Anderson Cooper 360

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has ramped up the pressure on his GOP colleagues to oppose a bill that would create a commission to investigation the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill. One Republican told CNN that McConnell asked senators to support filibustering the bill as a “personal favor to him.” Democratic Sen. Tina Smith tells Anderson Cooper that McConnell’s ask for a “personal favor” feels like a threat and that the commission is the “right thing to do to get to the bottom of what happened.” Plus, the gunman who killed nine of his colleagues at a light rail yard in San Jose before killing himself was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in 2016 and was found with a “memo book filled with notes of hatred toward VTA” and “books about terrorism and fear and manifestos.” Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner and Washington, DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey joins AC360 to discuss how the gunman slipped through the cracks after being detained.   Airdate: May 27, 2021   Guests: Sen. Tina Smith Charles Ramsey To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At least eight people were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Valley Transportation Authority rail yard in San Jose, California. The shooter, who was a VTA employee, is also dead. Jonathan is a videographer who went to the shooting as it was unfolding. He tells Anderson Cooper he lives within a mile radius of the rail yard and thought it was a drill until he saw law enforcement bringing people out of the facility. Plus, prosecutors investigating former President Trump have told a witness to prepare for grand jury testimony. Former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams tells AC360 “it’s clear the district attorney believes there is evidence of a crime.”   Airdate: May 26, 2021   Guests: Jonathan Elliot WilliamsTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Washington Post reports that the Manhattan district attorney has convened a grand jury in the Trump criminal probe that’s expected to decide whether to indict former President Trump and other Trump organization officials. Daniel Goldman is a former federal prosecutor and a former assistant U.S. attorney. He tells Anderson Cooper that typically in fraud cases prosecutors believe they have a case against the defendant and “the grand jury will usually vote to indict.” Plus, memorial events and marches marked one year since George Floyd was murdered. His family and friends visited President Biden at the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross joins AC360 to remember him and says “it’s been the hardest year of my life.”To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene compared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to continue the mask mandate to the Holocaust. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik haven’t responded to multiple requests by CNN to respond to Greene’s comments. Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen joins AC360 to react to Greene’s comments and said he thinks she’s “playing to her base.” He also said a lot of Republicans today have “no experience in government.” Plus, Arizona and Georgia audits are moving forward as Republicans continue to push election fraud lies. In Georgia’s Fulton County, a judge green-lit the unsealing of 147,000 mail-in ballots cast there in the 2020 election. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts tells Anderson Cooper the election was “open, fair and transparent.” Airdate: May 24, 2021   Guests: Rep. Steve Cohen Robb PittsTo 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 new body camera video from one Louisiana State Police trooper who arrived on the scene as other officers had Ronald Greene on the ground, attempting to arrest him back in 2019. Police say they will release all the video. Greene’s family said police initially told them he died from a car crash after a police pursuit. Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin, tells Anderson Cooper “they were planning to kill Ronnie way before the car was stopped.” Plus, federal authorities investigating alleged sex trafficking by Rep. Matt Gaetz have secured the cooperation of his ex-girlfriend, a former Capitol Hill staffer. Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig joins AC360 to discuss what this could mean for Gaetz.   Airdate: May 21, 2021   Guests: Mona Hardin Elie HonigTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The chances of 10 Senate Republicans going against Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and siding with the Democrats to establish an independent and bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 riot is looking unlikely. McConnell has already said he’s against the legislation. Democrats have the majority in the Senate and would need 10 members of the GOP to vote for the bill to pass. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono tells AC360 any of her Republican colleagues who vote against the bill are “closing their eyes, ears, everything to what happened.” Plus, Ronald Greene’s family was told he died in a car wreck after a 2019 encounter with police. More than two years later, new body camera video obtained by the Associated Press shows Greene was kicked, dragged and tased by police. Charles Ramsey is the former Philadelphia Police Commissioner and Washington, DC Police Chief. He joins AC360 to discuss the new video and says it’s clearly “a case of excessive force.”     Airdate: May 20, 2021   Guests: Sen. Mazie Hirono Charles RamseyTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House passed a bill to create an independent and bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol. 35 Republicans voted with the Democrats despite opposition from GOP leadership. Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice joins AC360 to discuss the bipartisan vote. Plus, the New York attorney general has opened a criminal tax investigation into the Trump Organization’s CFO, Allen Weisselberg. The development comes just one day after the attorney general announced she’s joining the Manhattan district attorney’s office in a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization. Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig tells Anderson Cooper if prosecutors can flip Weisselberg, it’s a “gamechanger.”   Airdate: May 19, 2021   Guests: Rep. Kathleen Rice Elie HonigTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy won’t support a deal to form a January 6 commission, siding with some other Republicans who have tried to downplay and move on from the violent efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow was in the Capitol the day of the insurrection and comforted his colleagues as rioters stormed the building. He tells Anderson Cooper that McCarthy wants to sweep the insurrection under the rug and that he needs former President Trump’s support regardless of his behavior and incitement of the insurrection. Plus, the Pasquotank County district attorney said the deputies who fatally shot Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina last month were justified in using deadly force. The three deputies who fired at Brown will be reinstated and retrained. Brown family attorney Benjamin Crump joins AC360 to discuss the district attorney’s comments and says he’s trying to “whitewash this unjustified killing of a black man.”  Airdate: May 18, 2021   Guests: Rep. Jason Crow Benjamin CrumpTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York will adopt the CDC’s guidelines to not require masks, inside or outside, or social distancing for people who are fully vaccinated. The CDC said adults and children who aren’t vaccinated still need to wear masks. Many states have lifted restrictions and started reopening as more people have received the vaccine. Dr. Leana Wen is an emergency room physician and the former Baltimore health commissioner. She tells Anderson Cooper only 37% of the population is fully vaccinated so “we have to consider our obligation to protect the most vulnerable” and right now policies don’t reflect that. Plus, Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector and close confidant of Rep. Matt Gaetz, formally pleaded guilty to six federal charges. Greenberg admitted to a judge he had knowingly solicited and paid a minor for sex. Federal investigators are looking at whether Gaetz broke federal sex trafficking, prostitution and public corruption laws and whether he had sex with a minor. He hasn’t been charged and denies any wrongdoing. Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig joins AC360 to discuss what Greenberg’s guilty plea could mean for Florida Congressman.  Airdate: May 17, 2021   Guests: Dr. Leana Wen Elie HonigTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s confusion after the CDC said if you're fully vaccinated you don't need to wear a mask in most cases.  Drs. Paul Offit and Ashish Jha answer your questions about masks. Plus, across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israel there’s growing tension. CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Jerusalem with the latest.  Airdate: May 14, 2021   Guests: Dr. Paul Offit Dr. Ashish JhaTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices