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.
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Emmy and Sundance Award-winning documentary filmmaker Jeff Orlowski discusses his new film CHASING CORAL. He’ll explain the extraordinary ecosystems that form around coral and how the health of our ocean’s coral is an early indicator of the health of the planet as a whole. We discuss some of the technical and logistical hurdles that Jeff and his team faced in their race to capture images of the most recent bleaching event, whether the rapid demise of coral reefs can be reversed before it’s too late, and why some coral reefs are suddenly and mysteriously glowing.
CHASING CORAL will be available on Netflix and in theaters beginning Friday, July 14. For more information, visit www.chasingcoral.com.
This episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh and The Weather Channel.
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Senator Al Franken talks about his journey from Saturday Night Live to the Senate and his new book AL FRANKEN: GIANT OF THE SENATE. He shares his memories of SNL cast members like Chris Farley and John Belushi,
and why he's glad Lorne Michaels didn't cast him as the anchor on Weekend Update. He discusses how he won over a reluctant Democratic establishment in his first election and how he has had to control his comedic impulses as a Senator. He gives the inside scoop on his confrontational exchange with Jeff Sessions, doing comedy routines with Republican Senator Pat Roberts, and why he describes Ted Cruz as a toxic co-worker. Plus, Senator Franken sings for his supper with his very own fundraising song.
Order AL FRANKEN: GIANT OF THE SENATE on Amazon or download the audiobook for free with a special promotion just for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Keep up with him at www.franken.senate.gov, and follow him on Twitter at @AlFranken.
This episode is sponsored by OUTSIDE THE BOX podcast and BOMBFELL. Check out OUTSIDE THE BOX on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Get $25 off your first BOMBFELL clothes purchase at www.bombfell.com/KICK.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Science writer Mary Roach talks about her new book GRUNT: THE CURIOUS SCIENCE OF HUMANS AT WAR which explores the often ignored aspects of modern warfare that relate not to the killing, but to keeping soldiers alive. She talks about various oddball military research projects with names like “The Chicken Gun” and “Stench Soup, why diareah is enemy #1 for US Special Forces, and how she experienced first hand the insomnia of working on a nuclear submarine. Plus why combat fashion matters, how medics train for real combat scenarios, and why maggots might be a wounded soldier’s best friend.
Order GRUNT: THE CURIOUS SCIENCE OF HUMANS AT WAR on Amazon or download the audiobook for free with a special promotion just for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Keep up with her at www.MaryRoach.com, and follow her on Twitter at @Mary_Roach.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Tennis great John McEnroe talks tennis, temper, and his new book BUT SERIOUSLY. He discusses winning his first grand slam at age 20, his life after the pros, and a recurring nightmare he has about his 1984 French Open match with Ivan Lendl. McEnroe talks about some of his famous arguments with tennis umpires, and how his temper helped his game in his younger years but he says it held him back later in his career. He’ll handicap this year’s Wimbledon finals, give his characteristically frank take on the state of the game and a few things he’d like to do away with in tennis. Plus, he’ll even give me a few tips on how to improve my serve.
John McEnroe's new book BUT SERIOUSLY on Amazon or download the audiobook for free with a special promotion just for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Look for John McEnroe broadcasting live from Wimbledon 2017 on ESPN and the BBC, and learn more about the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at www.sporttimeny.com.
Today's podcast is sponsored by The Weather Channel and Hello Fresh. When storm season hits, you need the nation's most trusted source for severe weather coverage The Weather Channel. Visit www.HelloFresh.com and enter KICK30 when you subscribe for $30 off your first week of delicious meal deliveries.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Kate Micucci discusses her hilarious new movie The Little Hours and the origins of her comedy folk duo that became a Youtube sensation Garfunkel and Oates. She talks about how The Little Hours satisfied her lifelong obsession with nuns that even includes a "nun collection." She reveals why no one in the film does an accent, we talk about the funniest nude scene ever, and she shares how she became a professional sandcastle builder.
The Little Hours opens in theatres tomorrow Friday June 30. Keep up with Kate at www.KateMicucci.com and follow her on Twitter at @KateMicucci. Check out some of the best Garfunkel and Oates at www.garfunkelandoates.com.
Today's podcast is sponsored by Outside the Box, US Markerboard, Belay, Away, The Weather Channel. Check out the Outside the Box podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Get 10% off standard and custom whiteboards, glass boards, and more by going to www.USMarkerboard.com and using promo code KICK at checkout. Visit www.awaytravel.com/KICK and use promo code KICK at checkout for $20 off an incredible Away suitcase. Learn more about how a Belay Virtual Assistant can benefit you at www.belaysolutions.com/KICKASSNEWS. When storm season hits, you need the nation's most trusted source for severe weather coverage The Weather Channel.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Senator Mike Lee returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Written Our of History and some of America's founding fathers you've never heard of. He discusses the Iriquo chief who had a profound impact on Benjamin Franklin, the slave woman who won her own freedom and paved the way for emancipation, the founding father's who refused to sign the Constitution, and why they may have been vindicated by history. Plus Senator Lee explains why he thinks it’s time to wrap up the Russia investigation, what the Broadway musical Hamilton gets wrong about Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and whether or not the founding fathers intended for the U.S. Constitution to be a "living breathing document."
Order Senator Mike Lee's new book Written Out of History: The Forgotten Founders Who Fought Big Government on Amazon or download the audio book for free with a special trial offer from Audible at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Keep up with him at www.lee.senate.gov and follow him on Twitter at @SenMikeLee.
