Today, President Biden met with the Pope at the Vatican – his fourth face-to-face meeting with Pope Francis. The 90-minute discussion covered a wide range of issues, including climate and inequality. One who understands the significance of the meeting is Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago.

The supply chain crisis is crippling the mercantile business in the U.S., with overflowing ports, trucks queuing for miles, empty shelves, and rising prices – all this as the holiday season inches closer. David J. Lynch is a correspondent for The Washington Post and joins the show to discuss where it all went wrong and whether it is fair to lay the blame at President Biden’s feet.

Today President Biden heads to Rome for the G20, a pit stop on the way to the COP26 summit in Glasgow, where the world must hammer out a climate plan to avoid catastrophe. Adding to the pressure onBiden, Democrats are at a pivotal stage in the passage of their infrastructure bill worth trillions of dollars. To break down the latest, Bianna speaks with reporter Lauren Fox.

In her latest piece for The Atlantic, journalist Kim Ghattas focuses on three states that once offered real hope for democracy, only to be dashed: Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Ghattas’ home country of Lebanon. Ghattas joins the show from Beirut.

As President Biden departs the U.S., Congress is grilling the fossil fuel giants. The CEOs of Exxon, BP, Shell, and Chevron testified today virtually about whether they knew their products were fueling climate change. For more on this is Mark Hertsgaard, a journalist and executive director of the news consortium Covering Climate Now.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg today outlines a new vision for the embattled company, but experts are warning Facebook hasn’t done enough to address its problems. The company is in hot water after a whistleblower released internal documents and testified that the platform is choosing profit at any cost. Adam Conner previously headed up Facebook’s privacy and public policy team.

Greg Zuckerman is an investigative reporter with The Wall Street Journal. In his new book, he takes us behind the scenes of the years of groundbreaking research that paved the way for the mRNA vaccines we have today. Zuckerman speaks with Walter Isaacson about the unsung scientific heroes who created them.

Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay's latest project is "Colin in Black and White," a Netflix series that tells the story of NFL player Colin Kaepernick's high school years. DuVernay joins Christiane to discuss this unique collaboration and what it's like to be trusted with someone's story.

In May, author Michael Lewis joined Christiane to discuss his book "The Premonition." Less than three weeks later, tragedy struck Lewis and his wife Tabitha Soren: Their 19 year old daughter Dixie was killed in a car crash, along with her boyfriend. Lewis is only lately ready to talk about it publicly. He joins Christiane to reflect on his loss.

People in many countries are finding their way back to pre-COVID-19 life. Navigating all this may become a lot easier with the release of psychologist Doreen Dodgen-Magee’s new book, "Restart: Designing a Healthy Post-Pandemic Life." She lays out how we can create better relationships with ourselves, our loved ones, and our tech – as she explains to Hari Sreenivasan.

The global investment conference known as Davos in the Desert kicks off today. This is an attempt by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince to promote the Kingdom and gain international legitimacy -- three years after the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Now a former top Saudi intelligence official, Saad Al-Jabri, fears his family and himself may be the next victims. His daughter joins the show.

Rebecca Hall's new film "Passing," based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen, tells the story of mixed-race childhood friends who reunite as adults – one firmly ensconced in the African American community of Harlem, and the other now “passing,” or living her life as a white woman. It’s a subject Hall felt driven to confront because of her own family’s history of racial secrets.

The U.S. healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, say our next guests. According to one poll, almost one in five healthcare workers have quit their jobs during the pandemic. Rachel Ellsworth is one such person. She abandoned her 12-year career because of burnout. Traveling nurse Chelsea Walsh has seen what hospitals are facing all across the country. They speak with Hari Sreenivasan.

In 1993, the celebrated playwright and Oscar-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard was told both of his parents were Jewish and that all his grandparents and other relatives had perished in the Nazi death camps. Reckoning with his Jewish identity informs his latest play "Leopoldstadt," about the devastating impact of World War II on a family in Vienna.

Today, the U.N. said CO2 levels in the atmosphere stand at the highest level in 3 million years. Meanwhile, California was hit over the weekend by a “bomb cyclone." Scientists say climate change increases the frequency of such weather events. The storm also hit Washington state, where Gov. Jay Inslee has been in the forefront of efforts to combat the climate crisis. He joins the show to discuss.

A recent poll suggests that nearly 80% of Republicans want former President Trump to run in the 2024 election. Washington Post columnist and former conservative Republican Max Boot blames Trump for leading the growing extremism within the party. Boot speaks with Walter Isaacson about why so many Republicans are in Trump’s thrall and whether it will help or harm the GOP in upcoming elections.

Senator Joe Manchin continues to block a significant part of Biden’s climate legislation. Upcoming are two important summits, where the U.S. will be expected to put forward bold climate commitments. Can the world’s second largest polluter make good on its climate goals? Christiane puts the question to climate expert Leah Stokes.

A new book, "Master of the Game," looks at Henry Kissinger’s role in the Middle East and what we can learn from his political philosophy. The author is Martin Indyk, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and former special envoy for Israel-Palestine peace negotiations in the Clinton and Obama administrations.

A major retrospective of the painter Paula Rego’s work is underway at London’s Tate Britain museum. Born in Portugal, Rego grew up under a fascist dictatorship in the 1930s and 40s and eventually made England her home. Known for her uncompromising attitudes, Rego fiercely took on fascism and explored women’s rights. Her son, filmmaker Nick Willing, joins the show from Rego's studio in London.

A new Netflix show exposes the harsh realities of living below the poverty line in America. Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, "Maid" follows a young mother’s fight to escape an abusive relationship. The series has attracted a huge audience. Land speaks with Michel Martin about her journey.