Washington Post Live

Philip D. Zelikow led the congressionally chartered inquiry into the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Now, he is laying the groundwork for a national commission to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic and propose forward-looking policy recommendations. The attorney, diplomat and University of Virginia professor joins Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Karen Tumulty to discuss the Covid Commission Planning Group. This group is planning a large investigative effort along multiple lines of inquiry, including the origins of the pandemic, failures of pandemic preparedness and response, the impact of COVID-19 on at-risk communities and the development and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics.

The Taliban’s return to power has raised fears about hard-won rights for Afghan women and girls over the last two decades. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and Najla Ayoubi, chief of global programs at Every Woman Treaty and a former Afghan judge, join Washington Post Live to discuss the future for women in the country.

In 2009, glassblowing artist James McKelvey teamed up with friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to create Square after losing a sale because he couldn’t accept American Express cards. Today, through his new company, Invisibly, the serial entrepreneur is disrupting Big Tech by returning personal data back to consumers. McKelvey joins with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to discuss the dangers of personal data online and how his company is making a difference.

Jodie McLean is the CEO of EDENS, one of the nation’s leading private owners, operators and developers of retail real estate. McLean has focused on transforming brick-and-mortar shopping malls into lifestyle destinations that reflect consumer preferences. As people return to in-person experiences, retailers are hitting some challenges. McLean joins Washington Post deputy editorial page editor Karen Tumulty to discuss how staffing and supply chain issues, as well as continued health safety concerns, are changing the retail experience post-COVID.

It is America’s longest war with over 2,300 dead and more than 20,000 casualties. Washington Post reporter Craig Whitlock, author of the new Washington Post book “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War,” discusses stunning revelations about the war in Afghanistan and offer powerful, inside perspective on new evidence that the recent Afghan collapse was years in the making. Whitlock was joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker and former U.S. Army Lieutenant General Douglas Lute (Ret.).

Common has often explored racial and social justice in his work as an artist, actor, author and activist. His new album, “A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2,” asks what comes next after the events of the past year and a half. Common speaks with Washington Post Live about the message behind his latest music and his advocacy work on issues from mass incarceration to voting.

Jonathan Capehart sits down with Washington Post correspondents and columnists to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan and the Biden administration’s plans to make booster shots available to Americans next month.

"The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap” chronicles the rise and impact of the genre as a cultural and social movement. Spanning four decades, the anthology weaves in selections of music, reflections from artists and archival material. Kevin Young, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Dwandalyn Reece, associate director for curatorial affairs, join Washington Post Live to discuss the new multimedia collection.

As the delta variant continues to surge in the United States and around the world, frontline responders are working to increase vaccination rates and ensure the equitable distribution of resources to the most vulnerable communities. CORE co-founders Sean Penn and Ann Lee join The Post to talk about their work with local governments to coordinate COVID-19 frontline efforts in the U.S. and around the world, as well as relief efforts in Haiti following the recent earthquake.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) joins The Post to discuss mounting concerns in Congress over the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the latest on the bipartisan infrastructure deal.