Overheard with Evan Smith on Austin PBS

Journalist Pamela Colloff is a reporter at ProPublica and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She discusses her book "Catch the Devil," the criminal justice system and a con man in Florida who weaponized it.

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) discusses the Trump administration's efforts to demote him, the war in Iran, if political norms will return to the U.S., and his his wife, former Representative Gabby Giffords. 

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of "The Atlantic" and moderator of "Washington Week With The Atlantic" on PBS discusses the the state of U.S. politics, how the publication has grown its subscribers, and how the magazine will remain "by humans, about humans, made by humans and for humans."

Comedian Emil Wakim discusses his career and how he made history as the first Lebanese-American cast member of "Saturday Night Live" during SNL's milestone 50th season.

Political commentator, writer and host of The Bulwark podcast, Tim Miller, talks about the Trump administration, the Iran war, immigration and deportations, and the future of American elections. 

Award-winning journalist Jon Ralston has covered American politics for more than 35 years. He discusses the current national political landscape and his biography, The Game Changer, about Nevada political titan and former Speaker of the House, Harry Reid.

James Beard Award-winning author Hetty Lui McKinnon discusses her cookbook "Linger" and how she thinks her recipe's bold flavors make these vegetarian dishes memorable.

KIND Snacks CEO and Shark on "Shark Tank" Daniel Lubetzky discusses his career, the influence of his Holocaust survivor father, and his efforts to build societal bridges on common ground.

Singer-songwriter Neko Case discusses her difficult childhood, how she found music that led to a genre-spanning career, and she talks about her memoir "The Harder I Fight The More I Love You" and her eighth studio album, "Neon Grey Midnight Green."

Legendary singer-songwriter, visual artist, writer and filmmaker, David Byrne, discusses his career as the founding member of the Talking Heads and his album "Who Is The Sky?" 

Founding member of Grammy Award-winning rock band Wilco, singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy talks about his solo triple album "Twilight Override." 

Best-selling author Mitch Albom discusses his sports writing career, authoring books including "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "Twice." He also talks about the nonprofit organizations he's started in Detroit and Haiti. 

National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi discusses his storied career, racism in America, and his book "Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers."

Former U.S. attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance discusses the changes in federal separation of powers and her book "Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy."

Former national security advisor John Bolton discusses current politics including Donald Trump, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, China, NATO and border security.

Golden Globe and BAFTA Award-winning film director Richard Linklater discusses current events in his career and his two newest movies, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.

In one of her final television interviews, the world-renowned conservationist and ethologist, Jane Goodall, discusses her legendary career with her groundbreaking studies into the lives of wild chimpanzees. Committed until the end, she recounts her work through the Jane Goodall Institute.

Christopher Cross, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, joins Evan to talk about his long and legendary career, his massive success early in his career, and what the future holds for him.

Dr. Peniel E. Joseph, a lead historian on Black power, discusses the tumult and hope brought on by the civil rights movement, how it relates to the moment America finds itself in right now, and his book, Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution.

Pulitzer Prize-winner and co-host of The Weekend on MSNBC Jonathan Capehart shares stories from his life, career, and his hope for continued progress in America.

Jason Isbell, a six-time Grammy Award winning musician, discusses his career spanning his time as a member of Drive-By Truckers, his solo work, and his new album, Foxes in the Snow.

Ashley Parker, a three time Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Evan to discuss the magazine's coverage of the Signal group chat, her approach to covering the Trump administration, and her experience at other news outlets.

Katherine Maher, President and CEO of National Public Radio, joins Evan fresh off her testimony in front of Congress to talk about the hearing, NPR's mission, and the perceived bias in public media.

Lawrence Wright joins Overheard once more to discuss his latest novel, The Human Scale, as well as his knack for timely storytelling, and how he hopes fiction can inspire change.

With outbreaks of measles and bird flu dominating headlines, Dr. Celine Gounder, CBS News Medical Contributor, joins to discuss current public health issues and how Americans can keep themselves informed and protected.

Academy Award nominated director Jason Reitman joins Evan to discuss his latest film, Saturday Night, as well as his growth as a filmmaker and his relationship with his legendary father, Ivan Reitman.

David Axelrod, former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama, looks back at the 2024 election, analyzes missteps by the democrats, and discusses the future of the country under Trump's second term.

In a time of government upheaval on the federal level, U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett joins Evan to discuss her efforts to challenge and resist it, and offers ideas on how her party should respond as well.

Peabody-award winning journalist Michele Norris examines how her latest book, "Our Hidden Conversations," provides a window into America's views on race during a tumultuous time.

Former FBI agent Frank Figliuzzi discusses his book, Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, and his career as an investigator at the bureau.

Noah Hawley, creator of the TV series Fargo, joins Overheard to discuss his career in entertainment from novels to movies, and his creative approach to adapting films into series.

Kirk Goldsberry, sports writer and one of the leading experts in basketball analytics, discusses how deep statistical analysis is changing the sport of basketball and how the NBA scouts talent and approaches the game strategically.

Ari Berman, the national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, discusses his new book, Minority Rule, which charts antidemocratic efforts throughout the nation, chronicling how a wide range of voter suppression tactics threaten the survival of representative government in America.

Douglas Emhoff, second gentleman of the United States, discusses the presidential election, the issues he sees facing the nation, and the future of America. 

Actor and producer Bradley Whitford, from hit shows such as The West Wing and The Handmaid's Tale, joins the program to chat about his long career in film and television and political activism.

Charlie Sykes, the former editor at large of the Bulwark, joins Evan to discuss the changing political climate across the country, particularly on the conservative side. Sykes provides insight on Trump, the election, and the key issues that will sway voters this election cycle.

Comedian Margaret Cho joins Evan to chat about her comedy origins from a young age in San Francisco and how she keeps the passion for stand-up burning years later.

Judy Woodruff, former PBS NewsHour anchor and special correspondent, talks about her career, media, and her new reporting project “America at a Crossroads” as she explores what is at the heart of the great political divide in America.

Longtime tech journalist, podcaster, and author Kara Swisher joins the program with her insight on the people behind the tech industry and artificial intelligence. Swisher's latest book, a memoir, is titled Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.

Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade discusses the age of disinformation, the negative impacts of social media, and her new book, Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls reflect on their storied musical careers,the changes they've witnessed in the music industry, and their recent resurgence thanks to the Barbie movie.

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, discusses the impact of public television on communities and the way PBS has addressed issues around media, culture, education and technology.    

Bestselling author and award winning biographer Jonathan Eig joins Evan to discuss his book on Martin Luther King, Jr., King: A Life, and the demystification of the man who has been made into a larger than life figure.

Longtime journalist and newspaper editor Martin Baron joins Evan to discuss his storied career in journalism and his first book, Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post which covers the 2016 Presidential Election and Jeff Bezos' purchase of the Post.

Ben McKenzie, star of hit shows like Gotham and Southland, discusses his new book, Easy Money, and the impact cryptocurrency's rising popularity has on everyday people. Ben also reminisces on his career and what got him into acting.

Katie Benner, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and Justice Department reporter for the New York Times, discusses the indictments against former president Donald Trump and the legal fallout of the cases.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper joins Evan Smith to discuss his new book, All the Demons Are Here: A Thriller, and journalism and news media's relationship with truth in the modern age.

In this special episode originally co-produced for 2021 SXSW by SXSW and The Texas Tribune, Evan interviews former President George W. Bush. They discuss current politics, baseball and immigration, the topic of President Bush’s book, “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.”

Carol Leonnig is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who has worked at The Washington Post since 2000. She won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for her work on security failures and misconduct inside the Secret Service. She was part of a Post team that was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for revealing the U.S. government's secret, broad surveillance of Americans through the disclosures of Edward Snowden. She is a three-time winner of the George Polk Award for investigative reporting. She reports on Donald Trump's presidency and investigates Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Leonnig is also an on-air contributor to NBC News and MSNBC. Philip Rucker is the White House Bureau Chief for The Washington Post. He previously has covered Congress, the Obama White House, and the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns. Rucker also is a Political Analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He joined The Post in 2005 as a local news reporter. Leonnig and Rucker authored A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America which debuted at number one on The New York Times best-seller list. The book tracks the first three years of the Trump presidency relying on intimate, revelatory interviews with first-hand witnesses and including never-before-reported details. 

Rick Wilson is a longtime Republican political strategist, writer, speaker and political commentator. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Everything Trump Touches Dies. His award-winning column with The Daily Beast is a must-read in the political community. Rick also writes for The Washington Post, Politico, Rolling Stone, the New York Daily News, The Hill, The Bulwark and The Spectator. Rick regularly brings his witty political insights to CNN, MSNBC and NPR. He’s a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher. A 30-year veteran of politics, Rick got his start in the 1988 presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush, and has since produced advertising and provided strategic counsel to political candidates and organizations across the U.S. and around the world. His latest book Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump — and Democrats from Themselves was released January 14, 2020.

Senator Bill Bradley served in the U.S. Senate from 1979 – 1997 representing the state of New Jersey. In 2000, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Prior to serving in the Senate, he was an Olympic gold medalist in 1964 and a professional basketball player with the New York Knicks from 1967 – 1977 during which time they won two NBA championships. In 1982, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Senator Bradley holds a BA degree in American History from Princeton University and an MA degree from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has authored seven books on American politics, culture and economy, including his latest book We Can All Do Better. Currently, Senator Bradley hosts American Voices, a weekly show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio that highlights the remarkable accomplishments of Americans both famous and unknown. He is also a Managing Director of Allen & Company LLC.