The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper

"The Hidden Homeless" provides an intimate portrait of the forgotten victims of New York City's worst housing shortage in half a century – homeless youth. In 2024, 1 in 8 New York City public school students experienced housing instability — approximately 146,000 students. This episode traces the daily lives of some of the 70% of people in shelters who are families with children, most led by single, working women who earn too little to afford the city's high costs of rent, groceries, and childcare. As affordability continues to be a key issue in the NYC mayoral election, "The Hidden Homeless" delivers perspectives directly from the public schools, shelters, and streets most impacted by this crisis, showcasing the constant grit and determination of young families and teens trying to change their circumstances against near-impossible odds.

CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O'Sullivan returns with a new chapter in his Emmy®-nominated series of investigations into the pervasive surge of misinformation and its impact on American politics.

O'Sullivan investigates why the narrative of an alleged "White genocide" in South Africa has gained traction among some Americans who fear changing demographics that are projected to soon make White people a minority in the U.S. The claim has even reached the White House, where President Trump cited it as justification for granting refugee status to White South Africans. Traveling to South Africa himself, O'Sullivan seeks out local voices to explore the country's deep-seated racial tensions and reveal the more complex reality behind the sensationalized rhetoric.

"The mainstreaming of White nationalist talking points in American discourse in recent years has centered on the conspiracy theory that White people in the U.S. are being deliberately 'replaced,'" said O'Sullivan. "Claims about purported White persecution in South Africa have played a major role in stoking these fears and have been used as an attempted justification for major changes in the U.S. refugee program. We wanted to separate fact from fiction in what Americans are being told about post-apartheid South Africa and to understand what it means for all of us."

In this episode, O'Sullivan meets a cross-section of South Africans grappling with their nation's legacy of apartheid and the racial inequalities that endure today. Among them is Errol Musk, Elon Musk's father, whose outspoken views mirror themes that have surfaced in American political discourse. O'Sullivan also travels to two communities built exclusively for White residents: one in South Africa's Orania and another in the Ozark Mountains of the United States, uncovering how these parallel movements reflect a shared ideology across continents.

Senior National Correspondent David Culver captures a revealing exploration of modern exorcisms in America.

In "The Exorcists," Culver travels to Arizona, where he sits down with one Catholic exorcist who has never spoken out publicly about the rite before. He witnesses deliverances across Christian faiths, capturing rituals taking place in garage sanctuaries overflowing with worshippers, family churches hosting deliverance nights, and pastors offering one-on-one sessions, sometimes for a fee. Speaking with Catholic leaders, including Bishops John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix and Gerald Frederick Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson, Culver examines the ongoing debate over how mental health treatment and spiritual healing can coexist.

"After months of reporting, this felt less like a story about demons and more like a story about the human desire to feel seen, supported, and healed," said Culver. "Every minister and exorcist we spoke with told us the same thing: more people are showing up, asking for help. The rise is anecdotal, but the desperation we saw was unmistakable."

The episode features rare footage of deliverance rituals, interviews with those who have undergone the rites, and an unflinching look at the line between psychological distress and the belief of spiritual possession. Through these accounts, "The Exorcists" probes how centuries-old rituals of religious cleansing are being reinterpreted in modern America, often as a last resort for people seeking relief from trauma and abuse.