Today's podcast is sponsored by Belay, SimpliSafe, The Weather Channel, Revisionist History, and Aspiration. Learn more about how a Belay Virtual Assistant can benefit you at www.belaysolutions.com/KICKASSNEWS. Get 10% off a SimpliSafe home security system at www.SimpliSafe.com/LISTEN. When storm season hits, you need the nation's most trusted source for severe weather coverage The Weather Channel. If your fed up with big banks and poor interest rates, check out the bank with a conscience Aspiration at www.aspiration.com/kickass. Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History is returning for a news season, so subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Scott Hamilton Kennedy is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind a new documentary narrated by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson called Food Evolution which explores the controvery over GMO foods and the science of genetically modified crops. Today, he explains exactly what GMO’s are, and whether there’s any scientific evidence that GMOs harm humans or the environment. He discusses how Hawaii became ground zero for the debate over GMOs and a misguided GMO ban in Uganda that threatened to starve 1/3 of the country’s population. We talk about who is fueling alarmism over GMOs, what motivates them, and the problems facing scientist who are trying to combat the anti-GMO hysteria with facts and data. He debunks the infamous Seralini Study that claimed GMO causes cancer, and he reveals the truth behind claims that GMOs have increased harmful pesticides. Plus he shares some of the remarkable things that scientists are working on with GMOs, and what would happen if the whole world went organic.
Food Evolution opens in theaters in New York City on June 23 and in Los Angeles on June 30. For more information, visit www.FoodEvolutionMovie.com and follow the film on Twitter at @foodevomovie.
Today’s episode is sponsored by U.S. Marker board and the Best of the Left podcast. US Markerboard is the premium supplier of whiteboards and visual display products in North America. Go to www.USMarkerboard.com and use the promo code KICK for 10% off. Subscribe to the Best of the Left podcast wherever you get your podcasts or visit www.bestoftheleft.com.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
As an award-winning actor, director, writer, and science communicator, Alan Alda has become something of an expert in empathy, relating to others, and facilitating greater communication and understanding. Today he returns to the podcast to share some of what he's learned. He recalls how an unfortunate experience with his dentist set him on a path to teaching better communication between doctors and their patients, and how he became a much better interviewer on Scientific American Frontiers when he stopped trying to be a know-it-all and just indulged his own curiosity. He talks about theory of mind, how he experimented in his daily life to develop greater empathy for others, how to heal the political divide one conversation at a time, and whether his wife of 60 years thinks he's really a great communicator.
Order Alan Alda's new book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating on Amazon or download the audiobook for free with a special trial offer just for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Visit his website at www.alanalda.com and support The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at www.alanaldacenterlearning.org. Follow Alan Alda on Twitter at @AlanAlda.
Today's episode is sponsored by Aspiration, Revisionist History, USMarkerboard.com, and Couchbase. If your fed up with big banks and poor interest rates, go to www.aspiration.com/kickass. Malcomb Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History returns for a new season. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Find out why US Markerboard is the premium supplier of whiteboards and visual display products in North America. Go to www.USMarkerboard.com and use the promo code KICK for 10% off. The Couchbase Data Platform is built on the most powerful No SQL technology to give your web, mobile, and internet-of-things apps unparalleled agility, manageability, and performance at any scale. You can learn more at www.couchbase.com/KickassNews.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
Brett McKay is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Art of Manliness, the largest independent men’s lifestyle magazine on the web, and the host of The Art of Manliness podcast. We discuss the changing definitions of manliness, what many are calling a modern crisis of manhood, and why men don’t fix things anymore. Brett shares his tips on things like how to be an awesome uncle, how to use your baby as exercise equipment, how to get the perfect shoe shine, survive a bear attack, and how to use your smart phone to start a fire. Plus Teddy Roosevelt, the Eisenhower decision matrix, and a crash course in situational awareness.
Order Brett McKay's new book The Illustrated Art of Manliness: The Essential How-To Guide: Survival • Chivalry • Self-Defense • Style • Car Repair • And More on Amazon. Check out www.artofmanliness.com and subscribe to The Art of Manliness podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Brett on Twitter at @BrettMcKay.
Today's episode is sponsored by Aspiration. If you're fed up with big banks and poor interest rate,s visit www.aspiration.com/kickass.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about his 50 year friendship with the "Wizard of Westwood" UCLA Coach John Wooden. He says Coach Wooden was more concerned with his players’ grades than with winning basketball games, he shares some of the wisdom that Coach Wooden imparted, and talks about the time Coach helped Abdul-Jabbar forgive another one of his early mentors who used a racial slur. He talks about how he felt when the NCAA banned dunking and how Coach Wooden helped him overcome that setback by showing him how use his signature "skyhook" to maximum effect on the court. Plus Kareem shares some of Wooden’s favorite inspirational quotes, the Coach's essential advice on how to put on your shoes and socks, and Kareem explains how his two loves - basketball and jazz are really very similar.
Order Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's new book Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court on Amazon or download the audiobook for free with a special trial offer just for our listeners at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. You can learn more about what Kareem is up to these days at www.kareemabduljabbar.com and support his charity The Skyhook Foundation at www.skyhookfoundation.org. Follow Kareem on Twitter at @KAJ33.
Today's episode is sponsored by USMarkerboard.com. Find out why US Markerboard is the premium supplier of whiteboards and visual display products in North America. Go to www.USMarkerboard.com and use the promo code KICK for 10% off.
Subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take a minute to take our listener survey at www.podsurvey.com/KICK. Support the show by donating at www.gofundme.com/kickassnews. Visit www.kickassnews.com for more fun stuff.
