Senator Mitch McConnell is the man in the spotlight as the architect of the Senate impeachment rules. But who exactly is McConnell, and what has been his political journey? Christiane speaks with Scott Jennings, a longtime advisor to McConnell, and investigative reporter Alec MacGillis.

From "The Shawshank Redemption" to "Dark Waters," Tim Robbins’ career has been a constant dialogue between advocacy and artistic expression. His most recent play, "The New Colossus," pays homage to the immigrants and refugees who came to America to find a better life, and in the end shaped the nation. He joins the program to discuss this endeavor and his wider career.

Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer is still in the running as a presidential candidate, and while he admits he’s a long shot, his money and organization keep him in the mix. Steyer made his fortune as a hedge fund manager and is now a major philanthropist. He sits down with Michel to discuss impeachment, the climate crisis and campaign spending.

The Democrats’ case for the impeachment of President Trump is in full swing, as House managers return to the floor to raise questions of conduct and corruption. Anne Milgram is a former federal prosecutor and Attorney General of New Jersey and argues there is damning new evidence about Trump’s phone call with the President of Ukraine, which should be admitted into the Senate trial.

In London, the play "Remember This," highlights the story of Jan Karski. He was a Polish courier in the Resistance who risked his life to witness crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis in World War II – and to warn the West’s most powerful leaders. Actor David Strathairn plays Karski and joins the program to discuss his role.

From jailed teenager to award-winning poet: Reginald Dwayne Betts committed a carjacking at 16 years old and spent more than eight years in adult prison. Since his release, he has turned his life around, earning a degree from Yale Law School and penning several critically acclaimed works. He speaks with Michel Martin about his new poetry collection "Felon" and the importance of forgiveness.

Democrats and Republicans are laying out their opening arguments for and against the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, a process that will last several days in the Senate. Two former chiefs of staff from both sides of the aisle, Danny Weiss and Jonathan Burks, join Christiane to discuss why communication is not working between the two parties.

President Trump wrapped up his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland today, where the focus this year is on climate change. From the White House to Australia to Brazil, leaders still aren’t taking measurable action — even as their countries face catastrophic weather events. João Doria, governor of São Paulo, Brazil, joins the program from Davos to discuss this pressing issue.

Russia may already be attempting to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, if reports that Moscow hacked into Ukrainian gas company Burisma prove correct. It’s the kind of attack that keeps John P. Carlin up at night; he was Assistant Attorney General for National Security and speaks with Hari about the ever-rising cyber threat.

Renowned Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz joins the program from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the economy, growth and the climate crisis.

On Capitol Hill today, 100 senators begin deciding whether to remove President Trump from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. To discuss the anatomy of the third impeachment trial in American history, Christiane is joined by Noah Feldman, one of the four legal scholars who testified before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on impeachment.

Sarah Hurwitz was a White House speechwriter, first for President Barack Obama, then for First Lady Michelle Obama. Her new focus is a departure from politics, asking instead what Judaism can teach us in these divisive times. She tells Michel about her book “Here All Along” and waking up to the faith she was born into.

This week, in the Senate, President Trump’s impeachment trial starts in earnest. Russia experts Evelyn Farkas and Dimitri Simes join Christiane to analyze how this affects U.S. relations with Russia.

Contentious elections are nothing new and 1856 proved a particularly fraught example. In “Imperfect Union,” NPR host Steve Inskeep tells the story of America’s first political power couple, John and Jessie Fremont. He joins the show from D.C. to discuss their lives and assess parallels with today’s politics.

Dan Buettner is a National Geographic fellow and founder of The Blue Zones Project, a well-being improvement initiative launched in over 40 cities across the United States. It also inspired a cookbook called “The Blue Zones Kitchen,” based on the diet of people who live in these zones living long and healthy lives. Buettner tells Hari exactly what makes these places so special to him.

For more than 25 years, Peggy Orenstein broke new ground with her intimate explorations of girls and sexuality in New York Times bestsellers like “Girls and Sex.” Now she turns her eye to “Boys and Sex,” hearing directly from young men about their most intimate experiences. Christiane speaks with her about the pervasive messages our culture sends about emotional suppression and sexual aggression.

Father Greg Boyle is a Catholic priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest rehabilitation program in the world for active gang members. Over 3-plus decades, Father Boyle has helped more than 15,000 people a year break their vicious cycles of violence, find jobs and leave gangs behind. Boyle tells Christiane about the healing power of tenderness and spirituality.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has explored the ancestry of dozens of people from diverse backgrounds on his show Finding Your Roots, including Christiane’s in 2019. Now in its sixth season, the show features guests like Jeff Goldblum, RuPaul, and Queen Latifah. Gates believes family tapestries can offer a sense of stability and joins Walter Isaacson to discuss what he's learned about race and identity.

In an exclusive interview, Ukraine’s foreign minister says he doesn’t know or trust Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, who gave an explosive interview detailing the White House’s efforts to intimidate the Ukrainian president into providing information about Joe Biden. Christiane spoke with Vadym Prystaiko in London, where he was to attend a meeting about the downing of the Ukrainian plane.

Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest is digging into his own pockets to donate $48 million to fire relief in his country. As the founder of Fortescue Metals Group, Forrest leads one of the world’s largest iron ore producers and has enormous political clout in Australia. He joins Christiane to discuss his views on climate change.