Anderson Cooper 360

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Federal investigators examining communications between U.S. lawmakers and Capitol rioters Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Federal investigators are examining the communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6. A U.S. official says the investigation is moving closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe joins AC360 to discuss the investigation. Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the U.S. shouldn’t loosen coronavirus restrictions until daily new cases fall below 10,000. Errick Simmons is the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi and strongly disagrees with his governor’s decisions to allow businesses to fully open and get rid of the mask mandate. He tells Anderson Cooper we can’t let down our guard.

Airdate: March 4, 2021

Guests:

Rep. Jason Crow

Mayor Errick Simmons

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Biden criticizes Texas and Mississippi for lifting restrictions Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Pres. Joe Biden criticized Texas and Mississippi for lifting their Covid-19 restrictions and called it “neanderthal thinking.” Biden said “I think it's a big mistake” and that he hopes “everybody's realized by now, these masks make a difference.” Beto O’Rourke is a former U.S. Congressman who represented El Paso and the surrounding area in Texas. He says the governor’s decision was a “death warrant for Texans” and tells Anderson Cooper that Abbott has given the green light to anybody who doesn’t want to wear a mask. Plus, security around the U.S. Capitol has increased after the Department of Homeland Security and FBI alerted lawmakers to a potential threat. The House changed its voting schedule after U.S. officials warned of increased chatter among extremist groups discussing a possible plot against the Capitol on March 4. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Juliette Kayyem joins AC360 to discuss the potential threat and how some members of the GOP have contributed.

Airdate: March 3, 2021

Guests:

Beto O’Rourke

Juliette Kayyem

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FBI Director knocks down GOP conspiracy theories about January 6 attack Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

FBI Director Christopher Wray knocked down a conspiracy theory that the January 6th rioters were “fake Trump protestors,” a baseless claim that’s been pushed by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. Wray also made it clear to lawmakers that Antifa and other left-wing groups weren’t part of the violence saying “we have not, to date, seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribing to Antifa in connection to the 6th.” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and questioned Wray. She tells Anderson Cooper “to pretend we don’t know who it is, is not just hypocritical, it’s dangerous.” Plus, President Biden says the U.S. will have enough vaccines for every adult by the end of May. Meanwhile, both Mississippi and Texas announced they are lifting mask mandates and allowing businesses to operate at full capacity even as experts warn about the spreading variants. Austin Mayor Steve Adler tells AC360 people in his Texas city are dumbfounded and “we should be guided by the science and the data.”

Airdate: March 2, 2021

Guests:

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Mayor Steve Adler

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CDC Director warns all recent Covid-19 progress could be wiped out by variants Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning Americans that the country is at risk of losing recent gains in the battle against Covid-19 as highly contagious variants continue to spread. Dr. Rochelle Wolensky encouraged people to “stay strong” and said “vaccination is what will bring us out of this pandemic. To get there, we need to vaccinate many more people.” Moderna, Pfizer and just recently approved Johnson & Johnson say they’ll deliver enough doses to fully vaccinate 130 million people by the end of March. Dr. Leana Wen is the former Baltimore Health Commissioner and is currently an emergency room physician. She also has been a volunteer participant in the two-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial. She joins AC360 to discuss Wolensky’s warning and the advantages of the newly approved J&J vaccine. Plus, GOP legislators around the country—including the battleground states of Georgia and Arizona—are trying to roll back voting access in the wake of the 2020 election. Stacey Abrams is the founder of Fair Fight, a national voting rights organization rooted in Georgia that encourages voter participation in elections around the country. She tells Anderson Cooper “they are not fighting to protect elections. They are fighting to preserve their ability to win.”

Airdate: March 1, 2021

Guests:

Dr. Leana Wen

Stacey Abrams

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FDA recommends Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine Feb 27, 2021

Show notes

The FDA vaccine advisers recommended authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine. In the U.S., the single-shot showed an overall efficacy of 72% in preventing moderate to severe disease and 85% effective in preventing severe disease. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins AC360 to discuss why people shouldn’t hesitate to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, even if the efficacy is lower than both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Plus, the House is expected to vote to approve Pres. Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package. If passed, the bill will move to the Senate. One item missing from the Senate’s version is the $15 federal minimum wage provision, something the Senate parliamentarian ruled against. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a strong advocate of increasing the federal minimum wage. He tells Anderson Cooper they’re looking at another way to raise wages, including a tax provision “which says if you’re not paying your worker a living wage of $15 an hour, you’re going to have to pay more in taxes.”

