California is one of the most Democratic states in the nation. But former Fox News host and British American Steve Hilton is mounting a long-shot bid to be the state’s next Republican governor. He’s banking on voters’ disaffection with the state’s notoriously high cost of living to beat Democrat Xavier Becerra in November. 

While Hilton scored President Trump’s endorsement ahead of the primary, he’ll need to win over a lot of Democrats and Independents who loathe Trump to have any shot at winning. Is that even possible for a Republican in 2026?   

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the AI boom fuels a massive data-center buildout, communities across the country are pushing back. Kara speaks with environmental activist and consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, Utah climate scientist Logan Mitchell, Virginia organizer Elena Schlossberg and Lansing, Mich., Mayor Andy Schor about the industry’s environmental and political impact.

They examine the secretive deals and tax incentives behind many data-center projects, and they debate whether even responsibly designed developments can win community support.

The panel also explores what meaningful guardrails might look like, whether cleaner energy and greater transparency could make data centers a genuine public benefit, and if it’s even possible to shift public opinion as data centers become increasingly wrapped up in a broader backlash against AI.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After moving to Ireland at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, Rosie O’Donnell is back in the U.S. to stage her one-woman show in New York and guest host “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at the end of the month. While she’s taken some time out of the spotlight, Rosie remains an outspoken critic of the president and his policies at a time when a lot of public figures have gone quiet.

Kara and Rosie talk about why she decided to turn her life into a theater production, the joys and challenges of raising a child with autism, and the new energy she’s found in her 60s. They also talk about why Rosie continues to speak out against Trump despite the personal costs.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans feel pessimistic about the economy even as the stock market soars and unemployment remains low. Kara speaks with a panel of economic experts to explain the disconnect. She’s joined by Atlantic staff writer Annie Lowrey, Catherine Rampell of MS NOW and The Bulwark and economist Claudia Sahm.

They examine the impact of President Trump’s latest round of tariffs, the economic fallout from the Iran war and the hidden weaknesses in the current labor market. 

Plus: How vulnerable is the broader economy to an AI bubble? And what happens when economic growth increasingly benefits investors rather than workers?

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian and actor Jeff Hiller has managed to land roles on two of the buzziest TV shows of the last year. He just earned his second Emmy nomination for a guest role in “Pluribus,” and he seems poised for an even bigger role in the second season of the comedy horror “Widow’s Bay.” His success builds on his Emmy-winning breakout performance in HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” as Joel, the compassionate best friend to series star Bridget Everett’s character, Sam.

Kara and Jeff talk about why he thinks people are drawn to shows like “Pluribus” and “Widow’s Bay,” why Hollywood rarely tells stories about the middle class anymore, and the role faith has played in his life. They also talk about why it’s still hard to land roles, despite Jeff's Emmy success. 

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Clips courtesy of HBO and Apple TV. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says America is heading toward an AI jobs crisis. And she doesn't think Washington is ready.

Raimondo joins Kara to explain why she's more worried about the country's political system than the technology itself, why Congress has failed to prepare workers for AI, and what she thinks should happen before millions of jobs disappear. She also discusses the future of the CHIPS Act, data centers, AI safety, higher education, and why she's launched a bipartisan effort to help workers adapt before it's too late.

Recorded live at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg Center as part of the Discovery Series.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben Wikler, political organizer and former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, joins Kara to discuss his new book, “This Is the Plan: How to End America’s Meltdown and Save Democracy.”

Drawing on the grassroots strategies that helped Democrats restore a competitive democracy  in Wisconsin, he lays out a national plan to defeat Trumpism and halt America’s slide toward authoritarianism. That starts, he argues, with building a year-round organizing operation capable of competing in races at every level of government.

They also discuss the Democratic Party’s internal divisions, the future of the filibuster and structural reforms including a national popular vote, a national ban on partisan gerrymandering and Supreme Court term limits. Plus: how election officials should prepare for President Trump’s attempts to interfere with the midterms.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just a few months left until the midterms and President Trump’s approval ratings hovering in the 30s, Democrats believe they’re poised to retake power in Congress this November. But party leaders worry a slate of primary wins by insurgent-left candidates could undermine their chances. And yet, Democratic voters made it clear they are looking for change by rejecting some of the establishment’s top recruits in primaries from Colorado to New York and beyond.

Kara is joined by three experts to talk about the rise of these insurgent candidates: Adam Jentleson, president and founder of Searchlight Institute and author of the forthcoming book "Supermajority: How Democrats Can Build Lasting Power”; Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something,  a progressive group that works to recruit and support first-time candidates in state and local races; and Roshni Nedungadi, founding partner and chief research officer at HIT Strategies, a public opinion research company that specializes in researching young people and people of color.

Kara, Adam, Amanda and Roshni explain why these candidates are gaining traction, what voters are looking for, and how Democrats can navigate these divides in the party over the next few months. 

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI is giving cybercriminals capabilities once reserved for elite hackers and powerful nation-states. Cybersecurity expert Nicole Perlroth joins Kara to explain why she fears we’re inching closer to an “everything, everywhere, all at once” wave of cyberattacks.

Perlroth reveals what she learned in reporting the latest season of her podcast, "To Catch a Thief: North Korea on Our Payroll," a deep dive into North Korean operatives who use stolen identities and American “laptop farms” to land remote jobs at major U.S. companies and funnel money back to the regime and its nuclear weapons program.

She also examines China’s growing cyber capabilities, threats to critical infrastructure and what Anthropic’s Mythos model means for cybersecurity. Plus: how the Trump administration’s dismantling of cybersecurity and election-security programs could leave the U.S. vulnerable ahead of the midterms.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In their new book, “Regime Change,” New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan take readers inside President Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 and the chaotic year that followed. It’s an incredibly revealing look at a president and an administration untethered from the historical constraints of the office and willing to take extraordinary risks in pursuit of absolute power.  

Maggie and Jonathan reveal what they learned about Elon Musk’s chaotic reign in the White House, why so many of the top tech CEOs were eager to get into the president’s good graces, and what Trump seems obsessed with in 2026. They also discuss the future of Trump's political movement and the challenges Democrats will face from this administration should they regain power in Congress. 

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

Come see Kara live in DC. She is sitting down with Former Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on July 16 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, and you can be in the room. ⁠Register now⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices