Historian Archie Brown wants to debunk the theory that the West won the Cold War through military and economic might. In his book "The Human Factor," Brown argues that success was really rooted in stellar leadership that seized the day and changed the course of history. He dwells on three strong characters at the center of this drama: Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher.

In Germany, despite a high number of coronavirus cases, the death rate is notably low, and now the government plans to ease the lockdown and re-open some schools in early May. So what is Germany doing right? Christiane speaks with the country's Health Minister to find out.

Sheila Bair was formerly the chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency designed to make banking safer for consumers – indeed, she was once called “the little guy’s protector in chief.” Bair joins Sheelah Kolhatkar to discuss how not to repeat the mistakes of the 2008 bailout.

If there is a silver lining in the coronavirus pandemic, it’s this: the economic shutdown is bringing temporary relief from air and water pollution. Could this be the harbinger of a low-carbon future? Or could economic and political pressure turn back the clock on climate regulation? Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe joins the program.

How will history record this period? And what can it teach us about what sort of world awaits us when the pandemic ends? Eminent historian and professor emeritus at Oxford University Margaret MacMillan has written extensively about U.S./China relations. She joins the program from Oxford.

In late January, the state of Washington reported the first case of COVID-19 in the United States. The state has more than 10,000 cases to date, but it has not been hit nearly as hard as New York and New Jersey. Washington's lieutenant governor tells Christiane how the state has coped so far.

President Trump is facing an avalanche of criticism over his decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization, the UN body directing the global fight against COVID-19. To discuss the ramifications of the president’s decision, Christiane speaks with WHO adviser and author of “Hacking Darwin,” Jamie Metzl.

The Democratic Party is uniting around Joe Biden as its nominee for the presidential election, with Senator Elizabeth Warren joining President Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders today in endorsing the former vice president. But will this unity be enough? Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, joins the show to discuss.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer and president of the Rockefeller Foundation Dr. Rajiv Shah are together advocating for a data-driven quarantine and a massively scaled-up testing scheme to allow a gradual return to work. They explain to Hari Sreenivasan why a clear policy on testing is crucial to revive the economy.

As Iraq struggles with political turmoil and a plunge in oil prices, COVID-19 is testing the country in new ways. Iraq’s President Barham Salih joins the program exclusively from Baghdad to discuss his country’s response to coronavirus and the wider issues Iraq is facing.

The International Monetary Fund predicts the world economy will shrink by 3% this year--the biggest downturn since the Great Depression. In this context, President Trump vows to reopen the world’s largest economy, potentially by May 1. To discuss all this, Christiane speaks with Trump’s former Chief Economic Adviser and former president of Goldman Sachs Gary Cohn.

Dr. Robert Gallo, who helped identify HIV in the 1980's, is leading an initiative to use the oral polio vaccine for short-term coronavirus treatment. He believes it could provide a couple of months of immunity, buying time for anyone infected to develop the antibodies to fight it. It still awaits FDA approval, but Dr. Gallo believes there is cause for hope -- as he explains to Walter Isaacson.

Early statistics show men are 50% more likely to die from coronavirus. One theory about what's giving women the advantage is their genetics. Dr. Sharon Moalem’s new book “The Better Half” is an exploration of exactly that. He joins the program alongside author and activist Caroline Criado Perez, whose book “Invisible Women” argues that there's a general data bias in research that ignores women.

Christiane speaks with Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman about the economic impacts we’re seeing as a result of coronavirus and the huge cost to ordinary workers.

California’s Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter has gained a lot of attention for doing the math and showing her conclusions to those in power. Recently, she asked CDC Director Robert Redfield how much it would cost an American to get tested for COVID-19. In a feisty exchange that went viral, she got a pledge from him: that testing would be free for every American.

As the virus spreads, the world’s faithful must reckon with how to observe Easter, Passover and Ramadan while their faith leaders tell them to stay home and away from churches, synagogues and mosques. Rev. Dr. William Barber is one of America’s leading anti-poverty activists and most widely respected spiritual leaders. He explains how to celebrate faith in this challenging time.

Nearly one billion students worldwide are staying home each day, as the pandemic forces schools and colleges to close. But remote learning pioneer Sal Khan is stepping up to help: his Khan Academy is publishing schedules and learning plans for kids, while also providing support to parents and teachers.

The NHS Breathe Harmony Choir has produced a cover version of Mariah Carey’s hit single, “Anytime You Need a Friend." From the U.S. to Australia, more than 100 singers from across the globe came together to send a message of solidarity to those on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic. Christiane speaks with one of the NHS workers from the choir and the project’s musical director.

Coronavirus has hit Louisiana hard, with new data revealing that it has affected African Americans particularly badly: The state’s black community accounts for 70% of the deaths, even though they make up only 33% of the population. The Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, says this disparity is reflected nationwide because of systemic problems with poverty traps and lack of resources.

Last week, the Hungarian government asked for emergency permission to rule by decree. Without imposing a time limit, the parliament approved the move. Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he will use the extraordinary powers “proportionately,” but opposition lawmakers say it puts Hungarian democracy in quarantine. Christiane discusses the controversial move with foreign minister Péter Szijjártó.