Creating conversations to bridge differences is hard enough, but online it can be even tougher -- especially when one perceived misstep can see someone “called out” or “cancelled.” These two things can close down dialogue without addressing the problem, according to Loretta J. Ross. She tells Michel Martin about a class she's teaching on this subject at Smith College.

The transition from the old administration to the new is now officially underway. The necessary funds and machinery to make way for President-elect Joe Biden are now authorized and he is wasting no time, today unveiling key members of his incoming administration. Christiane speaks with two foreign policy experts who know this team well.

Six mayors from four continents have joined together in founding a new international initiative called CHANGE. Together, these mayors hope to find local government solutions to problems of inequality facing women. Christiane speaks with the mayors of London and Mexico City to learn more.

The world’s G20 economies have pledged to fairly share any vaccine and ensure affordability and accessibility to all, a condition requested by major philanthropists and faith leaders. To discuss all this and the importance of the UK's international aid commitments, Christiane speaks with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is head of the worldwide Anglican community.

Can private schools work for the common good? Leon Botstein believes they can. He has spent the past 45 years promoting that very ethos as president of Bard College. Botstein’s approach to the common good at Bard College has seen the school extend education opportunities to disadvantaged youth around the world and to inmates inside America’s sprawling prison system. He joins the show to discuss.

While technology and social media have kept us connected throughout the pandemic, they have also caused indisputable damage. Nicholas Thompson is editor-in-chief of WIRED Magazine and argues that to prevent the spread of harmful misinformation, sites like Facebook need to change their algorithms. Thompson speaks with Walter Isaacson about how information gets distorted and how we get trapped in ec

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is calling for a royal commission in Australia to investigate Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire and its dominance in his home country. He joins Christiane to discuss.

Pfizer and BioNTech are today asking the FDA for emergency use authorization for their coronavirus vaccine, with Moderna soon to follow. This week Moderna announced preliminary results showing its vaccine to be nearly 95% effective at preventing COVID-19. To discuss these findings and how the vaccine might be distributed, Walter Isaacson speaks with Moderna co-founder and chairman Noubar Afeyan.

Film director Steve McQueen's new project "Small Axe" is a series of five original feature-length films that offer an intimate and historical perspective on life in London’s Caribbean community. They’re based on true stories, and the entire project is deeply personal to McQueen. He joins the show to discuss why he felt compelled to tell these stories.

Months of protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd undoubtedly put racial justice at the front and center of American politics. Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, tells Michel Martin how BLM mobilized the Black vote in this month’s election and what she believes the slogan “Defund the Police” really means.

The Trump administration’s strong support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a hallmark of its foreign policy, with a particular point of unity being their common enemy: Iran. There are reports that President Trump has asked for options for an attack against Iran, as he seeks to cement a hardline stance against the Iranian regime.

The new documentary "The Dissident" traces Jamal Khashoggi’s life and career from insider to outcast -- and the harassment and monitoring of other critics of the Saudi regime. Director Bryan Fogel is well versed in challenging oppressive governments. His last feature "Icarus" exposed the Russian doping scandal and won an Oscar in 2018. He joins the program to reflect on Khashoggi's legacy.

G20 leaders are getting ready for a virtual summit hosted by Saudi Arabia this weekend. In anticipation, human rights organizations are calling for accountability for Jamal Khashoggi. His widow, Hatice Cengiz, famously waited for hours outside the consulate after he entered -- and he never emerged. Now she is calling on world leaders to boycott the Saudi summit, as she explains to Christiane.

Behind every vaccine are thousands of trial volunteers – and in Pfizer’s case, one of those thousands is our own Walter Isaacson. He is of course a renowned biographer of great minds in science and history, and perhaps more used to interviewing than being interviewed. Nevertheless, he joins the show to share the rare experience of being a guinea pig in the race to defeat COVID-19.

In his new book "One Billion Americans," Vox co-founder Matthew Yglesias argues that when it comes to America’s population size, bigger is better. He joins Walter Isaacson to explain this theory.

El Paso, Texas has been hit particularly hard by a spike in the COVID-19 pandemic. The city is recording around 1,000 cases per day, hospitals are overflowing, and inmates have been recruited to help transport bodies of the dead. Christiane speaks with the city’s mayor about the dire situation.

In his final weeks in office, President Trump is planning significant troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq. Military historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Ricks discusses whether or not this is a good idea.

Why would a crisis make us act oddly, even against our own interests? Dan Ariely is an expert in irrationality, and for him it is personal. An accident left him with terrible burns on much of his body. During his recovery, he began to observe human quirks. As he explains to Hari Sreenivasan, the experience kick-started a lifelong quest to unravel behavioral mysteries.

It’s a tradition nearly every president has followed: writing a personal account of their time in office. Few have been as eagerly anticipated as Barack Obama's memoir, "A Promised Land," which hits the shelves today after a four-year creative process. Valerie Jarrett is a close friend and adviser to Obama. She joins the show to discuss the presidential memoir and our current politics.

The new hit Netflix show "The Queen’s Gambit" follows a young woman’s spectacular rise through the male-dominated world of chess. To discuss the series and its impact, Christiane speaks with two of the greatest chess players of all time. Garry Kasparov was a consultant on the show, while Judit Polgar is widely considered the best female player ever.