Anderson Cooper 360

Former President Donald Trump appeals Maine decision to remove him from the 2024 primary ballot due to his involvement in the Capitol insurrection. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows discusses Trump's appeal. Chris Christie joins to talk about Trump's legal fight in Maine and the state of play in the 2024 GOP primary, also mentioning new charges against Senator Menendez.

Retired Army Four-star General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark discusses Russia's biggest air attack on Ukraine since full-scale invasion. The attack involved an unprecedented number of drones and missiles, causing casualties and destruction. The podcast also explores what is driving Vladimir Putin and the potential implications for the days ahead. Yevgenia Albats, a dissident Russian journalist, provides additional insight into Putin's motivations.

Maine’s top election official has removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot, in a surprising decision based on the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows talks about this decision and how she came to it. And Michael Eric Dyson, distinguished professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University and co-author of “Unequal: A Story of America" talks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's comments on slavery and the Civil War.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Michigan Supreme Court rejected the attempt to keep former President Trump off the 2024 primary ballot because of the “insurrectionist ban” in the U.S. Constitution. The Colorado Supreme Court kicked Trump off the state’s primary ballot for his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins AC360 to explain why she agrees with her state’s Supreme Court decision. Plus, two men out fishing in Indiana found a mangled truck underneath a bridge and a man stuck inside who they thought was dead. CNN National Correspondent Athena Jones tells AC360 the incredible story of the Matthew Reum, the man inside the vehicle, who was alive and had been trapped there, tightly pinned in his seat under the bridge for six days.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Israel Defense Forces says it’s continuing their intense fighting in Gaza by using its air, ground, and naval troops to strike “terror targets.” One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants, Ron Dermer, met with officials from the White House and State Department to discuss the next phase of the war in Gaza. The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 20,900 people have been killed and 55,000 injured since October 7th. CNN Political and Foreign Policy Analyst Barak Ravid tells AC360 where hostage negotiations stand between Israel and Hamas and if they are any closer to another pause in fighting. Plus, the FBI is investigating reports of violent threats to the Colorado’s Supreme Court justices who ruled last week to remove former President Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential ballot because of the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.” John Miller is the former NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism. He tells AC360 what the FBI is looking for and how they’re helping local law enforcement agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court rejected special counsel Jack Smith’s request to have the high court decide whether former President Trump has any immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while he was in the White House. The question of Trump's immunity must be decided before the trial, which is scheduled for March 4th and could be delayed. The issue will first go before an appeals court early next month. Former federal judge Nancy Gertner tells AC360 why she thinks the Supreme Court may have rejected the special counsel’s request. Plus, federal authorities are apprehending record levels of migrants at the U.S. southern border each day as officials deal with a lack of capacity and resources. CNN Senior Latin American Affairs Editor Rafael Romo joins AC360 from Eagle Pass, Texas for an update on a situation that top immigration officials are calling a “serious challenge.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to the Detroit News and the recordings they reviewed, then-President Trump personally pressured two Republican Michigan canvassers to not certify the 2020 election. The Detroit News says the recordings reveal that Trump told the two GOP Wayne County canvassers they'd look "terrible" if they signed the documents after they first voted in opposition and then later in the same meeting voted to approve certification of the county’s election results. The Trump campaign released a statement saying "all of President Trump’s actions were taken in furtherance of his duty as president of the United States to faithfully take care of the laws and ensure election integrity.” Conservative attorney George Conway joins AC360 to discuss the Detroit News' reporting and what this could mean for Jack Smith's election interference case against Trump. Plus, Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in federal court after a jury ordered him to pay two Georgia election officials nearly $150 million for the harm caused by his defamatory statements about them following the 2020 election. CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz tells AC360 how this filing could affect the damages he owes Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former President Trump has asked the Supreme Court to reject special counsel Jack Smith's request to have the high court decide whether he has any immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while he was in the White House. The question of Trump's immunity has to be decided before the trial, which is scheduled for March 4th. Smith asked the justices to review a lower court ruling that the former president is not immune from the election subversion criminal case, a rare step of reviewing the issue before a federal appeals court weighs in. CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig tells AC360 if he thinks the Trump team would be trying to slow down the process if he wasn't running for reelection. Plus, CNN Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins AC360 from Iceland for an update on the volcano erupting on the Reykjanes peninsula. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Colorado Supreme Court removed former President Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot saying he isn’t an eligible presidential candidate because of the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.” The Trump campaign reacted to the decision and said it would “swiftly file an appeal.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold tells AC360 if she agrees with the court's ruling. Plus, CNN Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins AC360 from Grindavik, Iceland with the latest on the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, who won a nearly $150 million defamation case against Rudy Giuliani have sued him again, asking a federal judge to permanently ban him from lying about them. Giuliani told reporters on the first day of the trial that “everything I said about them is true” despite his attorneys presenting little defense in court and the former New York City mayor deciding not to testify. Former federal prosecutor Jessica Roth tells AC360 what the judge could do to prevent Giuliani from continuing to lie about Freeman and Moss. Plus, U.S. Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin spoke with officials in Israel about pathways “toward a future for Gaza after Hamas.” The group’s military wing released a video showing three Israeli male hostages still being held in Gaza. CNN Correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins AC360 to give an update on some of the released hostages and what they went through while being held captive by Hamas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices