Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad

Gray Montrose -- attorney, activist, small-batch farmer, social-media phenom -- on Virginia vs. data centers; utility mega-mergers; affordable housing; environmental justice....lots more.

Ankler Media's Janice Min on the frenetic merging and acquiring -- "murders and executions," according to American Psycho -- reshaping a Hollywood that has seen far better days. But so much homogenization is also giving small-batch creatives their first big chance in a long time.

The Bulwark's Bill Kristol -- he's been a Cold War Democrat, a Bush 41 White House Republican, and now a Never-Trumper -- on the Iran morass, Netanyahu's month from hell, Mamdani's New York and building a new-media insurgent during the last stand for legacy outlets.

Sarah Feinberg -- former head of New York City's Transit Authority; she helmed the Federal Railroad Administration and was on Amtrak's board, and is now on Southwest Airlines' board -- on reimagining NYC's massive network of trains, planes and automobiles. All of which is in global focus with the Knicks' title and droves descending on the city for the World Cup.

Alice Fulwood, The Economist's U.S. business editor, on the global A.I. craze, China's stagnation, the Federal Reserve's bind and the success of America's franchising culture.

Investors Ben Carlson and Paul Merriman, a tandem of truth tellers -- together for the first time. Think of it as a raucous WrestleMania...but for sedate students of the market.

Full Disclosure meets The Media Odyssey in this special crossover episode with Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet. The episode covers a wide sweep of interconnected stories: the proposed Paramount-Warner merger, the editorial independence implications of foreign money in US media, the GameStop-eBay bid as a case study in social media-driven market manipulation, and the state of M&A activity across the Atlantic. From Roben's firsthand perspective on the lack of US media coverage of Iran and the effect of Gulf sovereign wealth funds acquiring stakes in major news organizations to a forensic breakdown of the Skydance-Paramount deal, Evan Shapiro, Marion Ranchet, and Roben Farzad discuss the 60 Minutes settlement, the Colbert cancellation, the Bari Weiss hiring, and the White House's reported role in pushing the merger through before a potential political shift in the fall. They close with a frank debate on the future of professional journalism and whether public media, billionaire backstops, or direct-to-consumer Substacks can fill the gap left by a collapsing legacy news industry.

Fresh off 12 award-winning years as the Wall Street Journal's tech guru, Joanna Stern discusses her bestselling book I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything.

Dr. R. Vann Graves, executive director of Brandcenter -- mentor; military veteran; ad exec; C-suite whisperer -- on breaking through in this incredibly difficult job market for new graduates.

Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan on dizzying developments in international affairs. We discussed Iran hanging on and firing at its neighbors; diplomacy through South Florida; Russia and Ukraine's violent stalemate; Hormuz and triple-digit oil; Netanyahu, Havana, Caracas, Damascus, lots more.

Since fleeing Cuba for Miami in 1961, Raul Diaz has witnessed all manner of criminal mayhem, from terrorist bombings to rampant corruption to Miami's explosion of cocaine-related homicides. This all took a major toll on both his health and family life; Diaz finally found sobriety in 2012. His new book is Killing the Lieutenant: Fighting Miami's Cocaine Wars, Hunting Griselda Blanco and My Fight to Stay Alive. All this as his native Cuba teeters.

Barron's editor at large Andy Serwer on the last stand for the Hollywood mega-merger; tech-heavy markets; artificial intelligence; China's electrified threat to Detroit; and stories from his decades in business journalism. Serwer previously was chief editor of Fortune and Yahoo Finance.

In case you missed it, highlights from recent episodes: ・ "Prof. of Rock" Adam Reader ・ "Smart Girl Dumb Questions''" Nayeema Raza ・ Deepali Vyas, "The Elite Recruiter"

Deepali Vyas, veteran Fortune 500 exec.-whisperer, has hit it big on social media as "The Elite Recruiter" -- so much so that she kind of maxed out her welcome on LinkedIn. We discussed how to break through in this most frustrating job market. Plus, she put me in play to somehow get poached by Silicon Valley.

The career journey and market education of Sam Ro, who runs TKer -- a newsletter that carries the torch for long-term investing.

The Media Mix's Claire Atkinson on fear and loathing in a diminished Hollywood -- in the wake of Paramount's massive, debt-laden acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Plus, mogul Rupert Murdoch at 95.

Showrunner, producer and all-around news polymath Nayeema Raza on her hit pod "Smart Girl Dumb Questions." We discussed finding her voice; journalism and foreign affairs during Trump II; and the inspiration she draws from her late father's curiosity and generosity.

"Professor of Rock " Adam Reader on bringing his collective vinyl, eight-track, cassette, MTV, CD and mp3 memory into the heyday of YouTube.

LA-based playwright, actress and comedian Tara Grammy on using her social media clout to help the people of her native Iran.

Veteran Miami newsman Eliott Rodriguez, the son of Cuban immigrants, on South Florida's affordability crisis; Cuba near collapse; MAGA's enduring appeal among exiles; and readying a run for Miami's contested 27th U.S. Congressional district.

In case you missed it: highlights from recent episodes, including Business Insider's Peter Kafka on the dismantling of the Washington Post; bestselling novelist Don Winslow on his political activism; and improv star Annie Sertich on the intersection of comedy and trauma.

Business Insider's Peter Kafka on the gutting of the Washington Post, Rupert Murdoch at 95, CNN amid -- yet again -- M&A musical chairs; the breathlessness over A.I. and much more.

Actress, improv-sario and all-around empath Annie Sertich -- The Groundlings; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Silicon Valley; Grey's Anatomy -- on the intersection of trauma and comedy. Her hit one-act play is "How To Not Kill Yourself for 30 Days...and the Next 330." And you might, might just recognize her viral social-media persona.

Bestselling crime novelist Don Winslow on his winding career journey -- he once had to pawn his binoculars to afford spaghetti -- and turning away from a quiet retirement to take on Trump 2.0.

Former mafia capo Michael Franzese; politics commentator Molly Jong-Fast; recovering 'tiger daughter' Lisa Sun; author Bill Janovitz on his book The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told

Author. Podcaster. Columnist. TV news regular. Molly Jong-Fast on the state of politics and public discourse during Trump 2.0 -- and the candor and pain she channeled into her bestselling book How to Lose Your Mother.

Lisa Sun, McKinsey consultant turned fashionista, speaker and mentor, on her ascent from manning the cash register at her immigrant parents' all-you-can-eat restaurant -- as a second grader. Her book is Gravitas: The 8 Strengths That Redefine Confidence.

Michael Franzese, former captain in the Colombo family, on his more than five-decade journey into and out of organized crime -- a career choice that most often ends in life in prison and/or an early funeral. Franzese, 74, is now a wine mogul, author and speaker.

Legacy news exile. Digital media insurgent. All-around enfant terrible and friend of the show. Mosheh Oinounou of Mo News on the battle for Warner Bros; the midterm reckoning for Trump II; incoming NYC Mayor Mamdani; and the enormous challenge of rebuilding Gaza.

Jesse Crosson on finding hope, purpose and himself after 19 years of incarceration. His book is The Best Part of Prison: The Power of Second Chances and Reclaiming Life Out of Darkness

Texas grandpa Kent Burris -- you know him as @ dinewithkent on TikTok and Instagram -- on hitting it big globally with his earnest restaurant visits. A highway construction exec by day, Burris moonlights as a champion of small biz ...blasting his smartphone posts on Ethiopian, Persian, Cameroonian, (every) cuisine from his travel trailer.

