This week marks the start of a political convention unlike any other, as the Democratic National Convention gets underway – via videoconference. Speakers are drawn from a roster of high-profile Democratic names, but there are Republicans in the mix too. Most prominent among them is former Governor of Ohio John Kasich, who is crossing the aisle to make his argument for Joe Biden.

Few books have packed a political and cultural punch like “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Recognized as America’s most popular novel, the book has sold more than 40 million copies since it was first published in 1960. Now on Broadway in a new adaptation written by Aaron Sorkin – the man behind “The Social Network,” “The West Wing,” and “A Few Good Men,” – it stars Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch.

Over the past 20 years, Niall Ferguson has presented documentaries and written numerous historical tomes that chart the rise and fall of western empires. He sits down with Hari to talk about the rise of hate crimes in America, the US/China trade talks, and the current state of Brexit.

After six months of investigation, the NY Times has published a blockbuster story examining the sprawling media empire of Rupert Murdoch and the dynastic struggles within Murdoch’s family. Christiane speaks with the reporters who dug into the story, discussing how Murdoch has influenced some of the biggest world events of the past few decades and where his crown jewel – Fox News – goes from here.

Diana Buttu is a veteran of the Palestinian negotiating team and the PLO. She joins the program from Israel to discuss the peace process, and what the implications of the upcoming Israeli elections could be.

Jared Cohen is best known as a former advisor to Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, and as the founder and CEO of Google’s thinktank Jig Saw, but his latest venture has taken some by surprise: a book on American political history. “Accidental Presidents” examines the eight men who have ascended to the highest office in the land without being elected after their predecessors died in office.

Arguably no one has done more to single-handedly transform Americans’ attitude towards sex than Dr. Ruth. For years, she offered advice and guidance for almost every intimate issue imaginable, and always with a smile. It’s all recounted in the new documentary, “Ask Dr. Ruth,” and she joined Christiane Amanpour in New York to talk about her amazing life.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the fight for his political life against his own former head of the IDF Benny Gantz. The vote comes in the wake of the US recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, and observers expect to see a possible US proposal for a peace plan once the election concludes. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon joins Christiane to discuss all this.

The world’s fresh water is disappearing thanks to climate change and growing demand. Mina Guli was a corporate lawyer in a former life, but she quit her job, founded the non-profit “Thirst” and took to the road, running marathons to raise awareness about our dwindling drinking water. She managed to slow down for just a moment to speak with Hari Sreenivasan in New York.

James Comey isn’t the only one with concerns about Russia’s actions going forward. The incoming chair of the Joint Chiefs said today on Capitol Hill that he believes Russia is the only existential threat to the United States. Will Hurd serves on the House Intelligence Committee and is a former CIA officer, and joins the program from Capitol Hill.

The nation waits to see if the Mueller Report will ever be released, in full or in part, and while Attorney General Barr indicated there was no collusion conclusion, what is certain is that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. James Comey is the man at the center of much of this story, and he joins Christiane in DC to discuss Mueller, Trump, and the threat Russia could pose in 2020.

As the Israeli elections approach, many expect to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu re-elected to a fourth consecutive term, despite facing indictment for multiple counts of bribery and fraud. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is a prominent Israeli novelist and psychologist, and she joins the program to explore the fault lines and political narratives of her home country.

Robert Caro is perhaps America’s greatest living biographer, with his books on Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses considered the definitive works on those men. Now 83, he is hard at work on the final volume of his Johnson biography, but has carved out the time to document a little of his own life and research methods in his new book “Working.”

Emilio Estevez may be best known for his role in classic teen films like “The Breakfast Club”, but his new work has a more literary and socially conscious ambition: “The Public” – which he wrote, directed, and starred in – is a story of social activism and civil disobedience, set in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it centers on an uprising staged by the city’s homeless inside the public library.

With the fate of Brexit resting on the shoulders of the country’s lawmakers, their work and decision-making has arguably never been more important. Yet, members of parliament are also wrestling with long hours, bitter infighting and even death threats. British Conservative MP George Freeman tells Christiane Amanpour what it’s like to battle for your country’s future.

As Benjamin Netanyahu looks on track to win a fifth term as Israel’s Prime Minister, Christiane Amanpour discusses what this tight race means for the future of Israel’s leadership, with award-winning journalist Anshel Pfeffer, who authored the biography “Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.”

As Israel confronts the results of a tight leadership race, President Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan looms large. Michele Dunne, a former US state department veteran who served in the US consulate in Jerusalem, joins the program to discuss.

Britain’s Prime Minister is once again asking the European Union for an extension, as efforts to end a chaotic state of affairs in Britain have so far failed. With Theresa May in Brussels, the First Vice President of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuiness, joins the program to discuss whether there is any end in sight to this deadlock.

Hari Sreenivasan discusses the impact of climate change on our mountains and glaciers, with David Breashears, a man who’s seen it all first-hand as a veteran mountaineer.

As President Trump ousts top White House officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen who implemented some of President Trump’s most brutal immigration policies, former U.S. coordinator for security and counterterrorism Richard Clarke discusses the impact on America’s safety.

As clashes and unrest roil North Africa, former British Ambassador to Libya Peter Millett and New York Times International Correspondent David Kirkpatrick discuss the turmoil in the region.

Award-winning historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. discusses what America’s forgotten Reconstruction era meant for African-Americans and why it’s still relevant today.

Michel Martin speaks to Mississippi author Kiese Laymon about his poignant memoir “Heavy,” which takes a look at what it means to grow up in a society that oppresses black people, from eating habits to domestic violence, and how his upbringing was marked by struggle, a disciplinarian mother, and racism.

Christiane Amanpour sits down with the iconic editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, for a rare interview with a cult figure who wields incredible influence over fashion and culture. Here she discusses Karl Lagerfeld’s passing, the environmental impacts of fashion, and one of her favorite topics: fur.