The Taliban laid on the charm offensive today, two days after taking control of Afghanistan, holding a press conference congratulating themselves and the nation for their victory and promising amnesty for their opponents. Mark Esper, who served as secretary of defense under President Trump, joins Christiane for an exclusive interview on the unfolding situation.

President Biden is facing an avalanche of criticism at the manner of the U.S. withdrawal. Where do the failures lie -- and what were the alternatives? Chuck Hagel was secretary of defense under President Obama and joins the show to assess what went wrong.

The Taliban has taken hold of the country they were driven out of two decades ago. Fear is spreading in Kabul as the Taliban install themselves in the presidential palace. The Taliban have vowed that they will form an inclusive new government and that Afghans have nothing to fear. To examine these claims, Christiane speaks with Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.

The Taliban claims women will keep their rights in Afghanistan. But many fear that the claims are false and that history will repeat itself. Fawzia Koofi, a former lawmaker, was a member of the now fallen Afghan government’s negotiating team in peace talks with the Taliban. She joins the show from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

The U.K. government is scrambling to get its nationals -- and Afghans who worked with British forces -- out of Afghanistan. With chaos breaking out at Kabul's airport, U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace – himself a former soldier – admitted that “some people won’t get back.” Tom Tugendhat is a U.K. Member of Parliament, chair of the foreign affairs committee, and previously served in Afghanistan.

In California, wildfires continue to scorch hundreds of thousands of acres of land, all fueled by blistering temperatures. Jessica served as a firefighter on a prison program and faced down similar such blazes – yet during that time, she earned just a few dollars an hour. She joins the program alongside "Breathing Fire" author Jaime Lowe.

The Taliban continues to seize large swathes of Afghan territory, having captured seventeen regional capitals so far, including Kandahar – the country’s second largest city and a major strategic target. Pashtana Durrani is an activist for women’s empowerment and girls’ education. She joins the show from Afghanistan to describe the situation on the ground and her fears for the future.

Until recently, Belarusian Olympian Kristina Timanovskaya was not widely known outside of her native country. But now she’s captured global headlines after her high profile defection to Poland. It began when she criticized her coaches on Instagram – before she knew it, she was being pressured to travel back home. But a panicked call with her family persuaded her to seek asylum outside of Belarus.

Former UK Member of Parliament Rory Stewart knows Afghanistan and the Afghan people very well, having worked and lived there, even walking across the span of the entire country in 2002. He joins the show to react to the withdrawal of America and its allies.

For the latest from Kabul, we turn to correspondent Clarissa Ward, who’s reporting from the ground.

This week a bipartisan group passed a trillion dollar bill through the Senate; hot on its heels was an additional $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. The latter, however, is a lot more partisan, and Democrats are hoping to push it through via a process known as reconciliation. Former Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp joins the program to explain what these bills would mean for the U.S.

"Frightening.” That’s how Senator Dick Durbin described the testimony of former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen testified over the weekend about what happened at the Justice Department during the waning days of the Trump administration. Former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara says the revelations are pretty stunning, and explains why – and reacts to Governor Cuomo’s resignation.

California is battling its second largest wildfire ever, with firefighters exhausted and traumatized as they try and stop the blazes that are devastating the land and destroying homes. Oscar-nominated director Lucy Walker saw this up close when she embedded with a group of firefighters during the megafires of 2018, as she depicts in her new documentary.

The Taliban have taken control of Herat, Afghanistan’s third largest city, just moments after they charged into its second largest, Kandahar, where local officials say there is ongoing fighting in the streets. It’s another day of major gains for the extremist group. Barnett Rubin and Ahmed Rashid join the program to assess the latest.

Norman Lear is the legendary TV writer and producer behind sitcom hits like "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "One Day at a Time." He’s also a keen social activist and is the founder of the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way. He joins the show to discuss his career and why he’s still fighting for Americans’ right to vote, alongside former NAACP president Ben Jealous.

Andrew Sullivan is one of today’s most provocative social and political commentators, often critical of both left and right. His new book is a collection of his writing from 1989 to 2021. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about whether America has become too ideological in these politically charged times.

COVID-19 cases are at all time highs in states like Louisiana and Florida, while arguments rage about mask mandates as a new school year approaches. For a dose of sound medical advice, Christiane speaks with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Cecily Strong is a household name for the many roles she inhabits on “Saturday Night Live." But it’s not all laughter and light for Strong. The sudden death of her beloved cousin from brain cancer last year and her own isolation during the pandemic caused her to reflect on her life and her personal struggles with depression and anxiety. She details this journey in her new memoir.

The word “freedom” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Menand wanted to find out, and in his new book he explores the concept of freedom and how its core value is still deeply entrenched within America’s culture. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about how freedom has been expressed in the best possible way through music, art, and literature.

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo has resigned. The state’s chief executive finally bowed to the pressure to step aside after the New York attorney general released a report concluding he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo continues to deny he ever crossed a line, but today admitted it was best for the state if he steps aside. NY Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins joins the program to weigh in.