Amanpour

The UK has been swept up in a week of economic and political turmoil, with Prime Minister Liz Truss’s Conservative government coming under increasing pressure over its controversial tax cut plan. Financial markets are roiled, the British pound tanked, and the IMF issued a rare rebuke. Meanwhile in Italy, the electoral success of Giorgia Meloni marks a lurch to the far right that will see a party with roots in neo-fascism enter power for the first time since World War II. And in the US, the latest January 6 hearing had to be postponed due to the devastating arrival of Hurricane Ian. Political chaos often acts as inspiration for Armando Iannucci’s work. He’s beloved for his comedies, looking at the absurdity of politics in The Thick of It, Veep, and The Death of Stalin. His latest work, Avenue 5, is a sitcom about a tourist spaceship thrown off course. But as he explains to Christiane, his goal isn’t just to poke fun at those in power, but increasingly to try and shore up our fragile democratic norms. Also on today's show: Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Jodi Kantor; comedian Hasan Minhaj. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the strongest storms ever to hit the US is causing catastrophic flooding and destruction across hundreds of miles. Speaking this morning, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the storm is “basically a 500-year flood event,” and the government confirms that Ian produced “one in a thousand-year rainfall” in some Florida locations. It embodies a trend in recent hurricanes, as warmer water – driven by climate change – fuels stronger, more destructive storms. UC Santa Barbara Professor of Environmental Politics Leah Stokes is a climate policy expert and joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: historian Nina Khrushcheva on what's behind Putin's annexation of Ukrainian territory; Katy Hessel, author of The Story of Art Without Men; Brennan Center for Justice Sr. Fellow Ted Johnson. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's day 223 of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine and the president is upping the ante. It’s believed he will move this week to annex the areas under Russian occupation, after claiming an overwhelming mandate in sham referendums there. Ukraine, Europe and the US reject the whole process and Kyiv says Putin will try to make residents there fight for the Russian military. Meanwhile inside Russia, people – mostly men – are voting with their feet: they continue to flee the country in droves, desperate to avoid Putin’s forced mobilization, as Melissa Bell reports. Also on today's show: former US National Security Council Senior Director Fiona Hill; Jennifer Egan, author of The Candy House; AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s just six weeks until the midterm elections, which often sees the party in power get a “shellacking,” as President Obama once put it. Democrats are bracing for a result that could cost them all or part of Congress and reduce President Biden’s power. The Senate's longest-tenured member, Democrat Patrick Leahy is set to retire after 48 years in Congress. He joins the show from Capitol Hill. Also on today's show: Raffaele Trombetta, Italian Ambassador to the UK; Luke Mogelson, author of The Storm Is Here: An American Crucible. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For ten straight days protests have engulfed many parts of Iran, the most widespread since the Green Revolution of 2009. State media and human rights groups say dozens have been killed in the violence so far. Despite internet restrictions and the harsh reaction of security forces, the protests show no sign of abating. In fact, they’re spreading – demonstrations took place outside Iranian embassies in London and Paris over the weekend. To discuss, Christiane speaks with Marjane Satrapi, the French-Iranian author best known for her illustrated memoir Persepolis, about growing up in Iran during the revolution. Also on today's show: Chile's new President Gabriel Boric; Joshua Prager, author of The Family Roe: An American Story. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“A sham.” That is what Ukrainian and western officials are calling the so-called referendums underway in four occupied regions of Ukraine on whether to become part of Russia. There are reports of coercion and threats, and ballots are being delivered to people’s houses. The votes are expected to pave the way for annexation of large chunks of territory. Crucially, this would allow President Putin to claim that the western alliance is in direct confrontation with his country. It all comes as Russians are fleeing the country by land and by air in droves – after the Kremlin ordered hundreds of thousands of reservists to join the fight. Australia’s foreign minister says her government is considering expelling the Russian ambassador over Putin’s nuclear threats. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also says she encouraged her Chinese counterpart to help end the conflict in Ukraine when she met with him at the United Nations on Thursday. She joins Christiane outside the UN to discuss. Also on today's show: Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko; author/humorist Andy Borowitz; Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of The Walk. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women in Iran are ripping off their hijabs and cutting their hair in the streets as an outpouring of anger takes place across the country. Demonstrators are mourning and protesting the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police, who enforce the country’s strict dress codes for women. The authorities say Mahsa Amini had a heart attack, but her family say that’s a lie. Christiane had hoped to put all this to the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in an interview on Wednesday night. But at the last minute, he refused to sit for the interview unless Christiane wore a headscarf. It’s an unprecedented request; Christiane has interviewed every Iranian president since 1995, including on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and this had never before been an issue. So tonight, Christiane gets reaction to the protests from Senator Chris Murphy – who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – and an Iran expert. Also on today's show: Holly Dagres, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Susan Glasser & Peter Baker, coauthors of a new book on Donald Trump, The Divider. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christiane is at the United Nations, where world leaders are gathering for their first in-person general assembly in three years – just as Russia’s President Vladimir Putin decided to call up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine. It’s a massive escalation amid his troops’ recent setbacks on the battlefield and comes just after officials in several occupied regions of Ukraine said they will hold referendums on formally joining Russia this week. It adds to a perfect storm of global crises, yet organizations like the UN seem largely incapable of working as a mechanism for peace and stability. Spain is a key NATO member and announced a boost in military spending when it hosted NATO’s summit in Madrid this summer. Its prime minister Pedro Sanchez joins Christiane in New York. Also on today's show: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UN General Assembly got underway today in the shadow of war. While the focus is on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there are worries as well about China and Taiwan. Joining the show to discuss is Michael Beckley, coauthor of Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China. Also on today's show: Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, historian Camille Joseph. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Britain, a day of mourning, gratitude, and change. The world witnessed the funeral for a British queen, a ritual never before seen on live television, and – for the first time in most people’s lives – the United Kingdom welcomed a new king. Now, the world turns to what lies ahead: the reign of Charles III. Today's guests include: Sir David Manning, former British ambassador to the US; Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney; former Director of Royal Communications for Buckingham Palace Sally Osman; New York Times London bureau chief Mark Landler; composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The incredible lines of people waiting to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state are stretching to five miles and more, as the Palace says it is preparing for one of the biggest ceremonial events since World War II. Hundreds of heads of state and dignitaries will gather in London for the Queen’s state funeral on Monday. The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell – the nation’s second most senior bishop – will be offering one of the prayers during the service. He also led the 70th Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral this summer and has even done a jigsaw with Her Majesty. He joins Christiane to talk about this moment and his memories. Also on today's show: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas, National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line up for miles to say farewell to their Queen. Simon Schama is a scholar of monarchy in Britain and around the world, awarded a knighthood for services to history in 2019. He joins Christiane outside the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen is lying in state. Also on today's show: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Chief Executive of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change Aisha Khan. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rivers of people are stretching for miles through the British capital, crisscrossing the Thames as mourners queue to see the Queen’s coffin in the Palace of Westminster. Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state until 6:30am on Monday morning, the day of her state funeral. Her coffin’s procession to Westminster saw the kind of pageantry on display that is unique to Britain, as Isa Soares reports. She is followed by Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, and historian Timony Garton Ash. Also on today's show: Abbas Gallyamov, a former speechwriter for Vladimir Putin; Iuliia Mendel, former press secretary for Ukraine President Zelensky. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Queen’s coffin makes its way today to her London home, after leaving Scotland on a Royal Air Force jet. After one more night at Buckingham Palace, the Queen will lie in state for four days at Westminster, and preparations are underway for as many as two million people who want to pay their respects. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will meet the coffin at Buckingham Palace, following their historic trip to Northern Ireland. To react to the latest, Christiane speaks with three experts: Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow, Institute for Government; historian Elizabeth Norton; British broadcaster Bidisha Mamata Also on today's show: former British Prime Minister Theresa May. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tributes to the now late Queen Elizabeth II haven't quieted the calls for more devolution around the United Kingdom and overseas, to shake off vestiges of the former British empire. To discuss this, Christiane spoke to Sir David Manning, a former British Ambassador to the United States. Meanwhile, following a stunning Ukrainian counter offensive in Kharkiv, and for the first time since his February invasion, Putin is facing mounting criticism from his own side. Loyal commentators have asked whether he miscalculated or was misinformed. Deputies from 18 municipal districts in Moscow, St. Petersburg and elsewhere are now calling on him to resign. The former Commander of American forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, joined Christiane from Germany. Also on today's show: former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; Baroness Beeban Kidron, member of the House of Lords. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

King Charles III has addressed the United Kingdom as it mourns the loss of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Before the address, he met with the British prime minister and the public today, shaking hands and even being kissed on the cheek by one woman. It is the first full day of his reign and a new era for Great Britain. Church bells rang out across a nation in mourning and gun salutes were fired to honor the Queen’s 96 years. Across the world, national monuments have been lit up in tribute to Queen Elizabeth and newspapers have dedicated their front pages to mark her passing. Joining the show today are the Queen's former Communications Director Simon Lewis; former British PM Tony Blair; former US Secretary of State John Kerry; US presidential historian and biographer Jon Meacham. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we take a look back at the Queen's extraordinary life with help from historian Simon Schama, former UK Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch, and former UK MP Alistair Burt. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The emergency around Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant intensifies and Kyiv now says it’s considering shutting down the Zaporizhzhia complex. Ukraine blames Russia for shelling the plant and for using it as a military shield, while Russia blames Ukraine. But will Moscow agree to a safety zone? Vladimir Chizhov is Russia’s envoy to the European Union and joins the show from Brussels. Also on today's show: Kenyan President-elect William Ruto; Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer for the Atlantic; Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson, and Josette Maskin from the indie band MUNA. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain has its fourth prime minister in six years, after Liz Truss visited Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland for the royal handshake, a formality that propelled her to head of government, and to become the third female prime minister of the country. Thus ends the Boris Johnson era, signified by high drama, a litany of scandals, and a country in deep crisis. The challenges facing Prime Minister Truss are monumental, with high inflation and soaring energy bills. To discuss her daunting in-tray and the UK’s future on the international stage, Christiane speaks with Labour member of the House of Lords Valerie Amos and Britain’s former man in Washington Peter Westmacott. Also on today's show: International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi; Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s official: Liz Truss will become the UK’s next prime minister. Two months after Boris Johnson announced he would be leaving his post, the country’s foreign secretary took 57% of Conservative Party members’ votes, beating her rival Rishi Sunak by a smaller margin than expected. What can the UK and the world expect from a Prime Minister Truss? Veteran British journalist Andrew Neil joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: Journalist Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov; Carlo Rovelli, physicist and author; David Robinson, son of Jackie Robinson, baseball's first Black player. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The setting was symbolic, the stakes were high, and the president minced no words. Joe Biden used a primetime address to rebuke Donald Trump and Republican extremism. In a speech outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall – considered the birthplace of America – Biden warned that MAGA forces could crush democracy. The man who started his presidency preaching unity and refusing to use his predecessor’s name has made a choice to confront what he sees happening in the Republican Party. Meanwhile in an interview, former President Trump suggested he might pardon some Capitol insurrectionists. It made for a split screen laying bare the two Americas and the two vastly different choices facing the country months before the midterms. Political commentator S.E. Cupp joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: author Josh Mitchell; musicians Nick Sanborn & Amelia Meath of the indie pop duo Sylvan Esso. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China may have committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, according to a long-awaited – and much-delayed – report from the United Nations. Beijing has denounced the report, saying it’s based on “disinformation.” Correspondent Anna Coren reports, followed by WSJ Chief China Correspondent Lingling Wei and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Jeanne Shaheen. Also on today's show: Historian Nicole Hemmer, whose new book Partisans explores the conservatives who remade US politics in the 1990s and how that decade paved the way for Donald Trump’s presidency. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The tributes have been pouring in as the world marks the passing of Mikhail Gorbachev, who died last night at 91. A titan of the 20th century, he was the last leader of the Soviet Union, who raised the Iron Curtain and – along with his American partner President Ronald Reagan – ended the Cold War. Ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Christiane spoke with President Gorbachev about the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his reflections a decade on. They had another, very different conversation in 2012, just after Vladimir Putin's re-election, during which he expressed worries about the authoritarian tendencies taking shape in Russia. Also on today's show: Nina Khrushcheva, historian and great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, who put up the Berlin Wall in 1961; former US Ambassador to Russia Thomas Pickering; Adam Entous on his New Yorker piece, The Untold History of the Biden Family. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iraq’s capital city has seen violent protests that left at least 21 dead after weeks of tensions. The spark was ignited after influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Twitter that he was quitting politics for good. This comes after his supporters were unable to form a government, despite winning the most seats in parliament last year. Al-Sadr’s announcement sent a shockwave through Baghdad and his loyalists stormed the so-called Green Zone, prompting al-Sadr to apologize to the nation for the violence and urged protesters to go home. Correspondent Ben Wedeman has the latest. For more on the unrest, and to explain the background, Sara speaks with Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi, who as Iraq’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations had firsthand experience of Iraqi politics and diplomacy. Also on today's show: Craig Whitlock, author of The Afghanistan Papers, which examines how that country's war was sold -- and mis-sold -- to the public; Jason Reid, author of Rise of the Black Quarterback; Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans and Grammy Award-winning musician Angelique Kidjo on the 10th anniversary of the Global Citizen Festival. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“I have not seen destruction on this scale … it’s overwhelming.” Those are the words of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister after seeing the utter devastation in his country right now, as monsoon rains and floods have killed a staggering 1,100 people. Horrifying video shows towns completely inundated, with people desperately searching for shelter and food, as Anna Coren reports. Her report is followed by an interview with Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affair Hina Rabbani Khar. Also on today's show: James Crawford, author of The Edge of the Plain: How Borders Make and Break Our World; Julie Ha & Eugene Yi, co-directors of Free Chol Soo Lee; Rachel Crane, CNN Innovation and Space Correspondent. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world is struggling with rising prices and slowing economies in the wake of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. As the cost of food and energy spikes, inflation in the double digits is becoming a more common occurrence. At the end of this week, America's top economists will gather in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and all eyes are on what the chair of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell will say. So what can we expect and how will it impact working families? Axios Chief Financial Correspondent Felix Salmon joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court; Edward Buckles Jr., director of the new documentary on Hurricane Katrina, Katrina Babies. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine is marking its independence day today, exactly six months since Russia launched its war to crush it. Although Kyiv cancelled events amid fears Russia might carry out missile strikes, the country quietly but resolutely celebrated its history, its culture, and its resilience in the face of a formidable threat. President Zelensky has reiterated his stance that the war will not end until Ukraine regains every bit of territory lost to Russia, including Crimea. So, will US and European assistance help achieve that? Sara speaks with an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, Yuriy Sak. Also on today's show: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas; CNN Corresponent Audie Cornish. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no new episode of the Amanpour showcast. If you haven’t already, please check out CNN’s other podcasts and showcasts at cnn.com/audio. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China is experiencing the worst heatwave in decades, which comes as the United Nations recently declared access to a clean and healthy environment to be a human right. It’s just one of many pressing issues for UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet – and China is sure to be forefront of her mind. Bachelet is facing intense scrutiny over a long-delayed report into China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, stalling what many see as a vital chance to hold China to account. Bachelet’s tenure comes to an end this month and she’s vowed to release the report before leaving office – giving her just a matter of days. Sara Sidner sat down with Bachelet for an important interview. Also on today's show: Orlando Figes, author of The Story of Russia; Alex Pritz, director of The Territory, a new documentary about the Amazon rainforest. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia claims it knows who killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of far-right ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, an influential ally of Vladimir Putin. Dugina was killed by a car bomb outside Moscow Saturday night, with the Dugins' security service telling Russian state media that Ukraine is responsible for her death. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the explosion. Correspondent Fred Pleitgen takes a closer look at the incident and who the Dugins are. Also providing insight and perspective on the bombing are Masha Gessen, a staff writer for the New Yorker, and Ekaterina Kotrikadze, anchor and news director at TV Rain, Russia's only independent news channel. Also on today's show: Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now; Erich Schwartzel, author of Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week has seen an escalation in several of the investigations into Donald Trump and his businesses. We know the FBI seized 11 sets of classified material during their Mar-a-Lago search, but we don’t know the evidence used by the Justice Department to get the warrant required. That could soon start to change. A judge is starting the process to potentially release some of that info as early as next week. Meantime, one of the former president’s most trusted executives Allen Weisselberg has pleaded guilty to helping the Trump Organization engage in a 15-year-long tax fraud scheme. To digest all this, Sara speaks with former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa. Also on today's show: Two friends of Salman Rushdie, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel and novelist Hari Kunzru, discuss last week's attack on the renowned author; author Nahid Shahalimi on her new book We Are Still Here, discusses why Afghan women should be involved in setting policy for their country. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the long stalemate continues in Ukraine, can a series of attacks on Crimea turn the tide? We hear from former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Zahorodniuk. Then: Disasters, corruption, and brutal gang violence. Can anything stop Haiti's spiral towards collapse? Plus: Selina Wang tracks one man's desperate escape from China in search of the American dream. And: Fighting for freedom not with guns, but with music. An interview with the members of the Ukrainian freedom orchestra as they wrap up their world tour. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was a primary with immense ramifications for the future of the Republican Party, with the perils of crossing former President Trump on full display last night in the state of Wyoming. Liz Cheney was soundly defeated by the little known – but Trump-backed – candidate Harriet Hageman. Cheney had become a rare vocal critic of the former president within her own party and is a leading member of the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. Cheney says she is “thinking” about running in the 2024 presidential election, but where does her loss leave the GOP? Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: Iran scholar Karim Sadjadpour; economist Vicky Pryce; CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir; 17-year-old aviator Mack Rutherford, who's aiming to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William Ruto is the declared winner of Kenya’s presidential election, after edging out opposition leader Raila Odinga by an extremely narrow margin. Odinga is rejecting the results and will challenge them in court, something he’s done in the past – this is his fifth time running. Chaos erupted at the election center and in Odinga strongholds, and four of the seven electoral officials disowned the results. For more on this, Sara Sidner speaks with CNN's Larry Madowo in Kisumu. Also on today's show: International Crisis Group's Africa Program Director Murithi Mutiga; International relations professor Oliver Stuenkel; Austrian Minister for Climate Action Leonore Gewessler. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, the Taliban announced a public holiday to mark the first anniversary since their return to power in Afghanistan. As they congratulate themselves, the Afghan people may find little to rejoice, however. The Taliban is yet to run a fully functioning government, women’s rights are evaporating, and the economy took another blow today as the Biden administration announced it won’t be releasing billions of dollars of frozen Afghan assets any time soon. It’s a life or death situation for many Afghans who face malnutrition, and the United Nations is warning that half the population faces acute food insecurity. Today, we take a closer look at the current state of play inside the country. Today's guests include former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker, former Afghan Youth Representative to the UN Shkula Zadran, and Committee to Protect Journalists President Jodie Ginsberg. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s nearly one year since the Taliban took returned to power in Afghanistan and the US withdrew. Since then, a devastating earthquake and ongoing economic crisis have crippled the country. Elliot Ackerman knows Afghanistan well, have served five tours there and in Iraq while in the Marines. Last August, he found himself pulled right back in, trying from afar to help Afghans desperate to flee the country. He details it all in his new book, The Fifth Act, and he speaks with Bianna about why he believes America’s disastrous withdrawal represented the collapse of its morals. Also in today's show: Ed Perkins, director of the new HBO documentary on Princess Diania, The Princess; Jennette McCurdy, author of I’m Glad My Mom Died. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After months of pain, it looks like light could be emerging at the end of the tunnel for American consumers: the price of gas has fallen beneath $4 per gallon for the first time since March, and there are signs inflation is easing. For Democrats, the news caps off a hat trick of legislative achievements: President Biden has signed the PACT Act and the CHIPS Act, all ahead of the long-awaited passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, expected to make its way through the House on Friday. To discuss, Patrick Gaspard of the Center for American Progress joins the show. Also on today's show: Philip Short, author of the new biography Putin; journalist Jane Mayer. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine’s President Zelensky has a message for Putin: not only will you not take any new Ukrainian land, we will claw back what you stole nearly a decade ago. He’s talking about Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. Zelensky made the comments after the Russian air base in Crimea was hit by several explosions, though Ukraine has not said whether its forces were behind it. Correspondent David McKenzie brings us the latest. Also in today's show: journalist and author Dana Milbank, Israeli journalist Noa Landau, author Mohsin Hamid, economist Raj Chetty. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The news came from former President Trump himself: the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago home, the first time ever that federal agents have searched the residence of a former American leader. It took place under utmost secrecy and there are still many unanswered questions, but what we do know is that the search was related to the handling – or alleged mishandling – of classified documents. To explain the legal implications, former top lawyer at the Justice Department Neal Katyal joins the show. Also on today's show: US House Democrat Sharice Davids; Haiti Country Director, World Food Programme Jean-Martin Bauer. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden has emerged from his Covid isolation and traveled to Kentucky today to visit families hit by catastrophic flooding. This isn’t the first time he’s traveled to sites hit by extreme weather, but it is the first time he’ll be able to tell the people that Washington is about to make its biggest investment ever to tackle rising temperatures. The senate this weekend passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which tackles everything from healthcare to climate, and if it passes the House, it could be on Biden’s desk by the end of the week. Former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis now works to get more conservatives to support green energy and joins the show from South Carolina. Also on the show: climate scientist Friederike Otto; journalist and author John Sweeney (Killer in the Kremlin); NASA administrator Bill Nelson. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China’s live fire drills in the Taiwan strait have provided an explosive finale to a dizzying week in global politics. Beijing is making good on its promise that Taipei would pay the price for hosting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this week, a visit that came just after the White House announced the killing of the leader of Al-Qaeda in Kabul. Domestically, the US has undergone several political earthquakes, with the potential revival of President Biden’s climate agenda and the landslide victory for abortion rights in the steadfastly Republican state of Kansas. The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser joins the show to break down this tumultuous week. Also on today's show: Ron Howard and Raymond Phathanavirangoon, the director and co-producer, respectively, of the new movie Thirteen Lives, which depicts the 2018 rescue of a Thai football team; historian Evan Thomas, author of Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle To Save The World. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democrats are on the brink of an agreement over a substantial climate, healthcare and tax package – without a single Republican vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has lambasted the bill, calling it “a terrible deal,” and its fate now comes down to just one senator: Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. Will President Biden finally get this key piece of his agenda passed? Colorado Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper is a staunch advocate of the bill and joins the show from DC. Also on today's show: CNN US Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood on the Brittney Griner verdict; Annie Lowrey, staff writer at The Atlantic, on her difficult pregnancies and the heartbreaking choices women sometimes face; NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the passing of his friend, mentor and role model, Bill Russell. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The message sent by Kansas voters last night was as surprising as it was clear: keep abortion legal in our state. By a large margin, traditionally conservative Kansas rejected an amendment that would have taken away women’s right to abortion. It was the first time Americans were called to weigh in on the issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. That’s despite polls showing broad public support for abortion rights. President Biden has now called on Congress to pass a law to restore the protections Roe provided, and with the midterms just three months away, this could be a potent issue for Democrats. Donna Shalala served as health secretary under Bill Clinton and joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield; Wounded Warrior Project campaigner Jose Ramos; NYC Dept. of Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New details are emerging about the U.S. attack that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. According to a senior administration official, the drone strike took President Biden and his inner circle months to secretly plan, with staffers building a small scale model of Zawahiri’s Kabul safehouse to help the president decide when to give the order. One of the masterminds behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Zawahiri emerged from the Egyptian middle class to become one of America’s most wanted terrorists. CNN International Correspondent Michael Holmes provides details and context. Following his report: an interview with retired Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw and organized the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Also on today's show: US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink; former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan this week, according to senior Taiwanese and US officials. The precise date of her arrival is not yet known, but it’s already riling tensions in the region. China has repeated warnings that their military won’t “sit idly by” if it feels threatened by the visit. CNN Senior International Correspondent Will Ripley has the latest. Following his report we speak with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, author of the new book Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict Between the U.S. and Xi Jinping’s China. Also on today's show: former English women's soccer star Kelly Smith; Lis Smith, author of Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war rages on in Ukraine, and exclusive new reporting reveals some of the ways Russia’s war is being funded. A new Yale study concludes that Russia’s economy has been “catastrophically crippled” by western sanctions – so how is President Putin fueling his war machine? Partly thanks to his meddling in Africa. In an exclusive report, Nima Elbagir reveals how Moscow stopped democratic change over 6,000 miles away in Sudan, just as its people had successfully toppled one of the longest standing African dictators through peaceful street protests. One key reason: Sudan is one of the world’s biggest exporters of gold, and Russia has been illegally exploiting and smuggling this resource from Sudan for years. Nima and her team traveled to the north of the country to show how Russia manipulates the Sudanese military government and how it uses front companies to get around U.S. sanctions to hold onto the gold. Also on today's show: The Kite Runner actors Amir Arison, Azita Ghanizada and Faran Tahir; Yale social and natural science professor Nicholas Christakis. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is felt all around the world, from grocery baskets to pumps at gas stations, from electric bills to clothing: inflation like rarely seen before. Amid a collision of crises, from the war in Ukraine to a slowdown of the Chinese economy, the ripple effects are being felt keenly in the United States, where the Bureau of Economic Analysis just announced the economy has shrunk again for the second quarter in a row. The International Monetary Fund called it earlier this week: a global recession could soon be at hand. To assess where the US economy is at, the Financial Times’ Rana Foroohar joins the program from New York. Also on today's show: US Senate Democrat Chris Coons, former US soccer star Briana Scurry, A Love Song actors Dale Dickey & Wes Studi. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Extreme weather made worse by the climate crisis continues to ravage our world. In St. Louis, Missouri, record-breaking rainfall is causing widespread flash flooding, while Europe is still in the grip of wildfires devouring acres of land and wreaking havoc on people’s lives. And California has seen unprecedented wildfires in scale and spread with the Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park, forcing Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency. His senior climate adviser Lauren Sanchez joins the show to discuss. Also on today's show: UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons; US House Democrat Seth Moulton; director Sara Dosa. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To prevent a severe supply shock, EU ministers have agreed to reduce natural gas consumption by 15% between August and next March. Ukraine’s neighbor Poland was initially opposed to the deal, though has now approved it, and its deputy foreign minister joins the program from Warsaw. Also on today's show: former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor; author Lindsey Fitzharris; contributing writer for the The Atlantic Tom Nichols. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The World Health Organization says monkeypox is now a global health emergency. The new declaration comes as infections surge in 75 countries, with 5 deaths and more than 16,000 cases reported so far. It’s one of three health emergencies the world is facing right now, along with the coronavirus pandemic and polio – with the US reporting its first new case of polio in almost a decade. To discuss the state of global public health, how concerned we should be, and who is most vulnerable, epidemiologist Anne Rimoin joins the show. Also on today's show: International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi; former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices