Overheard with Evan Smith

Susan Rice began her service in the public sector in 1993. In the Clinton administration, she was a foreign policy analyst on the National Security Council, and assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Under President Barack Obama, she served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and national security advisor. She is currently a distinguished visiting research fellow at the School of International Service at American University, a non-resident senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.

Rice received a master's degree and a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University where she was a Rhodes Scholar and her bachelor's degree from Stanford University. She released a memoir, "Tough Love," in 2019 that provides an insider's look at the White House, foreign affairs, and balancing work with motherhood.

Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, cookbook author and philanthropist. He is the chef/owner of Mexican restaurant Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans, and a judge on FOX's culinary competition series MasterChef. He co-starred on Food Network's Chopped and Chopped Junior. A third-generation cookbook author, Sánchez has written three books. His latest is a memoir, Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef. An active philanthropist, Sánchez launched the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Fund, an initiative empowering aspiring chefs from the Latin community to follow their dreams and attend culinary school. One of the world's most distinguished Latin chefs, Sánchez is also passionate about preserving his family's legacy through food and encouraging diversity in the kitchen.

Jeff Tweedy is the Grammy Award-winning founding member and leader of the rock band Wilco. He is one of contemporary American music's most accomplished songwriters, musicians and performers. Rolling Stone magazine cited Wilco's 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as the third best album of the decade. Since founding Wilco in 1994, Tweedy has toured solo, produced three albums for iconic soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples, and written a memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back).

Tweedy says Wilco's latest album, Ode to Joy, is "audacious and sincere." By focusing on a unique rhythm track and a minimalist instrumental accompaniment, typically acoustic guitar, and pairing that with observant lyrics at once hopeful, morbid, tolerant, and abstract, the band's vision was achieved.

Tim O'Brien's acclaimed novels include "The Things They Carried" (an NEA Big Read, which the New York Times said belongs on "the shortlist of essential fiction about Vietnam"), "If I Die in a Combat Zone," "In the Lake of the Woods," and "Going After Cacciato" (which won the 1979 National Book Award in fiction), among others. In 2013 he was awarded the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. O'Brien was interviewed for Ken Burns' 2017 documentary series, "The Vietnam War." Most recently he was a co-writer on the Vietnam episodes of the NBC series "This Is Us." His latest book is "Dad's Maybe Book," where he shares wisdom from a life in letters, lessons learned in wartime, and the challenges, humor, and rewards of raising two sons.

Houston native Tilman Fertitta is an accomplished businessman and self-made billionaire who is often referred to as "the world's richest restaurateur." He is the sole owner of Fertitta Entertainment which owns the restaurant giant Landry's, five Golden Nugget Casinos and Hotels, and the NBA's Houston Rockets. Fertitta is one of the largest employers in the nation, with more than 60,000 employees. He also is the star of his own reality TV show on CNBC, Billion Dollar Buyer. In his no-holds-barred book, Shut Up and Listen! Fertitta shares advice and strategies to build a successful business.

Bari Weiss is a writer and editor for The New York Times opinion section. Before joining the Times, Bari was an Op-Ed editor at the Wall Street Journal and an associate book review editor there. For two years, she was a senior editor at Tablet, the online magazine of Jewish news, politics, and culture, where she edited the site's political and news coverage. Bari regularly appears on shows like Morning Joe, The View and Bill Maher. Bari is also the winner of the Reason Foundation's 2018 Bastiat Prize, which annually honors writing that "best demonstrates the importance of freedom with originality, wit, and eloquence." Her first book is called "How to Fight Anti-Semitism."

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, and seven as Minority Leader, Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia. She won more votes than any other Democrat in the state's history and was the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States. After the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight to promote fair elections across the country, encourage voter participation and educate voters about elections and their voting rights.

Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the 2012 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award and a current member of the Board of Directors for the Center for American Progress. She has also written eight romantic suspense novels under the pen name Salena Montgomery, in addition to Lead from the Outside, a guidebook on making real change.

Jeff Flake served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was then elected to the United States Senate where he served for six years. Working across the aisle, Senator Flake was the lead House Republican in a successful effort to prohibit spending earmarks, and the lead Senate Republican to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba. Flake did not seek re-election in 2018 and became a contributor to CBS News. He will be a Resident Fellow at Harvard University during the fall semester of 2019.

Keb' Mo' has cultivated a reputation as a modern master of American roots music in the 25 years since the release of his debut album. After 14 albums, he is a musical force that defies typical genre labels. He has co-written with The Dixie Chicks and collaborated with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Natalie Cole, and Lyle Lovett. His guitar playing inspired two instrument makers to name guitar models in his honor. Mo's most recent album, Oklahoma, addresses topics such as immigration, depression, pollution, love, female empowerment, and features cameos including Taj Mahal and Roseanne Cash.

Major League pitching legend Roger Clemens got his start at Houston's Spring Woods High School. He then attended San Jacinto Jr. College and went on to have a successful career as a University of Texas Longhorn. Clemens was the winning pitcher in the final game of the 1983 College World Series.

Roger was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and one year later named Rookie of the Year. Clemens is a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and a twelve-time MLB All Star. He earned 354 wins, 4,672 strike-outs and two World Championship rings during his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

Roger and his wife, Debbie, make their home in Houston. In 1992, the couple established the Roger Clemens Foundation which helps and supports children's charities from all walks of life.