Reuben Miller is a former chaplain at the Cook County Jail in Chicago, and is also a sociologist, criminologist, and social worker. His new book "Halfway Home" exposes the realities of life after mass incarceration and shows that some people are never truly free -- even after leaving prison. Michel Martin speaks with Miller about his own personal experiences with America’s prison system.

Who is your family? The people you are genetically related to, or perhaps the people you grew up with? And what if your idea of family and identity were turned completely upside down? These are the questions investigated by technology correspondent Samuel Burke in his new podcast series, "Suddenly Family." He joins the show to discuss his discoveries about his own family.

As vaccines continue to be rolled out, it is essential that we learn how to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 in a sustainable way. Julia Marcus is an expert in infectious disease who sees clear parallels between HIV and our current pandemic -- especially in terms of messaging about infection risk. She speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about strategies for risk management and enabling better decisions.

The pandemic has exposed the global gap between rich and poor as never before. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron wants the world to focus on the world's most fragile states -- those beset by conflict and corruption and lacking in basic infrastructure. He joins the show to discuss his new call for an investment in local, green technology to enable greater access to electricity.

Mohamedou Ould Slahi was held at Guantanamo Bay without charge for 14 years. His book "Guantanamo Diary" is the basis for the new movie "The Mauritanian," which depicts his experience in the prison and the efforts to set him free. Slahi joins the show alongside the film’s director Kevin Macdonald and Steve Wood, who was Slahi’s guard during his imprisonment.

The U.S. has given at least one vaccine dose to around 13% of its people – substantially behind nations like the UK and Israel. Those two countries have plenty of lessons to offer about vaccine distribution and a gradual emergence from lockdown. The UK’s vaccine minister and the chair of Israel's COVID-19 National Experts Panel join Christiane to explain the keys to a successful vaccine rollout.

The Lincoln Project clearly had a successful year politically, but the organization is now fighting for its survival after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged against its co-founder John Weaver, leading to a number of resignations from the group. One of those who resigned is Kurt Bardella, who had been the group’s senior adviser. He joins Hari Sreenivasan to assess the state of the GOP.

Pakistan is one of the most climate vulnerable nations in the world, with monsoon rains increasing in intensity every year. Kiribati – a small island nation in the central Pacific – faces possible obliteration by rising sea levels. To discuss the threat to their nations, Christiane speaks with Kiribati’s former president and a UN youth ambassador and activist from Pakistan.

While billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has worked hard to help end the pandemic, he has never taken his eye off the growing threat to our natural world. Gates does not believe the situation is hopeless, but he does believe it requires immediate action – as outlined in his new book "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster." He speaks with Walter Isaacson as part of our Peril & Promise initiative.

The pandemic has seen the rise of a troubling strain of hate crimes against America’s Asian community – a group regularly impacted by racial bias. The new film "Minari" explores the story of a Korean family trying to build a new life as farmers in rural Arkansas. Steven Yeun, who plays the family patriarch, joins the show to discuss the film, Asian American identity, and representation on screen.

Loujain al-Hathloul is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights activists. Her arrest in 2018 was roundly condemned by the international community. Despite denials by the Saudi government, Loujain says that she was tortured and sexually abused in detention. Al-Hathloul's sister Lina joins the program to discuss her release and human rights in the Kingdom.

Vaccine rollout in the UK is being hailed as a major success, with more than 16 million vaccinated so far. But the success rate is much lower in Black and minority communities. David Olusoga is a historian who’s helping to tackle the problem head-on as part of the new campaign #TakeTheVaccine -- aimed at increasing the rate of vaccination and fighting disinformation.

Reviving the Iran Nuclear Deal is a major priority for the Biden administration, and the White House has now announced it is ready to engage in talks with Iran. Jake Sullivan held top foreign policy positions under President Obama and played a key role in hammering out the original deal. He now serves as President Biden’s national security advisor and joins the show from the White House.

The content on sites like Facebook and Google is supposedly free of charge. But what are the hidden costs to unsuspecting users? Shoshana Zuboff warns of an information coup, with the foundations of American democracy placed under threat by the tech giants’ clandestine data collection process. She speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about the dangers of “surveillance capitalism.”

A new PBS series examines the history of the Black church in America -- from slavery to emancipation, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. Through struggle, discrimination and upheaval, the church has been a place for African Americans to raise their voices in prayer and song. Series producer/director Stacey Holman joins the show to talk about the epic project.

One of President Biden’s most pressing foreign policy decisions will be whether to reverse his predecessor’s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Today, top American and European diplomats met to look at options. To assess the state of play, Christiane speaks with a former adviser to the Obama administration and a current adviser to the EU foreign policy chief.

Award-winning director Lee Daniels is best known for films like "The Butler" and the Oscar-winning "Precious." In his latest work he turns his attention to singer Billie Holiday. The film depicts how the jazz legend ended up on the wrong side of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, all because of her song “Strange Fruit,” which the bureau wanted to suppress. Daniels speaks with Michel Martin.

The situation in Myanmar has particular resonance for Tom Malinowski. Before he was a congressman, he worked with President Obama to open up the country and support its young democracy. He joins the show to discuss how the U.S. should react to events there, and more.

Heather McGhee is an economic policy expert and self-proclaimed data nerd who is now turning her analytical eye to racism. McGhee believes racism exacerbates inequality not just for people of color, but for all. She lays out the argument in her new book, "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together." She joins the show from New York to discuss.

COVID numbers in general are coming down in the U.S. But the good news is tentative. Viral variants appear to be increasingly widespread, an important reminder that people must keep their guard up. Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, is one of the country's top medical researchers. He joins Walter Isaacson.