Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad
Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad explores the intersection of business, culture, policy, media, tech, and entrepreneurship. Host Roben Farzad delves into how these forces shape our world, featuring interviews with influential figures and analysis of current trends.
Episodes
Ace the Midterms 2026 with Chuck Todd
Politics guru Chuck Todd, formerly of NBC's Meet the Press, on the issues, personalities and various realignments driving Election 2026. We also discussed his career journey, from Miami to George Washington University and The Hotline... all the way to striking out on his own in the great wide open of YouTube and social media. Recorded for an audience at the University of Richmond's Modlin Center.
William D. Cohan
Former investment banker and NY Times bestseller William Cohan on his latest book, Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth About Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street. Also discussed: Paramount's debt-laden buyout of Warner Bros and how no price tag seems to deter the uber-wealthy likes of Elon Musk and today's private-equity players.
Ex-Miami Playboy Bunny Francine Fox
Former Miami Playboy bunny, drug smuggler and serial cheater-of-death Francine Fox on her new memoir Pirate Bunny.
ICYMI
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: highlights from recent episodes -- including Shashank Joshi, The Economist's new Washington bureau chief; the duo behind The Wall Street Skinny; and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Kaufman on his book, When America Roared: How the 1980s Saved, Then Broke, the Country–and Led Us to Today.
Double episode: Jonathan Kaufman and Dan Goldman
Jonathan Kaufman on his new book, When America Roared: How the 1980s Saved, Then Broke, the Country--And Led Us to Today. And child-of-the-'80s Dan Goldman on the graphic novelist life in the algorithmic dystopia of the 2020s.
The Economist's Shashank Joshi
Shashank Joshi, The Economist's new Washington bureau chief, on Trump's Iran dilemma, the bipartisan backlash to data centers, Democratic Socialists' ascent, Midterms math....much more.
Ron Insana
Ron Insana -- a CNBC OG (he joined its predecessor network in 1984!) -- is a regular on MSNOW and Substacks on "Message of the Markets." He discussed the ginormous, mind-blowing buildout of A.I.; the Fed and Treasury's interest-rate bind; and what he calls an "E-shaped economy."
Holly Dagres
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Holly Dagres on the United States' stop-and-go / stick-and-carrot impasse with Iran. What started 2026 with grand talk of regime change has lately turned into a staredown over the flow of crude oil through Hormuz. Dagres curates The Iranist, a newsletter widely followed by Iranians and the diaspora.
Eric Deggans
NPR critic-at-large Eric Deggans -- newly announced as professor of journalism and media ethics at Washington and Lee University -- on Paramount's contested, politicized buyout of Warner Bros. (and CNN); NPR's talent flight; how his students consume news vs. noise; and moving to Virginia to join a university that still carries the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Mattie Conaghan • Gary Belsky
Impersonation machine Mattie Conaghan -- a lapsed ad writer -- on comedy as business development in the age of social media. Gary Belsky, former editor in chief of ESPN The Magazine, on everything from the network's lean(er) years to sober investing to making an impact in 2026's troubled media world. Plus, surreal stories throughout.
The Wall Street Skinny
Kristen Kelly and Jen Saarbach, best friends since the second grade, on surviving the investment banking grind and Global Financial Crisis to launch The Wall Street Skinny. The millennial-moms-with-mics are now HUGE on the socials...
Gray Montrose
Gray Montrose -- attorney, activist, small-batch farmer, social-media phenom -- on Virginia vs. data centers; utility mega-mergers; affordable housing; environmental justice....lots more.
The Ankler's Janice Min
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.
Bill Kristol
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
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.
The Economist's Alice Fulwood
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.
Ben Carlson and Paul Merriman
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 + Media Odyssey Crossover!
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 t
Joanna Stern
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.
Brandcenter's Vann Graves
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.
Margaret Brennan
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.
Lt. Raul Diaz
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
Andy Serwer
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.
ICYMI
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 ("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.
Sam Ro
The career journey and market education of Sam Ro, who runs TKer -- a newsletter that carries the torch for long-term investing.
Claire Atkinson
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.
Nayeema Raza: Smart Girl Dumb Questions
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
"Professor of Rock " Adam Reader on bringing his collective vinyl, eight-track, cassette, MTV, CD and mp3 memory into the heyday of YouTube.
Tara Grammy
LA-based playwright, actress and comedian Tara Grammy on using her social media clout to help the people of her native Iran.
Eliott Rodriguez
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.
ICYMI
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.
Peter Kafka
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.
Annie, are you okay?
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.
Don Winslow
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.
ICYMI
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
Molly Jong-Fast
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, Recovering Tiger Daughter
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
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.
Mo News Mosh
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
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
Dine with Kent!
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
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
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.
The Cars' Rise and Decline
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.
Gary Shteyngart
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.”
David Sirota
The investigative journalist, Oscar nominee and Bernie Sanders 2020 speechwriter on his new book, Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America.