Airdate: February 26, 2021

Guests:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Sen. Bernie Sanders

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Capitol Police Chief: Extremists want to “blow up the Capitol” Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

The acting Capitol Police chief warned militia groups involved in the January 6 insurrection want to “blow up the Capitol” “and “kill as many members as possible” when President Joe Biden addresses Congress. Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, participated in the riot and their leader tells CNN he has no sympathy for the members of Congress who feared for their lives. Andrew McCabe is a former FBI Deputy Director and is currently a CNN Contributor. He joins AC360 to discuss the sharp rise of extremist groups. Plus, the U.S. carried out its first known military action under Biden, targeting sites used by Iranian-back militia. The New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist Thomas Friedman joins Anderson Cooper to react to the airstrike.

Airdate: February 25, 2021

Guests:

Andrew McCabe

Thomas Friedman

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FDA: Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

The U.S. Food and Drug administration found the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective and meets the emergency use authorization requirements. If authorized, it’ll be the third shot option in the United States. Dr. Leana Wen is the former Baltimore Health Commissioner and is currently an emergency room physician. She also has been a volunteer participant in the two-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial. She joins AC360 to react to the FDA’s analysis. Plus, authorities say Tiger Woods won’t face any charges after his rollover car crash because it was “purely an accident.” CNN Correspondent Kyung Lah gives AC360 an update on the golfer’s condition and the crash investigation.

Airdate: February 24, 2021

Guests:

Dr. Leana Wen

Kyung Lah

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Tiger Woods injured in car crash Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Golfer Tiger Woods suffered serious leg injuries after his SUV crossed onto the wrong side of the road and rolled over several times near Los Angeles. A first responder says the five-time Masters winner couldn’t stand on his own but was “lucid and calm.” Woods last won the Masters Tournament in 2019 and is tied for most all-time career victories with 82 PGA Tour wins. Bob Costas is a Hall of Fame broadcaster and is currently a CNN Contributor. He joins AC360 to discuss Woods’ legendary career. Plus, law enforcement officials told lawmakers that they were prepared for the possibility of limited violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, but the intelligence available ahead of time didn’t warn of a coordinated attack that overwhelmed officers and led to multiple casualties. Rep. Jason Crow was in the gallery during the attack. He joins AC360 to react to what he heard from officials and says there are still far more questions than answers.

Airdate: February 23, 2021

Guests:

Bob Costas

Rep. Jason Crow

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Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to New York prosecutor Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

The Supreme Court ruled that former Pres. Trump’s tax returns can be released to a New York prosecutor. The decision deals a massive lost to Trump, who has fought tirelessly to shield his financial papers from investigators. The former President reacted to the decision by saying “the Supreme Court never should have let this 'fishing expedition' happen, but they did.” Susanne Craig is an investigative reporter for the New York Times and has been focused on Trump’s finances and taxes since 2016. She joins AC360 to discuss what this could mean for the former President and says she thinks prosecutors will be able to piece together what they’re looking for. Plus, the U.S. has surpassed 500,000 coronavirus deaths. President Biden honored the lives lost during a moment of silence and candlelight vigil. He told Americans “we will get through this, I promise you.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells AC360 many of these deaths could have been preventable and we should learn the lessons now so it doesn’t happen again.

Airdate: February 22, 2021

Guests:

Susanne Craig

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

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More than 14.9 million Texans impacted by water distribution Feb 20, 2021

Show notes

Approximately 165,000 Texans remain without power and more than 14.9 million have been impacted by a water crisis as the state braces for another deep freeze. While Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has been dealing with the fallout over his quick trip to Cancun, Mexico, two of his Democratic opponents, Beto O’Rourke and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been raising money and offering resources to Texans who are struggling after the winter storm. Amanda Carpenter is the former Communications Director for Cruz. She tells Anderson Cooper she thinks the Senator has “lost sight of what it means to represent Texans.” Plus, President Joe Biden toured a Pfizer vaccine manufacturing facility in Michigan and said “I believe we’ll be approaching normalcy by the end of this year” but warns “things can change.” The White House announced that bad weather has created a backlog of about six million Covid-19 vaccine doses. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hosted the President while he was in Michigan and tells AC360 she thinks the vaccine roll out will catch up and make up for lost time.

Airdate: February 19, 2021

Guests:

Amanda Carpenter

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

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