One year since the Oct. 7 attack, 101 Israeli hostages are yet to be returned, including 5 female soldiers who were stationed at the Nahal Oz base near the Gaza border. Hamas killed 15 in their unit. Months before the attack, the all-female unit had reported suspicious activity by Hamas, but their warnings were ignored. In a WSJ report, Anat Peled investigates the failure. She Joins the show.

Connie Chung was a trailblazer in the field of television news. She was the first Asian-American woman -- and among the first women -- ever to anchor a major network newscast. Chung's new memoir "Connie" tells of her adventures in breaking down the gender barrier in a male-dominated industry. Chung joins Walter Isaacson to share the story of her career.

Youmna ElSayed, an Al Jazeera correspondent, joined this program last year from Gaza to describe the reality of working there. Since that interview, Youmna has fled Gaza with her family. Ten months on, she joins the show to discuss how hard it was to leave, and the stories she could not bring herself to tell at the time.

Walter interviews Malcolm Gladwell about his latest book, "Revenge of the Tipping Point." Some 25 years after the publication of Gladwell's groundbreaking first book, "The Tipping Point," the author returns to the subject of social epidemics -- this time, with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.

Award-winning journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates says he must confront the truth, no matter how difficult. He is doing exactly that in his new book "The Message," in which he journeys to Senegal, Israel, and the occupied West Bank. The author joins the show to discuss what he found.

The contributions of America's Latino population to US history and culture have long been overlooked. Yet the Latino vote will be a decisive factor in next month's election. Emmy-winning actor and activist John Leguizamo explores all this in his new series, “VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos.” Leguizamo joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss what he learned — and what's at stake.

The votes of 63 million Latino Americans will be a deciding factor in the November election. Despite his history of anti-immigration rhetoric, Donald Trump has been making inroads with this constituency, which in the past leaned Democratic. Award-winning journalist Paola Ramos investigates this shift in her new book "Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America."

While working-class regions like Appalachia have stereotypically been associated with the Republican MAGA movement, author Sarah Smarsh says the real picture is more complex. She joins the show to discuss all this, as well as her latest book.

In honor of “Banned Books Week,” Hari interviews Amanda Jones, author of "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America." Jones details the online and in-person abuse she experienced after speaking out against book bans.

Culture wars and hyper-partisanship are overwhelming voters and sowing distrust. Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the National Institutes of Health, believes an antidote may be found in both faith and science. He joins the show to explain.

The prospect of a wider war in the Middle East is creating anxiety among Americans -- including the Lebanese American mayor of Dearborn, Michigan. Michigan is home to the nation’s largest Arab American population. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud joins the show to talk about growing voter dissatisfaction in his community, and what it would take to restore their trust in the upcoming election.

In a busy week for diplomacy, world leaders are weighing up what a second Trump term could mean for the U.S. and the world. To the former president's niece, Mary Trump, it would spell nothing but bad news for American democracy. Mary Trump joined Michel Martin to discuss her views on the upcoming election and her latest book, "Who Could Ever Love You."

In his new book, historian Timothy Snyder explores what freedom is, how it has been misunderstood, and why it's our only chance for survival. The author joins the show.

Artificial Intelligence is the next frontier of the technological revolution. As it continues to evolve at breakneck speed, how can we ensure it is safe, ethical and accessible to all? Carme Artigas, Co-Chair of the U.N. Artificial Intelligence Advisory Body, joins the show to discuss all this.

Democracy has undergone a major stress test this year, with nearly half the world's voting population heading to the polls in a time of democratic backsliding and growing extremism. Francis Fukuyama, senior fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute, discusses the danger of taking democracy for granted, and -- following his trip to Ukraine -- how he believes the war there might end.

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a leading marine biologist and climate policy expert, offers a hopeful look at how to confront the climate crisis gripping our world — and flourish in the process. Johnson sits down with Hari to discuss her vision for a thriving, sustainable future. She explains how a diverse set of experts in fields such as farming, finance, and fashion helped to shape her ideas.

Complication is rife this election season, in view of Trump's indictments, Biden bowing out, Kamala Harris stepping in, and now an apparent second assassination attempt against the former president at his Florida golf course. Presidential historian Timothy Naftali talks to Walter Isaacson about the events of this weekend and what they say about American politics today.

In Yuval Noah Harari's new book "Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI," the bestselling author and historian looks at the unique challenges that artificial intelligence represents for our time. Harari joins the show.

Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer at The Atlantic, calls the American housing market a "national tragedy." In her new book, "On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy," Demsas addresses questions of class segregation and why it is so difficult to find an affordable home. The author sits down with Hari Sreenivasan.

After the recent debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, some voters are still deciding whom to vote for in November. Senator Rand Paul, who backed Trump in 2020, is not yet ready to give him his endorsement. The Senator joins Walter Isaacson to explain why.