You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

Hillary has been an admirer of Barbra Streisand’s throughout her remarkable career, and a friend since they first met back in 1992. There’s lots to admire about this iconic singer, actor, writer, producer, and director, known for her best-selling albums, performances on stage and screen, and activism. “Funny Girl”, “The Way We Were”, “Yentl”, and “A Star Is Born” are just a few of the titles that remind us of the profound impact Barbra's made on our cultural landscape.     Now, she’s added a new achievement to the list, with the release of her highly anticipated, expansive, and entertaining memoir: My Name is Barbra. She joins Hillary for a wide-ranging conversation about how she made her way from a cramped apartment in Flatbush, Brooklyn to the EGOT winner she is today; her special friendship with Hillary’s mother-in-law Virginia; and her unflinching honesty, which played out to comic effect on the first date with her now-husband of twenty-five years, James Brolin.   You can read the full transcript HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s almost that time of year  for holiday gatherings with family and friends. And with that comes lots of eating, maybe lots of cooking, and, for many, a growing list of topics that are off the table for discussion, as they run the risk of derailing an otherwise  festive occasion.   Of course, there are times when we need to have difficult conversations, and to be able to disagree with others without threatening our connection to the people we love, or the vital work we need to get done.   On today’s episode, Hillary speaks with Sarah Stewart Holland and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield,  two people who are highly skilled at navigating difficult conversations, and can share stories and offer advice from the front lines.   Sarah is a progressive Democrat who ran for office (and won!), and is raising three kids, in the very red state of Kentucky. On the Pantsuit Politics podcast, she and her more politically conservative co-host Beth Silvers have been tackling challenging conversations since 2015. They’ve written two books to help others do the same, including the book club favorite I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation.  Linda, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has been engaged in high-stakes, complex negotiations for decades. Over the course of her 35-year career with the Foreign Service, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, as the Director of Human Resources, and held posts abroad in Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Switzerland, and elsewhere.   You can read the full transcript HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world’s attention is rightly drawn to the crisis unfolding in the Middle East, another devastating war rages on. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Ukrainians have shown remarkable courage and determination in fighting to preserve their independence. But it’s come at a terrible cost, and victory is far from assured.   This past September at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), together with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Hillary announced the launch of a CGI Ukraine Action Network–a coalition of partners committed to supporting the people of Ukraine. Both of her guests today are partners in that coalition, and have been doing everything they can to support the people of Ukraine in their brave and necessary fight to defend their freedom.   Olga Rudneva shares with us her work as CEO of Superhumans Center, a modern medical center providing prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation, and other essential services to Ukrainian men, women, and children who have lost limbs in the war.    Actor and director Liev Schreiber talks about how and why he co-founded BlueCheck Ukraine, a collective of humanitarian crisis response experts, entrepreneurs, and filmmakers who work to identify, vet, and fast-track urgent financial support to Ukrainian NGOs and aid initiatives providing life-saving and humanitarian work on the front lines of Russia’s war on Ukraine.    You can read a full transcript HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve heard of listening tours, right? Hillary’s done plenty of those. These days, New York City writer, humorist, and cultural icon Fran Lebowitz is in the midst of a talking tour across the United States and abroad. Between destinations, she found time to stop by the studio and chat with Hillary.   Fran used to write. She’s the author of two best-selling essay collections, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies. But she likes talking better, and has gained a following for her sharp wit and her incisive, unapologetic opinions on just about everything.    In their wide-ranging and fast-moving conversation, Hillary and Fran discuss Fran’s early days scrounging for work, food, and heat in New York; the truth about “the American Dream”; how to survive long-distance air travel without a smartphone or cigarettes; why Martin Scorcese’s documentaries about Fran, Public Speaking and Pretend It’s a City, were not collaborations; and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These days, when Congress is so often paralyzed by in-fighting between the extreme and the more extreme wings of the Republican Party, it’s often up to states to fend for themselves. That puts a lot of responsibility in the hands of our governors - responsibility that some use for good, and others use for ill.   On today’s episode, Hillary talks with two newly-minted governors who are doing everything they can to improve the lives and future prospects of the people whom they serve.   Before taking office as the first woman and first LGBTQ+ governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey had already proved her mettle—first as a college and pro-basketball player, later as the Chief of the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office, and then as the first openly gay Attorney General in the country. She shares her priorities with Hillary, from making life in Massachusetts more affordable, to tackling climate change, easing the migrant crisis, and encouraging young people to see themselves as future leaders.   The first public office Maryland Governor Wes Moore ever ran for is the one he now holds. But his experiences as the child of a single immigrant mother, a U.S. Army Captain, and CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation gave him his “why”—to lift families out of poverty, promote economic growth, and lead young people to public service. He won in a landslide, making him the first Black governor of Maryland, and only the third elected Black governor anywhere in the country. He and Hillary talk about how he’s settling into the job, what he’s been able to accomplish, and why you’ve got to celebrate the wins even when they come with compromises.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Hillary was growing up, she and her friends didn’t have Judy Blume to guide them through the bewildering changes that come with puberty. She wishes they had.    When Judy began writing as a young housewife raising two children in suburban New Jersey in the late 1960s, topics like menstruation, sex, bullying, divorce, and religion were considered taboo in books for young readers. Judy changed that, with titles like Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, Blubber, Deenie, and Forever.    These books struck a chord with millions of readers, but they also landed her in some hot water. Since the culture wars of the Reagan era, Judy's novels have consistently been found on the American Library Association's list of most banned books.    Today, at age 85, Judy Blume is enjoying something of a renaissance. The film adaptation of Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret came out this past spring to critical acclaim, and there's a new documentary film about her on Amazon Prime. And while she is no longer writing novels, she is still connecting with young readers, especially when they come into the nonprofit bookstore that she and her husband run in Key West, Florida.    In this wide-ranging conversation, Hillary and Judy touch on everything from comic books and sex education to book banning and the responsibility that comes with a mailbox full of letters from young people seeking guidance.   Read a full transcript HERE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hillary kicks off a new season of You and Me Both in conversation with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries–a man after her own heart when it comes to getting things done.    Leader Jeffries, the United States Representative for New York’s 8th Congressional District, was a litigator and New York State Assemblyman before moving up the ladder in Congress, from chair of the House Democratic Caucus to his current role as Democratic Leader. He also served as a House Manager overseeing the first impeachment of former President Trump.   Throughout his meteoric rise, though, he’s never forgotten his Brooklyn roots – the Baptist Church, hip hop music, and the values of his civil servant parents. And he loves a good sports metaphor, as you’ll hear in this wide-reaching conversation spanning his childhood, his bipartisan work on criminal justice reform, and his strategy for unifying his boisterous House caucus and refining the Democratic Party’s message to the American people.   Read a full transcript HERE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hillary is back! This season, as always, she'll be having candid, thought-provoking and sometimes humorous conversations with people she admires. She'll also be talking to her guests about one of her favorite subjects: getting things done. We’ll hear from folks in positions of power, like Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Massachusetts governor Maura Healey, but also athletes, authors, artists, and activists who are doing the work.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You and Me Both is between seasons right now, but with the Academy Awards right around the corner, Hillary could not wait to share her conversation with multiple award-winning actor Frances McDormand.    Frances is now up for another Oscar, this time as producer of the powerful new film “Women Talking” (in which she also appears). The film, directed by Sarah Polley and based on the novel by Miriam Towes, is about a group of Mennonite matriarchs who gather in a hayloft to decide, collectively, what they will do in the wake of a wave of sexual assaults committed against them by men in their community.    Hillary talks to Frances about the genesis of this project, and the challenging, universal questions posed by the film. They also look back at Frances’ remarkable career—the brave choices she’s made, and the iconic roles she’s given us, from police chief Marge Gunderson in “Fargo” to a displaced, widowed worker seeking community in “Nomadland”— and forward, to what Frances sees for herself on the horizon.   You can find a full transcript HERE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While You and Me Both is between seasons, Hillary could not wait to share this conversation with one of her favorite actors, and people, Frances McDormand. Together, they talk about “Women Talking,” the powerful new film Frances produced and appears in, and about Frances’s decades-long career of incredible performances on stage and screen, from police chief Marge Gunderson in “Fargo” to a displaced worker and widow in “Nomadland.” Please join us for this special episode of You and Me Both, available on Tuesday, March 7th, just in time for the Academy Awards!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our season finale, Hillary welcomes Saturday Night Live’s Emmy Award-winning sketch comedian Kate McKinnon to the show. In her first ever appearance on a podcast, Kate and Hillary compare notes on their recent bouts with COVID-19. Then Kate talks about how she’s parlayed her social anxiety into a wildly successful career in comedy; the CGI tigers on the set of the Peacock series Joe vs. Carole (in which she plays animal rights activist Carole Baskin); and how she develops her character impressions of everyone from Justin Bieber to Jeff Sessions, and, of course, Hillary.   Then, with Kate’s help, Hillary answers listener questions on everything from her goals during her time as U.S. Senator for New York to her favorite desserts. You can read a full transcript HERE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, Hillary (like so many other people) discovered comedian Hannah Gadsby through her breakout Netflix special Nanette. The show shook up the comedy world by exposing the ways that even the best intentioned stand-up can inflict trauma on comedian and audience members alike when it invites us to laugh about misogyny, homophobia, fat-phobia, and other forms of hatred and prejudice. Having grown up non-gender conforming and gay in Tasmania, Australia’s deeply conservative island state, Hannah spoke from experience.  Hannah followed Nanette with another Netflix special, Douglas, which explored the aftermath of her relatively late-in-life diagnosis of autism. She will soon be touring with her latest live show, Body of Work, and just released a new memoir, Ten Steps to Nanette. Hillary was eager to talk to Hannah about how her life, and her comedy, have evolved since Nanette. As you’ll hear, they found lots of other things to talk about as well, from physical therapy to healing from trauma, and dealing with online trolls. You can find a full transcript HERE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the course of this season of the podcast, Hillary has been examining the challenges our democracy faces. Today, she looks abroad to Russia’s brutal, unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and considers what led to this moment and what’s at stake in this war–for Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the whole world.Joining her are two experts. First, historian and journalist Anne Applebaum provides insight into Vladimir Putin and the antidemocratic figures he’s inspired in Europe and beyond. Then, we hear from political scientist and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul on how we got to this moment from the fall of the former Soviet Union, what the United States can do to help Ukraine, and how to fight back against Russia’s crackdown on truth and dissent.Bios:Anne Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic, a journalist, and a historian whose work has largely focused on Eastern Europe and the role of democracy. She is the author of four books, including Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe 1944-56, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize and, most recently, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. She lives in Warsaw and London.Michael McFaul is professor of political science at Stanford University, and a diplomat who served at the National Security Council and as U.S. Ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration. He is also an International Affairs Analyst for NBC News and a contributing columnist to The Washington Post. His most recent book, From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia, was a New York Times bestseller.You can find a full transcript HERE. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of upheaval and suffering for over two years, but it has also presented us with an opportunity to try to do things differently going forward—in our personal lives, in our communities, and in the way governments serve people.During what looks to be a much-needed reprieve from the pandemic, Hillary turns to two brand new mayors, with different backgrounds and leadership styles, who are seizing this opportunity to transform their cities with vision and determination. First, we hear from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, whose commitment to affordable housing, accessible transportation, and better health outcomes for all stem from her own experiences navigating dysfunctional public services for her immigrant mother with a mental health disability.Then we turn to New York Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD officer, state senator, and Brooklyn Borough President who says he wants to bring back the city’s “swagger” by improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers while attending to both public safety and justice.Bios:Michelle Wu is the first woman, the first Asian American, and the first mother to be elected Mayor of Boston. She previously served on the Boston City Council, as a member and then, in 2016, as President. Eric Adams served with the NYPD for 22 years. In his second career as an elected official, he served as a state senator and Borough President of Brooklyn before winning the nomination for Mayor of New York in a crowded Democratic primary and going on to become New York’s 110th, and only its second African American, Mayor. You can find a full transcript HERE. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Hillary continues her series on the state of our democracy. On today’s episode, we take a look at how our courts, and our laws, are holding up under pressure from powerful interest groups. First, we hear from Dahlia Lithwick, who has covered the Supreme Court for Slate since 1999. Dahlia shares some rather grim predictions on what we can expect from the Court this term with regard to abortion rights, gun regulations, and more. After that comes a conversation with Sherrilyn Ifill about President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, the Court’s decimation of voting rights, and Sherrilyn’s next project, once she steps down as President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund this spring.Bios:Dahlia Lithwick is a senior editor at Slate, where she writes her award-winning “Supreme Court Dispatches” and “Jurisprudence” columns and hosts Amicus, a podcast about the law and the Supreme Court. Her forthcoming book, Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America, is due out this fall.  Sherrilyn Ifill is the outgoing President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund known for her work on voting rights, police violence, and racial justice. Previously, she taught for twenty years at the University of Maryland law school. Sherrilyn was one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year in 2021.Full transcript is HERE. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.