A routine exercise in American democracy took place today in the electoral college – and yet, from police escorts to undisclosed locations, unprecedented measures are being taken to ensure electors can do their job safely. This as President Trump continues to call it – without evidence – “the most corrupt election in U.S. history." Two experts join Christiane to discuss.

Singer, songwriter and violinist Andrew Bird is a one-of-a-kind musical innovator. His new holiday album “Hark!” features a collection of Christmas songs which he wrote during lockdown. Branching out from music, Bird makes his acting debut in the latest season of "Fargo." He joins the show to discuss the new album and perform one of his songs.

On the anniversary of the Paris agreement, one of the world's biggest polluters, the United States, is on the verge of rejoining the pact. President-elect Joe Biden is saying his administration will take the crisis seriously, and he's appointing the first U.S. Climate Envoy, John Kerry. Kerry joins Christiane to discuss what he hopes to accomplish in this position.

Wilton Gregory is the first Black American to be named a Cardinal--- the highest ranking African-American Catholic in U.S. history. He joins Christiane to discuss faith, sexual abuse scandals in the church, his conversion, and racism in America.

Activist Greta Thunberg reflects on the climate justice movement.

Alexis Madrigal, a staff writer at The Atlantic, has been monitoring the pandemic since it began through his COVID tracking project. He tells Hari Sreenivasan how what started as a personal interest became a vital tool in the fight against the coronavirus.

The pandemic has upended the lives and careers of America's restaurateurs -- among them celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. The proprietor of Harlem's Red Rooster has directed his efforts to helping those in need, particularly people of color. It's a community he celebrates in his new book, "The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food." He joins Walter Isaacson to discuss.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is dealing with a deadly second wave of coronavirus as well as Brexit, which she says will cause lasting damage. Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, and during the pandemic's first wave, set an international example for effective leadership. The First Minister joins Christiane from her offices at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Christine Lagarde, the first woman to lead the International Monetary Fund, is now the first woman president of the European Central Bank. Christiane spoke with her from her headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany about Brexit, the ECB's coronavirus stimulus plan, Lagarde's commitment to investing in women, her green policies, and her relationship with U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen.

Joe Scarborough is a former Republican Congressman from Florida turned cable news star, best known as the co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe." His latest book, "Saving Freedom," takes a look back at President Truman, and the historic forces that moved him to unite the Western world against Soviet Communism. Scarborough speaks with Walter Isaacson about this and the future of conservatism after Trump.

A stimulus bill remains stalled in the United States Senate, while Americans enter the holiday season in severe economic distress -- with no support from the federal government. California Congresswoman Katie Porter, who has made a name for herself as a fierce advocate for the ordinary American, offers her perspective on the situation.

The European Union looks set to pass a budget deal that will include much-needed cash for COVID-19 relief. But another deal -- this one between Brexit Britain and the EU, on trade -- is looking far less likely. The clock is running down on December 31 -- the date the divorce between EU and the UK becomes final. Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz joins Christiane to discuss.

Preet Bharara spent years as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York until he was fired by President Trump. He joins Christiane to analyze the string of legal battles the president is waging surrounding the election and the lawsuits he could soon face as a private citizen.

It's been ten years since Sophia Loren lit up the screen in a feature role. Now 86, the Oscar-winning actress is bringing her star power to Netflix in the film "The Life Ahead." Loren plays a Holocaust survivor who cares for children of sex workers. The film is directed by Loren's son, Edoardo Ponti. They join Christiane from Geneva to discuss their personal and professional collaboration.

For decades Steve Schmidt was a communications strategist working for President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain. He's now a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed in 2019 by a group of Republicans determined to defeat Trump in the 2020 election. He joins Michel Martin to explain what's next for the project and for the party.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in power nearly 35 years -- longer than many Ugandans have been alive. In the beginning, Museveni won praise for bringing stability to the nation. But over time he tightened his grip on power and cracked down on dissent. With elections due in January, Museveni is facing an unlikely challenger: the pop-star-turned-politician of the people, Bobi Wine.

Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California, is the first female ever to hold that post. One of her earliest endorsements came from her friend Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and Kounalakis is being considered to fill Harris' Senate seat after the inauguration in January. The Lieutenant Governor joined Christiane from Sacramento to speak about the state of the pandemic in her state.

When COVID-19 overran Wuhan, the Chinese government imposed a 76-day lockdown. In his harrowing new documentary, "76 days," filmmaker Hao Wu takes us inside four city hospitals to share the gripping stories of frontline workers and their patients. Here he is talking with our Hari Sreenivasan about the desperate effort to combat what was then a mysterious illness sweeping through the city.

As the delivery of vaccines now gathers pace worldwide, discussion abounds about who should get those precious initial doses. Dr. Moncef Slaoui is the chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, the federal program that helped get the vaccine to the U.S. market in record time. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about the effort and why safety is the key issue.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens shot to stardom 50 years ago with music and lyrics that were full of poetry and spirituality. The year 1970 saw the release of two seminal albums, "Tea for the Tillerman" and "Mona Bone Jakon." To mark the anniversary of their release, Yusuf is not just re-releasing them, but reimagining them. He joins the show to discuss his life and career, and to give an impromptu performance.