Podcast appearances and mentions of David M Rubenstein

Bestselling presidential historian Michael Beschloss joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on American history. They discuss the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the pivotal events and presidents that shaped the United States in the twentieth century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her memoir, acclaimed novels, and early career as a war correspondent. She reflects on the experiences that shaped her writing, the intersection of history and fiction, and the personal stories behind her work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historians Danielle Allen and Walter Isaacson join David M. Rubenstein at the U.S. Capitol to discuss the Declaration of Independence and how America celebrates its founding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By winter 1777, the Continental Army was exhausted, having barely escaped annihilation by the world's most formidable fighting force. Two years into the war, King George, determined as ever to bring the rebellious American colonies to heel, faced a desperate set of foes in Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, to say nothing of rising wartime expenses and the threat of additional international rivals. Celebrated historian Rick Atkinson discusses this story, the subject of the second volume of his landmark American Revolution trilogy, with David M. Rubenstein.Recorded on June 11, 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her acclaimed biographies of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as the life and legacy of her late husband, Richard Goodwin, who served as a speechwriter for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Kara Swisher joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and technology, human longevity, and her interviewing style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Americans, Harriet Tubman can seem more like a character out of myth than a flesh-and-blood historical figure. Many know of Tubman's escape from slavery and her brave work on the Underground Railroad, but little more about her life and personal experiences. In this interview with David M. Rubenstein, prizewinning author Tiya Miles delves into the real woman, from Tubman's birth as “Minty Ross” to her activism and beyond, to offer a clearer image of the American hero.Recorded on June 21, 2025

Bestselling Mary Todd Lincoln biographer Lois Romano joins David M. Rubenstein at Ford's Theatre to discuss Lincoln's early life, time in the White House and mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author David Baldacci joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey from practicing law in Washington to becoming one of the world's most successful thriller writers. He discusses his approach to crafting suspenseful stories, seeing his novel Absolute Power adapted into a film by Clint Eastwood, and the evolving relationship between technology and publishing. Baldacci also explains his involvement in a lawsuit against major AI companies and shares his views on protecting authors' work in the age of artificial intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author Ann Patchett joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her novels, children's books, nonfiction work, and what it's like to own her own bookstore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Known as “America's pastime,” baseball is much more than a game in the United States. Both a source of national pride and symbol of our identity, the sport is also a window into our past. Born out of alleys and vacant lots and now played in an arena of multi-million dollar contracts and international celebrity, baseball's trajectory has in many ways mirrored that of our nation. Renowned filmmaker Ken Burns joins David M. Rubenstein to explore the story of this iconic national sport and to investigate what it reveals about the triumphs and tragedies of American history.Recorded on February 10, 2025

Bestselling Historian Candice Millard joins David M. Rubenstein at the U.S. Capitol to discuss her books about Theodore Roosevelt, James Garfield, and Winston Churchill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling historian, podcaster, and newsletter author Heather Cox Richardson joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss democracy and her books on the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been said that if you remember the ‘60s, you weren't really there, but when Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and her late husband, Dick, started to go through his papers from his time as one of the men behind JFK's New Frontier, co-designer of LBJ's Great Society, and RFK's close advisor, that revolutionary decade became as tangible to the couple as it was 60 years ago. Goodwin, who also worked for Johnson, joins David M. Rubenstein for a conversation on historical reckoning and the people who make history behind the scenes. Recorded on December 2, 2024

Bestselling author and historian Douglas Brinkley joins David M. Rubenstein in the Capitol's Kennedy Caucus Room to discuss America's 250th anniversary and his books about Walter Cronkite, the space race, Hurricane Katrina and D-Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian and Yale University Professor Beverly Gage joined David M. Rubenstein to discuss her Pulitzer Prize winning biography of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and her road trip across the U.S. to visit historic sites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author and CNBC journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin joins David M. Rubenstein at the New Orleans Book Festival to discuss his book examining the 1929 stock market crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The argument over states' rights versus a strong federal government is far from a new debate in this country. Before the divisions of today, two men represented contrasting visions of what America could be: Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson believed in individual liberties and limited federal power, while Hamilton promoted a strong national government. Their rivalry helped shape the nation's earliest political battles and continues to echo through American politics, influencing leaders from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Donald Trump. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Jeffrey Rosen explores how the competing ideas of Jefferson and Hamilton still define the constitutional debates at the heart of American democracy today.Recorded on March 12, 2026

Three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Alice McDermott joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her novels, writing process, and work as a creative writing professor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in wartime Shanghai and brought to the United States at age eleven with no knowledge of English, financier and philanthropist Oscar Tang reflects on a life shaped by displacement, ambition, and civic responsibility. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Tang recounts his journey from a small town in Vermont to Yale and Harvard, before building a successful career on Wall Street. He also discusses the experiences that shaped his philanthropic commitments—from supporting cultural institutions like the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to helping strengthen educational and civic institutions across the United States.Recorded on February 20, 2026

Historian and Yale University Professor Beverly Gage joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her Pulitzer Prize winning biography of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and her road trip across America visiting historic sites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From his childhood in Venezuela's famed El Sistema music education program to his rise as one of the world's leading conductors, Gustavo Dudamel reflects on the experiences that shaped his musical life. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Dudamel recounts conducting his first orchestra at age eleven, discusses the collaborative art of leading musicians, and shares how he prepares scores entirely from memory. Looking ahead to his tenure as music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic, he explores the role orchestras can play in connecting communities and inspiring new generations of listeners.Recorded on September 17, 2025

Married journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser join David M. Rubenstein to discuss collaborating to write books profiling key newsmakers including Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the beginning of 1776, virtually no one in the colonies was advocating independence. What changed over the course of one year? From Thomas Paine's Common Sense in January to the Continental Congress that first grounded the idea of independence, historian Edward Larson, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, traces a narrative path that reminds us why, as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, 1776 matters.Recorded on January 26, 2026

Former Reagan administration official Linda Chavez joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her career in public service and her works of fiction and nonfiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secretary of defense and friend and ally to two presidents, Robert S. McNamara was one of the most controversial men in American history for his role in the Vietnam War. Beyond his time at Harvard Law, his service during World War II, and his leadership of the Ford Motor Company and the World Bank, he is inevitably remembered for his fierce escalation of an unpopular and arguably unwinnable war. Authors Philip and William Taubman join David M. Rubenstein to provide a window into McNamara's mind, including his relationship with the Kennedy family and the evolution of his views on Vietnam.Recorded on January 16, 2026

(00:00:00) First, we look at the work of Dr. Louis S. Hopkins, whose forty years of research into Lancaster’s African American past blends rigorous scholarship with lived experience. Growing up in segregated southeast Lancaster City, Dr. Hopkins developed a deep awareness of how geography, access, and memory inform the historical record. His ongoing efforts to recover stories long pushed to the margins challenge us to reconsider how communities understand their own past. (00:22:24) We then shift to a post‑lecture conversation with Tracie Potts, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, following David M. Rubenstein’s recent Blavatt Lecture: “The Declaration of Independence at 250: Its Origins and Importance.” Potts reflects on the event, Rubenstein’s insights, and why examining the nation’s founding document matters as the U.S. approaches its semi quincentennial.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American Revolution was three wars rolled into one: a fight for independence, a civil conflict, and a struggle between nations. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, bestselling author Geoffrey Ward examines the many sides of the war through the stories of not just the Founding Fathers, but the soldiers, women, Loyalists, and others whose lives—and country—were forever changed by the movement. Recorded on December 12, 2025

Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham joined David M. Rubenstein to discuss his biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and George H.W. Bush, and his upcoming book on Dwight Eisenhower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The teenagers who made up the US Naval Academy class of 1940 arrived in Annapolis as boys on the eve of Hitler's aggression and graduated as Europe collapsed, only to find themselves thrust into every major front of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay and Normandy. Renowned military historian Craig Symonds joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the young men's sacrifice, loss, and extraordinary coming-of-age in history's deadliest conflict.Recorded on November 24, 2025

Baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr. joins David M. Rubenstein to discussed his legendary career and his work as a bestselling author, and gave viewers a tour of memorabilia from his decades in baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History may be written by the victors, but it is illustrated by its painters, and perhaps few so famously or evocatively as John Trumbull—American Revolution army officer, spy, artist. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Richard Brookhiser, Trumbull biographer and senior editor at National Review, delves into Trumbull's tumultuous life.Recorded on November 14, 2025

Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her upbringing and writing process and reads from her poem "Lady Freedom Among Us." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the science of happiness, his path to becoming an expert on happiness and how people can lead happier lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as US presidents broke bread to strengthen alliances, diffuse tensions, and broker peace: Thomas Jefferson's nation-building receptions; Richard Nixon's practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carter's cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David. Author Alex Prud'homme joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the political power wielded by the White House kitchen.Recorded on June 30, 2024

