2024 Schedule

Part 1. Contrary to Popular Opinion — Bill Maher in Real Time: The iconoclastic host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” sits down with Tina Brown to talk about calling out hypocrisy and malfeasance on right and left, the dangers of groupthink and his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.”

In a world on fire, many of us feel starved for hope. Join the president of Juilliard, America’s leading soprano, an Oscar-winning director and composer, and the former mayor of New Orleans for an evening of conversation with performances that show why there are so many reasons for hope.

Experts on well-being share why we all need family connections, community wisdom and the weave of social fabric.

In a recent op-ed, former U.S. climate envoy and secretary of state John Kerry declared that rich countries are failing to respond to the climate crisis. If extreme weather will cost $38 trillion dollars annually by mid-century, who will pay for the adaptation and mitigation projects needed — especially in the developing world?

Three leaders discuss the aspects of well-being, agency and purpose that are vital to the holistic development of youth in today’s world. How can society help them develop into confident, purposeful, productive and resilient adults?

Join NBC's Jenna Bush Hager as she discusses her Read With Jenna July book club selection with its New York Times bestselling author. Explore the epic love story and thriller, delving into its themes of love, obsession, hope and the complexities of human connection.

The pressure on cultural institutions to return artifacts to their places of origin is growing in intensity, but some argue that repatriation threatens the preservation and study of these treasures. Who, in the end, does history belong to?

Niall Ferguson, the celebrated historian who predicted Cold War II in 2018, has assembled the sharpest minds from both sides of the Bamboo Curtain for a discussion on the future of U.S.-China relations.

Academia is beset by challenges related to free speech, admission policies, donor pressures and soaring costs. University leaders are simultaneously negotiating these minefields and convincing the next generation that college is still worth it. Can academia rise to these challenges?

How do we raise empathetic children? How do we tackle tough conversations? And how do we build resilient humans while we balance family and work life? Meet three changemakers who are drilling down on what matters the most for our kids.

What if the threat to American democracy came from within our own military? “War Game,” a 2024 Sundance Official Selection documentary, imagined just such a scenario and convened a bipartisan group of policymakers to respond. What did they learn — and how real is the threat?

From a father-daughter dance in a prison to playtime with incarcerated parents in a children’s museum, keeping families close has lasting ripple effects beyond bars. Hear from storytellers and leaders working inside the criminal justice system to help families stay connected.

Shakespeare's plays, rich with political intrigue, power struggles and ethical dilemmas, provide profound commentary on the nature of governance and leadership — and draw unsettling parallels to the political landscape today.

As society focuses on mitigating human climate impact, economies shift away from carbon-based energy sources — which impacts individuals, businesses and governments. Beyond subsidies and regulation, we’ll need to harness the power of business, investment markets and individual self-interest to create a safer and more prosperous world.

Over 1 million people globally are held as political prisoners. Two of the leading human rights attorneys working to release captives of authoritarian regimes and the mother of an American journalist kidnapped and killed by terrorists raise awareness about the struggles to win freedom for prisoners often forgotten.

We the people were not truly “We the People” until the Reconstruction amendments altered our Constitution in a post-Civil War "second founding". As we confront another democratic crisis, what new understandings could ensure our democratic renewal?

Renewables are on the rise, but so is fossil fuel consumption as global development demands more and more. Does the oil and gas industry have a role in reaching net-zero goals? How do government policies shape the strategies of oil and gas giants as fossil fuels fade away?

Given what we learned from the global turbulence from COVID-19, are we any more prepared for the next pandemic? Author and journalist Michael Lewis and Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, discuss strategies to protect the world against future outbreaks and explore how global collaboration can ensure equitable access to life-saving vaccines.

AI’s evolution over the next two decades will redefine the white spaces of uncharted knowledge, revolutionize industries, alter societal dynamics and challenge ethical boundaries. How should we address questions about control, privacy and the very essence of human existence?