San Francisco Mayor London Breed has overcome poverty and tragedy to build a political career that’s gone from strength to strength. Like many big city mayors, she’s struggling with challenges like rising homelessness and has even gone toe to toe with President Trump over the issue. She sits down with Michel in San Francisco.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ award-winning books have put him at the heart of the public square, from non-fiction like “Between the World and Me," to comic books like “Black Panther.” Now, Coates ventures into literary fiction with his first novel “The Water Dancer," which uses magical realism to tell the disturbing story of the underground railroad. He joins the program to explain his vision.

Kashmir, the disputed territory between India and Pakistan, is once again a flashpoint between the nuclear neighbors, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the territory of its autonomous status, imposed a curfew, and cut off millions of Kashmiris. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan joins the program in New York to discuss this crisis, as well as other challenges facing Pakistan.

As journalists fight for their freedom and safety around the world, that same fight continues for women. Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian American journalist and activist, and a pioneer of #MosqueMeToo, which brought the #MeToo movement to the Muslim world. She joins Michel Martin to explain her book “The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls,” which calls for a radical challenge to the status quo.

Today, the threat of impeachment facing President Trump took center stage on Capitol Hill, as a redacted version of the whistle-blower complaint that triggered these proceedings was made public. Antony Blinken was previously Deputy National Security Adviser, and now is foreign policy adviser to Joe Biden, and he joins the program from Washington to react to this extraordinary day.

Today, journalism faces unprecedented threats. This week a particularly alarming case came to light: A. G. Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times, revealed how the Trump administration may have actively withheld information that one of its reporters faced arrest while reporting in Egypt. The reporter at the heart of that case joins the program to explain.

On Capitol Hill today, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire gave testimony about the Ukraine whistleblower case, and went so far as to call these events unprecedented. John McLaughlin knows the US security apparatus better than almost anyone else, and joins the program to react to the latest events and Maguire’s testimony to Congress.

In his latest film, British director Orlando von Einsiedel turns the camera on himself. "Evelyn"—named after his brother who took his own life 14 years ago—is a moving portrait that looks at a family dealing with loss and grief. He tells Hari Sreenivasan why, despite the perilous locations of his previous films, his latest work was by far his most challenging.

Today is a pivotal moment in U.S. history. The White House has released a transcript of President Trump's now infamous phone call between President Trump and the President of Ukraine. It confirms Trump pushed Ukraine to investigate the son of former Vice President—and possible 2020 presidential rival—Joe Biden. Barbara Boxer and Elie Honig join the show to discuss.

Uber has radically changed the way we travel, the way we socialize and the way we eat. But the Silicon Valley behemoth is a controversial company; it's losing billions of dollars and has come in for huge criticism for everything from its treatment of its drivers to its sometime fractious relations with city authorities around the world. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joins Christiane to discuss.

McKinsey & Company is the world’s most powerful consulting firm, whispering in the ears of companies and governments around the world. But in the past year it has come under fire for both its involvement in the opioid epidemic and its work with Saudi Arabia. Walter sits down with McKinsey’s global managing partner Kevin Sneader to talk through the controversies.

The primary focus of this year’s UN General Assembly is undoubtedly the climate crisis. Young people around the world have been demanding action, much of it driven by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg. As pressure continues to build, Christiane speaks with former Vice President Al Gore about the momentum for finally tackling this crisis.

Today, world leaders gather in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, but as President Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson appear before the world, they both face major crises at home, with controversies that call into question their commitment to the rule of law and to democracy itself. Jane Harman and Gérard Araud join Christiane Amanpour to give their perspectives.

The big story of this week – and of this generation – is the global climate crisis. In her new book, “On Fire,” progressive journalist Naomi Klein is throwing her weight behind legislation that would both address the climate crisis and overhaul the U.S. economy, as she explains to Hari Sreenivasan.

Over Iran, much is at stake for Washington: its hardline policy, its credibility as a defender of allies, and President Trump’s instinctive reluctance to start another war in the Middle East. Brian Hook is the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, and joins the program for an exclusive interview from the UN.

The Trump administration has sent mixed messages on how it plans to hold Iran accountable for the recent attack in Saudi Arabia. Iran’s top diplomat joins the program to respond and to assess the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough at the UN General Assembly this week.

In the Democratic race to be the party’s presidential nominee, one long shot candidate who has made a mark is Marianne Williamson. One of Oprah’s favorite motivational speakers and a best-selling author, Williamson has set herself apart from other candidates with her spiritual take on politics. And although she didn’t reach the debate stage this month, she’s not dropping out of the race just yet.

Today, young people all over the world participate in the global climate strike. Fighting the climate crisis is a personal and moral decision for author Jonathan Safran Foer, who has gone from writing acclaimed novels to penning impassioned non-fiction decrying climate inaction. His latest book “We Are the Weather” explains how “saving the planet begins at breakfast.”

Julian Fellowes is writer-producer of feel-good mega-hit “Downton Abbey,” the upstairs-downstairs drama that’s full of nostalgia for old-fashioned British grandeur. The award-winning TV series is now a film, with all the familiar characters returning to the big screen. Fellowes joins the program from New York to talk about what keeps pulling him – and us – back to this bygone era.

Inspired by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, millions of young people across the world plan to come out on strike from school to demand climate action tomorrow. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, one of the young organizers of the strike, has been protesting since he was six years old, and coming from indigenous Mexican descent, believes protecting the Earth is his spiritual duty.