Episodes

  • The Case That Could Take Down Super PACs & Stop Dark Money ft. Lawrence Lessig | Shane Has Questions

    The Case That Could Take Down Super PACs & Stop Dark Money ft. Lawrence Lessig | Shane Has Questions
    Nov 13 2025
    Harvard Law’s Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons and Equal Citizens, joins Shane for look at how money captured American politics and what it will take to break its grip. Lessig explains why the real super PAC problem wasn’t created by Citizens United but by a lower-court ruling, and why a new Maine initiative could become the test case that finally reins in unlimited outside spending, potentially nationwide by 2028. They dig into the Supreme Court’s expanding power, how crypto and AI money are rewriting policy in real time, and whether “lawfare” is a buzzword or a genuine threat. Along the way: wage theft vs. our TV-obsession with robberies, why institutions keep settling with extortionists, and what reform has the best odds. In the lightning round, Lessig names dark money as democracy’s bigger danger over disinformation. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • How Maverick Carter Rewrote the Rules of Sports Media ft Maverick Carter | Shane Smith Has Questions

    How Maverick Carter Rewrote the Rules of Sports Media ft Maverick Carter | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Nov 6 2025
    Shane sits down with Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Company, business partner to LeBron James, and one of the most influential figures in modern sports and entertainment, for an unfiltered, masterclass conversation about capitalism, culture, and coming up from nothing. Maverick opens up about his roots in Akron, Ohio, where his grandmother ran an underground after-hours club that doubled as a community hub and a crash course in entrepreneurship. He explains how sweeping floors and watching dice games taught him the rules of capitalism long before business school ever could. From there, the discussion dives into his early days at Nike, the founding of SpringHill, and his lifelong friendship with LeBron, including the now-legendary story of how a teenage LeBron turned down a $10 million check from Reebok to bet on himself and ultimately sign with Nike. Along the way, Shane and Maverick riff on the psychology of money, what it really means to “earn your name,” and how winning — in sports, business, or life — is about raising all ships. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • How Social Media Rewired Journalism ft. Aaron Parnas | Shane Smith Has Questions

    How Social Media Rewired Journalism ft. Aaron Parnas | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Oct 30 2025
    Shane Smith sits down with Aaron Parnas, the 26-year-old lawyer, journalist, and viral political commentator who’s redefining how Americans get their news. Together, they unpack the collapse of public trust in mainstream media, the rise of social platforms as new journalism hubs, and how Gen Z’s relationship to truth and power differs from every generation before. Parnas opens up about growing up amid political scandal, as the son of Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, and how personal trauma forged his drive to bring clarity and speed to today’s chaotic information ecosystem. He explains how he built a platform reaching more than 80 million Americans on TikTok by reporting in real time using court filings, direct government sources, and social feeds instead of corporate newsrooms. Shane and Aaron compare notes on their own careers in war zones and misinformation battlegrounds, exploring how “social media has democratized journalism” but also created echo chambers, rage cycles, and conspiratorial feedback loops. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/SHANE. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Why Hollywood Lost Its Soul ft. Barry Diller | Shane Smith Has Questions

    Why Hollywood Lost Its Soul ft. Barry Diller | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Oct 23 2025
    Shane Smith sits down with Hollywood titan Barry Diller, the media mogul behind Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, QVC, Expedia, and IAC, for a sweeping journey through one of the most remarkable careers in modern entertainment. From his mailroom days at William Morris to creating the “Movie of the Week” at ABC, Diller recounts how failure, luck, and relentless curiosity shaped his path to becoming one of the most powerful figures in media. He opens up about his nervous breakdown at 19, the creative chaos of running Paramount during Grease, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Beverly Hills Cop, and how he embraced technology early, spotting the potential of interactivity decades before the internet boom. Shane and Barry dive into the lost art of creative confrontation, the decline of instinct in Hollywood, and the tectonic shift from storytelling to data-driven content. Diller also shares deeply personal reflections on his relationship with Diane von Furstenberg, his sexuality, and how a lifetime of contradictions, the shy kid who became a global powerbroker, has defined him. Along the way, there are stories of Beverly Hills scandals, the Munich Olympics tragedy, near misses with Amazon stock worth billions, and why Barry still believes his greatest bet was always on curiosity itself. Book your doctor's appointment at https://www.zocdoc.com/shane Get 50% off your first box, plus free breakfast for 1 year at https://www.factormeals.com/SHANE50OFF and use code SHANE50OFF Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • The Spiritual Crisis of Modern Intelligence ft. Sam Harris | Shane Smith Has Questions

    The Spiritual Crisis of Modern Intelligence ft. Sam Harris | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Oct 16 2025
    Shane Smith sits down with Sam Harris, philosopher, neuroscientist, and bestselling author for a deep conversation about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the fragile future of humanity. They begin with Sam’s early life and unlikely path, from studying English at Stanford to dropping out after a transformative MDMA experience that led him to India and Nepal, where he meditated and even served briefly on the Dalai Lama’s security detail. What follows is a wide-ranging exploration of how psychedelics, meditation, and neuroscience all shape our understanding of the mind and what happens when machines start thinking faster than we ever could. From the quantum weirdness of parallel universes to the moral peril of unaligned AI, Sam warns that humanity isn’t in an arms race with China or Google—but with its own ignorance. The two dive into the ethics of wealth and power, the danger of tech billionaires acting like Bond villains, and how meditation might be the only antidote to an accelerating world we no longer understand. Funny, philosophical, and fearlessly honest, this episode tackles everything from Elon Musk and Bill Gates to psychedelics and the illusion of the self, weaving science and spirituality into a single, provocative conversation about where we go next. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 33 mins
  • How America Lost Faith in Everything ft. Chuck Todd | Shane Smith Has Questions

    How America Lost Faith in Everything ft. Chuck Todd | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Oct 9 2025
    Shane Smith sits down with veteran journalist Chuck Todd, former Meet the Press moderator and current host of Sunday Night with Chuck Todd, in a deep dive on the state of American politics and media today. Chuck opens up about his decision to leave legacy media behind and reinvent political journalism for the long-form podcast era, why Meet the Press became “an aircraft carrier that couldn’t turn,” and how he rediscovered his voice in independent media. Together, he and Shane dissect how the Democrats misread Obama’s 2012 victory, how identity politics replaced class politics, and why Gen X got “screwed” out of ever having a president of its own. The two discuss the decline of institutional trust, the collapse of local journalism, and the growing “cold civil war” fueled by redistricting and algorithmic polarization. Todd argues that saving democracy begins at the local level by rebuilding trust through community storytelling, youth sports, and bottom-up journalism, while Shane connects the dots between sports, politics, and America’s addiction to tribalism. The conversation moves seamlessly from Obama and Trump to Reagan and Ross Perot, from Moneyball politics to AOC’s rise, from Walter Cronkite’s myth to TikTok reality. Along the way, Chuck delivers one-liners worthy of a newsroom veteran (“A man named Craig made classifieds free, and yada yada yada, Trump became president”), while Shane pushes him into bold territory on civil war, secession, and whether democracy itself can survive the age of social media. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • The Rage Economy Is Destroying Us ft. Scott Galloway | Shane Smith Has Questions

    The Rage Economy Is Destroying Us ft. Scott Galloway | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Oct 2 2025
    Scott Galloway and Shane Smith dive into the growing tension in today’s society, exploring how economic instability, digital culture, and political unrest are shaping people’s frustrations and anger. They analyze the rise of digital platforms, the deepening wealth divide, and the decline of traditional work structures, which have fueled a wave of anxiety and frustration. Galloway breaks down how capitalism’s evolution and the collapse of old economic systems are leaving many feeling powerless and left behind. The conversation delves into the cultural forces that amplify anger, and how these shifts are not only affecting individuals but also reshaping businesses and politics in ways that could have long-lasting consequences. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 45 mins
  • The Hidden Side of Psychedelic Research ft. Hamilton Morris | Shane Smith Has Questions

    The Hidden Side of Psychedelic Research ft. Hamilton Morris | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Sep 25 2025
    Psychedelics are reshaping medicine and culture. Ayahuasca ceremonies, ibogaine treatments, and ketamine clinics promise breakthroughs but raise hard questions about safety, tradition, and control. Hamilton Morris joins Shane Smith to unpack the science, myths, and politics behind today’s psychedelic movement. He breaks down the promises of ibogaine clinics, the rise of ketamine in psychiatry, and the battles over MDMA research, showing how curiosity and controversy continue to shape the future of psychedelics. The conversation highlights how political and economic forces influence the direction of psychedelic research. Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 47 mins