Laura Coates Live

President Biden lays out his Omicron battle plan, announcing an additional 10,000 testing sites beyond the 20,000 the White House points to nationwide, deploying 1,000 more military members to help hospitals if they become overburdened again and mailing half a billion free Covid home testing kits to Americans next month. Plus: NYC offers $100 to get boosted by New Year’s, Trump looks to the anniversary of January 6 to push election lies, Joe Manchin is in talks with fellow Democrats after their fiery response to his “No” on Build Back Better and sports leagues search for a way forward amid the Omicron surge. Guests: Dr Ashish Jha, Bill de Blasio, Robert Costa and Bob Costas. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rapidly spreading Omicron variant now accounts for 75% of new Covid cases. With only 61% of the country fully vaccinated and 18% boosted as people gather for Christmas, President Biden gives a new speech about the steps we can all be taking now, and issues some dire warnings for the unvaccinated. Plus, Democrats face an uncertain path as Joe Manchin rejects ‘Build Back Better, the Pentagon issues rules to fight extremism in the military as a retired U.S. general warns of a 2024 insurrection and Harvard University suspends the SAT and ACT requirements for the next 4 years. Guests: Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Charlie Dent, Major General Paul D. Eaton and Bob Schaeffer. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid cases rise by more than 50% from last week in Texas, Connecticut and Hawaii and a UK study finds no evidence the Omicron variant is any less severe than Delta. NYC’s incoming Mayor Eric Adams joins to discuss the Covid crisis, and whether the federal government should follow New York and other states in sending out at-home tests to people. Also tonight: the defense rests after ex-officer Kim Potter breaks down on the stand as she recalls her fatal shooting of Daunte Wright, following mistaking her Taser for her loaded gun during a police traffic stop. Plus, the strange secret history of the “War on Christmas” and  CNN’s Fareed Zakaria joins to discuss the factors behind President Biden’s sinking approval rating. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The CDC predicts a new Covid wave as the Omicron variant takes hold, disrupting normal life. As the Covid positivity rate doubles in New York over just three days, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio joins to discuss the potential impact of vaccine mandates in reducing the severity of the spread. Will we all get Covid eventually and do we need to change the definition of fully vaccinated? Former member of Biden’s Covid-19 Advisory Board, Dr. Zeke Emanuel joins to give his perspective. Plus, Fox News hosts respond to the controversy over their texts during the Capitol insurrection, a former Fox News insider slams its hosts saying they ”primed the pump” for the “lunatic assault…that led to the riot on January 6”, ditching ‘defund’: Democrats now want to ‘refund the police’ and Biden acknowledges ‘Build Back Better’ will miss its deadline, shifting his focus to voting rights.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Associated Press reports there was far too little fraud to have changed the outcome of the 2020 Election, but January 6 key figures are still working to threaten our democracy. Former state and federal prosecutor Ron Filipkowski joins to discuss how the anti-democratic movement are now targeting local school boards, city and county commissions and supervisors of local elections. Also tonight: the Government releases previously classified JFK assassination documents, Democrats quietly question Biden’s future as his approval rating sinks, the price to play football: NFL players are 4 times more likely to die of ALS, and two bipartisan fixes that can help save our democracy. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BREAKING NEWS: a full House vote is expected this evening on Mark Meadows’ criminal contempt referral to the DOJ. No former White House Chief of Staff has faced criminal charges since H.R. Haldeman’s role in the Watergate scandal. Also tonight: in key swing states, the anti-democratic movement has already changed laws and ousted Election officials with the aim of overturning future results. David Leonhardt of the New York Times joins give his insight into the big picture on this growing threat to American democracy. Plus, the GOP gains an advantage as redrawn maps kill swing districts, Republican Paul Gosar hypocritically takes credit for Covid relief funding he voted against twice and is 'Build Back Better' dead? Hosted By Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The January 6 House Committee votes to hold Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress as the investigation releases texts from several Fox News hosts, GOP members and Trump’s son, to Meadows, urging the then President and his team to calm tensions as the Capitol riot exploded. Plus, Chris Wallace leaves Fox News after 18 years to join CNN+ in a surprise move which may have been influenced by his objection to Fox’s conspiracy theory content ‘Patriot Purge’, the Philadelphia D.A. apologizes for downplaying the City’s violence problem, and Rand Paul’s disaster relief hypocrisy: suddenly, it’s not socialism.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With key inflation measures at their highest level in almost 40 years and a revised Congressional Budget Office score of $3 trillion, is Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda on life support? Former World Bank Chief Economist and Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, Larry Summers, joins to give his perspective. The Supreme Court allows the Texas abortion law that bans the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, to remain in effect, but ruled that abortion providers may sue some state officials in federal court. Professor Erwin Cherminsky, Dean, UC Berkley School of Law, joins to give his insight on the likely end of Roe V. Wade. New York City council overwhelmingly approves legislation that gives 800,000 non-citizens voting rights in local elections. They will be eligible to register a year from now and could begin voting in local elections from January 2023. Primary sponsor of the bill NYC Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D) joins to discuss the expansion of voting rights he pushed for.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As President Biden kicks off the first ‘Summit for Democracy’ at the White House, former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov, now Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation joins to discuss the worldwide rise in authoritarian leaders, the left/right divide in politics and why he thinks our generation will either renew democracy or lose it forever. With Philadelphia’s homicide rate increasing 57% from just two years ago, former Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter joins to discuss the comments made by the current district attorney who said the record murders “don’t equal a crisis”. Plus, confusion grows amongst the booster push: what counts as fully vaccinated now? Dr. Frances Collins, Director of the NIH joins with the facts. Finally, Michael speaks with Amy Carson, the plaintiff in a pivotal Supreme Court case on the funding of religious schools. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri testifies before the Senate Commerce Consumer Protection Sub-Committee, which says it “wants to hear about why the app uses algorithms that push poisonous content to children driving them down rabbit holes to dark places, and what the company will do to make the platform safe”. Did his answers satisfy? Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University joins to discuss. As House progressives move to strip the GOP’s Lauren Boebert of committee assignments over her anti-muslim remarks our host asks; is giving Boebert this type of reprimand just making her more high-profile, amplifying controversy and enabling her to raise money? Pennsylvania Senate Candidate (D) Rep. Conor Lamb joins to discuss personal attacks in Congress. Plus, America's growing crime crisis - what's behind the record murder rates in a dozen major cities? Hannah Meyers, Director of Policing and Public Safety at the Manhattan Institute, joins to provide insight. Hosted by Michael Smerconish.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices