The Lead with Jake Tapper - podcast cover

The Lead with Jake Tapper

CNN Podcastswww.cnn.com
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.
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Episodes

Biden: my plans “will get America back in the game”; Ex-Trump press secretary: “terrified” of a Trump 2024 run;

Biden: these bills will “breathe new life into the economy”; “We’re not going to ease up on any of this”, “We must invest in ourselves”; One-on-one with former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, trashes Trump in new tell-all; Grisham says Jan 6 was “bound to happen”, predicts retribution & revenge if Trump wins in 2024; Grisham: I think Trump was trying to stage a coup on Jan 6; Grisham in op-ed: “I told the Trumps my relationship with a WH staffer had turned abusive. They didn’t seem ...

Oct 06, 202133 min

Global outrage or Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram amid revelations; Biden slams GOP for “reckless” refusal to raise debt limit; COVID cases, hospitalizations, deaths trending down in U.S.

WH: Facebook revelations “make clear self-regulation is not working”; Whistleblower: Facebook knows Instagram is harming teenagers; Failure to raise debt limit could have catastrophic results; Congress feuds while U.S. runs out of money; Fighting between GOP & Dems could leave the U.S. unable to pay its debts for the first time in history; Biden to SOP: stop playing “Russian roulette” with U.S. economy; After hectic week, Democrats go back to negotiating table; WH: Biden holding virtual meet...

Oct 04, 202140 min

Biden on Capitol Hill meeting with democrats; California will require COVID-19 vaccine for students;

Now: Biden meets with Dems as agenda hangs in the balance; Biden: we’re gonna get this done, it doesn’t matter when; Merck: new pill cuts risk of COVID hospitalization, death by half; NYC mayor teachers are now 93% vaccinated; FDA to hold vaccine panel meetings this month for J&J and Moderna boosters, Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11; Outrage after VP Harris fails to correct smear of Israel; growing criticism after latest misstep by VP Harris; Alabama Gov signs bills to spend COVID relief money ...

Oct 02, 202141 min

Manchin floats $1.5T price tag for package, progressives want $3.5T; Congress passes bill to avoid government shutdown; More Republicans are embracing a racist conspiracy theory; Facebook grilled over its platforms’ negative impact on kids

Congress passes bill to avoid government shutdown; Biden’s own party threatens to blow up his domestic agenda; California health care workers face deadline to get vaccinated; NY gov pushing to include all health care workers in vaccine mandate; CDC forecasts new Covid deaths will fall over next month; GOP congresswoman blasted for pushing “replacement theory;” Senator creates fake teen girl Instagram account, says app then promoted “self-injury & eating disorder” accounts; Facebook grilled o...

Sep 30, 202138 min

Top generals contradict Biden in contentious hearing, admit they wanted 2,500 troops to remain in Afghanistan; Biden hosts key Dem senators as agenda hangs in the balance; Pfizer gives FDA initial data on COVID vaccine for kids ages 5-11;

Senators press generals on Biden’s decision to pull all troops; Milley, Mackenzie: we assessed that 2,500-3,500 troops should stay; Milley: U.S. credibility damaged by Afghanistan withdrawal; Pelosi reverses course, plans to hold infrastructure vote Thursday even if massive budget bill is not done; Progressive Dems angry with Pelosi on infrastructure reversal; Moderate Dems raise concerns about cooperate tax hikes; Sanders urges House Dems to vote “no” on infrastructure until budget deal passes;...

Sep 28, 202138 min

Bogus AZ audit backfires on Trump, confirms Biden won; CDC director breaks with advisory panel, expands booster eligibility; Sources: Afghan evacuees in Europe straining U.S. bases; Biden admits Dems are at a “stalemate” over his economic plans;

Trump looks for new ways to undermine democracy after “fraudit” backfires in Arizona and confirms his loss; As one “big sham” ends in Arizona, another begins in Texas; Without any proof, Trump still claims 2020 election was rigged; Biden WH won’t assert executive privilege in Jan 6 investigation; Biden: if you’re eligible for a Pfizer booster, get it “now”; 2 hosts of “The View” test positive right before VP Harris interview; Sources: the challenges of housing a large population of evacuees at R...

