Amanpour

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has tapped tech billionaire Elon Musk to help lead "Project Meridian" - a new Pentagon commission mapping the future of warfare, including automated and AI weaponry. How has Musk negotiated this return to Washington after his very public fallout with President Trump? Director Alex Gibney seeks to answer that question in his new film "Musk" - a look at the tech mogul's rise and accumulation of power.

Also on today's show: Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, who spent 16 months imprisoned in Russia, discusses his new memoir, "This Cursed Beautiful Land"; Howard University Psychologist and Professor Kamilah Woodson 

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With less than a month until the US midterms, President Trump is distancing himself from two close allies after they travelled to Bosnia to do paid work for the pro-Russian government of Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity. It comes as ethnic tensions are once again rising in Bosnia, more than three decades after that devastating war. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen has just visited Srebrenica, the site of the Serbian genocidal massacre against 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in 1995. She joins the program from Sarajevo. 

Also on today's show: former OpenAI Safety Team Leader David Robinson; Emma Green, Staff Writer, The New Yorker 

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Today marks the three-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people. Since then, Israel's attack on Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the United Nations. While peace still seems distant, some remain dedicated to the cause. Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin know the heartbreak of this conflict all too well. In 2002, Robi's son David was killed by a Palestinian sniper. In 2007, Bassam's young daughter, Abir, was shot and killed by Israeli police. And on October 7th, Robi's friend Vivian Silver, a veteran peace activist, was among those killed by Hamas. Robi and Bassam join the program.  

Also on today's show:  

Former US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman; Jason Rezaian, Director of Press Freedom Initiatives, The Washington Post 

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"Justice for Jane Doe." That was the demand of thousands of students and staff who joined protests at Cornell University amid widespread indignation over how the college handled rape allegations brought forward by an anonymous female student. Annie E. Clark is a survivor herself, and was the lead complainant in a 2013 Title IX case against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She's also the co-founder of the advocacy group End Rape on Campus and joins the program from North Carolina. 

Also on today's show: Jackson Katz, Author, “Every Man: Why Violence Against Women Is a Men’s Issue”; Physician & biosecurity expert Ashish Jha; Ken Bensinger, Investigative Reporter, The New York Times 

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A triumph for the far right in Brazil, after presidential elections on Sunday saw Flavio Bolsonaro surpass expectations to beat incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. With neither candidate past the 50% threshold, they are heading for a runoff on October 25, where Flavio is expected to be the favorite. His victory would not only shift Brazilian politics back to the right, it could also have significant consequences for the country's democracy and relations with the US. Brian Winter, Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly, joins the show to discuss.  

Also on today's show: Hanna Notte, Author, "We Shall Outlast Them"; CNN Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell; Tamryn Spruill, Author, "The W: A History of the WNBA" 

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The whole world is eager to see how Americans will vote next month in the midterm elections. With sinking polling, and rising energy costs, President Trump and the GOP appear to be fighting an uphill battle. Christiane speaks with Marc Short, who was Vice President Mike Pence's Chief of Staff. Then, what a New York City subway killing reveals about feelings of abandonment in America. Anand Giridharadas joins on his new book "Man in the Mirror," Also, a play-by-play of the aviation disaster that almost was. Jeremy Diamond reports on the brave passengers who helped save the Israel-bound Flydubai flight. Plus, author Ben Macintyre brings us the fascinating story of "Redwood," the Soviet spy who defected to British Intelligence in the hopes of curing his erectile dysfunction. Seriously. And from the archives, as Germans are torn apart by divisive politics today, we look back at the nerves across the continent when East and West planned to reunite.

Air date: October 3, 2026

Guests:

Marc Short

Anand Giridharadas

Ben Macintyre

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Nearly three years into Israel's war in Gaza, the UN says the territory is now facing the worst economic crisis in history, with 80% of buildings damaged or destroyed, most of its population still displaced. In his new book, “Crossing the Red Line,” journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed goes back to the beginning of this war, offering a rare look at what was happening inside Biden's White House, and the private debates, disagreements and decisions that shaped America's policy on Gaza. He joins Christiane from New York.  

Also on today’s show: Anand Girdharadas, Author, "Man in the Mirror"; Kevin Roose, Author, “The AGI Chronicles” 

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Russia hit a school in Kyiv today, in broad daylight. Luckily the children and staff were sheltering and unharmed. But as Ukraine's children continue to live under the ferocity of Russia's missiles, America stands by, instead choosing to exclude key allies like Britain, France and the Baltic states from a NATO meeting next month. Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joins the show from DC. 

Also on today's show: Phil Gunson, Senior Analyst, Andes Region, International Crisis Group; Nikole Hannah-Jones, Domestic Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine 

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According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a pilot on an Israel-bound flight was stabbed by another pilot. The FlyDubai plane, with nearly 200 people aboard, was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after crew members and passengers apparently overpowered the assailant. Many of those passengers on board have now made it home, arriving at Israel Ben Gurion Airport. Correspondent Eleni Giokos joins Christiane from Dubai with the latest.  

Also on today's show: Marc Short, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence; economics professor Mariana Mazzucato, author of "The Common Good Economy"; Joshua Cooper Ramo, Author, "Darwin's Lock" 

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This summer has seen a massive surge in arrests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reaching near-record highs in almost every state. Now ICE is preparing to expand its detention capacity to 100,000 beds. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, joins the program to discuss what this new phase of President Trump’s immigration crackdown looks like. 

Also on today's show: Simon Sebag Montefiore, Author, “The Cauldron”; Malcolm Gladwell, Author, “The American Way of Killing” 

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