

The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Podcasts
CNN's lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper, hosts this two-hour long weekday afternoon program, with headlines from around the country and the world, the top stories in national and international news, politics, health, money, the environment, sports and popular culture. The Lead also concentrates on bringing stories that aren't found on front pages—buried leads—to the forefront.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 23, 2021 • 46min
Biden plans to stem flow of firearms used to commit violence, allows cities & states to reallocate Covid funds for crime fighting; Harris makes first trip to the border as VP on Friday; Delta variant gaining steam, rising Covid cases in unvaccinated areas
Soon: Bipartisan police reform talks drag on in Senate; Progressive Democrats urge Biden to get more involved after crucial vote fails in the Senate; Menendez wants bipartisan commission to study Covid origins; Harris to visit the southern border Friday after months of criticism from Republicans, immigration activists; New report raises more questions about Hunter Biden’s art deal; FDA expected to add new warnings to Pfizer, Moderna vaccines after cases of heart inflammation among teens; Far-right Oath Keeper first to admit guilt in riot; Emails show Biden campaign thought Facebook didn’t do enough to address the spread of election lies; Biden & Atty General address nation on rise in violent crime
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Jun 22, 2021 • 38min
Soon: key senate vote on sweeping election reform bill; NYC voting now after chaotic final 24 hours of mayoral race; Officials: Biden will miss July 4 goal of 70% of adults with 1 shot;
Key vote expected to fail tonight on election reform bill; Manchin will vote “yes” on advancing election reform bill; Dem senator thinks some in GOP may vote with Dems tonight; WH braces for defeat on election reform: “the fight is not over”; Sinema, Manchin restate opposition to gutting filibuster; Dem rep: Biden need to “lead out front” on election reform; WH rejects criticism from progressives that Biden should be more vocal on election reform bills; VP Harris to preside over senate for tonight’s vote;
NYC mayoral race: how ranked choice voting works in big test; It could take weeks to know who won NYC mayoral primary; Senator faces questions over private beach club membership;
Biden repeatedly called vaccine deadline a “goal”; Now that they won’t meet it, White House says it was “aspirational”; Biden admin turns focus to 18- to 26-year-old vaccine holdouts; One-on0one with Dr. Anthony Fauci; Fauci: “I don’t’ see any big deal” if nation misses Biden's goal of 70% with one COVID shot by July 4; Fauci: we will reach 70% goal by second or third week of July;
HHS: 14k children housed in temporary facilities, hundreds in custody 60+ days; Testimony reveals dire conditions for migrant children at border; Migrant child says staff made them wear same clothes for 15 days, spend most hours on their bed;
Kim Jong Un’s sister downplays hope for better U.S. relations; Kim Jong Un’s sister: U.S. will face “disappointment” if it tries to “seek comfort” from Kim’s new call for dialogue; Kim Jong Un says North Korea should be prepared for “dialogue and confrontation” with the U.S.; To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 21, 2021 • 39min
Biden’s crucial week on voting rights, infrastructure, police reform; Ten mass shootings this week kill at least seven people; Tomorrow: NYC voters chose Dem, GOP candidates for mayor;
Biden to invite lawmakers to WH this week to talk infrastructure; Sources: WH optimistic about bipartisan infrastructure deal; Key senate vote tomorrow on sweeping election reform bill;
U.S. sees spike in mass shooting as cities open back up; Source: DOJ obtained metadata from Schiff & Swalwell as part of probe into a senior aide on House Intel Cmte;
Dems Yang, Garcia form late alliance as Adams leads polls; Adams campaign claims joint event by Garcia, Yang was an attempt to disenfranchise black voters; New York City using ranked-choice voting for the first time; Volunteer for NYC candidate Eric Adams recovering after stabbing;
Fauci: people who criticize me about mask guidance are criticizing science; Study: Delta variant tearing through counties with lower vaccinations; Only 16 states and D.C. have met Biden’s July 4th 70% vaccination goal;
U.S. student found dead in Russia after testing her mother: “I hope I’m not being abducted”; Sources: Biden national security officials meeting today to discuss Afghanistan withdrawal as Taliban gain ground;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 16, 2021 • 39min
Biden: “I did what I came to do” in meeting with Putin; Putin again refuses to name Navalny, says he wanted to be arrested; 4 Experts warn highly transmissible, more severe delta strain spreading rapidly in U.S.
