Amanpour

Donald Trump is president once again, completing a remarkable political comeback. David Frum, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and now staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the show from Washington DC to dissect President Trump’s inaugural address.  Also on today's show: Imani Perry, Professor of African & African American Studies, Harvard University; Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just before a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas, Christiane sat down with Biden’s top diplomat, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his final television interview. She asked him about the details of the deal, calls from Israeli ministers to resettle Gaza, criticism of IDF conduct, and America’s role in Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. Blinken also shares his concerns about passing the baton to Trump and Marco Rubio, just days before Donald Trump takes the oath of office for a second term. Then, Hanako Montgomery reports on a surge of crime among female pensioners in fast-aging Japan, landing themselves in prison where they are taken care of in their old age. And, oscar-winning, Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar joins Christiane to discuss his new film "The Room Next Door," his first English language feature portraying death among friends, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, much of the focus is on Gaza. From her archive, Christiane revisits her 2007 report exploring the alliance between Christian evangelicals in the U.S. and Israel's settler movement. She highlights that evangelicals continue to influence president-elect Donald Trump and Republican politics to this day. Finally, “Babygirl” Director Halina Reign speaks to Christiane about the bold erotic thriller stirring up conversation and awards buzz, starring Nicole Kidman.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's an agonizing wait in Gaza and for Israeli hostage families, as a ceasefire proposal moves closer to reality. Former head of Israeli Military Intelligence Amos Yadlin joins the program from Tel Aviv to discuss. Also on today's show: Tim Wu, law professor, Columbia University; Derek Thompson, staff writer, The Atlantic; Joan Baez (from the archives)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At least 77 Palestinians were killed in intense bombardment since the ceasefire deal was announced, Gaza's Civil Defense says. And in Israel, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to quit over the terms of the second phase of the agreement, a move that could threaten to collapse the Netanyahu government. The Biden administration "fully expects" the hostage deal to be implemented Sunday, while Hamas said it is "committed to the truce." Just as the ceasefire deal was being reached, Christiane sat down in Washington to discuss all this with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  Also on today's show: former hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin; Altadena, California resident Kevin Williams  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A ceasefire-hostage release agreement has been reached by the Israeli government and Hamas. Christiane spoke about this breakthrough in an interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CNN Senior Global Affairs Analyst Bianna Golodryga.  Also on today's show: UN Humanitarian Relief Chief Tom Fletcher; Palestinian National Initiative President Mustafa Barghouti; Sharone Lifschitz, who's father is a hostage in Gaza  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, we bring you the latest on the contentious confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's nominee for US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. Then, with fire weather risk at its highest, Christiane asks former California Governor Jerry Brown what more could have been done? And, is the world ready for the next pandemic? The director general of the World Health Organization joins the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The winds are picking up again and the death toll is rising in what could be the worst wildfires in California’s history. It's an all-out race against the environment as firefighters battle to keep the blazes contained and maintain what progress they've made in the past few days. More than 20 people are confirmed dead, dozens more are missing, over a hundred thousand people are under evacuation orders, and thousands of homes are destroyed. Correspondent Veronica Miracle has the details from Altadena. Also on today's show: Robert Kagan, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic; Director/writer Halina Reijn ("Babygirl"); Co-Directors Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo ("Porcelain War")  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump may not be back in the White House yet, and he's already causing ructions overseas. Not just threatening to invade and annex allies, like Greenland, Panama, and Canada, but also allowing his unelected wingman, Elon Musk—using his X platform—to troll world leaders and interfere in democracies abroad. Christiane speaks with tech journalist Kara Swisher and the director of the British Future think tank, Sunder Katwala, about what’s driving Musk’s freelancing in international politics and how dangerous his influence on Trump is. She also gets into the specifics of the two decades old grooming scandal and why Musk's accusations against Keir Starmer are wrong. With wildfires raging in California, President Biden's outgoing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas joined Christiane to talk about the extreme weather emergency, Trump's promise of mass deportations, and how the terror attack on New Years Day has been politicized. And, A new film by Oscar-winner Errol Morris, "Separated," based on Jacob Soboroff’s bestselling book, examines the lasting trauma of family separation under Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy during his first term. Christiane sits down with Morris and Soboroff to talk about about their film, the human cost and the chilling possibility of history repeating itself. And as President Jimmy Carter is laid to rest, Christiane revisits their 2007 interview, which explores the late president's reflections on faith and his complicated history with Israel.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is ten days until Donald Trump reenters the White House and by his side will be the world's richest man - Elon Musk. In the UK, Musk has stoked the flames of the far-right and misinformation. Musk also sought to interfere in Germany's upcoming elections, posting that the only thing that could save Germany is the AFD. To discuss all things Musk, longtime tech journalist Kara Swisher and the director of British Future Sunder Katwala join Christiane.  Also on today's show: Director Pedro Almodovar, "The Room Next Door"; Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wildfires continue to rage out of control in Southern California. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee and in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and more than one thousand structures have been destroyed in Altadena, forcing most of the town to evacuate. Reporter Kyung Lah joins the program with the details. Also on today's show: James Fallows, former chief speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter; Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University; Kai Bird, author of the Jimmy Carter bio "Outlier"  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're witnessing massive destruction and harrowing escapes in Southern California as out-of-control wildfires sweep across Los Angeles County. Extreme weather events are on the rise, and just one of the many threats across the desk of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Now preparing to hand over his brief to the incoming Trump administration, he joins the show from Washington, DC. Also on today's show: Director Ibrahim Nash'at, "Hollywoodgate"; Wine on Wheels founder Yannick Benjamin  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the world bids farewell to President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29. As a one-term President beset by crises, including high inflation and the Iranian hostage crisis, Carter's legacy for a long time seemed mixed at best. But throughout his long post-presidency, he devoted himself to peace-making, eradicating diseases, and public service in a way that gradually reframed his earlier accomplishments. Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat knew Carter well, having served as his chief domestic policy adviser, and argues he "was our most accomplished one-term modern President." He joins the show from Washington, DC.  Also on today's show: "Sing Sing" Director Greg Kwedar and actor Colman Domingo; Bruce Hoffman, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On January 20, Donald Trump will be inaugurated at the US Capitol, where four years ago today his supporters attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. On the world stage, the new administration will confront a slew of challenges from the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza to tense relations with China. David Petraeus is well known as a highly decorated four-star general and the former Director of the CIA. He recently joined Christiane to forecast the opportunities and pitfalls facing the new administration. Also on today's show: Former Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna; former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special show for the holidays, looking back on some of the biggest events, cultural hits and Christiane's best interviews this year. One year after the outgoing Biden administration struck a deal to bring him and four other Iranian Americans back home, Siamak Namazi, the longest held American in Iran, speaks with Christiane about his captivity in Iran's Evin prison, the torture he underwent and what it feels like to be free. Then, Christiane sits down with Hollywood legend Tom Hanks and his co-writer Christopher Riley to discuss their unique documentary "The Moonwalkers," capturing humanity's obsession with space travel. She also revisits an exclusive report from Ukraine, where she gained access to a medical evacuation train used by the Ukrainian army to transport wounded soldiers from near the frontlines to hospitals around the country. Afterwards, "True Detective" stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis speak with Christiane about the latest season of the hit series released to critical acclaim. Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep and former Afghan politicians, negotiator Fawzia Koofi and Dr. Habiba Sarabi, also join Christiane to talk about their new documentary called "The Sharp Edge of Peace," following the doomed efforts to negotiate with the Taliban. And finally, in a moving interview during celebrations marking 80 years since the D-Day landings in Normandy, 101 year old U.S. army veteran Jake Larson speaks with Christiane about the shared values he and his fellow servicemen fought for during World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christiane's world exclusive with Iran's notorious women's rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, who last year was awarded the Nobel peace prize, and who has spent much of the past 20 years in Evin prison. She is accused of “spreading propaganda" and acting against the country's national security. Mohammadi was recently released on a 3-week medical furlough to recover from surgery and made the courageous decision to speak out—on this program— knowing she is gong back to jail. Plus, press freedom at risk in the United States and around the democratic world, former Washington Post Executive Editor, Martin Baron tells Christiane what’s in the Trump toolbox to legally assault the press and how to protect our constitutional right to free speech. Then, as 51 verdicts came down against Gisele Pelicot's abusers in the mass rape trial that stunned France and caught the world's attention, Saskya's Vandoorne's special report, with exclusive access to police records, on how dozens of men in one town became complicit in this horrifying crime. From Christiane's archive this week, the taxi driver who put aside ethnic divisions and became a hero to the needy during under siege in Sarajevo. And finally, Christiane speaks with Edward Berger, director of the film "Conclave," which depicts the knives out battle to elect a new pop in the Catholic Church.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America faces chaos in Washington, again, with the US government just hours away from shutting down. Barring an early Christmas miracle, the proverbial lights go off at midnight tonight. Norm Ornstein, veteran political observer, joins the show to discuss.  Also on today's show: Mouaz Moustafa, Executive Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force; Charlie Warzel, Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Edward Berger, Director, "Conclave"  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump’s second term rapidly approaches, one domestic policy seems particularly clear and predictable: mass deportations. Family separation, you'll recall, was a highly controversial policy adopted by Trump in his first term. Forcibly removing children from their families was purportedly intended to act as a deterrent, but it shocked the country and divided even Trump’s own cabinet. Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris and journalist Jacob Soboroff join the show to discuss the powerful new documentary "Separated," adapted from Soboroff's book of the same name.   Also on today's show: Omer Bartov, Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Brown University; Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, the former longtime opinion columnist of The New York Times  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Iran, there are still those bravely speaking out on issues of human rights, democracy and women's equality. One is Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Laureate, who has now been imprisoned for the better part of the last 20 years. In a world exclusive interview, Mohammadi has made the extraordinary decision to speak to Christiane Amanpour while out on a temporary release from prison on medical grounds.   Also on today's show: former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper; New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Syria's new leaders are pushing for legitimacy on the world stage and have been meeting with United Nations and European officials this week. The United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, has been meeting Syria’s new authorities in Damascus. He joins the show from the Syrian capital.  Also on today's show: former Washington Post Exec Editor Martin Baron; Brady United Against Gun Violence President Kris Brown  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The defense of Ukraine is top of the agenda for European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels today. With a new year ahead, and a new American administration too, the urgent question is how to end the war soon. Few know better what those negotiations would look like, and the cost of any deal, than former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who joins Christiane from Kyiv.  Also on today's show: Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad & Hasan Oswald discuss their new documentary, "Mediha"; US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices