The Lead with Jake Tapper

After weeks surviving constant Russian attacks and shelling, holed up in underground bunkers, some Mariupol residents are now above ground and out of the besieged city. But, many are ending up in Russian controlled territory. Are they being forced there? Plus, the U.S. border crisis that has even some Democrats running ads distancing themselves from President Biden for lifting a Trump era policy....

Signs emerge of Russian forces advancing in Ukraine as the U.S. detects improved Russian air and ground operations. Also, American Trevor Reed is finally back in the U.S. after being detained for more than two years in Russia. His parents join to share one of their son’s most outstanding requests. Plus, text messages reveal Sean Hannity told Trump’s chief of staff he was fed up with MAGA “lunatics...

President Biden requests a massive $33 billion to help Ukraine defend itself as explosions rock the capital city of Kyiv. Plus, Moderna is the first drugmaker to ask for emergency use authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine ready for kids 6 months to 5 years old. Now, many parents want to know how quickly can Moderna get FDA approval. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.c...

In a brief moment of diplomacy, Russia agrees to a prisoner swap and frees U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed. But, what about the other two Americans still detained in Russia? Plus, the Kremlin is accused of blackmail after Putin turns off the tap supplying two European nations with gas. Then, we explore what is pushing the cost of rentals so high in the housing crisis. To learn more about how CNN p...

New horrors and mass graves are discovered in Mariupol. One Ukrainian official says civilians there were forced to dig in exchange for food. Plus, Russia is now raising the prospect of nuclear war, calling the chances “serious and real” and now top U.S. military leaders are responding. Also, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk joins to outline contributors to global stability. To lea...

Ukrainian officials say Russians have struck five train stations in central and western Ukraine. Plus, we are joined by the CEO of the company which owns the steel plant in Mariupol where a standoff with Russian forces is ensuing. Also, more than 2,000 texts reveal what Trump’s inner circle and allies were really saying behind the scenes about the big election lie and the deadly capitol riot on Ja...

The Kremlin announces its offensive in every sense of the word as Putin wants full control of southern Ukraine. To do that they need to seize Ukrainian cities such as Odesa and Mariupol. Plus, we learn what it was like inside a Ukrainian village held hostage by Russian troops for more than a month. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your a...

New images show what Ukrainian officials say is an enormous massive grave outside Mariupol, the same besieged city Putin claims is now under Russian control. Plus, CNN talks to one Ukrainian risking his life every time he gets behind the wheel and heads closer to the front lines about a selfless mission to rescue his neighbors trapped by the relentless shelling in the east. Then, an inside look at...

Russia is throwing an intercontinental ballistic missile test into the mix. We explore what this says about Russia’s audaciousness and what Putin told the world before today’s launch. Plus, President Zelensky says 120,000 Ukrainians are stuck in the besieged town of Mariupol and a Ukrainian commander on the ground there is begging the world for assistance. To learn more about how CNN protects list...

Russia’s war against Ukraine enters a new phase with their assault on the Donbas region, now underway. According to intercepted communication, Russia plans to level everything to the ground as a group of Ukrainian fighters hold down a steel plant near Mariupol and become the new symbol of resistance. Plus, most mask mandates for public transit end, making a landmark moment in the pandemic.  To lea...

Missile strikes have killed at least seven in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv. CNN is on the ground as new video may show one of Russia’s weapons in action. Plus, more of Jake’s exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who pushes back on concerns that his troops would require months of training to use advanced weapons systems. To learn more about how CNN protects listener pri...

In an exclusive CNN interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sits down with Jake Tapper to warn the world that Russia could eventually use nuclear weapons. Ukrainian officials estimate about 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have already died in the war, compared to Zelensky’s estimates that Russia's military casualties are between 19,000 to 20,000. To learn more about how CNN protects list...

Ukraine says its last two remaining units in Mariupol have now merged to bolster resistance in the heavily besieged city. Plus, the US and EU have pledged a combined $1.3 billion more in military aid for Ukraine as Russia prepares to launch an eastern offensive. Also, a key Russian warship has sunk, according to a Russian defense ministry statement reported by the state news agency. Ukraine says i...

Hours after President Biden first used the word “genocide” to describe Russian atrocities in Ukraine, a new report finds clear patterns of violations of international humanitarian law by Russian forces. Experts from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe say they have found credible evidence of rights being violated. The former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues joins...

Police say a suspect is still on the loose after a terrifying gun and smoke bomb attack on the New York City subway this morning. At least 29 people were injured in the attack, 10 of whom were shot.  Also, civilians are rushing to leave eastern Ukraine as clearer signs emerge which suggest that Russia is ramping up its preparations for a full scale attack on the eastern portion of the country. To...

Attacks intensify on the eastern part of Ukraine as President Zelensky makes a grim assessment about the future of Mariupol. With the civilian death toll rising, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine joins to discuss the growing number of war crime cases. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World leaders are speaking out against a Russian missile strike on a train station full of Ukrainian families who were trying to flee the horrors of Putin’s war. This as the U.S. and Polish military show their strength less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border in a military ramp up. We are live from Lviv, Ukraine with the latest news. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visi...

In a 53-47 vote, the Senate has confirmed Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson in a historic vote that paves the way for her to become the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the nation. Jackson will be sworn in after Justice Stephen Breyer retires sometime this summer.  Plus, we are live from Lviv, Ukraine as relentless attacks and Russian bombardment continue as the war rag...

The United States government announced new sanctions on select Russian individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughters, and financial institutions in a direct response to the atrocities happening in Ukrainian cities such as Bucha and Borodianka. President Biden said in a speech that "responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable." Jake presses...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the United Nations Security Council, describing the death and devastation in Ukraine in graphic detail and confronting the reality that the U.N. and individual member countries have not stopped Putin or Russian troops who continue their attack. This as scenes from more towns across the country, such as Borodianka, show the utter destruction Russian...

In the town of Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, bodies of civilians have been found lying strewn across the street and in mass graves. Mayor of Bucha Anatoliy Fedoruk estimates as many as 300 people were buried in the town. President Zelensky visited Bucha and said that it is "very difficult to negotiate with Russia" after this, while Russia denies its responsibility for these atrocities an...

The Kremlin is pointing fingers, accusing Ukraine of hitting a Russian oil depot. But, is Ukraine actually to blame or is this a Russian ruse? Also, there is panic is Russia as sanctions set in. Quality of life is deteriorating as the average Russian scrambles to buy what he or she can. World leaders are also pressuring Putin to try to end his deadly, ruthless invasion.  To learn more about how CN...

Putin’s troops may be losing one battle, but are they winning the war? NATO and the Biden administration point to small victories for Ukraine amidst blunders by Russia. But, Putin continues to pulverize south and east Ukraine. So, are we headed to some sort of stalemate ending with two different countries, an occupied Ukraine and a free Ukraine? To learn more about how CNN protects listener privac...

Russian bombs rain down upon civilian parts of Ukraine after the Kremlin claimed its attacks would stop. CNN’s on the ground where one missile struck. Also, President Biden’s hour long call to Ukraine’s president with a new offer of assistance. Meanwhile, Biden’s also confronted with a protest right outside the White House and new calls for action from the parents of an American Marine detained in...

The White House is adding skepticism to Russia’s so-called strategy shift which claims forces will retreat from the capital city Kyiv. Ahead, a member of Ukraine’s parliament helps push back Putin’s army as a member of the Ukrainian resistance. Plus, as refugees flee Ukraine, medical foot soldiers move in to offer their expertise in hard hit areas of Russia’s invasion. Also, the January 6th invest...