Former NIH director Dr. Francis Collins tells Stephen that more lives could have been saved during the pandemic if Americans had been less skeptical about getting vaccinated, and if government officials had done a better job communicating about its benefits. His book, "The Road to Wisdom," is available now.

The GOP nominee for governor in North Carolina is a hot mess, there’s a new ad targeting young white male voters, and the former president is trying to scare New Yorkers into voting for him. Author, podcaster and award-winning journalist Anderson Cooper reflects on the first interview he did for his “All There Is” podcast featuring our host Stephen Colbert. Keep watching for more with Anderson Cooper and listen to the third season “All There Is” premiering October 9th.

The Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut was popular with investors, polling shows young people prefer VP Kamala Harris over her opponent, and Melania Trump released a bizarre video defending her decades-old nude photos. Rachel Maddow’s new documentary tells the story of one-time Trump henchman Lev Parnas and his efforts to create fake controversy for the Biden family in the run-up to the 2020 election. “From Russia With Lev” premieres this Friday on MSNBC.

A deranged man is in custody for attempting to shoot Donald Trump, the former president went after presidential debate moderator David Muir, and Sen. J.D. Vance admits he made up the story about immigrants eating pets in order to get media attention. Emmy and Tony-winning actor Jeremy Strong returns to The Late Show with a preview of his new film about the relationship between Donald Trump and his one-time mentor, the lawyer Roy Cohn. Stick around for more with Jeremy Strong and watch the film, “The Apprentice,” in theaters October 11th.

Acclaimed actor you know from "The Office" and "Only Murders In The Building," Amy Ryan had the pleasure of working opposite George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the new film, “Wolfs,” so she’s uniquely qualified to tell Stephen which of the Oscar-winners gives off the superior scent. “Wolfs” opens in theaters on September 20th and will begin streaming on AppleTV+ on September 27th.

Accomplished actor, writer and producer Natasha Rothwell loves people-watching at airports so much that she set her new series in a fictional airport, complete with colorful characters like the falconer who keeps birds away from the runways. "How To Die Alone" premieres Friday on Hulu.

Meanwhile... Crocs fans are going to flip over the new collab with McDonald's, the state of Connecticut may be guilty of false advertising, and a new pasta dish from Heinz is being met with skepticism. Next, Stephen Colbert loves technology and he loves delivering the latest tech news in his tech-focused segment, Cyborgasm! In this edition Stephen looks at the AI features in the new iPhone 16, a fusion reactor built by a math student from off-the-shelf parts, and a robot that observed sharks sleeping on the seafloor.

The first couple of late night launch their latest joint venture, a cookbook of their favorite recipes from family and friends, with a raucous cooking demonstration at the Ed Sullivan Theatre. Stephen and Evie prepare a shrimp and hominy breakfast dish in this extended edit from what aired on TV! Make sure you grab your copy of "Does This Taste Funny? Recipes Our Family Loves" at http://www.colbertlateshow.com/cookbook.

Few people believe Donald Trump or J.D. Vance when they say they don’t care about Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, the former president wrote the captions in his new coffee table picture book, and President Biden swapped hats with a Trump supporter at a 9/11 memorial event. And the amazing Jeff Bridges describes in this exclusive extended interview how he learned he had lymphoma, and after conquering that disease he fell ill with Covid and had to be hospitalized. Luckily he recovered and shares some of the wisdom and perspective that got him through it, and was later able to get back to work on the set of “The Old Man,” now on FX and Hulu.

Stephen breaks down reactions to the Harris-Trump debate, including the racist rumor about people eating pets, and decodes the easter eggs hidden in Taylor Swift’s Instagram post endorsing Kamala Harris for President. Stephen surprises Samuel L. Jackson with the footage of his first paying gig in show business, a television commercial for the Krystal hamburger chain. New episodes of Jackson’s latest project, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” air Thursdays on Peacock.