Pivot

New York Magazine

With great power comes great scrutiny.

  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    DOGE’s Chaos Strategy, X’s New Valuation, and Guest Co-Host Katie Drummond

    Kara is joined by guest co-host Katie Drummond of WIRED! They talk all things DOGE: Is Elon Musk not in charge? How much have cuts actually saved so far? Is Steve Bannon a fan? Plus, X is in talks to raise money at a valuation of $44 billion, which is the same amount Elon Musk bought it for.

    Read more from WIRED here.

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    21 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    On with Kara Swisher: Why Ben Stiller Made Severance

    Ben Stiller knew he needed to make Severance the moment he read an early version of the show in a writing sample its creator, Dan Erickson, submitted to his production company. Now, years later, Severance is a hit, reportedly generating $200 million for Apple TV, and Stiller is the series’ executive producer and go-to director responsible for some of its most pivotal episodes.

    Kara talks to Stiller about the most poignant themes of the show, from its commentary on surveillance and technology to its meditations on trauma and identity. Plus, they chat politics — including Stiller’s reaction to an angry post about him by Elon Musk and his view on making political art now. 

    Listen to more from On with Kara Swisher here.

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    18 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 59 minutes
    Trump’s Putin Call, Inflation Rises, and Sam Altman Strikes Back at Elon Musk

    Kara and Scott discuss President Trump’s call with Vladimir Putin about Ukraine, inflation rising 3% in January, and Elon Musk’s Oval Office appearance. Then, Sam Altman has some harsh thoughts about Elon Musk following his bid for OpenAI, an AI deal between China’s BYD and DeepSeek threatens Tesla, and the AP gets punished for deadnaming the “Gulf of America.” Stick around for Scott’s prediction on Tesla.

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    14 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 21 minutes
    Elon's OpenAI Bid, Trump's Judicial Strategy, and DOGE's Shock and Awe

    ​​Kara and Scott share their reactions to Elon Musk calling them "cruel, mean, & deceitful human beings." Then, they dig into Elon (and a group of investors) making a $97 billion bid for control of OpenAI, and what exactly will come of it. Plus, Trump's latest tariff threats, and his master plan to discredit judges and weaken the judiciary branch.

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    11 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    Elon Pushback, Trump's Distraction Trap, and Disney Earnings

    Kara and Scott discuss Elon Musk's continued coup, and how Democrats are starting to push back. Then, President Trump shares his bizarre idea for the U.S. to take over Gaza, but is it just part of a larger plan to flood the zone, and distract from Elon's power grab? Plus, the latest earnings from Disney, Alphabet, and Spotify.


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    7 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 16 minutes
    Trump's Tariffs, Elon's Government Takeover, and OpenAI's New Funding

    Kara and Scott discuss President Trump's nonsensical trade war, and if there's an actual endgame to these tariffs. Plus, Elon Musk and his DOGE cronies get access to the federal payment system, and important information on government websites starts to disappear. Then, the winners and losers from Big Tech's recent earnings, and OpenAI in talks for a huge funding round.

    This episode was recorded on Monday morning, before news broke that tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be paused.

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    4 February 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 12 minutes
    DeepSeek Fallout, Meta Settles with Trump, and Guest Host Reid Hoffman

    Kara and Scott are joined by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and the author of the new book: "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." They discuss DeepSeek hype and fears, and why spending money on AI is a good thing. Then, Meta settles with Trump for $25 million, and the White House takes a page out of Elon's playbook to offer buyouts to federal employees. Plus, the contentious (and frightening) RFK, Jr. hearings. And will Kara get a podcaster seat at the White House briefings?

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    31 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 58 minutes 14 seconds
    DeepSeek Shockwaves, Nvidia's Plunge, and Target's DEI Rollback

    Kara and Scott discuss the panic in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street over China's new AI model DeepSeek, which sent Nvidia and other tech stocks plunging. Is this a troubling trend for AI and the markets? Then, Trump almost starts a trade war with Colombia, and Oracle is reportedly in talks to take over Tiktok. Plus, Target becomes the latest company to end its DEI efforts.

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    28 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Musk vs. Altman, Trump Admin's DEI Crackdown, and Netflix Stock Surge

    Kara and Scott discuss Netflix's stock surging as subscriber growth breaks records yet again, and the SEC forming a crypto taskforce. Then, the Trump administration's disturbing new policy orders federal employees to report on their colleagues as part of the DEI crackdown. Plus, Elon trolls the new Trump-supported AI venture, and gets trolled by Sam Altman in return. Finally, the latest names in the mix for a TikTok deal, including MrBeast.

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    24 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 59 minutes 22 seconds
    Trump Takes Office, TikTok’s Brief Shutdown, and Crypto Cronyism

    Kara and Scott are coming to you on a Wednesday to discuss President Trump’s inauguration, and his barrage of Day 1 executive orders. Then, TikTok is back in the U.S. after briefly shutting down: what happens next? Also, President Biden’s last-minute pardons, Vivek Ramaswamy’s DOGE departure, and the First Couple’s meme coin frenzy.

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    22 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 7 minutes
    TikTok's Future, Big Tech at Trump's Inauguration, and Biden's Final Warning

    Kara and Scott preview all the Big Tech leaders going to Washington to kiss the ring at Donald Trump's inauguration. Then, Biden issues a warning about the dangers of ultra-wealthy oligarchy and the "tech industrial complex," but is anyone listening? Plus, as the hearings for Trump's cabinet nominees get underway, are the right questions being asked? Finally, Scott discusses latest venture – sports team owner!

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    17 January 2025, 11:00 am
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