Cecily Strong is a household name for the many roles she inhabits on “Saturday Night Live." But it’s not all laughter and light for Strong. The sudden death of her beloved cousin from brain cancer last year and her own isolation during the pandemic caused her to reflect on her life and her personal struggles with depression and anxiety. She details this journey in her new memoir.

The word “freedom” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Menand wanted to find out, and in his new book he explores the concept of freedom and how its core value is still deeply entrenched within America’s culture. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about how freedom has been expressed in the best possible way through music, art, and literature.

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo has resigned. The state’s chief executive finally bowed to the pressure to step aside after the New York attorney general released a report concluding he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo continues to deny he ever crossed a line, but today admitted it was best for the state if he steps aside. NY Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins joins the program to weigh in.

The U.S. is almost out of Afghanistan and the Taliban is moving in with rapid speed. The fundamentalist group’s offensive is happening much faster than feared, as it claims it has now taken over its seventh provincial capital in five days. To discuss the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban advances, NATO’s former head joins the show, alongside Pakistan’s former ambassador in D.C.

Global warming is happening even faster than previously thought. No corner of the planet is unaffected, and we are to blame. This from the United Nations today in a landmark report, with strong words from the U.N. Secretary General: “The alarm bells are deafening and the evidence is irrefutable. Alok Sharma, President of the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference joins the show.

Rising sea levels will place our coastal cities, towns and communities at serious risk. Just last week, experts warned that Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city, could be unlivable by century's end. Is there a solution? Kate Orff is a landscape architect looking for answers in nature. She joins the show to explain.

How many emails have you received today? Are you on multiple text groups? Do you sometimes feel as if your brain is in meltdown trying to cope with it all? Cal Newport wants to change all this. He argues in favor of radical change to the way we communicate in the workplace. He speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about his belief that a different way is both important and possible.

Prince’s death from an overdose in 2016 shook the world. Now the musical genius’s voice will be heard once again in posthumous form. His album “Welcome 2 America” was recorded in 2010 but never released -- until now. It blends lyricism and cynicism as the music icon takes on racism, political corruption, division, and disinformation. Van Jones, close friend and adviser to Prince joins the show.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo remains defiant despite calls for his resignation from President Biden and others. Meanwhile, in Albany today, an anonymous accuser, one of the 11, filed a criminal complaint with the Sheriff's office detailing her sexual misconduct allegations against the Governor. Laura Coates is a former federal prosecutor and she joins the show to discuss these events.

We're fast approaching the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the attacks, was killed in 2011 when U.S. Special Forces raided his Pakistan hideout. Peter Bergen was the only journalist granted access to the compound before it was demolished. His new biography of Bin Laden is titled "The Rise and Fall of Osama Bin Laden."

Israel, France, the U.K. and Germany are directly countermanding the WHO's requested moratorium on booster shots. The German Health Ministry says it's a false choice and they can do both. Here to discuss the science and the ethics around all of this are German politician and public health expert Karl Lauterbach and epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, who worked on the global eradication of smallpox.

Imagine winning the Tour de France without any of the perks -- no mechanics, no hotels, no crew at all. This is exactly what Australian pro-cyclist Lachlan Morton did this summer. He dubbed it the 'Alt Tour de France,' riding 200 miles a day and beating everyone to the punch by five days. Lachlan did it all for World Bicycle Relief, a nonprofit that finds bicycles for people in need.

COVID-19's long-term effects on the brain are causing concern among scientists -- among them, Dr. Adam Hampshire. He is a cognitive neuroscientist at Imperial College London. Hampshire's latest research, published in The Lancet medical journal, associates coronavirus with a decrease in reasoning and problem solving abilities. He breaks down his findings.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman rose to prominence when he testified to Congress in 2019 about the now infamous phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman's account of the incident was at the heart of President Trump's first impeachment and his emotive testimony had a major impact. He reflects on this in his new book.

The Delta variant is surging as vaccination rates slow to a crawl in some states. James Brainard is the Mayor of Carmel in the Republican stronghold of Indiana. While the state's vaccination numbers are far behind those of many states, the city of Carmel is way ahead with about 80% of residents fully vaccinated. What's behind this success story? Mayor Brainard joins Bianna to discuss.

This week marks the 56th anniversary of America's Voting Rights Act signed by President Johnson. This landmark legislation is now under assault. At least 18 states have enacted laws restricting ballot access. Joining the show are historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who once worked for LBJ and is the author of "No Ordinary Time;" and Julia Sweig, who wrote a biography of LBJ’s secret weapon: his wife.

Iran finds itself at its own crossroads. A new hardline president takes office tomorrow. Talks to revive the nuclear deal seem to be on life support. And today Israel blamed an Iranian commander for a deadly drone attack on an oil tanker. Journalist Robin Wright breaks all this down.

The deadly port explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, sparked by dangerous chemicals sitting neglected for years. More than 200 people were killed, thousands were injured, and countless others bear the invisible wounds inflamed by unanswered questions and the lack of accountability. Georges Kettaneh joins Christiane from Beirut.

The state of Louisiana is experiencing its worst COVID-19 surge yet, with an all-time high in hospitalizations. Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has reinstated mask mandates in an effort to combat infections. And here he is talking to our Walter Isaacson about wrestling with the COVID-19 crisis and what good government can do.

California Governor Gavin Newsom faces a rare recall election this September and is trying to rally . In addition to COVID spiking in the state again, he's dealing with contentious debates over mask mandates, raging wildfires, and drought plaguing nearly half the state. A lot to talk about with the Chief Executive of America's most populous state. He joins Christiane from Sacramento.