Amanpour

The 119th Congress is getting into full swing and we’re starting to see what the impact of a divided government looks like. GOP hardliners Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar were given committee assignments, despite being tossed off committees last term for incendiary language and ideas. The alleged fabulist George Santos also got a committee assignment, despite growing calls for his resignation. All this as the country moves full steam ahead into a fight over the debt limit, risking a US default that could have disastrous consequences for the American – and global – economy. First in tonight’s show, we take a step back with a revealing look at President Biden and his first two years in office. Chris Whipple joins the show from New York to discuss his new book, The Fight of His Life, based on inside access to the Biden administration. 

Also on today's show: Composer Alan Fletcher and pianist Mikhail Voskresensky; Charlie Sykes, Editor-at-Large, The Bulwark. 

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For nearly a year, so much blood has flood through Ukraine under withering Russian fire that tragedy is never far away. Today brought more sorrow, as a Ukrainian helicopter crashed near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region, killing a government minister and at least three children, among others. President Volodymyr Zelensky calls it a “terrible tragedy” and says there will be an investigation. CNN Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins the show from the helicopter crash site. 

Also on today's show: Rafael Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency; Rose Abramoff, earth scientist and climate activist; Ro Khanna, US House Democrat. 

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Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska opened the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland today with a stark warning about the horrors and mass killings her people are facing. The war is the number one topic at the summit, though leaders will also discuss climate change and the cost-of-living crisis. But will the forum be more than just a talking shop? One voice in attendance carries a lot of weight: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was recently named the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine. She joins Christiane from Davos. 

Also on today's show: Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Joe Berlinger, Director, Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street. 

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A Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine has left at least 40 people dead, making it one of the deadliest single attacks of the war. Ukrainian authorities report that it was a cruise missile. The current wave of attacks on civilian targets comes at a make-or-break moment in this vicious war, as more western allies – including Britain, France, and Poland – promise to send Kyiv tanks and other advanced weapons. But is it happening fast enough to help Ukraine defend itself against feared Russian offensives this spring? Igor Zhovkva is a top aide to President Zelensky and joins the show from Kyiv. 

Also on today's show: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi; International Civil Society; author Ilya Somin.

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A political scandal is brewing over the discovery of classified documents at President Biden’s Delaware home and former office, dating back to his time as vice president. A special counsel has been appointed to investigate, and Republicans are using the opportunity to slam Democrats as hypocrites. The president was highly critical of Donald Trump when classified documents were found at his Mar-a-Lago home last year. There are some key differences though: Trump had refused to return the files, even after being subpoenaed, while Joe Biden’s lawyers turned the materials over voluntarily and the White House has promised to cooperate fully. But it’s still a political headache for the president. To explain the legal implications and more, former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig joins the show. 

Also on today's show: California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis; Jan Egeland, Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council; Dr. Francesca Beaudoin, Director, The Long Covid Initiative at Brown University. 

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When top soccer journalist Grant Wahl left for Qatar to cover the World Cup in November, his wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, never thought it would be the last time she would see him. The 49-year-old American reporter died suddenly of an aortic aneurism after collapsing in the press box at the end of a match. To add to the tragedy, many on social media falsely blamed Grant’s death on Covid-19 vaccines. Dr. Gounder is an epidemiologist and knows how difficult it is to debunk conspiracy theories. But when the same playbook was used to blame Damar Hamlin’s recent collapse during an NFL game, she says, “the dam broke,” and she decided to write a public essay to try and put an end to the rumors and “refocus attention on Grant’s legacy.” Christiane speaks with Dr. Gounder about how she is managing to channel her grief into purpose in the saddest of circumstances. 

Also on today's show: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, author Robert Kagan. 

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During this long winter of war in Ukraine, in the eastern town of Soledar – near Bakhmut – every inch of land is contested. Russian mercenaries in the Wagner Group claim they’ve conquered the entire territory, but Ukraine says they’ve been “unsuccessful.” While the Kremlin is playing musical chairs with its war commanders – naming its most senior general Valery Gerasimov to replace Sergei Serovikin after just three months – the US and its allies are “positioning Ukraine to be able to move forward and retake territory,” according to a senior Pentagon official. Another says the upgrade in weapons they are providing gives Ukraine a “much more powerful offensive capability.” But still, both sides rely heavily on Soviet-era artillery, as Ben Wedeman reports from the eastern front. 

Also on today's show: Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US; Sarah Polley, writer/director of Women Talking; former NFL player Nate Jackson, whose career was ended by injury. 

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The struggle to protect democracy is once again in the spotlight amid the fallout from a violent insurrection against Brazil’s government institutions Sunday by supporters of ousted President Jair Bolsonaro. New President Lula da Silva has vowed to punish those responsible, but with divisions running so deep in Brazil – a country where disinformation is rife – he has his work cut out for him. Celso Amorim is a former foreign minister of Brazil and advises the current president, and he joins the show from the presidential palace in Brasilia, which was also ransacked. 

Also on today's show: Susan Glasser, coauthor of The Divider: Trump in the White House; famed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; actor Hugh Jackman.

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On Sunday, insurrectionists stormed Brazil’s congress and the supreme court, also marching on the presidential palace in the capital Brasilia. Eerily, it happened around the January 6th anniversary of the storming of the US Capitol. The insurgents are supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who in turn has modeled himself on Donald Trump. President Biden sent a message to the country’s elected President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, saying Brazil’s democracy has America’s full backing. Hundreds have been arrested since the attack, and the president vows those responsible will be held accountable. Correspondent Rafael Romo brings us the latest. 

Also on today's show: US House Democrat Delia Ramirez; journalists Anderson Cooper and Emily Maitlis; former NAACP president Ben Jealous.

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Today marks the second anniversary of the attack on the Capitol on January 6th 2021. It’s a solemn occasion that President Biden is marking by awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to 12 individuals who have defended U.S. democracy – many of them are Capitol police who faced the rioters two years ago. Meantime Congress faces a new crisis, not seen in 164 years: after three days, the House of Representatives remains speaker-less as the Republican majority struggles to overcome bitter divides. Their leader Kevin McCarthy is trading away more and more power to garner the support of some stubborn holdouts – but even if this strategy pays off, what he’s giving away could make Congress almost unmanageable. To discuss, we’re joined by Robert Draper, who has been reporting from the Capitol all week and is author of Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind, as well as former Democratic congressman Mondaire Jones, who was at the Capitol during the attack two years ago.

Also on today's program: Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar and contributing writer for The New Yorker Luke Mogelson.

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