Chef, humanitarian, and author Jose Andres discussed his career, his global relief efforts with World Central Kitchen, his books, and his love of food with David M. Rubenstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jose Andres joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his career, his global relief efforts with World Central Kitchen, his books, and his love of food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A highly anticipated documentary series launches on PBS this weekend. Ken Burns' "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" is a six-part series about the men and women who fought and lived through the war for America's independence. This hour, we're joined by filmmaker David Schmidt and local history professors to preview the series and to discuss what we can learn — and what we get wrong — about the Revolutionary War. Our guests: David Schmidt, co-director of "The American Revolution” Michael Jarvis, Ph.D., professor of early American, Atlantic, and digital history and archeology at University of Rochester Paul B. Moyer, Ph.D., professor of history at SUNY Brockport Sponsored ByCorporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.---Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.---Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

The Honorable Kevin A. Hassett, PhD, Director, National Economic Council spoke with David M. Rubenstein, Chairman of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.Their conversation, among other things, touched upon the economic issues shaping our future, from the Federal Reserve to inflation to tariffs and the transformative impact of aritificial intelligence.

Author David Grann joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his books including "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "The Wager" and visits the vault of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author David Grann joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his books, including "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "The Wager," and visits the vault of the Folger Shakespeare Library. This is an episode of C-SPAN's new series America's Book Club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David M. Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, joined #EconClubDC for a Signature Event conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Chairman of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.Solomon reflected on leadership, market resilience, and the power of adaptability in a changing global economy. He discussed Goldman Sachs's 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, the importance of central bank independence, and the transformative potential of AI across industries. The conversation offered candid insights into fiscal policy, long-term growth, and how technology and innovation will continue to shape the future of global finance.

In addition to being America's first vice president and second president, Founding Father John Adams was a diplomat, the father of another president, and an avid diarist. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Gordon S. Wood, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the Revolutionary era, tackles this multifaceted figure, from his role in the birth of our nation to the precedents he set for all those who followed him.Recorded on September 4, 2025

Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her biographies of Cleopatra, Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams before visiting the vault of the National Archives to view the Treaty of Paris and other priceless documents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett joins host David M. Rubenstein to discuss her new book, her early life and her view of the Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, master of the legal thriller John Grisham joins host David M. Rubenstein to discuss his early life, writing process, latest novel and his work with wrongfully convicted prisoners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If ever there was proof that opposites attract, it was the friendship between the personally and politically conservative Edmund Burke and the liberal-leaning libertine Charles Fox, who formed a united front in 18-century British politics for a quarter of a century. Biographer James Grant joins David M. Rubenstein to demonstrate how, despite their many differences, Fox and Burke remained friends and political allies through the American Revolution and the dramatic impeachment of East India Company governor-general Warren Hastings, but ultimately fell out, both personally and professionally, over the French Revolution.Recorded on August 21, 2025

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2025. Bestselling author Walter Isaacson, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, discusses the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning Jennifer Doudna who, with her collaborators, created a DNA-editing tool with the power to revolutionize human health. Recorded on  February 19, 2021 

Lasting from 1865 to 1877, Reconstruction in the American South was an aspirational endeavor that brought with it newly enshrined rights for Black Americans, including Black male suffrage, birthright citizenship, and equal protection under the law, as well as the hope of national reconciliation. Despite early progress in education and government, lack of support and Southern resistance led to setbacks. In this conversation, Selwyn Vickers joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss how challenges to justice, citizenship, and equality persist. Recorded on January 30, 2024

The year 2024 ended with a sobering milestone: it was officially the hottest year ever recorded. That pattern of extremes continues around the world, especially in Southern California, which is suffering from one of its worst disasters in history. First responders are battling lethal wildfires that have consumed more than 12,000 buildings and homes, and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.  But beyond these headlines about rising temperatures and intensifying disasters lies a critical question: How can we better predict and prepare for extreme weather events in a warming world? Recent breakthroughs in AI-powered weather forecasting have produced new models that not only match but sometimes outperform traditional prediction systems. These advances couldn't come at a more crucial time – in 2023 alone, the US suffered $95 billion in damages from 28 separate extreme weather events. So, how do we ensure these powerful new tools reach the communities that need them most? How can advances in weather forecasting enhance energy resiliency? And what role should public agencies play as private companies push the boundaries of prediction technology? This week host Bill Loveless talks with Alice Hill and Colin McCormick about AI in weather forecasting. Together, they authored a chapter on extreme weather response in the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum's report Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap.  Alice is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. She previously served as special assistant to President Obama and senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council. Colin is a principal scientist at Carbon Direct, where he provides expertise across carbon removal methods and industrial decarbonization. He previously served as senior advisor for R&D at the US Department of Energy. He is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.