David Brooks, journalist, New York Times columnist, PBS commentator, author, and social analyst, did something few at the top of their game do. He quit his powerful position at The New York Times to write for The Atlantic, host a weekly podcast, and become a fellow at Yale University.When one examines the evolution in his columns, books, and speaking engagements, it is not a surprising decision.To understand his reasons, go no further than his “Time to Say Goodbye” column of January 30, 2026. It should be required reading at all schools. You don’t have to agree; simply listen and have conversations.Brooks has always been interested in the culture beneath politics, and his subject matter has moved from politics to individuals and what makes them tick.He has moved from what politics does to what the individual does, and he has called on his readers to focus more on eulogy virtues than résumé virtues.He calls for a restoration of human relationships—not just how we see ourselves, but how we see others and how others see us.He wants to ask about moral choices more than political choices. He wants to ask what makes a good life.He argues these are the questions that come from the humanities and a liberal education. The final column is a call to arms for him—and for you—to drink deeply from the humanities.David Brooks’ new podcast is “Permanent Questions.”Its first episode was posted on Sunday, September 13.With the midterm elections a few weeks away and the focus on the 2028 presidential election already here, it is a moment to ask: What essential questions are Americans asking about their lives and the life of their country?We will ask David Brooks what questions we should be asking and who can help us answer some of what Brooks and his guests call the “permanent questions.” We will ask how some of these questions come from his personal experiences and others from experts.The first episode of “Permanent Questions” was released on September 13, 2026. The guest was Megan Sullivan, a philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame, and the subject was “How We Should Lead Our Lives” and “What It Means to Lead a Good Life.”

Michael Morell has been more than a man who had a front-row seat to history.He was a participant in two monumental events as an official of the CIA.Morell spent more than three decades in the CIA and served as an analyst, Deputy Director, and twice as Acting Director.He was with President Bush on 9/11, 2001, as the President’s daily briefer when George Bush learned of the attacks.Morell was with President Obama 10 years later, on May 1, 2011, when the operation was launched that would kill Osama bin Laden.On this 25th anniversary of 9/11, it is an important moment to consider these two events and what has changed between then and now.We will talk about what intelligence agencies knew and should have known leading up to 9/11. We will talk about the events of 9/11 as the U.S. reacted to the attacks. We will talk about the search for and killing of Osama bin Laden, and we will consider the strength of terrorism and the defense against it 25 years after 9/11.Finally, we will ask if the United States has the intelligence service it deserves at a time of increased technology and weapons.Morell, now retired from the CIA, is an important voice in the conversation about national security.

Gloria Steinem came from journalism to add her considerable skills to the battle for women’s equality, which changed the lives of women and became her lifelong passion. She became one of the most visible figures in feminism and remained so all her life.Gloria Steinem died on September 2 at her home in New York City. She was 92.Gloria Steinem, through her magazine, Ms., her friends in media, and her presence, became part of the conversation about most of the social and cultural issues that defined women and society in the second half of the 20th century. She was in the front of a new definition of freedom that defined not just the relationship between the sexes, but a definition of a life that had many women and men evaluating where they stood, choices they had, and what they wanted.Many said they wanted to be judged by achievement, not biology. While active in politics, Steinem spent all of her life as a writer and catalyst.It is an important moment to consider the life of Gloria Steinem, as a hero to many, as the country has a midterm election and prepares for a presidential contest in two years.Gloria Steinem made several appearances on Charlie Rose, often arguing the same issues that define us today…War and peace, national security, the cost of living, justice, power, the rule of law, corruption, and “what’s good for me.”In 2013, Steinem received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award, from President Obama.

Dolly Parton came out of poverty in the mountains of Tennessee to create huge international success and earn honors in country and pop music, movies, business, and philanthropy. Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25. She was 80.Dolly Parton was, most of all, a songwriter, and she wrote songs about her life, beginning with poverty. Music took her out of the mountains.She became, in her success, something even beyond a star—she became much loved. The New York Times, in its obituary, cited the title of its 2019 story: “Is There Anything We Can All Agree On? Yes: Dolly Parton.”Dolly Parton created a character, but she was the first to say, “That’s not all I am.” In a lifetime in entertainment, she toured the world, hosted television shows, and made movies with Burt Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin.In 1994, she published her memoir, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.For all her musical achievements, Dolly Parton was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.In 2006, she received the Kennedy Center Honors.In 2025, her husband, Carl Dean, died.Beyond music, Dolly Parton built Dollywood, a theme park in the Smoky Mountains, distributed books to young people, and supported COVID vaccinations.In a world too often in conflict, it is an appropriate moment to pause and remember a life dedicated to the human spirit.In this conversation from June 5, 2009, Dolly Parton talks about the woman behind the legend.

Mike Murphy wears many hats and possesses many skills, but the one that may fit best is strategist. He has advised some famous and admired Republicans, including John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Tommy Thompson, Chris Whitman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Born in Detroit, he attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He now makes his home in Los Angeles and is co-director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California. Murphy is also co-host of the popular podcast “Hacks on Tap” with David Axelrod and John Heilemann.With primaries choosing candidates for the midterm elections, it is an appropriate moment to ask: What do the politics of 2026 look like as the midterms approach?We will consider many questions the political world is asking about Donald Trump, look at the primaries so far, and examine the fight between center and left as socialists do well in Democratic contests.

Mark Halperin is a journalist whose world is American politics.He is obsessed with explaining the politics, policy and personality of those who inhabit the world of government, and perhaps more, those who participate in the art and science of elections.Halperin has been around politics and government all his life. His father is Dr. Morton Halperin, a distinguished PHD in International Relations from Harvard who served in the Nixon administration.After graduating from Harvard in 1987, Mark Halperin began in journalism at ABC News, working for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. From 1997 to 2007, he was the political director of ABC News. He started The Note, a popular online political newsletter, which showed the promise and possibilities of digital media in political reporting as it explained not just the story but the ambition of newsmakers and the drama behind the story, as well as news about the people in media.Since 1988, over several decades, Halperin covered politics from the state house to the White House and legislatures and courts for a number of major news organizations, including ABC News, Time magazine, Bloomberg News, NBC News and Showtime.Halperin wrote several best-selling campaign books with his reporting partner, John Heilemann.Mark Halperin lost his place after allegations of sexual misconduct. He has come back to a position of influence as editor-in-chief of 2WAY, the interactive political media platform, where he hosts The Morning Meeting and 2WAY Tonight. He also hosts Next Up, a podcast on Sirius, and publishes his political reporting and analysis through a newsletter, Wide World of News.It is an important moment in politics as primaries choose candidates for the midterms and voters get a chance to express their judgment on the first two years of the second Trump administration.We will talk about many subjects, including President Trump, Democratic candidates, policies, socialism, turnout, polls, 2028 candidates, and issues like the Iran war, the Ukraine war, China, cost of living, White House construction, ICE and artificial intelligence.

David McCullough is one of America's best-known, bestselling, and beloved historians. His books include John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, The Wright Brothers, Truman, The Great Bridge, and The Path Between the Seas. They're all the story of America.His varied television presentations have made him a popular chronicler of our people, institutions, and events. He's received Pulitzer Prizes for Truman and John Adams. He garnered a National Book Award for The Path Between the Seas, the creation of the Panama Canal, and wrote a biography of Teddy Roosevelt called Mornings on Horseback.He received the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. McCullough attended Yale and worked at Sports Illustrated and the U.S. Information Agency before devoting his life full-time to writing.He died on August 7, 2022.David McCullough appeared in conversation with me nine times. To celebrate America's birthday, July 4, we go to the archive for a composite of David McCullough conversations.

America is 250 years old.The ideas that shaped it are even older - ideas like freedom, justice, and respect for the rule of law. Others, like equality under the law, have evolved over time.To better understand the American journey from 1776 to 2026, we're turning to historians like David McCullough and journalists like Bret Stephens.Bret Stephens has been an opinion columnist for The New York Times since 2017. Previously, he served as a foreign affairs columnist and deputy editorial page editor at The Wall Street Journal. In 2013, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. From 2002 to 2004, he was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post in Israel. Stephens holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics.This conversation comes at a pivotal moment, as many Americans are asking fundamental questions about the state of the American idea—and America itself.We'll explore those questions, including the presidency of Donald Trump. Then, tomorrow, on the Fourth of July, we'll revisit an archival conversation with the late David McCullough.Today, I'm pleased to welcome New York Times columnist Bret Stephens.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we're not the only ones marking a major milestone. The legendary filmmaker and comedian Mel Brooks has just celebrated his 100th birthday.We also have something to celebrate - with your help. If Charlie Rose Global Conversations gains 100 more YouTube subscribers, we'll reach 300,000 subscribers, an important milestone for us.If these conversations have added something to your life, please subscribe and help us reach that goal. Your support will help us continue to make everything we do even better.Thank you. And now, back to Mel.Few people have accomplished as much across so many mediums. Mel Brooks has created some of comedy's greatest masterpieces. In this conversation, he joins Carl Reiner, his longtime friend and collaborator, with whom he created the brilliant The 2000 Year Old Man.His 100th birthday is a wonderful occasion to celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy. In this conversation, we explore many of the moments, people, and ideas that made his world so magical.

America celebrates its 250th birthday this July 4, 2026. It has become a time to ask: What is the American idea, and how is it doing after 250 years?Across America, celebrations and evaluations are taking place. Questions are being asked. We have listened to those voices.We begin this evening with the great historian David McCullough, who died in 2022 after receiving two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Book Awards, and who engaged in numerous conversations with me about his books and the significance of knowing history. His last conversation was about his book The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.As America marks its 250th year, it is a moment to ask: How are we doing?David McCullough talks about many of the ideas and people who make our history. I was proud to know him and call him a friend.