Hello everyone and welcome to Ammanpur. Here is what's coming up.

The eyes are on the Senate. The country is watching to see if we can rise to the occasion.

Opening arguments begin in the Senate and the world watches a chamber deeply divided.

I ask former chiefs of staff from both sides of the aisle what's ahead.

Then climate change takes centre stage at Davos while many world leaders still refuse to act.

The governor of Sao Paulo talks to me about the fate of the

Amazon rainforest and... I decided to be a writer because I was incarcerated.

From prison to poetry how a claimed writer Reginald Wayne Betts used words to turn his life around. Welcome to the program everyone. I'm Christina Manpur in New York.

Democrats and Republicans are laying out their opening arguments for and against the impeachment

of President Trump in a process that will last several days in the Senate.

It comes after a marathon debate on the rules of the trial

which so far has resulted in Republicans blocking every attempt by Democrats

to subpoena new witnesses and evidence.

Indeed, President Trump doubled down from Davos.

We're doing very well, I got to watch enough. I thought our team did a very good job, but honestly we have all the material.

They don't have the material.

Now in response to that, the Democratic managers of the Senate trial said that President Trump shouldn't really be bragging about that.

Now, the very partisan nature of this battle was on display from the very start as the Supreme Court justice berated the

senators on both sides scolding them for their lack of decorum on the Senate floor.

Now two chiefs of staff to house speakers from both sides of the aisle join me now to delve deeper

Danny Weiss who worked for the current House speaker the Democrat Nancy Pelosi and Jonathan Bergks who worked for the former speaker

Republican Paul Ryan. Gentlemen welcome to the program and as this process

...