The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper - Season 3

CNN Senior Investigative Correspondent Kyung Lah presents an in-depth look at the unusual star-making K-Pop industry in South Korea. 

K-Pop idol bands have fan bases all over the globe, hugely popular musicians and songs originating from South Korea.  But these bands are molded and created in a way unlike anything else in the music industry. Aspiring young stars take on rigorous vocal, dance and fitness training from early morning to late at night, some even leaving school and living in dorms away from their families. In "K-Pop: A Star is Made" Lah embeds in the strenuous training process of seven aspiring K-Pop stars in a small studio in the heart of Seoul, South Korea when they are just one week away from auditioning for the studio's premiere idol group.

"As a Korean American growing up in Chicago, I never imagined my native language would be streamed across platforms in the US as a multi-billion-dollar industry," said Lah. "It still shocks me to this day. What I wanted CNN's audience is to see and experience how this happened, through the intimacy of the struggle of the K-pop trainees you'll meet in our hour. They're more than perfect young men and women of the TikTok era — they're utterly human, some as young as 14, and as vulnerable as the young fans who listen to them."

The episode features interviews with Amber Liu, Megan Moon and Min who talk about the global impact of this explosive industry, which also comes with international scrutiny for its stars. Lah also speaks with the trainees about the pressure to maintain a certain appearance, and how extreme dieting and plastic surgery are common amongst K-Pop hopefuls.

CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper returns with a timely special report on the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County.

This week in Los Angeles, whole neighborhoods have been devastated, and tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate since the blazes began. Building on CNN's comprehensive reporting on the ground throughout the week, Cooper traces the origins of these deadly wildfires, examining the conditions that led to this outbreak and the stories of those who have lost everything. Millions are living in trying conditions with dangerous air quality and the threat of new windstorms and fires ahead. Cooper also examines how the state of California and the city of Los Angeles have handled this unprecedented emergency and how this week will impact the future of life in the state.

Senior National Correspondent David Culverhas exclusive special access to the return of giant pandas to America, an important symbol of conservation and friendship between the United States and China.

Timed to this week's grand reopening of the panda exhibit at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo, "Operation Panda" has exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the journey of Bao Li and Qing Bao, two giant pandas who became the first of their kind China has sent to Washington in 24 years. Culver reports from Dujiangyan Panda Base, where CNN was the sole US based media present to witness their departure, and he also gets an early look at how the pandas are settling into their new home in the nation's capital. 

"Returning to China for this story felt both deeply personal and profoundly unique", said Culver. "The exclusive access – from the meticulous planning for the giant pandas' send-off to trekking into the wild to explore the landscapes they call home – revealed a side of this journey few ever see. It's a story that goes beyond borders, capturing the remarkable efforts, cultural ties, and raw beauty that these iconic animals inspire. I'm excited for viewers to experience these rare, unforgettable moments firsthand."

In "Operation Panda," Culver also explores the Sichuan Mountains of southwest China, where researchers are focused on reintroducing pandas to their natural habitat. He unearths the history of panda diplomacy starting with President Nixon in 1972 and speaks with researchers, Chinese citizens and American panda fanatics about why these animals inspire such widespread devotion around the world.

CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper returns with a timely special report on the current state of aviation safety.

"Flight Risk" examines the circumstances leading up to and tragic aftermath following the collision of Flight 3452 with a US military black hawk helicopter at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC and the failed Learjet angel flight mission which crashed in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The special report surveys the bigger safety issues plaguing the airline industry in recent years, from human error to environmental and mechanical issues, and explores how an understaffed workforce and record numbers of travelers continue to strain the U.S. air travel system.

"Flight Risk" features notable aviation experts including CNN correspondent Pete Muntean, former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Peter Goelz, CNN Aviation analyst Miles O'Brien, former Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation Mary Schiavo, former American Airlines pilot Les Abend, CNN Safety Analyst David Soucie, and former black hawk pilot Elizabeth McCormick.

CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper returns with a special one-on-one interview with Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

In this wide-ranging sit-down, Gates tells Cooper about the moments that shaped him, from his childhood in Seattle to co-founding Microsoft at age 20, fueling the personal computer revolution that has become part of our everyday lives. Gates unpacks the stories revealed in his new book Source Code: The Origin Story of Bill Gates.

Gates speaks with emotion about the influence of his parents on his life and his unique way of thinking as a child. He visits his alma mater, Lakeside School, an elite all-boys private institute at the time of Gates's enrollment, and a place he credits with his transformation into an engaged student and fanatical computer programmer by the age of 13. It would also be the place where he would befriend his Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen. After reflecting on his past, Gates discusses his thoughts on the future, including his recent meeting with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk intervening with USAID, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence.

Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir returns with an exploration into how human life as we know it is adapting to our changing climate. He seeks answers to how humankind can survive and thrive in an age of heat, drought, flood, and fire. His quest to find the heroes and innovators on the frontlines of this issue takes him across the globe, where he finds heroes building happier, healthier, and stronger communities built to withstand extreme weather in any form it takes.

"When I became a new dad in 2020," Weir said, "I looked down at my son and thought ‘Where will he be safe? 'What kind of shelter will he need? Who is building the smartest, safest, and most resilient communities?' His arrival helped spark this worldwide hunt for inspiration and in the end, I returned with a lot more hope than fear."

From a new "policy of shade" in scorching Phoenix to a floating neighborhood outside of Amsterdam to the rise of disaster-proof construction, Weir finds those on the cutting edge of adapting our way of life. With visits to London and Silicon Valley, he reveals the inventions and startups that have the investment blessing of Bill Gates and Tom Steyer.

He returns to Paradise, California, five years after the deadliest mainland fire in the last century and gets lessons from survivors on how to build a fireproof town with stronger shelter but an even stronger community. And he tours Florida's first solar-powered town, built in harmony with nature and to withstand modern storms. Babcock Ranch has now survived two major hurricanes without flooding or losing power and their design secrets are more relevant than ever.

The result of over two years of on-the-ground reporting, Bolduan embeds with those most impacted by America's opioid overdose epidemic. As the crisis enters its "third wave," Bolduan engages with emergency medical technicians, physicians at treatment centers and people struggling with addiction themselves, all seeking new solutions to a decades-old problem. 

"These past two years have been a uniquely powerful and educational experience for our team. I am grateful to all our interviewees who bravely allowed us in and shared their stories," said Bolduan. "We witnessed first-hand the extraordinary challenges that come with breaking free from the cycles of addiction, and I am hopeful this project will illuminate the human element of the crisis and encourage others who are struggling to seek treatment." 

"Fentanyl in America" features remarkably candid and intimate interviews with people struggling with addiction. Pregnant women, families, and even drug dealers reveal to Bolduan the harsh realities of illicit fentanyl, a crisis that has propelled new treatment programs. She rides along with the first emergency medical service in the nation to carry buprenorphine, a treatment for fentanyl withdrawal that a study has associated with a nearly sixfold increase in the odds of engagement with addiction treatment. Bolduan also visits a center providing methadone treatments, where some people must visit every day for their daily dose.