Anderson Cooper 360

The House of Representatives passes a bill with larger relief checks for coronavirus relief pushed by Pres. Trump, which the Senate has previously opposed. Rep. Adam Kinzinger speaks out about the divisive and unpredictable politics right now in Congress. Also, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate candidate, Jon Ossoff, speaks to AC360 about his battle against incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue. Plus, as America sets a new high for current Covid-19 hospitalizations, Dr. Leana Wen talks to AC360 about the latest virus and vaccines developments. And don’t miss CNN’s Sara Sidner’s exclusive report about the first coronavirus epicenter in the United States, a nursing home in Washington state, where nurses are finally getting access to vaccines.   Airdate: December 28, 2020   Guests: Rep. Adam Kinzinger Jon Ossoff Dr. Leana Wen Sara Sidner  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pres. Trump pardons former Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, for longtime ally Roger Stone and Jared Kushner’s father Charles Kushner along with 23 others. Andrew Weissman who led the prosecution of Paul Manafort for the Special Counsel’s Office at the Justice Department reacts. Former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean and CNN Legal analyst Carrie Cordero also weigh in. Also, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks out about tonight’s pardons and the President’s latest showdowns with Congress over the coronavirus relief bill and the National Defense Authorization Act. Plus, as millions of Americans travel for the holidays, coronavirus deaths and infections are still hitting record levels. Dr. Chris Murray explains his team’s new model predicting thousands more coronavirus deaths in the United States by April 1. Dr. Leana Wen explains the new coronavirus variant strains and how they may affect children.   Airdate: December 23, 2020   Guests: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Carrie Cordero Chris Murray Dr. Leana WenTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pres. Trump issued a series of pardons that includes two former GOP Congressmen and two men who pleaded guilty in Robert Mueller’s investigation. Among the pardons are former Republican Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins and former campaign aide George Papadopoulos. These are the first of what is expected to be a flurry of pardons and commutations in the coming weeks as Trump gets ready to leave the White House. James Clapper is the former Director of National Intelligence and also a CNN National Security Analyst. He joins AC360 to react to Trump’s wave of pardons. Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that there could be a “superimposed” surge on top of the current uptick in cases if people travel for the holidays. Dr. Tom Frieden is a former CDC Director and he tells AC360 staying indoors, wearing masks and getting vaccinated will all help control the spread of Covid-19.   Airdate: December 22, 2020   Guests: Lt. Gen. James Clapper (Ret.) Dr. Tom FriedenTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pres. Trump is meeting with lawmakers to push his false election fraud claims. Some in the White House fear the finals days of the Trump presidency saying “no one is sure where this is heading.” Conspiracist lawyer Sidney Powell, who was dumped from his official legal team, along with fired national security adviser Michael Flynn and onetime chief strategist Steve Bannon have found themselves in the Oval Office or on the phone advising the President on how to reverse his election loss, even floating the idea of declaring martial law. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff,  Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, joins AC360 to react to the President’s last-ditch effort to overturn the election results and says if Trump can stay in power through stealing, lying, and cheating, he will do it. Plus, the U.S. has surpassed 18 million Covid-19 cases as a new coronavirus variant was discovered in the United Kingdom. Dr. Peter Hotez is the Co-Director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital and the Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He joins AC360 to discuss whether or not Americans should be worried about the new variant.   Airdate: December 21, 2020   Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff Dr. Peter HotezTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An influential Covid-19 model from the University of Washington predicts there will be 562,000 deaths by April 1st. If 95% of people wore masks, 55,000 lives could be saved. Dr. Chris Murray is the director of the group at the University of Washington that’s been working on these models throughout the pandemic. He joins AC360 to discuss when he thinks the vaccines will make a major dent on the daily death rate. Plus, the FDA has issued emergency use authorization for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. William Schaffner is a professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is also a member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. He tells AC360 that getting the Moderna vaccine to rural hospitals and health departments will be much easier because it doesn’t have the intense, cold storage requirements that the Pfizer vaccine has.   Airdate: December 18, 2020   Guests: Dr. Chris Murray Dr. William SchaffnerTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just over six months and 190,000 deaths ago, Vice President Mike Pence penned an OP-ED for the Wall Street Journal titled: There Isn't a Coronavirus 'Second Wave.' And now, months later - when it is even clearer that is not true - President Trump along with the vice president are still not addressing the nightmare as cases and deaths hit records each day. Former Covid Task Force Advisor to VP Pence, Olivia Troye, speaks out about what went on behind the scenes when that OP-ED was published. “The facts weren’t there, and I was known for briefing him and sticking to the facts,” Troye says she has been appalled at Pence’s recent behavior,  “I don't know how you can morally look at yourself in the mirror and say this is ok.” She adds, “I know that he is in a tough situation but at some point when people are dying and you are responsible for the protection of the country you really have a responsibility to take a stand.” And, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Celine Gounder discuss the latest Covid-19 vaccines developments. Plus, Democratic Congressman Jim Himes who is on the House Intelligence Committee and has been briefed, talks about the suspected Russian hack which occurred at some of the highest levels of several government agencies and some private companies.    Airdate: December 17, 2020   Guests: Olivia Troye Dr. Sanjay Gupta Dr. Celine Gounder Rep. Jim Himes, (D) Connecticut  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pres. Trump has told some advisers he will refuse to leave the White House on Inauguration Day with one source saying “he’s throwing a f***ing tantrum” but “he's going to leave. He's just lashing out." Meanwhile, Trump is weighing pardons for more than two dozen people in his orbit. One source told CNN “it’s turned crazy” and there are so many requests for pardons or commutations that there’s a spreadsheet to keep track of them. CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger and CNN Political Commentator Van Jones join AC360 to discuss Trump’s final days in the White House. Plus, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor about some of his Republican colleagues’ false accusations of voter fraud and how he worries it could lead to the end of American democracy. He tells Anderson Cooper “their allegiance is first and foremost to Donald Trump” and “they’re willing to do anything to keep him in power even if it means overturning the election.”   Airdate: December 16, 2020   Guests: Sen. Chris Murray Van Jones Gloria BorgerTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally congratulates President-elect Joe Biden, as many Republicans in Congress still refuse to recognize his victory amid President Donald Trump's continued refusal to accept defeat. Democratic Congressman and Majority Whip James Clyburn weighs in, telling Anderson, “this democracy is very very fragile,” and adding “this democracy can be brought to an end if we are not careful.” Also, where do Trump's "Election Defense Fund" donations really go? Bloomberg Opinion Senior Columnist and author of "TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald," Timothy O'Brien discusses. Plus, as vaccines continue to be administered across the United States, the infection numbers are still surging. Anderson talks to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Rep. James Clyburn, and Timothy O'Brien. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Electors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia gathered to cast their votes and affirmed Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. The states Biden won and Trump challenged—Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin—all cast their electoral votes for the president-elect. Biden declared it’s time to “turn the page. To unite. To heal” in a speech to the nation. George Conway is a conservative lawyer and co-founder of the Lincoln Project. He’s been an outspoken critic of President Trump and he tells Anderson Cooper that Trump is delusional for not accepting the election results and is basically running “a scam on the American people.” Plus, early voting is underway in Georgia for the two critical Senate runoffs that will determine the balance of power in Congress. Biden is set to campaign for the Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock. Many have credited Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia State Representative, for helping Biden become the first Democrat to win the state in nearly three decades. She joins AC360 to react to Biden securing the electoral college votes and says it was a “thrilling relief” and it’s disappointing the President is trying to undermine the integrity of the vote. Airdate: December 14, 2020 Guests: George Conway Stacey AbramsTo 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 rejected a bid from Texas' attorney general, which was supported by President Donald Trump, to block millions of ballots in four battleground states that went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. Even the justices who Trump placed on the court had no interest in allowing this latest legal bid to continue. CNN Political Correspondent Abby Phillip and CNN Contributor and Former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean discuss. Also, the Attorney General of Michigan, Dana Nessel, tells Anderson, “we will continue to fight as vigorously as possible to ensure that the person who actually won the presidential election is sworn into office on January 20th.” Plus, Dr. Sanjay Gupta weighs in on the latest developments before an emergency use authorization may be approved by the FDA for a coronavirus vaccine. Guests on Friday, December 11, 2020 were Abby Phillip, John Dean, Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General, and 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