Sep 24, 202137 min

DHS temporarily suspends use of horse patrol in Del Rio; Now: CDC advisers voting on Pfizer vaccine booster; Police: 12 injured, one killed in TN grocery store shooting; Right Now: crews search for Petito’s fiancé at nature reserve

CNN on scene as migrants try to cross river into U.S.; Mexican authorities form human chain to block migrants; DHS: 12 flights have returned 1,400 migrants to Haiti; 3,600+ migrants still camped under Texas bridge, awaiting processing; Special envoy for Haiti resigns, cites “deeply flawed” policy; Rep. Wilson: “I’m pissed” about handling of Haitian migrant crisis; Dem leaders project optimism as key deadlines approach; Moderate Dems suggest infrastructure vote still on for Monday; Results of con...

Sep 23, 202142 min

Democratic divide pushes Biden agenda to brink of collapse; CNN on the Mexican side of border as migrants cross into Texas; Daily death average in U.S. tops 2,000, highest in 6 months; FBI asks for tips as search intensifies for Petito’s fiancé

NOW: Biden meets with key Dems at crucial moment for his agenda; Pelosi after WH meeting: “we are calm and everybody’s good;” Biden tries to bridge divide between progressive, moderate Dems; DHS releasing some Haitian migrants into the U.S. while hundreds more have been immediately deported; Daily death average in U.S. tops 2,000, highest in 6 months; Right now: CDC scientists pouring over booster data for 65+ as we await the FDA’s final sign off; U.S. donating additional 500m doses, bringing to...

Sep 22, 202139 min

Up to 30,000 Haitians could be traveling to U.S. border; Biden urges global unity in first United Nations address; Trump critics among some lawmakers facing new threats of violence; Dems try to force vote on govt spending, debt ceiling showdowns

Texas border town slammed with nearly 9,000 migrants, 30,000 more could be on the way; WH: horrified by border agents aggressively confronting migrants; Schumer calls on Biden to “immediately” end deportation of Haitians; Biden on Border as crisis deepens: were getting it under control”; Biden: U.S. shifting form “relentless war” to “relentless democracy”; Biden at U.N.: “we are not seeking a new cold war”; Soon: Biden meets with UK leader amid spat with France; NYT: GOP lawmaker who voted to im...

Sep 22, 202138 min

U.S. COVID deaths surpasses 675,000; Higher than 1918 flu pandemic; Critical week for Pelosi to unite party, get Biden agenda passed; Biden’s domestic agenda enters pivotal time on Capitol Hill;

Pfizer: vaccine is safe for children 5-11, generated “robust” antibody response; Ex-FDA chief: vaccine for younger kids may be available by late October; DC mayor mandates vaccines for all teachers, daycare providers; San Francisco mayor defiant after breaking city’s mask rules; U.S. averaging 147K+ new infections and 1,900+ deaths a day; Pfizer now accounts for nearly 70% of all COVID shots given in U.S.; DOW sinks as Wall Street fears turn to China; Biden admin to ease travel restrictions on v...

Sep 20, 202138 min

America’s Longest War: What Went Wrong in Afghanistan, Part 2

In the second part of our special miniseries, “America's Longest War: What Went Wrong in Afghanistan,” you’ll hear more conversations Jake Tapper had with U.S. commanding generals who led the war effort, from the former Afghan Ambassador to the U.S., and from the veterans who served. We look at whether U.S. troop levels could have ever changed the trajectory of the war eight years after it began and examine the bigger question of whether the past 20 years of war was worth the immeasurable cost. ...

Sep 18, 202143 min

America’s Longest War: What Went Wrong in Afghanistan, Part 1

Today, we want to share a special miniseries CNN put together during the final months of America’s withdrawal. In “America's Longest War: What Went Wrong in Afghanistan,” you’ll hear conversations Jake Tapper had with eight former U.S. commanding generals who led the war effort over two decades and four administrations. We examine the mission and the missteps, how political decisions hurt the ability of service members to succeed, whether the Pentagon misrepresented the Afghan military's abiliti...

