In the Syrian town of Kobani, an all-female Kurdish militia defeated ISIS in 2014. This story is at the heart of the New York Times bestseller "The Daughters of Kobani." The book's author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, joins the show alongside retired General John Allen, who led the global coalition against ISIS and was commander of international security forces in Afghanistan.

A $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help those hit hardest by the pandemic has passed the House of Representatives, clearing the first hurdle toward this top priority of President Biden's. Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan was among those who voted in favor of the plan. He speaks with Michel about his role in investigating the Capitol riot and the challenges in getting the COVID relief bill passed.

Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning period drama "The Remains of the Day" and his bestselling dystopian novel "Never Let Me Go." "Klara and the Sun" is his first novel since he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017. Christiane speaks with Ishiguro about his wife and daughter -- his toughest and most valued critics -- and about what it is to be hu

Cuba’s remarkable achievement is now leading many to wonder what other medical advances it could share with the world. Candace Johnson is president and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. She has worked closely with Cuban scientists to bring their lung cancer vaccine to the U.S. for trials.

Though wracked by shortages of bread and even pain medication, Cuba is on the cusp of a scientific breakthrough with its Sovereign 2 COVID-19 vaccine. Correspondent Patrick Oppman brings us this special report.

Global warming and the climate crisis call ever more urgently for dramatic action. But could our attempts at saving the environment end up exacerbating the problem? Journalist Elizabeth Kolbert's new book looks at some of the unique efforts to combat climate change. She speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about climate intervention ideas and their possible, unintended consequences.

On Friday, the White House released a declassified report on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate. The release prompted criticism of the Biden administration for not directly punishing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Ben Hubbard is a biographer of the Crown Prince and the Beirut bureau chief for the New York Times. He joins the program to analyze the situation.

This weekend saw another brutal escalation in the crackdown on protesters in Myanmar, as people returned to the streets to protest the military coup. According to the United Nations, state security forces killed at least 18 protesters. The U.N.’s Special Envoy on Myanmar is Christine Schraner Burgener, and she joins the show from Switzerland.

Sunday's Golden Globes winners included numerous women, such as Chloe Zhao -- the first woman to win as Best Director since Barbra Streisand in 1984, and the first Asian woman ever to win this award -- for her film "Nomadland." Still, the Globes faced withering criticism for the lack of diversity among their nominees and in their own ranks. Nischelle Turner joins the program to discuss.

New York’s Governor Cuomo is under fire for his lack of transparency about the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state's nursing homes. While the governor insists there was no cover-up, he does acknowledge that the information should have been released sooner. Errol Louis, a seasoned political host for "Inside City Hall" on the NY1 channel, joins Michel Martin to discuss this unfolding story.

Documentary filmmaker Deirdre Fishel took her camera inside the Minneapolis Police Department to explore the question: Does the inclusion of women police officers on the force lead to better policing? The result is "Women in Blue" for the PBS series "Independent Lens." Fishel joins the show alongside CJ Johnson, a former MPD inspector who appears in the film.

News of last night's airstrike on Iran-backed militia groups in Syria would seem to further complicate America's diplomatic position in this volatile area. To assess the geopolitical implications of the intelligence report, Christiane speaks with former Republican Senator and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

It is official: in a newly declassified report, the U.S. government concludes the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was approved by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the aftermath of the report’s release, Christiane speaks with Khashoggi’s widow in an exclusive phone interview, and hears from of a longtime friend of Khashoggi, Sarah Leah Whitson.

Immigration statistics aren’t just facts and figures -- real individuals and families exist behind the numbers. More than 500 children separated by President Trump’s zero tolerance policy still can’t find their parents. Andrea Martinez is an immigration attorney who is working to reunite families. She speaks with Christiane about the human stories behind the numbers.

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.

Earlier this week Christiane spoke with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the real life protagonist of an extraordinary story portrayed in the new film "The Mauritanian." He was detained for more than 14 years without charge at Guantanamo Bay. To delve deeper into the film, Christiane speaks with Mohamedou’s real life lawyer Nancy Hollander alongside actress Jodie Foster, who plays Hollander.

A new bill hopes to break the decades-long deadlock on immigration. It would reverse many of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies, provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants and prioritize family reunification. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez introduced the bill. She explains why she believes serious reform is needed.

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.

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.

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.