Anderson Cooper 360

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 AdlerTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 SandersTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 FriedmanTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 LahTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 CrowTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 GuptaTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 WhitmerTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz returned from Cancun, Mexico with hundreds of thousands of Texans still without power and dealing with severe water issues. Cruz took a flight back to Houston after claiming he flew to the Mexican resort city for a night because his daughters “asked to take a trip with friends” but later said “it was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight I wouldn't have done it.” He also admitted his family had planned on staying through the weekend, not just the night, like he had originally claimed. Texas Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro represents San Antonio and the surrounding neighborhoods where many were without power for days. He joins AC360 to react to Cruz’s trip and says he thinks he “threw in the towel on Texas.” Plus, researchers found that just one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine provides more than 90% protection against the virus. The Pfizer vaccine is meant to be given as two doses, three or four weeks apart. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains to Anderson Cooper why people should still get the recommended second dose.     Airdate: February 18, 2021   Guests: Rep. Joaquin Castro Dr. Sanjay Gupta  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A winter storm and lengthy cold snap has crippled power facilities in Texas and left more than 2.6 million people without power for several days. The outages cover the area served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, and some Texas officials have pointed the blame at the power company and some are blaming Republican Governor Greg Abbott for failing to adequately prepare for the storm. Beto O’Rourke is a former Democratic Presidential Candidate and was a U.S. Congressman representing the district around El Paso. He joins AC360 to discuss the power crisis in Texas. Plus, several states across the country are forced to delay Covid-19 vaccinations due to the extreme winter weather. Meanwhile, studies suggest both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can protect against the current known coronavirus variants. Dr. Anthony Fauci is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He tells Anderson Cooper we should be in good shape if we roll out the vaccine appropriately, efficiently and effectively while maintaining public health measures. Airdate: February 17, 2021 Guests: Beto O’Rourke Dr. Anthony FauciTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices