

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

May 26, 2021 • 48min
Sheriff’s Dept: at least 8 killed in San Jose shooting; Top health experts call for transparent investigation into Wuhan “lab leak” theory on how Covid-19 started; WaPo: NYC Grand Jury convened to consider charges in Trump probe
Ohio gov: 45% jump in vaccinations after $1m lottery offer; Senate expected to vote on “endless frontier” bill to boost competition with China; Biden tasks U.S. intel community to report on Covid origins in 90 days; Officials give update on deadly mass shooting in San JoseTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 25, 2021 • 40min
Vigils & marches mark one year since George Floyd’s murder; Prosecutors accidentally reveal details of Giuliani investigation; GOP leaders finally condemn Rep Greene’s holocaust comments;
Minnesota Gov. leads moment of silence in honor of George Floyd for 9 mins, 29 secs; Floyd family discussed police reform with members of congress, met privately with president Biden; Pres. Biden & VP Harris meet with George Floyd’s family one year since his murder; Negotiators optimistic for deal on George Floyd justice in policing bill; Sticking point in policing reform bill is qualified immunity, which offers civil protections to officers;
Prosecutors looking at communications between Giuliani and former Ukrainian government officials; Trump responds to insurrection lawsuit, claims “absolute immunity” as president;
GOP leaders finally condemn Rep Greene’s comparison of mask mandates & COVID vaccinations to holocaust; McCarthy: Greene’s “intentional decision to compare the horrors of the holocaust with wearing masks is appalling”
Blinken in Middle East to bolster ceasefire, vows to help rebuild Gaza; Blinken on Israel-Hamas conflict: “losses on both sides were profound”;
Trump allies seize on ballot issues in small New Hampshire town to push election lies; New Hampshire’s bipartisan audit stems from ballot issues, unlike GOP-fueled audits in other states; Auditors find improperly folded ballots led to vote discrepancy in NH town, not voter fraud;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 21, 2021 • 40min
Biden hosts South Korean leader, shifts focus to east Asia; ADL: 50% spike in U.S. hate crimes fueled by Middle East conflict; Crowded events this weekend across U.S. as more people get vaccinated;
Violent skirmishes threaten fragile Middle East ceasefire; Biden credits his team’s “quiet and relentless diplomacy” for helping broker a ceasefire between Israel, Hamas; Sources: Biden believes close relationship with Israel’s Netanyahu helped him negotiate ceasefire; Soon: Biden speaks after meeting with South Korean president; Gaza in shambles after 11 days of destruction; Biden pledges to help rebuild Gaza after deadly Israeli airstrikes;
Source: one person arrested in “gang assault” of Jewish man at pro-Palestinian protest in NYC; LAPD: violent altercation outside restaurant investigated as possible hate crime; CNN obtains more body camera video of Ronald Greene kicked, tased, dragged by police officers in 2019; Louisiana state police: “premature” to release body cam video showing Ronald Greene; Greene’s mother: police said in 2019 my son died in a crash after a chase, never mentioned he was tased, beaten; Greene’s mother: the coverup by Louisiana state police started within hours of my son’s death; CNN obtains autopsy report: mentions cocaine, physical struggle, inflicted head injury;
Daily pace of vaccinations down nearly 50% from April peak; CDC: 12 to 15-year-olds made up nearly a quarter of new vaccinations in past week; San Francisco general hospital has no COVID patients for the first time in fourteen months; CDC: cases 37% lower in school when staff wear masks;
Biden to NYT: progressives don’t like me because I’m not prepared to take on the “socialist agenda”; Rural counties in liberal Oregon vote to join conservative Idaho;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 20, 2021 • 15min
Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire agreement; Body camera shows black man tased, kicked and dragged by Louisiana troopers before his death; GOP support for Jan. 6 commission dwindling after McConnell, McCarthy announce opposition
New bodycam video shows Ronald Greene kicked, tased, dragged; 2019 police report never detailed the use of force; Lawsuit: Police told Greene’s mother her son died in crash after his car hit a tree; McCarthy says “sure” he would testify if Jan. 6 commission bill passes; Dems mull forming select committee to investigate Jan. 6 as bipartisan support dwindles; Cases, deaths, hospitalizations drop as more people get vaccinated; Fauci: “We don’t know” when booster vaccine may be needed; LAPD looking into violent altercation outside restaurant as possible anti-Semitic hate crimeTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 17, 2021 • 38min
Biden: U.S. will share 20M more vaccines with other countries; Deadliest day yet as scenes of horror unfold in Israel, Gaza; House to vote Wednesday on commission to investigate January 6 insurrection;
U.S. record lowest number of new daily cases since March 2020; CDC’s abrupt reversal on mask guidance sparks confusion; CDC director: new mask guidance relies on “honor system”; CVS joins other major retailers in dropping mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers; CDC director: working on updated summer camp guidance; NY to drop mask mandate for fully vaccinated people; Largest nurses union in U.S. slams CDC mask guidance; NJ keeps indoor mask mandate despite CDC guidance;
Hamas officials: death toll increases to 212, 1305 injured; Israelis flee to shelters as sirens warn of incoming rockets; Biden faces angry rift in own party over Israeli-Hamas conflict; WH says “quiet and intensive” diplomacy is more constructive than public call for ceasefire; 25+ senators demand immediate ceasefire to Israel-Hamas conflict;
GOP leader McCarthy faces possible subpoena over conversations with Trump on January 6; Rep. Cheney: republicans McCarthy & Stefanik are complicit in Trump’s lies; GOP Rep. Crenshaw downplays his role in legal challenge to Trump’s election loss;
U.S. investigates 2nd suspected case of mystery syndrome near WH; More stations have gasoline but shortages persist;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 14, 2021 • 39min
New CDC no-mask guidance raises questions; Stefanik replaces Cheney as #3 in GOP house leadership; Dozens killed as violence escalates in Israel & Gaza;
New CDC guidelines under review in 16 states with mask mandates; Hawaii among 16 states to keep mask mandates for now; DHS: fully vaccinated federal employees no longer need to wear masks in federal buildings; Kroger, Home Depot, Starbucks among retailers keeping mask riles in place; Poll: 42% of republicans unwilling to get COVID vaccine; Talladega to offer laps on iconic track for those vaccinated on site tomorrow; 10 states lift mask mandates for vaccinated people after new CDC guidelines issued; “Race for the vaccine” premieres tomorrow, 9p ET;
Stefanik: GOP is “unified in working with President Trump”; House strikes deal to create bipartisan Jan 6 commission; Commission to investigate capitol attack would include 5 GOP & 5 Dems; Issue report by end of year; McCarthy has not signed off on deal to form commission; Ally of GOP Rep. Gaetz will plead guilty to six charges, including sex trafficking of a child; Rep. Gaetz denies any wrongdoing, nit charged in federal sex trafficking, prostitution investigation;
Palestinian health ministry: over 120 people killed in Gaza; Biden: Israel hasn’t overreacted to Hamas rocket attack; Netanyahu: Israel attacked Hamas underground targets, says Hamas “thought it could hide”; IDF: 3 rockets fired from Syria toward Israel; Israel defense force walks back incorrect tweet saying ground troops were attacking in Gaza strip;
Sources: Colonial Pipeline paid ransom to hackers; DOD official: Colonial Pipeline attack part of “growing trend” of cyber hacking;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 12, 2021 • 53min
Cheney loses leadership job, pledges to fiercely fight Trump; Biden gives update on pandemic response; Dozens killed in worst Israeli-Palestinian violence since 2014
Acting defense secy didn’t speak with Trump on Jan. 6; Republicans vote to remove Rep. Cheney from GOP leadership; Rep. Cheney on potential challengers backed by Trump in 2022: “bring it on”; Biden: U.S. on track to get 60% of adults with one shot by next week; Biden speaks after CDC panel endorses Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 yr olds; Biden comments on gas shortage, long lines at pump; Biden: good news coming on pipeline attack; Tensions escalate between Israel & Palestinians on second day of violence; Civilians tell atrocities, executions as Ethiopian and Eritrean troops expand siege of central Tigray; Tense confrontations as troops block key ad route; Widespread trauma fighting and atrocities in Tigray
To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 11, 2021 • 38min
Family of Andrew Brown Jr to see more body cam video of deadly shooting after previously shown 20 seconds; Dozens killed as violence between Israel, Hamas escalates; First 12-15 year olds receiving the Pfizer vaccine today;
Court order allows family to see more footage of Andrew Brown Jr. killing as community demands transparency; Judge’s order restricts Brown’s family to 18 minutes of nearly two hours of body cam footage that exists;
Rockets exploding over Tel Aviv as Israel-Hamas conflict worsens; Palestinians claim 30 killed in Israeli strikes, including 10 children; Loud blasts, fires in Tel Aviv as Mideast violence explodes; Netanyahu: we are in the midst of a significant operation;
Uber, Lyft offering free rides to & from vaccine sites; Fauci shoots down conspiracies pushed by GOP Sen. Paul; Virus expert says there are only two documented cases of coronavirus being transmitted outdoors; Biden: working on new guidance for fully vaccinated people;
Prosecutors charge suspect in Atlanta-area spa murders with hate crimes and seek death penalty; Federal judge dismisses NRA’s bankruptcy petition, saying it was in “bad faith” to avoid NY AG’s lawsuit; Police capture murder suspect; Pet tiger still on the run;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 8, 2021 • 39min
Biden admits there is a long way to go” in economic recovery; Pfizer applies for full FDA approval of its COVID vaccine; In 2015 Stefanik harshly blasted Trump’s rhetoric and policies;
Biden: “we’re still digging out of an economic collapse”; April jobs report falls way short of economic forecasts; U.S. added 266,000 jobs in April, well below the 1M expected; Treasury secy. admits she expected a better jobs report; Republicans argue some people aren’t looking for work because there’re making more money from unemployment; Montana will end pandemic unemployment benefits, will offer $1,200 return to work bonus instead;
CDC: 33% of U.S. fully vaccinated, pace of shots slows; NYC restaurants can now seat 75% of customers; Kentucky aims to end all COVID restrictions by July; Ex-FDA chief: COVID restrictions should be “aggressively” lifted; CDC: pace of Johnson & Johnson vaccinations lags two weeks after U.S. lifted pause; Colleges, companies, cities hype incentives to promote vaccines;
Rep. Stefanik says she wants to “unify” GOP by being a “fighter” like Donald Trump; Conservatives criticize Stefanik’s moderate voting record; U.S. capitol police: threats against congress up 107% from 2020;
Federal grand jury indicts four ex-officers in Minneapolis for violating Floyd’s civil rights; Chauvin faced second federal inditement for 2017 incidents involving 14-year-old boy; NC judge allows family to see more body cam video if Andre Brown Jr being killed by deputies; Court order restricts Brown’s family to 20 minutes of nearly 2 hours of body cam footage that exists;
After 17-year-wait, billions of cicadas are about to emerge; Telescope captures image of out-of-control Chinese rocket; China: “extremely low” chance of harm from falling rocket;To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 5, 2021 • 38min
Drastic decline in number of daily vaccinations in U.S.; Biden says GOP is going through a “sort of mini-revolution”; Ukraine caught in the middle of U.S. political battles
NFL gives vaccinated fans a chance to win Super Bowl tickets; CDC director warns of a possible winter Covid surge; Former president still banned on Facebook; Facebook oversight board keeps ban on Trump’s account, forces Zuckerberg to review decision within six months; Trump, House GOP leaders back Stefanik’s efforts to replace Cheney; McConnell says he’s “100%” focused on stopping Biden admin, Harris says “we are sincere” about working in bipartisan manner; Texas bills could empower partisan poll watchers, restrict drive-thru & 24-hour voting, add requirements for mail-in voting; Ukraine’s foreign minister talks to CNN about FBI’s investigation into Rudy Giuliani’s actions; FAA: 1,300 incidents of unruly airline passengers in 3 months; Airlines see spike in confrontations involving unruly passengersTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


