One country that has been held up as a model for effective handling of the pandemic has been South Korea, which detected its first positive case on the same day as the U.S. and won praise for its response. But South Korea is now grappling with an alarming rise in new infections. In an exclusive interview, Christiane speaks with the country’s foreign minister.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is one of the lawmakers working around the clock to push through a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, which would be a critical financial lifeline for millions of Americans. But time is running out, and there are serious questions about whether this relief would be enough. Senator Cassidy joins the show from Washington to discuss where the negotiations stand.

Unemployment has surged during the pandemic and experts say there’s more hunger in America today than at any point since 1998. To discuss this dire situation, Hari Sreenivasan speaks with Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, who as CEO of Feeding America oversees the country’s largest network of foodbanks, alongside David Krepcho, who runs the Second Harvest foodbank in Florida.

With Christmas fast approaching, though, experts fear this holiday season will result in another spike in COVID infections. Pediatric surgeon and critical care specialist Cornelia Griggs has been manning the frontlines of this pandemic. She reflects on the past nine months.

This year has seen a renewed assault on democracy and freedom in Hong Kong, as China continues to crack down on pro-democracy opposition. Ted Hui was a pro-democracy lawmaker in Hong Kong who made a daring escape last month. He is now in self-imposed exile in the UK, and faces a series of criminal charges back home that threaten to put him behind bars for life.

Hanan Ashwari is internationally recognized as a key voice for the Palestinian people and has won numerous peace prizes – yet has chosen this moment to resign from the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee. Why now? She joins the show to explain.

As Russia’s main opposition leader, Alexey Navalny knows what it’s like to be a Kremlin target. Navalny nearly died in August on a flight to Moscow after he was poisoned with a nerve agent at a hotel the night before boarding the plane. Now a new investigation by Bellingcat, CNN and others reveals an undercover squad working for Russia’s federal security service had tracked Navalny for years.

2020 has been an historic year, and The Atlantic has been on the frontlines of it all. The magazine first warned readers about the lack of preparation for a pandemic two years ago. A more recent piece from editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that President Trump had called fallen soldiers “losers” and caused a big splash during the election. Goldberg joins Walter Isaacson to reflect on 2020.

Singer, songwriter and violinist Andrew Bird is a one-of-a-kind musical innovator. His new holiday album “Hark!” features a collection of Christmas songs which he wrote during lockdown. Branching out from music, Bird makes his acting debut in the latest season of "Fargo." He joins the show to discuss the new album and perform one of his songs.

The Harlem Children’s Zone is a renowned nonprofit that deploys all necessary tools to help kids in poverty. Geoffrey Canada, known for his pioneering work with children, leads the organization as president alongside CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse. Together they’re providing low-income families with critical social and academic services so kids can keep learning during the pandemic.

A routine exercise in American democracy took place today in the electoral college – and yet, from police escorts to undisclosed locations, unprecedented measures are being taken to ensure electors can do their job safely. This as President Trump continues to call it – without evidence – “the most corrupt election in U.S. history." Two experts join Christiane to discuss.

Activist Greta Thunberg reflects on the climate justice movement.

Wilton Gregory is the first Black American to be named a Cardinal--- the highest ranking African-American Catholic in U.S. history. He joins Christiane to discuss faith, sexual abuse scandals in the church, his conversion, and racism in America.

Alexis Madrigal, a staff writer at The Atlantic, has been monitoring the pandemic since it began through his COVID tracking project. He tells Hari Sreenivasan how what started as a personal interest became a vital tool in the fight against the coronavirus.

On the anniversary of the Paris agreement, one of the world's biggest polluters, the United States, is on the verge of rejoining the pact. President-elect Joe Biden is saying his administration will take the crisis seriously, and he's appointing the first U.S. Climate Envoy, John Kerry. Kerry joins Christiane to discuss what he hopes to accomplish in this position.

Christine Lagarde, the first woman to lead the International Monetary Fund, is now the first woman president of the European Central Bank. Christiane spoke with her from her headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany about Brexit, the ECB's coronavirus stimulus plan, Lagarde's commitment to investing in women, her green policies, and her relationship with U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen.

The pandemic has upended the lives and careers of America's restaurateurs -- among them celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. The proprietor of Harlem's Red Rooster has directed his efforts to helping those in need, particularly people of color. It's a community he celebrates in his new book, "The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food." He joins Walter Isaacson to discuss.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is dealing with a deadly second wave of coronavirus as well as Brexit, which she says will cause lasting damage. Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, and during the pandemic's first wave, set an international example for effective leadership. The First Minister joins Christiane from her offices at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Joe Scarborough is a former Republican Congressman from Florida turned cable news star, best known as the co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe." His latest book, "Saving Freedom," takes a look back at President Truman, and the historic forces that moved him to unite the Western world against Soviet Communism. Scarborough speaks with Walter Isaacson about this and the future of conservatism after Trump.

The European Union looks set to pass a budget deal that will include much-needed cash for COVID-19 relief. But another deal -- this one between Brexit Britain and the EU, on trade -- is looking far less likely. The clock is running down on December 31 -- the date the divorce between EU and the UK becomes final. Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz joins Christiane to discuss.