Biden and Putin agree to return ambassadors to posts; Biden: made it clear we will continue to raise human rights issues; Biden says he outlined 16 entities that are off limits for cyberwar; Biden: spent “great deal of time” discussing cybersecurity; Experts warn highly transmissible, more severe delta strain spreading rapidly in U.S.; Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza in response to “incendiary balloons”
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Jun 15, 2021 • 40min
U.S. & Russia reveal new details for Biden-Putin summit; Officials: Biden preparing intensely for Putin talks, consulted with Russian experts; AG Garland outlines new strategy to combat domestic terrorism; COVID death toll tops 600,000 in the U.S.;
Sources: Biden intensely preparing for Putin summit; WH: Biden held meeting with Russia experts to prepare for Putin summit; Biden tells allies: America is back; Biden-Putin meeting likely to last 4-5 hours; No meals planned; Biden and Putin agree: relations at a “low point”; Kremlin: unsure if Biden, Putin will meet without aides; WH officials: Biden to bring up nuclear stability, arms control agreements, ransomware and human rights at Putin meeting; Biden calls Putin a “worthy adversary” before summit; Biden on Putin meeting: I’ll make it clear “what the red lines are”;
Emails show how Trump & his allies pressured DOJ to challenge election results; AG Garland: insurrection was an “assault on the mainstay of our democratic system”; Trump allies tried to pressure then-acting Atty General to challenge 2020 election, emails show;
Study: new evidence COVID was circulating in U.S. in Dec 2019; New York, California, drop nearly all COVID restrictions today; Experts warn about new variant, urges people to get vaccinated; CDC elevates Delta variant to “variant of concern”;
Videos show Ocean City, MD police kicking, tasing teens after stopping them to enforce a boardwalk vaping ban; Ocean City mayor says police investigating teen arrests; Face mask dispute leaves store employee dead, 2 hurt;
Afghan translators waiting for U.S. visas allegedly being hunted down, killed by Taliban;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 11, 2021 • 39min
Biden meets with world leaders at first G7 summit as president; DOJ watchdog to review secret subpoenas in Trump era targeting data of house democrats; WH: “questions need to be addressed” on new bipartisan infrastructure proposal;
Biden, other G7 leaders meet with queen, senior royals; Biden invokes WWII: U.S. will "build a new arsenal" to fight COVID; Biden, G7 leaders address COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, threat from Russia & China; No joint news conference expected after Biden-Putin meeting next week; One-on-one with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki; Biden on message to Putin: “I’ll tell you after I deliver it”; Putin spokesman: “nothing to discuss” in Alexi Navalny’s case; WH calls Trump-era targeting of members of congress “appalling”; U.S. embassy in Afghanistan suspends visa operations, as thousands of Afghans who helped military wait for approval;
Trump DOJ secretly subpoenaed Apple for data from house democrats, staff and family; Politico: Barr says he was “not aware” of any DOJ subpoenas for data from two democratic lawmakers;
Group of bipartisan senators draft infrastructure proposal; Rep. Jayapal to Dems: “let’s move forward alone” on infrastructure; Group of house Dems as Rep. Omar to clarify statement seemingly comparing U.S. and Israel to Hamas and Taliban;
FDA authorizes 10M doses of J&J vaccine from troubled Baltimore plant; FDA vaccine advisers debate authorizing vaccine for kids under 12; 2 cruise passengers test positive for COVID during end-of-cruise test; crew and guests were fully vaccinated;
NY Gov. Cuomo weighs re-election campaign despite facing multiple investigations; NY Gov. Cuomo faces investigations into claims of sexual harassment, book resources, nursing home data;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 9, 2021 • 39min
Biden wraps speech to U.S. troops on first overseas trip; Progressives frustrated with bipartisan infrastructure talks; Millions of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses at risk of expiring; Border patrol bracing for summer surge of migrants
Biden starts first overseas trip, meeting with G7 & NATO before high-stakes Putin summit; Biden agenda held up by bipartisan hurdles; GOP negotiators: no new taxes to pay for infrastructure; Warren: “it’s time to move forward” without GOP on infrastructure; “Problem Solvers” caucus unveils $1.25T infrastructure proposal; Biden’s infrastructure plan includes affordable internet to all; WH: 30 million Americans live in areas with no access to internet; In-depth look at high-speed internet issues across America; Biden proposes high-speed internet to every home by 2030; Dr. Fauci: Highly contagious “Delta” variant on the rise in U.S.; Dr. Fauci: FDA looking into extension of J&J vaccine shelf-life or sharing doses to places in need; Nearly 64% of U.S. adults partially vaccinated; Ohio doctor falsely claims metal in vaccines can magnetize people; Medical Examiner: Majority of migrants that die crossing border die from heatstroke, hyperthermia, dehydration, drowning; Deaths have tripled for migrants crossing the border so far this yearTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 1, 2021 • 1h 7min
As vaccinations climb, U.S. begins a quick return to normalcy; Biden marks 100 years since Tulsa race massacre
CDC: 50.5% of total population is partially vaccinated; Study: Ending precautions early could cause increased virus spread; Las Vegas fully reopens to 100% capacity; Biden: I’m the first president in 100 years to come to “Acknowledge The Truth” of what took place in Tulsa; Biden: We’re here to shine a light, to make sure America knows the story in full; Biden: Pauses for moment of silence for Tulsa massacre victims; Biden: “This was not a riot, this was a massacre”; Biden: We’re facing an inflection point as a nation; What people refused to see can’t be ignored anymore; Biden announces steps to close racial wealth gap in U.S.; Biden: The right to vote is the “Most Fundamental” right; Biden: The right to vote is “Under Assault” like I’ve never seen; Biden: Voting right groups should redouble their efforts to register & educate voters; Biden: Hate is never defeated, it only hides; Biden: Biggest threat to the homeland is white supremacistsTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 28, 2021 • 43min
Republicans block bipartisan investigation into capitol attack; One in ten Americans expected to travel for holiday weekend; CNN investigation revels Al Qaeda still thriving, may be able to attack the west by late next year;
Six republicans side with Dems on Jan 6 commission; vote fails; Mother & partner of fallen capitol officer react to senate republicans blocking insurrection commission; Partner of fallen officer: “very disappointed” with failed vote; Partner of fallen Officer Sicknick’s plea to lawmakers: “the time to do something is now”; Mother of fallen officer: meeting with some in GOP were tense because “we knew they weren’t sincere”; Mother of fallen Officer Sicknick on GOP senators who voted ‘no’ on commission: “they just don’t care”;
At least one in ten Americans have contracted COVID; Nearly half of Americans ages 12+ are fully vaccinated; Poll: 26% of parents of children under twelve won’t get kids vaccinated; CDC: fully vaccinated kids don’t need to wear masks or socially distance at summer camp;
Afghan intel officials: terror group Al Qaeda getting shelter and support from the Taliban; Afghan intel officials: Al Qaeda may be able to attack the west from Afghanistan by late 2022; Afghan intel officials: dead Al Qaeda leader’s computer revealed global terror connections;
Southwest bans passenger accused of assaulting flight attendant; 37 million Americans expected to hit the road for holiday weekend; Gasoline prices at a 7-year high for memorial day;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 27, 2021 • 38min
Soon: Key senate vote on January 6 commission bill; 9 people killed by coworker at CA rail yard; CNN: Paul Ryan to slam Trump in speech tonight as reps Gaetz & Greene hold Trump-Style “America First” rally
GOP leaders confident they will defeat Jan 6 commission bill today; McConnell asks senate republicans to vote no on Jan 6 commission as “a personal favor”; Manchin will not break GOP filibuster on commission bill: “I’m not ready to destroy our government”; Padilla calls for gun law reform after San Jose attack; Two arrested after alleged Anti-Semitic attack in LA; WSJ” San Jose gunman detained in 2016 by border officials who found notes about terrorism hatred of workplace; Data obtained by CNN shows interest in vaccinations increased after CDC updated mask guidance; Ohio awards first $1 million vaccination lottery prize; Nearly 40% of all Americans now fully vaccinated; Biden condemn “Escalating violence” in Ethiopia’s Tigray region; 200+ days of violence in Tigray, thousands feared killed, witnesses say young men are rounded up and executedTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


