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.

The U.S. is almost out of Afghanistan and the Taliban is moving in with rapid speed. The fundamentalist group’s offensive is happening much faster than feared, as it claims it has now taken over its seventh provincial capital in five days. To discuss the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban advances, NATO’s former head joins the show, alongside Pakistan’s former ambassador in D.C.

Global warming is happening even faster than previously thought. No corner of the planet is unaffected, and we are to blame. This from the United Nations today in a landmark report, with strong words from the U.N. Secretary General: “The alarm bells are deafening and the evidence is irrefutable. Alok Sharma, President of the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference joins the show.

Rising sea levels will place our coastal cities, towns and communities at serious risk. Just last week, experts warned that Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city, could be unlivable by century's end. Is there a solution? Kate Orff is a landscape architect looking for answers in nature. She joins the show to explain.

How many emails have you received today? Are you on multiple text groups? Do you sometimes feel as if your brain is in meltdown trying to cope with it all? Cal Newport wants to change all this. He argues in favor of radical change to the way we communicate in the workplace. He speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about his belief that a different way is both important and possible.

Prince’s death from an overdose in 2016 shook the world. Now the musical genius’s voice will be heard once again in posthumous form. His album “Welcome 2 America” was recorded in 2010 but never released -- until now. It blends lyricism and cynicism as the music icon takes on racism, political corruption, division, and disinformation. Van Jones, close friend and adviser to Prince joins the show.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo remains defiant despite calls for his resignation from President Biden and others. Meanwhile, in Albany today, an anonymous accuser, one of the 11, filed a criminal complaint with the Sheriff's office detailing her sexual misconduct allegations against the Governor. Laura Coates is a former federal prosecutor and she joins the show to discuss these events.

We're fast approaching the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the attacks, was killed in 2011 when U.S. Special Forces raided his Pakistan hideout. Peter Bergen was the only journalist granted access to the compound before it was demolished. His new biography of Bin Laden is titled "The Rise and Fall of Osama Bin Laden."