Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's choice of running mate is the subject of mounting speculation. Zerlina Maxwell argues that it should be one of the many qualified Black women in politics today. She speaks with Michel Martin about her new book "The End of White Politics," and explains how the Democrats’ failure to focus on communities of color could be their downfall.

In contrast to pro-democracy voices, defenders of a new national security law in Hong Kong say it’s a necessary step to stop chaos and disorder. Barrister Alan Hoo, a vice chairman of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing Liberal Party, joins the program.

The political fight over children returning to school this fall continues to rage, and now the medical community is weighing in, with the American Academy of Pediatrics issuing its own guidance. Dr. Sean O’Leary is vice chair of the organization’s committee on infectious diseases. He joins Hari Sreenivasan to explain how children are affected by the virus and the challenges of reopening schools.

Many blame Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro for the country’s two million coronavirus cases and nearly 77,000 dead. Despite having contracted the virus himself, Bolsonaro continues to downplay its risks, dismissing it as a “little flu.” Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker whose award-winning documentary "The Edge of Democracy" warns of a threat to Brazil’s democracy even beyond the pandemic.

As a student, civil rights activist John Lewis led sit-ins to end segregation in Nashville and marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma – where he was brutally beaten while peacefully protesting for his right to vote. Today, the 17-term congressman from Georgia is known as the “conscience of Congress." Filmmaker Dawn Porter joins the show to discuss her portrait of his amazing life.

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby has redefined what's acceptable in stand-up comedy. By mining the depths of her own past, she creates a bracingly honest comedic experience that speaks out about homophobic and sexual violence. She joins Christiane to discuss her latest stand-up special “Douglas."

How did governments and institutions fail to heed the warnings, to learn from the past, to act on those lessons and to prepare for the pandemic? Bestselling author and economist Tim Harford has written extensively about these issues, which he also addresses in his podcast series “Cautionary Tales.” He joins the program from Oxford.

Data show that the median white family has 10 times more wealth than the average black family, a fact familiar to law professor Mehrsa Baradaran. In her book, “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap,” she examines how Black communities have been systemically shut out of the banking system. Michel Martin spoke with Baradaran about these issues--just before the pandemic.

Christiane speaks with two mayors whose cities are at different ends of this coronavirus pandemic: from Milan is Mayor Giuseppe Sala, chair of the Global Task Force – his city is gradually recovering after Italy became the European epicenter of the disease – and from New Orleans is Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Her city is currently closing down bars once again as coronavirus cases surge.

The president doesn't have to look across the aisle for opponents. Groups like Republican Voters Against Trump are trying to convince party members to abandon the president. And it could be working: a poll shows Trump trailing Biden in Pennsylvania, a state that was key to his 2016 victory. Christiane speaks about this with Sarah Longwell, a Republican hoping to making Trump a one-term president.

As the debate rages over how and whether to reopen schools and universities, few are better placed to assess this dilemma than Janet Napolitano. She is the first female president of California’s sprawling public university system, and was also the first female secretary of homeland security under President Obama. She speaks with Walter Isaacson about what her university is doing to help students.

Ava DuVernay’s 2016 documentary "13th" has come back into focus as the U.S. confronts its history of racism. The film contends that, although the 13th amendment outlawed slavery over 150 years ago, it was essentially allowed to continue via the side door of mass incarceration. Christiane speaks two experts featured in this documentary on the subjects of racism, capitalism, and the war on drugs.

As Europe exits lockdown, parts of the U.S. are in reverse gear, shutting down again amidst a vicious surge and record numbers of coronavirus cases. Anthony Fauci is warning that the nation’s public healthcare is “in tatters” and that doctors are “building the plane while they are flying it.” How close are we to a vaccine? Dr. Richard Hatchett joins the program to discuss.

After George Floyd’s death, Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart (Ret.) felt compelled to speak up for future generations of Black Americans, writing an op-ed titled “Please Take Your Knee Off Our Necks So We Can Breathe.” He speaks exclusively with Walter Isaacson, in his first TV interview since the article was published.

Country musician Margo Price is making waves with her latest album, “That’s How Rumors Get Started,” which weaves together issues from motherhood to healthcare. Price has experienced prison and homelessness, and funded her first album by selling her car and wedding ring. She joins the program alongside her collaborator and husband, Jeremy Ivey, to discuss her new record and to play a track.

President Trump today retweeted an assertion that doctors, the CDC, the media and the Democrats are lying about COVID-19. This doesn’t seem to be helping his polling, where he is flagging in key states that he won in 2016. Some polls show the race tightening in Texas, which last turned blue in 1976. Former presidential contender Beto O’Rourke joins the show to talk about the pandemic and politics.

The latest COVID-19 research shows that coronavirus can damage major organs and ravage the body with blood clots, while a new study from King’s College London reports that any immunity earned from having the illness could be lost in months. Ed Yong, The Atlantic’s top science and health writer, joins the program to explain the latest on the virus.

Could a slaveholder also be an advocate for equality for all? That is the riddle left behind by one of America’s founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Jon Meacham join Walter Isaacson to discuss Jefferson's monuments and whether or not they should come down.

The hard work of social change falls largely to young people, leading marches and organizing resistance all across the world. Christiane is joined by two such leaders, from two generations, united in their demand for equal justice: 19-year-old Parkland survivor Aalayah Eastmond and Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter.