The Lead with Jake Tapper

The White House says we are now in an urgent situation with the possible Russian invasion of Ukraine imminent. The Biden administration is telling people to leave immediately saying Russia could launch an invasion in Ukraine at any moment.  Canadian lawmakers are trying to get things moving across the border as U.S. auto makers are being forced to use charter planes to get much needed parts to their American plants.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The trucker protests blocking several border crossings in Canada could be popping up in the U.S. in just a couple of days. What might this mean for the American economy? The committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol says there’s a gap in Donald Trump’s phone records as the violence unfolded. What might Trump be hiding?To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden denounced Florida Republicans for advancing a bill, which opponents call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, that bans certain discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. Are Democrats following the science or the polling? More and more blue states are lining up to ditch mask mandates as the CDC suggests it may be too soon.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More and more Democratic states are getting rid of school mask mandates as the United States waits for guidance from the White House and the CDC. But, it might be too soon to start throwing those masks out. Is Vladimir Putin’s mind in the gutter? The Russian autocrat made a seemingly sexual joke about the Ukrainian president on Tuesday. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met at the White House Monday where they held a joint press conference. Biden vowed to stop the Nord Stream 2, an undersea pipeline set to deliver gas from Russia to Germany, if Russia invades Ukraine. Chancellor Scholz joins Jake Tapper for an exclusive one-on-one interview.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Vice President Mike Pence called out former President Donald Trump, saying he was wrong and had no right to overturn the 2020 election. Pence continued to say nothing could be more “un-American” than for one person to decide the outcome of an election. The Republican National Committee censures the two Republican members of Congress on the January 6th committee. We discuss the Republican civil war over that dark day.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake of two police officers gunned down in New York City, President Biden says defunding the police is not the answer. One of his top advisers joins to discuss the future of policing in America. New details on how the top ISIS leader was killed during a U.S. raid. CNN is on the ground with a look at how the facts line up with what the Pentagon is claiming.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A former NFL head coach is suing the league for discrimination using a text message mix-up as proof. He is also alleging his boss offered him big bucks to lose games. Former NFL wide receiver Donté Stallworth joins to discuss the discrimination lawsuit. Plus, the Pentagon deploys 3,000 United States military troops in Eastern Europe as Russia is seen expanding its military presence in the region.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pfizer is requesting emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine for children under 5 years of age. Vaccination rates for currently eligible recipients are the lowest among the age group of 5-11 years of age.  Tom Brady, who many consider the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, has officially announced his retirement.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From mask mandates to vaccine requirements, new calls today to consider changing all the rules as the United States nears what could be the endemic phase of Covid-19. We’ll explore the metrics that experts want to use moving forward. With just four days until the Winter Olympics begin, Beijing is trying to distract the international area away from some of its controversies.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices