Next Question with Katie Couric

Patti Smith has spent decades turning her life into art as a poet, musician, artist, and author. In her new book, Bread of Angels, she goes back to the very beginning, tracing the people and moments that formed her, from childhood and her creative awakening to marriage, motherhood, and the present day. In this conversation, Patti talks with Katie about the relationships that shaped her, the losses she’s carried and what they’ve taught her, and how she’s held on to her sense of self through every chapter of her life. She also reflects on creativity, memory, and what it means to look back on a life that’s still unfolding. Bread of Angels is out now in paperback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With less than 50 days until the midterm elections, major battles are already underway over voting rights, election rules, redistricting, and how Americans vote. Katie Couric sits down with Marc Elias, a leading election lawyer, founder of Democracy Docket, and founder of Elias Law Group, to discuss the legal fights shaping the 2026 midterms. They discuss the Supreme Court’s recent rulings on mail-in voting, rapidly changing congressional maps, voter rolls, election security, and what could happen if election results are challenged after Election Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick made global headlines when he decided to take a knee during the National Anthem in response to a spate of killings of young Black men by police in a number of cities across the country: Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Now, 10 years after he first refused to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner, he’s written a memoir called The Perilous Fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie sits down with Dr. Sharon Malone at the Aspen Institute to talk about why women's health has been under-researched and under-funded for centuries -- which also happens to be the subject of Katie's new documentary, HORMONAL!. The numbers are staggering: PMS affects 90% of women but gets a fraction of the funding erectile dysfunction research receives. The NIH didn't require women to be included in clinical trials until 1993. Katie also shares how her own breast cancer diagnosis has shaped her relationship to hormone therapy. It's a candid, infuriating, ultimately hopeful conversation about what it will take to close the gender gap in medicine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Lowe is best known for his decades in Hollywood, from The West Wing to Parks and Recreation and beyond. In this episode of Next Question, I spoke with him about his career, his long marriage, and his family’s experience with cancer — including how a clinical trial helped extend his grandmother’s life after her breast cancer diagnosis. We also discussed why he’s become an advocate for helping people better understand what cancer clinical trials are and how they work in cancer care. Presented in partnership with @EliLillyandCompany #LillyPartner #sponsored Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.