explains what makes her latest character on AMC's Dietland such a delicious role. Plus, Julianna opens up about her own experiences with harassment as a young actress.

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What is the line between sensitivity and censorship? In today's episode, Katie and Brian are navigating the realm of political correctness, from trigger warnings to safe spaces. New York Times Op-Ed writer Frank Bruni joins to discuss what he sees as the promise and pitfalls of hot-button issues like cultural appropriation and the idea of "checking your privilege." Plus, listeners call in with their own thoughts on PC culture.

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It's no secret that Silicon Valley has a problem with women. In her new book, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley, journalist Emily Chang explores what the tech industry has been getting wrong when it comes to sexism and workplace bias. Her findings are grisly: from business meetings in strip clubs to drug-laden sex parties. Emily joins Katie and Brian to discuss her findings and consider how the tech industry can do better when it comes to addressing gender parity, pay inequity and implicit bias. Plus, Katie shares insights from her reporting on workplace gender inequality for The Revolt, her latest National Geographic documentary hour.

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Social media is much more than a way to stay in touch with friends. According to today's guest, Tristan Harris, Facebook and platforms like it are actually manipulating billions of people's minds. Tristan joins Katie and Brian to explain how tech companies are creating addictions, steering elections and making many of us lonely. He would know: After selling a startup to Google in his twenties, Tristan worked there as an in-house design ethicist, where he studied how tech affects people's attention, well-being, and behavior. Now, as a founder of the Center for Humane Technology, Tristan is on a mission to reform the tech industry. Plus, he offers up some tips on how to track and curb your smartphone addiction.

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In December, Doug Jones became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in ruby-red Alabama in 25 years. This week, Katie and Brian make their way to Washington, D.C. for an extended interview with Senator Jones in his new office. They talk about the ongoing dysfunction in the Senate, Jones' upset victory over his embattled Republican opponent Roy Moore, and they dig into a grab-bag of current events. Plus, they delve into Jones' life story, from his teen years in Alabama's newly-integrated public schools to his role in prosecuting two KKK members for a 1963 church bombing that killed four African American girls.

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Half of Americans say they have never met a Muslim. What’s it like to be Muslim in America today? Katie and Brian take to the stage at South by Southwest for a live podcast taping with guests Wajahat Ali, a New York Times contributing op-ed writer, and Mona Haydar, a Syrian-American rapper and activist. They have a frank conversation about the joys and pressures of being American Muslims, misconceptions about Islam, and how US media coverage plays into all of the above. Plus, they dig into the controversy surrounding Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

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The first episode of Katie's National Geographic documentary series, America Inside Out, is out now! To mark the occasion, Katie and Brian welcome Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan could have gone anywhere—he chose to move to Alabama to help confront racial disparities and reform the criminal justice system. On the pod, they discuss Bryan’s childhood experiences with school segregation, the problem with Confederate monuments, and shining a light on one of the darkest chapters in American history: the post-Civil War period of Jim Crow and lynching.

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Cecile Richards has been president of Planned Parenthood for over a decade, but her interest in women's issues started before she could vote. As a teenager, she helped her mother, Ann Richards— who would go on to be governor of Texas— work on political campaigns for female candidates. Cecile joins Katie and Brian to discuss her trailblazing mom, her new memoir, and her decision to step down from her role at Planned Parenthood. Plus, she opens up about her meeting last year with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and clarifies some common misconceptions about Planned Parenthood. 

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Aly Sheehy is a senior at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting last month. She joins Katie and Brian for an emotional account of how she and her classmates in Parkland, Florida have coped with the tragedy's aftermath and why they are now pushing for change. Katie and Brian also speak with Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, about state and local gun law reforms— and taking on the NRA.

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