Axios - Season 2

The Season 2 premiere features an exclusive interview with senior White House adviser Jared Kushner. Conducted over the course of two consecutive days by national political reporter Jonathan Swan, the wide-ranging discussion touches on his outside perspective on Washington politics, his upbringing and career trajectory, and his understanding of his role in furthering the goals of President Trump and his administration. This week's show also features a segment on the "Greatest Global Threats" as summarized by leading national security experts from the last three administrations, including former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, former homeland security adviser and chief counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco, former secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, former secretary of defense, CIA director and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and former CIA director David Petraeus.

This edition includes an exclusive tour of Steve Bannon's "gladiator school," which the former White House chief strategist plans to house in a 13th-century monastery in Trisulti, Italy. Plus, an exclusive conversation with Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Axios sits down with Democratic Presidential candidate and Mayor Pete Buttigieg; plus reporter Joann Muller goes for a ride with General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra in an autonomous vehicle; a visit to the headquarters of LEGO, the world's most valuable toy company; and more.

Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei sits down with Gov. Gavin Newsom in his Sacramento office for a pointed conversation about the Golden State's influence on the direction of the country, as well as its shortcomings. Newsom and VandeHei cover everything from immigration to social policies to the state's persistent wealth inequality.

A deep dive into state of the emerging legal marijuana industry explores how one Los Angeles government program is working to transition people who sold pot illegally into the legal market. AXIOS speaks with leading voices on the policy and economics of the cannabis market, including John Boehner, the former House speaker turned marijuana lobbyist.

Finally, AXIOS explores how memes and other social media helped launch one 2020 presidential candidate from obscurity to the main stage, as media reporter Sara Fischer sits down with Andrew Yang.

This edition features a look into the impeachment inquiry and more with Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham; plus, a look at eSports, including a rare sit-down with Bobby Kotick the CEO of Activision Blizzard.

Keeping in the international arena, Axios chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon secured the first extensive television interview with Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva in her new role as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, the global organization dedicated to securing financial stability and fostering economic cooperation around the world. The first IMF Managing Director from a formerly Communist country discuss the current political divide in the U.S., in light of the 2020 political campaign, and her vision for the IMF in an ever-changing world.

Next, Axios' Alexi McCammond and Alayna Treene examine the potential purple shift in the Texas political landscape and what it could mean for the historically Republican dominated state come November 2020 and beyond. With six Republican House members announcing their retirements, and unprecedented Democratic investment in races up and down the ballot, all eyes are on Texas ahead of the election year. McCammond and Treene speak with outgoing Texas Congressman Will Hurd, the only African American Republican in the House of Representatives, and GOP Congressman Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, to get their insight into what it will take to keep the Lone Star State red.

From DACA to the border wall, immigration continues to be one of the country's most prominent issues. In this episode, AXIOS delves into the "Remain in Mexico" policy and travels to a shelter in Juarez, Mexico where international asylum seekers stay as they await their hearings in the U.S. AXIOS talks to a family from Guatemala about their journey and others on the ground working to protect the rights and freedoms of those seeking asylum in the United States. Then, Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei speaks with the Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Mark Morgan and Axios White House Editor, Margaret Talev, speaks with Ken Cuccinelli, the Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about the implementation of "Remain in Mexico" and the recent changes to U.S. immigration policy.