Tonight on Amanpour and Company, Thursday, April 16th, 2026

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago
"God does not bless any conflict." This is the unwavering position of Pope Leo as he finds himself in an ongoing public dispute with the Trump administration over the war on Iran — a war the administration has attempted to justify in biblical terms. President Trump has criticized the Pope as "weak," adding that he prefers Leo's MAGA-supporting brother. The Pope has not hesitated to push back. Talking to journalists on the papal plane on Monday, he said, "I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly the message of the Gospel." For more on all this, Cardinal Blase Cupich, one of America's most influential Cardinals and a staunch ally of Pope Leo, joins the show.

Nicholas Enrich
Author, "Into the Wood Chipper"
With conflict and war exploding around the globe, humanitarian aid is simultaneously shrinking — just when the need is greatest. Many Western countries are cutting back their international development funding to focus instead on military spending and other national priorities. All these cuts have real-world impacts — none so grave as the destruction of USAID. Nicholas Enrich spent decades working there. His new tell-all memoir, "Into the Wood Chipper," reveals the way the agency was torn apart under an unelected Elon Musk.

Joanne Lipman
Journalist / Author, "That's What She Said"
As the Trump administration slashes DEI initiatives, Joanne Lipman warns that the attacks could reverse decades of progress for gender equality at work. Lipman has spent decades reporting on workplace culture and gender dynamics. She tells us how some companies are ending — or hiding — their inclusion efforts, and the chilling effect it's having on women in the workplace.

Alyona Synenko
Ukrainian Journalist
For Ukrainians, the rain of death and destruction from Moscow has been unrelenting. Just last night Russia launched one of its largest attacks this year, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 100 across major cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. Everyone is doing what they can to survive, and even thrive. Some older residents of Odesa are channeling their defiance through their outfits. In a recent essay for The New York Times, Alyona Synenko profiles these stylish civilians. Synenko joins the show from Odesa to discuss finding joy in a time of war.