Cory Bradford
Comedian, amateur historian, edutainer and TikTok/Insta star Cory Bradford's social media breakout. This episode has strong language.
Barak Ravid of Axios
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.
Ricardo "Monkey" Morales: The Most Infamous Man in Miami
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.
Mike Henry
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.
ICYMI
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.
Julia Alexander
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.
Samuel Roukin
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.
Kenya Young
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.
ETF Whiz Eric Balchunas
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.
ICYMI
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.
Jane Ferguson
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
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 of ABC News
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.
The Iran Rebalancing
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.
ICYMI
In case you missed it: highlights from recent episodes. Jamaican restaurant guru Carena Ives; bestselling author and Wall Street veteran William Cohan; former Richmond Fed chief Jeff Lacker. Back with you newly the week of June 27...
BOHO Studios
AnnMarie Grohs, founder and owner of expanding fitness boutique BOHO Studios, on the business after the pandemic. Ian Stewart guest hosts.
"Career Hannah"
Social media phenom "Career Hannah" -- Hannah Zhang, 29 -- on the ambitious college grad's guide to the riveting / deflating / why-did-I-sign-up-for-this? world of twentysomething corporate life.
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, CEO of Gilman Hill Asset Management, on the art of dividend investing -- the subject of her new book.
Dan Colarusso
Dan Colarusso, CNBC's senior VP of news, on spinning off from Comcast; keeping talent after the cord is cut; making a living in digital; co-piloting with A.I....and much more.
William D. Cohan
Bestselling author Bill Cohan (House of Cards; Power Failure) on Elon Musk's Wall Street-to-Washington playbook; Big Media's last stand; nostalgia for the golden age of glossy magazines; and how A.I. will both help and threaten beleaguered junior bankers.
Restaurateur Carena Ives
Jamaica House and Carena's Jamaican Grille founder Carena Ives on starting from scratch three decades ago, expanding, surviving disasters and snagging national renown with the help of Guy Fieri.
Jeffrey Lacker
Former Richmond Fed president Jeffrey Lacker, a member of the Shadow Open Market Committee, on tariffs and the inflationary hangover; Pres. Trump vs. Fed Chair Powell; and the peculiarities of post-Covid economic life.
ICYMI
In case you missed it: highlights from recent shows. Mudlarking on the River Thames; raising chickens in a Virginia backyard; and a Full Disclosure first -- a journo who I admire, Mo News's Mosheh Oinounou, interviews me about nervous markets and the economy.
Mudlarking the River Thames
Gradually...bit by bit...shard by shred...coin by button....a storied river gives up thousands of years of history. London Mudlark and micro-paleontologist Alessio Checconi on his finger-wrinkling love-affair with the River Thames.
Thomas Dolby
The professional journey of musician Thomas Dolby, the synth and MTV pioneer who hit it big with “She Blinded me with Science.” The British polymath has been a tech innovator, producer, author and professor at Johns Hopkins, among a thousand other things. Ian Stewart guest hosts ... with a fanboy chime-in by Roben Farzad.
ICYMI
🎙️ Rick Stengel on TIME and the State Department
🎙️ Ray Suarez on the American immigrant experience
🎙️ Zoe Schiffer on Elon Musk
Mo ... Roben?
The tables have turned! For the first time in Full Disclosure's storied history, I, Roben Farzad, am interviewed -- and by a favorite journalist: Mosheh Oinounou, the exec. behind digital media empire Mo News. We discuss anxious markets, the economy, avocados, grievance, headline volatility, factory towns...the works.
Jonathan Wald
Veteran TV news executive Jonathan Wald -- NBC; CNN; CNBC; MSNBC; Amazon's Election Night Live -- on the season of cable spinoffs and streaming consolidation and consternation.
Greens, Eggs and ...
A backyard-chicken enthusiast on churning out eggs -- suddenly the most valuable food in the world. And the brave new world of raising fresh produce through micro-farming. Ian Stewart guest hosts.
Ken Adelman
Ken Adelman, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Arms Control Director for Pres. Ronald Reagan, on the Trump administration's post-post-Cold War view on Russia -- and where that leaves Europe, NATO and the transatlantic order.
DJ Hesta Prynn
Licensed therapist Julie Potash Slavin -- who circles the planet as DJ Hesta Prynn -- on where the dance floor meets the couch. CNN called her "the leading voice in music and mental health."
Abigail Spanberger Live
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger -- previously a three-term member of Congress and CIA officer -- on Trump II vs. Washington; foreign affairs; culture wars; and the Democrats' messaging problem. Taped before an audience at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Backwash
It's "innovate or die" in craft beer -- the recently booming industry that survived the pandemic only to face lagging sales, drinkers' shifting preferences (seltzer everywhere) and even tariffs on the horizon. Andrew Coplon of Craft Beer Professionals and a pair of brewers talk to guest host Ian Stewart.
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