The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths declining; Pfizer seeks FDA authorization of Covid vaccine for kids 5-11; Democratic leaders announce deal to avoid economic catastrophe, Senate expected to vote tonight To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senate vote delayed amid possible deal to stop economic collapse; Baldwin: Dems likely to accept GOP compromise offer; New poll: Biden approval sinks to 38%, lowest since taking office; Sources: Jan 6 committee can’t find Trump ex-aide to serve subpoena; Schiff book reveals new details of Trump impeachment fight; CNN: Kabul airport bomber released from prison days before attack; Officials warn ris...

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 o...

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. ec...

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 c...

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 Instag...

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 co...

DHS whistleblower: Trump appointees ordered me to manipulate intelligence on Russian interference & white supremacy to help Trump; Deadline nears for Trump allies to respond to subpoenas on Jan. 6; Jan. 6 cmte. member: panel ready for civil action if Trump allies do not respond to subpoenas; Trump admits he pressured Georgia governor to overturn 2020 election; GOP Rep. Cheney: republican silence o...

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 rig...

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 k...

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...

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...

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 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 a...

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 abil...

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...

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 controversi...

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 str...

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...

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...

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...

Fauci: Case rate needs to be 15 times lower than current rate to suppress virus; L.A. County to vote on vaccine requirement for eligible students; WH to require all federal workers be vaccinated, no testing option; Microsoft & AMEX postpone U.S. return to work plans; Army vet helps evacuate Americans out of Kabul; Source: More flights expected once Kabul airport is operational; Forensic examiner:...

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 infrastruct...

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 rest...

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 th...