The Onion’s Owner on Satire, Infowars, Defending Democracy & Trump

The Onion’s Owner on Satire, Infowars, Defending Democracy & Trump

Last year, after pressure from activist investors, Jeff Lawson stepped down from his perch as CEO from Twilio, the cloud communications company he co-founded. But he didn’t spend any time twiddling his thumbs — that same spring, he bought the satirical news organization The Onion, and by the end of the year, they’d tried to buy Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction. Jeff also stayed busy on the political front, continuing his work on DemocracyFirst, a political action committee he co-founded, in 2022, to support candidates committed to democracy. So there was plenty to chew on when Kara interviewed Jeff last week at Democracy’s Information Dilemma, a symposium hosted by the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. They discuss the tech founder mindset; how Jeff is remaking The Onion; why political satire is more necessary than ever; why DEI — which Jeff championed as a CEO — can sometimes do more harm than good; and how to fight for democracy during Trump 2.0. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Elon’s “Nudify” Mess: How X Supercharged Deepfakes

Elon’s “Nudify” Mess: How X Supercharged Deepfakes

On Christmas Eve, Elon Musk’s X rolled out an in-app tool that lets users alter other people’s photos and post the results directly in reply. With minimal safeguards, it quickly became a pipeline for ...

22 Tammi 53min

The Problem with Wellness Culture, According to Dr. Zeke Emanuel

The Problem with Wellness Culture, According to Dr. Zeke Emanuel

Dr. Zeke Emanuel is one of the country’s foremost healthcare experts. An oncologist and the former chair of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health, he was one of the architec...

19 Tammi 58min

Rep. Ro Khanna on Epstein, ICE & a Billionaire Wealth Tax

Rep. Ro Khanna on Epstein, ICE & a Billionaire Wealth Tax

Democratic California Representative Ro Khanna joins Kara for a wide-ranging conversation about the culture of impunity that’s taken hold in America during President Trump’s second term.  They disc...

15 Tammi 1h 8min

Imran Ahmed Researches Online Hate. Trump Wants to Deport Him

Imran Ahmed Researches Online Hate. Trump Wants to Deport Him

As the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Imran Ahmed specializes in researching how hate and disinformation spread online. His work has made him a target of Elon Musk and the ...

12 Tammi 56min

Venezuela After Maduro: Can Trump Control Caracas From Afar?

Venezuela After Maduro: Can Trump Control Caracas From Afar?

The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, sent shockwaves across the globe. And although the targeted military operation was a success, the repercussions of ousting the authorita...

8 Tammi 55min

Isaac Chotiner on Confrontation, Curiosity, and Being the 'Interview Assassin'

Isaac Chotiner on Confrontation, Curiosity, and Being the 'Interview Assassin'

As the principal contributor to The New Yorker’s “Q&A” interview series, Isaac Chotiner has earned a reputation as “the interview assassin.” His persistent questioning has made for some awkward — and ...

5 Tammi 1h

ACCESS with Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger

ACCESS with Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger

Happy 2026 from all of us at On with Kara Swisher! We’re ringing in the new year with an episode of ACCESS, a new tech insider podcast from the Vox Media Podcast Network that’s hosted by two highly co...

1 Tammi 1h 5min

Driverless Semi-Trucks Are Here & Coming to a Highway Near You

Driverless Semi-Trucks Are Here & Coming to a Highway Near You

Kara sits down with Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of the autonomous trucking company Aurora, and Johnathon Ehsani, a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University and leading road safety r...

29 Joulu 202549min

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