Chef Patrick O'Connell of the renowned Inn at Little Washington on turning a run-down stretch of rural Virginia into a three-star Michelin destination. Recorded for an audience at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

DJ Eric Rhodes discusses hitting it big on social media -- from Idaho. The mashup artist (Tone Loc + New Order?!) now travels the globe to spin, and gets pitched by brands and ad agencies.

Bestselling author Bill Janovitz on his book, The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told. Behind the MTV-heyday personas and chart-toppers: so much hurt and dysfunction -- from family disintegration to alcohol abuse and grown men too reluctant to open up to one another.

Author and satirist Gary Shteyngart joined NPR's Mary Childs and Chioke I'Anson at Richmond's Institute for Contemporary Art. The New Yorker recently featured Shteyngart in mini-doc “The Guy Who Got Cut Wrong.”

The investigative journalist, Oscar nominee and Bernie Sanders 2020 speechwriter on his new book, Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America.

Comedian, amateur historian, edutainer and TikTok/Insta star Cory Bradford's social media breakout. This episode has strong language.

Axios global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid on Gaza, Israel, the broader Mideast and U.S. two years after the October 7 attacks. Ravid's 2023 book is Trump's Peace: The Abraham Accords And The Reshaping Of The Middle East.

Google "Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales." Then listen to this interview with authors Sean Oliver and Rick Morales, Jr., on their "true story of a mythic Cuban exile, assassin, CIA operative, FBI informant, smuggler and Dad" -- perhaps the most infamous man in the infamous history of Miami.

Actor, producer, director Mike Henry — known for voicing multiple characters on “Family Guy” — on finding his groove after crashing out of the ad biz; sitcoms in the age of streaming; the opportunities in A.I.; much more. Ian Stewart guest hosts.

In case you missed it, highlights from recent episodes: actor Samuel Roukin; public media's Kenya Young; Puck's Julia Alexander. Full episodes also on YouTube.

Puck's Julia Alexander -- one of the most followed voices in the realm of media disruption -- on legacy Hollywood, streaming, YouTube, cable news, Netflix, Amazon and Apple...so much more.

Actor, DJ, voiceover and video game star Samuel Roukin -- renowned for his role as John Graves Simcoe on AMC's hit series "Turn" -- on staying alive, solvent and hopeful through Hollywood's post-streaming-binge hangover.

NPR veteran Kenya Young on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's shutdown; hard choices for member stations; and the scramble to find new business models to sustain the service. Young, an alum of Morning Edition and WNYC, is the new president and CEO of Louisville Public Media.

Bloomberg Intelligence's Eric Balchunas on the heyday of exchange-traded funds -- a multi-trillion-dollar megatrend that has democratized investing for Mom & Pop and dragged Wall Street into all sorts of cheaper / faster / better.

In case you missed it: highlights from recent episodes. Noosphere's Jane Ferguson; ABC News Washington chief Rick Klein; The Economist's Mideast watcher Gregg Carlstrom.

Foreign correspondent Jane Ferguson -- PBS News; The New Yorker; Afghanistan; Somalia; Sudan -- on founding Noosphere. Amid the continued decline of linear TV and other legacy media, the app connects journalists and content creators with their viewers / subscribers.

Investopedia's Caleb Silver -- friend of the show; CNN's former head of business coverage -- on markets, A.I., Trump vs The Fed, crypto, the intersection of Old Economy and New Economy... much more. You can also watch our interview on YouTube.

Rick Klein, Washington bureau chief for ABC News, on the Big Beautiful Bill; Democrats' NYC reckoning; Trump vs Musk; Trump vs The Fed; D.C.'s gerontocracy; much more. Full video on YouTube.

Greg Carlstrom, veteran Mideast correspondent for The Economist, on how the region will contort to rebalance after the Iran-Israel war (assuming it's over). We discussed back-channel diplomacy; Tehran's path ahead; Pres. Trump's perspective; Syria; Lebanon; Gaza, Saudi and beyond. Carlstrom's 2017 book is How Long Will Israel Survive?: The Threat From Within.