Anderson Cooper 360

A source tells CNN that Democratic Senators have reached a deal to move forward with the Covid relief bill, agreeing to extend the enhanced unemployment insurance program through September 6 at $300 a week. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin stalled the bill for hours while his Republican colleagues urged him to support a less generous plan on jobless benefits. In a 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaker, the Democrats can’t afford to lose even one vote. Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley tells AC360 a “compromise has been forged.” Plus, a CNN analysis finds the U.S. could reach herd immunity by summer through vaccinations alone. Dr. Ashish Jha joins AC360 to discuss whether or not he thinks that timeline is realistic.

Airdate: March 5, 2021

Guests:

Sen. Jeff Merkley

Dr. Ashish Jha

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Federal investigators are examining the communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6. A U.S. official says the investigation is moving closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe joins AC360 to discuss the investigation. Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the U.S. shouldn’t loosen coronavirus restrictions until daily new cases fall below 10,000. Errick Simmons is the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi and strongly disagrees with his governor’s decisions to allow businesses to fully open and get rid of the mask mandate. He tells Anderson Cooper we can’t let down our guard.  

Airdate: March 4, 2021

Guests:

Rep. Jason Crow

Mayor Errick Simmons

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Pres. Joe Biden criticized Texas and Mississippi for lifting their Covid-19 restrictions and called it “neanderthal thinking.” Biden said “I think it's a big mistake” and that he hopes “everybody's realized by now, these masks make a difference.” Beto O’Rourke is a former U.S. Congressman who represented El Paso and the surrounding area in Texas. He says the governor’s decision was a “death warrant for Texans” and tells Anderson Cooper that Abbott has given the green light to anybody who doesn’t want to wear a mask. Plus, security around the U.S. Capitol has increased after the Department of Homeland Security and FBI alerted lawmakers to a potential threat. The House changed its voting schedule after U.S. officials warned of increased chatter among extremist groups discussing a possible plot against the Capitol on March 4. Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Juliette Kayyem joins AC360 to discuss the potential threat and how some members of the GOP have contributed.

Airdate: March 3, 2021

Guests:

Beto O’Rourke

Juliette Kayyem

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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 Adler

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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

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