Sep 18, 202151 min

DOD: Kabul drone strike mistakenly killed 3 adults, 7 children; FDA advisers vote to recommend Pfizer booster shot for those 65+ and high risk; France recalls ambassadors to U.S., Australia over security spat;

US military admits it killed 10 civilians and targeted wrong vehicle in Kabul airstrike; DOD: Kabul strike killing 3 adults, 7 children a “tragic mistake”; FDA advisers vote against Pfizer’s COVID booster for Americans 16 and older; Panel may vote on amended question; Israel: COVID boosters kept our hospitals from reaching capacity; Officials preparing for the worst ahead of right-wing rally; New documents reveal concerns among Capitol Police about behavior of fellow officers on Jan 6; France re...

Sep 17, 202144 min

Right now: attorney charged in botched suicide plot in court; Republican lawmakers keep Saturday’s right-wing rally at arm’s length as Democrats spotlight GOP extremism; CDC predicts decline in hospitalizations for first time since June

SC authorities open investigation into 2018 death of housekeeper at Murdaugh home; Trump speaks out in support of insurrectionists just days ahead of controversial right-wing rally; DHS warns DC officials of potential violence before right-wing rally; Capitol fenced off again ahead of pro-insurrectionist rally Saturday; Trump speaks out in support of insurrectionists just days ahead of controversial right-wing rally; CNN poll: 78% of GOP say Biden did not win in 2020; Biden to the wealthy: I’m a...

Sep 16, 202140 min

Star gymnasts call out FBI over Nassar investigation failures; Capitol police request help from DC Nat’l Guard for 9/18 rally; Debate rages inside FDA over need for Covid vaccine booster shots; CNN speaks with Afghan women in hiding due to Taliban threats

FBI fires agent accused of failing to properly investigate Nassar; FBI director: “don’t have good explanation” for FBI failures; AG Garland will testify about decision not to prosecute FBI agents who botched Larry Nassar investigation; GA official: about 60% of state’s Covid outbreaks are in schools; Woodward book: Gen. Milley took secret action, worried Trump would “go rogue” & order military strike after Jan. 6th; Biden affirms “great confidence” in General Milley as Trump issues statement...

Sep 15, 202139 min

Pediatric group warns cases in kids are rising “exponentially”; Final stretch of voting in election to keep or replace Gov. Newsom; Blinken defends U.S. Afghan exit in testimony before congress;

New data: cases in children Jump 240% in three months; Former FDA head: vaccine for kids could be approved by Halloween; Reports: multiple members of New Orleans Saints test positive; One-on-one with Biden chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci; CNN analysis shows Black & Hispanic Americans are underrepresented in tested and vaccinations; CDC: no proof vaccine causes a loss of fertility in men or women; Today: voters decide whether to keep or remove Gov. Newsom; GOP challenger Larry Elder b...

Sep 14, 202139 min

Surgeon General: Biden to announce new COVID measures soon; Biden pushes infrastructure and climate agendas on first West Coast trip; Biden Admin to resettle 60,000 Afghans inside U.S. in coming weeks;

New COVID cases slowly declining, deaths up 4% from last week; NYC starts vaccine mandate as schools reopen for 1 million kids; CDC director: Delta variant in kids is more transmissible & dangerous; Arkansas Gov: Biden’s mandate “hardens the resistance” to vaccines; NY hospital to stop delivering babies as staff quit over vaccine mandate; New CNN poll: growing support for vaccine requirements; CNN poll: most Americans want to keep mitigation efforts even after COVID cases drop; Former FDA he...

Sep 13, 202138 min

Biden dares GOP to sue over vaccine mandate: “have at it”; Second passenger flight departs Kabul with Americans on board; Thousands of documents turned over to house select committee;

Biden implements vaccine mandate to blunt COVID surge; Republicans reject Biden’s vaccine mandate as “overreach”; GOP Govs promise legal action over Biden’s vaccine order; Appeals court sides with FL Gov, allows ban of school mask mandates; 21 U.S. citizens & 11 permanent residents onboard flight leaving Kabul; State Dept: at least 100 Americans still in Afghanistan; Jan 6 committee: “majority” of social media companies are cooperating but “much more information” needed; Social media and tel...

Sep 10, 202136 min

Child Covid hospitalizations hit all-time high as schools open; Party split threatens to derail two key Biden agenda items; Abortion activists seek legal loopholes for Texas abortion plan; Dem Gov. Gavin Newsom nationalizes California recall race

Study: unvaccinated adults 17 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated adults; 13 Miami-Dade school staffers die of Covid since mid-August; Florida judge allows mask mandates to continue in schools; Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return with in-person viewing; CNN: Biden’s Covid-19 speech tomorrow will include announcements on mandates and testing; Progressive Dems: no infrastructure bill without budget deal; Party leaders reject Manchin’s call for “pause” on budget bill; Gov. A...

Sep 08, 202138 min

Biden tours damage caused by Ida in Northeast; Multiple Louisiana nursing homes ordered closed after residents die; U.S. surpasses 40 million total cases, 4 million in last 4 weeks;

Biden speaks after touring storm damage in NY, NJ; Biden: storm damage shows need for infrastructure deal; NJ Gov,: no commitment from Biden admin to expand disaster declaration; Biden: climate change a “code red” for the world, hurricane Ida is the latest example; 5 found dead in New Orleans senior apartments declared unfit for occupancy after hurricane; Power company says 50% of electricity restored but more than 400,000 still waiting amid heat advisories; New concerns about possible surge fol...

Sep 07, 202149 min

Doctors worry Labor Day travel could fuel another surge; Taliban claim capture of final holdout province; WH pivots to domestic agenda as Biden faces several crises;

Hospitals face tough choices about who gets ICU beds; Fauci predicts three doses of COVID vaccine may be best; Fauci: Moderna booster may come later than Pfizer; Average of new daily cases is up 800% since Memorial Day; Israeli officials to brief FDA on booster shot data next week; Labor Day travel slows from summer highs amid COID surge & CDC warning to the unvaccinated; 1.63M travelers passed through airports on Sunday; Biden White House defends Afghanistan evacuation efforts; Source: U.S....

Sep 06, 202140 min

President Biden tours Hurricane damage in Louisiana; Source: WH may have to scale back ambitious booster plan; Job growth slows as delta variant surges;

800K+ homes, businesses still without power in Louisiana; Louisiana grappling with power outages, fuel shortages; 2/3 of gas stations in New Orleans & Baton Rouge out of fuel; Heat index tops 100° in Louisiana as 800K+ are without power; Four nursing home patients die after being evacuated; LA gov pledges investigation into nursing home residents deaths; At least 50 killed in the northeast due to flooding, tornadoes; Sources: booster rollout on Sept 20 may be for just Pfizer vaccine recipien...

Sep 03, 202145 min

Unprecedented rain & flooding kill at least 23 in Northeast; Possible tornado damage outside Philadelphia; Biden to visit storm-ravaged Louisiana tomorrow; U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block Texas abortion ban

Homes underwater, transit shut down as Ida hits Northeast; Rescues ongoing as rivers burst at banks, spill into towns; NYC suburb: 200+ stranded cars block major parkways; County Exec: At least 3 dead in Westchester County, NY; Philadelphia's Schuylkill river swell 16 feet above flood level; Officials estimate thousands rescued from NE floodwaters; More than 900k still without power across Louisiana; Sotomayor: Some justices "Opted to bury their heads in the sand" over Texas abortion law; Biden ...

Sep 02, 202136 min

Official: “majority" of Afghan visa applicants left behind; Food, water, gas scarce, nearly 1m in Louisiana without power; Child Covid-10 hospitalizations in U.S. reach new high

Officials: WH plans to shift focus away from Afghanistan; Social media video appears to show Taliban parading military vehicles taken from retreating Afghan forces; Top U.S. general says he feels “pain and anger” over Afghanistan; Book reveals Dick Cheney was nearly assassinated by Taliban; FEMA: $5m+ in assistance now approved for hard-hit households; Nearly 50% of gas stations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge almost out of fuel; Louisiana governor: 220+ Covid deaths in last four days; Child Covi...

Sep 01, 202137 min

Biden: "It was time to end this war"; White House briefing following Biden's address on Afghanistan; One-on-one with Biden's National Security Adviser; Five people killed in storm, Louisiana Gov. expects death toll to rise

Biden: Will get remaining Americans out "if they so choose"; Biden: "I take responsibility for the decision" to withdraw; Biden: Couldn't stay in Afghanistan indefinitely because "everything had changed" after Trump's deal with Taliban; Biden: "To those asking for a third decade of war, I ask: 'What was our vital national interest?'"; Biden: "I was not going to extend this forever war"; Biden: Choice was "Between leaving or escalating"; Biden: 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan did...

Aug 31, 202152 min

Pentagon: last U.S. military planes have left Afghanistan, marking the end of the United States’ longest war; Rescues underway as flooding inundates Louisiana towns

U.S. races to complete evacuation as deadline looms; Parts of Louisiana unreachable, extent of Ida’s damage unclear; Energy company: 2k+ miles of transmission lines out of services, 1m+ customers have no power; Pentagon: every single U.S. service member is out of Afghanistan To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Aug 30, 20211 hr 9 min

Evacuations continue after 13 U.S. service members killed

WH: Working with the Taliban is a “necessity” for evacuations; Biden: “There may have been” list of evacuee names provided to Taliban; ISIS-K claims attack that killed 13 U.S. troops, 170+ Afghans; Surge in Covid cases puts strain on hospitals across U.S.; Judge rules against FL governor’s ban on school mask mandates; School mask rules challenged in Florida, Missouri, Texas; CDC report: unvaccinated, unmasked teacher infected nearly half of a class; U.S. intelligence report inconclusive on Covid...

Aug 28, 202138 min

Pentagon: 12 U.S. service members killed, 15 wounded in Kabul attacks; ISIS-K claims responsibility for attacks near Kabul airport; Biden raised alarm on potential attack in Kabul multiple times

Journalist in Kabul feel another explosion; Centcom Commander: “Very, very real” specific threats of more attacks; Defense Sept. “Continuing” mission to evacuate Americans & Afghans; Centcom commander: “We expect attacks to continue”; Pentagon: Two suicide bombers, ISIS gunmen attacked airport & hotel To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Aug 26, 202143 min

Pentagon: 21,600 evacuated in last 24 hours, a new daily high; CDC study: vaccines less protective against Delta variant, but still reduce risk of severe infection by two-thirds; House votes to pass Biden’s $3.5T budget framework;

Taliban: Afghans will not be allowed to leave the country; Taliban: airport roads closed to afghans, open for foreigners; State Dept: thousands of Americans waiting to be evacuated; Defense officials: first U.S. troops have started leaving Afghanistan; U.S. has evacuated 4,000 American passport holders & their families; Biden won’t extend Aug. 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan; Fauci: U.S. could have pandemic under control by spring 2022 if eligible people get vaccinated; Vaccine mandates mov...

Aug 24, 202138 min

FDA approves Pfizer vaccine, paying way for more mandates; Pentagon: 16,000 evacuated from Kabul within last 24 hours; U.S. officials worry terror groups inspired by Taliban victory;

Biden encourages hesitant Americans to get their shot today; Pentagon to make vaccines mandatory for troops after FDA approval of Pfizer; Florida records most deaths in a week, COVID cases top 3 million; Miami-Dade begins classes with mask mandate, defies FL governor; As hospitalization rates soar, FDA approves Pfizer vaccine; Pfizer working on plans to advertise its approved vaccine; NYC mandates vaccine for all public school employees; U.S. prioritizing evacuations of Americans out of Kabul; A...

Aug 23, 202137 min
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