Anderson Cooper 360

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged unvaccinated Americans to take the Delta variant seriously and said “this virus has no incentive to let up, and it remains in search of the next vulnerable person to infect.” President Biden didn’t rule out a change in mask guidance as he stressed the pandemic is among the unvaccinated. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent tells Anderson Cooper that if the mask issue “wasn’t so politicized,” I think the answer would be that if you’re vaccinated and inside around unvaccinated people, you should “probably put a mask on.” Plus, NFL Network Host Rich Eisen joins AC360 to discuss his reaction when he found out he tested positive for Covid-19, despite being vaccinated.   Airdate: July 22, 2021   Guests: Dr. Leana Wen Rich Eisen  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden addressed the rising number of Covid-19 cases and said “we have a pandemic for those who haven’t gotten the vaccine. It’s that basic, that simple” during an exclusive town hall. CNN Medical Analyst and emergency room physician Dr. Leana Wen joins AC360 to discuss the surge of cases in unvaccinated Americans and Biden’s plea for Americans to get vaccinated. Plus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of the five Republicans House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy chose for the House select committee created to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol. CNN’s Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash tells Anderson Cooper Pelosi did “what she knew was right.”  Airdate: July 21, 2021   Guests: Dr. Leana Wen Dana BashTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just moments after landing back on Earth, Jeff Bezos said the experience of flying to space was “amazing” and “more profound for me than I expected.” The Amazon and Blue Origins founder talks to Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview about his trip to the edge of space and reveals whether or not his expectations were met. Plus, Bezos announced he planned to award $100 million each to CNN Contributor Van Jones and chef José Andrés. Both Jones and Andrés join AC360 to discuss what they plan to do with the money.  Airdate: July 20, 2021   Guests: Jeff Bezos Van Jones José AndrésTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The surge of Covid-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant and vaccine hesitancy has led to a 66% jump in average daily cases from last week. Deaths have also increased by 13% from just a week ago. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said 99.5% of deaths are among the unvaccinated. He tells Anderson Cooper “you should take measures if you’re unvaccinated, like masking, distancing and avoiding indoor gatherings.” Plus, Amazon founder and current executive chair Jeff Bezos is getting ready to take a supersonic joyride to the edge of space. He’ll be flying aboard New Shepard, a suborbital capsule and rocket system built by his space company Blue Origin. Sirisha Bandla is the vice president of government affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic and flew with Richard Branson aboard his space craft earlier this month. She joins AC360 to discuss her experience in space and what Bezos and his crew can expect during their trip tomorrow Airdate: July 19, 2021 Guests: Dr. Vivek Murthy Sirisha BandlaTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid-19 cases are rising in all 50 states as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads and health officials say it’s clear that unvaccinated people are both driving the increase in new cases and are most at risk. The CDC director warned this “is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Dr. Craig Spencer is the Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and treated coronavirus patients in New York at the height of the pandemic. He tells Anderson Cooper if you are “fully vaccinated, the likelihood that I will see you in the emergency room as a Covid patient is near zero.” Plus, a federal judge in Texas ruled that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, the Obama-era program shielding certain undocumented immigrants from deportation, is illegal and blocked new applicants. CNN Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins AC360 to discuss the ruling.   Airdate: July 16, 2021   Guests: Dr. Craig Spencer Jeffrey ToobinTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy met with former President Donald Trump at his Bedminster golf club just a day after the select committee investigating the Capitol riot said it will hold its first public hearing on July 27. Journalist and author Carl Bernstein joins AC360 to discuss McCarthy’s meeting with Trump and says the Republican party is “beholden to Donald Trump and Trumpism.” Plus, as the Covid-19 Delta variant is spreading, Los Angeles County in California has reinstated its mask mandate for everyone. Andy Slavitt is the former White House Senior Adviser for Covid-19 response. He tells Anderson Cooper we need people who are hesitant to get vaccinated to step back, get the real facts, talk to their doctors or people they trust.   Airdate: July 15, 2021   Guests: Carl Bernstein Andy SlavittTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CNN has obtained a series of excerpts from the new book “I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year” by Pulitzer-prize winning journalists for the Washington Post, Carol Leonnig and Phillip Rucker. CNN’s Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel obtained the upcoming book and tells Anderson Cooper the top U.S. military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, was so shaken that then-President Trump and his allies might attempt a coup or take other dangerous or illegal measures after the November election that Milley and other top officials informally planned for different ways to stop Trump. Plus, the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed it has temporarily halted all adolescent vaccine outreach for the Covid-19 vaccines and even others not related to the virus. Dr. Michelle Fiscus was the state’s medical director of the vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization. She was fired in a dispute over parental permission for vaccinating children. She joins AC360 to discuss the issue of vaccine hesitancy and says this is “politics getting in the way of public health.”   Airdate: July 14, 2021   Guests: Jamie Gangel Dr. Michelle FiscusTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation during a speech in Philadelphia. Biden called the issue a “test of our time” and said “we are facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War.” The speech came as Texas House Democrats fled the state and traveled to Washington, D.C. in an effort to halt state Republicans from passing a new restrictive voting law. Beto O’Rourke is a former Democratic U.S. Representative from Texas. He tells Anderson Cooper the Texas delegation has been able to “galvanize the conscious of this country” and “ get us focused on the issue of voting rights.” Plus, Michael Wollf, author of the new book “Landslide,” joins AC360 to discuss former President Trump’s lies about the election, his relationship with Rudy Giuliani and his post-presidency life at Mar-a-Lago.   Airdate: July 13, 2021   Guests: Beto O’Rourke Michael WolffTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas House Democrats left the state to fly to Washington, D.C. in an effort to block Republicans from passing a restrictive voting law. Chris Turner is a Democratic Texas State Representative and the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. He was on the flight from Texas to Washington, D.C and tells AC360 their objective is to “kill this bill.” President Joe Biden held a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland and local leaders including law enforcement and elected officials to discuss the summer rise in violent crime as pandemic restrictions loosen. New York Democratic mayoral primary winner Eric Adams was one of the leaders in attendance. Adams joins AC360 to discuss what he heard from the President during the meeting.   Airdate; July 12, 2021   Guests: Chris Turner Eric AdamsTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last thing a country in the middle of another coronavirus surge and battling vaccine disinformation needs is conflicting messages from the government and a vaccine maker about the efficacy of its vaccine past the six-month period. But that's exactly what's occurred the past 24 hours, ending with an apology, sort of, from the company that started it. Expert, pediatrician and the dean of the school of tropical medicine at Baylor university, Dr. Peter Hotez talks with Anderson about all the confusion.Plus, this weekend on CNN, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite sitcoms from across the decades. The characters you can't stop laughing at, in the situations you can't get enough of. Famed TV sitcom creator Norman Lear joins Anderson to talk about his creative process and his secret to longevity.   Airdate: July 9, 2021   Guests: Dr. Peter Hotez Norman LearTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices