Kickass News
Hosted by Hollywood producer and political media strategist Ben Mathis, KickAss News is a twice weekly podcast that features the most interesting personalities and thought leaders in politics, entertainment, tech, business, science, and more. Enjoy the podcast? Then please support the show and help keep us on the air by making a donation to our GoFundMe campaign at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Another way you can support the show is to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review on iTunes to help keep us ranking strong on the top podcasts charts. For more information visit www.kickassnews.com. Thanks for listening!
301
Astrophysicist Adam Frank on Alien Worlds and S...
Astrophysicist offers an explanation for why we have yet to made contact with extraterrestrials and says it is highly likely that many of ten billion trillion planets in the universe have hosted technologically advanced alien civilizations. He...
51 min
302
Mike Reiss Celebrates The Simpsons' 30th!
's longest-serving writer/producer Mike Reiss celebrates the 30th anniversary of the longest running show in TV history and shares stories, scandals, and gossip about working with America’s most iconic cartoon family. He talks about his...
55 min
303
James Clapper on Trump, Russia, & a Life in Int...
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper recalls how tinkering with a TV set as a boy led to a career in signals intelligence, his frustration when working as an intelligence briefer to General William Westmoreland during the...
43 min
304
Dave Itzkoff on Robin Williams' Comedy and Tragedy
New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff talks about the surprisingly patrician upbringing of , his time studying to be a serious actor at Julliard, and Robin's early influences as a comedian. Dave reveals how Star Wars helped Williams...
55 min
305
Eugene Jarecki Goes Road Tripping with Elvis
Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Eugene Jarecki drove across the U.S. in Elvis Presley's 1963 Rolls Royce to talk to people about Elvis as a metaphor for the American dream in his new documentary . He traces Elvis’s journey from his...
50 min
306
An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia
helped President Obama craft the US-Russia “reset," and he later had a front-row seat for the end of the reset with the return of the hostile, paranoid Russian President Vladimir Putin. He recalls witnessing history unfold...
53 min
307
Billy Bob Thornton & Mark Duplass on Indie Film...
and Mark Duplass talk about Season 2 of . Billy reveals why he’s so attracted to outsider roles, what he found particularly appealing about playing an attorney, and how the show’s creators David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro (both...
39 min
308
Bonus Episode - Akimbo
I love sharing new podcasts, and in this special bonus episode, I want to introduce you to my friend and a great new podcast called . The first episode is about the hype around grand openings, whether it’s a summer blockbuster or a new...
52 min
309
Bob Balaban Puts the "Character" in Character A...
Bob Balaban has been a delightful part of many of the best movies and TV shows of the past 50 years including Moonrise Kingdom, A Mighty Wind, Gosford Park, Capote, and Seinfeld. This Oscar and Emmy-nominated actor, director, and...
56 min
310
Todd Purdum on Rodgers & Hammerstein's Musical ...
Todd Purdum, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a senior writer at Politico, discusses his own life-long love of the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, and why their Broadway shows like South Pacific are so timeless. He reveals how...
43 min
311
Max Brooks on Star Wars, Real Wars and Ewok Ins...
Author is well known for his bestselling zombie books like and , and he applies the same creative thinking to military strategy as a fellow at the and . He reveals how he gets military leaders to think outside the box about complex...
53 min
312
CNN's Jake Tapper on Political Fiction, the Swa...
CNN'S discusses his foray into writing fiction with his new political thriller , his interest in the politics of the 1950s, and the real-life Washington powerbrokers who make up the supporting cast of his story. He shares how his years of...
46 min
313
Sebastian Junger Talks War, Tribalism and Honor...
Journalist/documentary filmmaker (Restrepo, The Perfect Storm) talks about the new PBS Memorial Day special and his experience as an embedded reporter covering the War in Afghanistan. He recalls his first close call with an I.E.D. in the Korengal...
42 min
314
Al Roker on the Johnstown Flood, America's Gild...
's talks about his book . He discusses the elite country club that compromised the structural integrity of the South Fork Dam causing the flood, he reveals some of the famous industrialists who belonged to that club, and how they...
38 min
315
Ethan Hawke's Spiritual Approach to Acting, Lif...
Ethan Hawke joins me on the podcast for wide ranging conversation covering art, politics, spirirtuality, the environment, and more. He describes working with Robin Williams on Dead Poets Society, why he finds the most creative fullfillment...
46 min
316
Ehud Barak on Fighting for Israel & Searching f...
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his role in the 2000 Camp David Summit, and his tortured dealings with Yasser Arafat. He recalls his early years growing up on a kibbutz, how his...
42 min
317
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden on Trump's A...
General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA, talks about his concerns over President Trump's attack on the Intelligence Community and objective facts. He refutes the President’s paranoid narrative of a so called "deep state"...
48 min
318
CNN's Sally Kohn on Hate, Humanity, and Twitter...
CNN political analyst talks about her investigation into the epidemic of hate all around us and how we can stop it. She discusses what scientists and researchers have learned about the evolutionary and cultural roots of hate, and how...
44 min
319
Jon Meacham on the Soul of America and Donald T...
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian helps us understand the present moment of crisis in American politics by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame hatred and reveals how his latest book was born in the dark days...
45 min
320
The Dark Heart of White Nationalism w/ Journali...
For six years, journalist Vegas Tenold embedded himself among the members of three of America's most ideologically extreme white nationalist groups including the KKK, neonazis, and the Traditionalist Workers Party. He reveals how...
49 min
321
Cinco de Funny w/ Comedian Paul Rodriguez
Comedian tells stories from his 40 year career in showbusiness, including his first time on The Tonight Show, why Johnny Carson banned him from the NBC studios, and the "higher power" who intervened on his behalf. He talks about getting...
43 min
322
Michael Isikoff & David Corn on Trump's Russian...
Journalists and discuss Russia’s long simmering plan to undermine American democracy, and how the U.S. Intelligence Community failed to see the warning signs in 2016. They delve into a rogue’s gallery of Russia enablers from Paul...
49 min
323
Bryan Cranston on Life Before Acting & Becoming...
Rerun of 9/5/17 episode w/ guest Bryan Cranston. Actor Bryan Cranston recalls a difficult childhood and the two year road trip that changed his life. He shares some of his adventures before acting including traveling as a carny,...
52 min
324
Steven Pinker Makes the Case for Science, Reaso...
(Bill Gates' favorite author) discusses the irony that the news media has become measurably more negative at same time as our quality life has dramatically improved. He outlines how the top 15 objective metrics of human progress indicate...
43 min
325
Louie Anderson Says Be Nicer to Your Mom
Comedian returns to talk about mining the more poignant moments of his childhood for comedy and some of the comedic expressions he borrowed from his own parents. He discusses how his mother Ora Zella Anderson inspired his Emmy-winning role...
48 min