Anderson Cooper 360

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...Show more 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 Sanders

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 t...Show morehe 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 Friedman

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 Tig...Show moreer 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 Lah

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. P...Show morelus, 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 Crow

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. S...Show morehe 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 Gupta

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 Dir...Show moreector 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 Whitmer

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 ...Show morehad 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

 

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 repres...Show moreenting 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 Fauci

The North Carolina GOP censured Sen. Richard Burr after he voted to convict former President Trump. 16 other Republicans are facing similar backlash. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for a “9/11-type commission” to investigate the Capitol attack. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders joins AC360 to discuss the clear divide in the GOP and his thoughts on the commission. Plus, the CDC recently released new guidelines for reopening schools including five key mitigation strategies:...Show more wearing masks, physical distancing, handwashing, maintaining clean facilities and contact tracing. CNN has learned that about 89% of children under 18 live in a county considered a “red zone” with high levels of Covid-19 transmission. Dr. Paul Offit is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He joins Anderson Cooper to react to the new CDC guidelines and whether or not he thinks the country is “turning the corner.”

Airdate: February 15, 2021

Guests:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) Vermont

Dr. Paul Offit

As the Capitol was under attack on January 6th, then-Pres. Trump told House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy the rioters cared more about the election results than he did. In the expletive-laced phone call, McCarthy insisted the rioters were Trump’s supporters and begged him to tell them to stop. The Republican members of Congress who were briefed on the call say the exchange shows the former President had no intention of calling off the rioters. Noah Feldman is a professor at Harvard Law School...Show more and was a witness for the prosecution during Trump’s first impeachment trial. He joins AC360 to discuss how these new details could affect the impeachment trial. Plus, one of Trump’s attorneys claims “there was no insurrection.” CNN’s resident fact-checker Daniel Dale talks with Anderson Cooper about some of the false claims from the Trump legal team.  

 

 

Airdate: February 12, 2021

 

Guests:

Noah Feldman

Daniel Dale  

As the Capitol was under attack on January 6th, then-President Trump told House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy the rioters cared more about the election results than he did. In the expletive-laced phone call, McCarthy insisted the rioters were Trump’s supporters and begged him to tell them to stop. The Republican members of Congress who were briefed on the call say the exchange shows the former President had no intention of calling off the rioters. Noah Feldman is a professor at Harvard Law School and was a witness for the prosecution during Trump’s first impeachment trial. He joins AC360 to discuss how these new details could affect the impeachment trial. Plus, one of Trump’s attorneys claims “there was no insurrection.” CNN’s resident fact-checker Daniel Dale talks with Anderson Cooper about some of the false claims from the Trump legal team.  

 

 

Airdate: February 12, 2021

 

Guests:

Noah Feldman

Daniel Dale