The Lead with Jake Tapper

Biden: Covid relief bill a “historic victory for the American people”; Texas opens “100 percent” despite health officials warning against it; Alaska first state to open vaccine to all people 16 and older; Starving, dying children pack Yemen hospitals amid civil war; Right now: jury selection happening in trial of ex-cop   To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy...

Covid relief deal includes $1,400 checks, more unemployment aid, billions for small businesses, vaccines & school improvements; WH still won't call influx of migrants at the border a "crisis"; Debate starts at 9am tomorrow on massive stimulus bill; About 60% of Americans 65+ have received at least one vaccine dose; Texas to lift mask mandate, fully reopen businesses tomorrow; First royal reaction...

There are now more Americans fully vaccinated than Americans who have ever been infected with COVID; New daily cases in the U.S. level off around 60,000; CDC recommends no travel even if you are fully vaccinated; CDC guidance: vaccinated Americans can gather without masks, distancing in some situations; U.K. prime minister: no comment on Harry & Meghan interview, says he has “the highest admiratio...

Senate at standstill as Dems try to win over Manchin on change to unemployment benefits; WH: $15 minimum wage is a priority for President Biden; GOP Sen: We have “a hundred” amendments “in the hopper”; With 50-50 split, Senate Dems have no room for error in passing relief; NYT & WSJ: Cuomo aides altered data to lower Covid nursing home deaths by nearly half; Cuomo accuser to CBS: He’s a “textbook...

Fauci: “Inexplicable” for states to lift restrictions; TX Gov defends decision to lift mask mandate: still suggesting masks, just not requiring them; Dr. Fauci: Texas decision to end restrictions is “ill advised”; CDC Dir: People should wear masks even if state doesn’t mandate it; Study: A person with UK variant can infect 43% to 90% more people; Dr. Fauci: “You don’t want to pull back just now”;...

DC National Guard chief says it took more than three hours to approve request to send troops to Capitol on Jan. 6th; McCaul agrees Secy of Army needs to testify to explain why National Guard wasn’t deployed sooner; Biden admin hits Russia after intel shows FSB responsible for poisoning Putin critic; Biden: “neanderthal thinking” by states to stop mask mandates; CDC: people should still wear masks...

FBI Director rejects GOP conspiracy theories, says no proof antifa or fake Trump supporters involved in Capitol attack; Wray: Report warning of Jan 6th violence was sent to law enforcement agencies in 3 different ways; Biden: Merck will help J&J manufacture one-shot vaccine; Biden: We’re now on track to have enough vaccine for every adult by the end of May; Biden: Prioritizing efforts to vaccinate...

U.S. begins distribution of Johnson & Johnson vaccine; First trucks carrying J&J vaccine arriving at UPS shipping facility this afternoon; CA lawmakers agree on plan to get kids back into classrooms; CDC director “deeply concerned” promising trajectory of pandemic could shift; CDC director: “we are not out of the woods yet”; WH: distribution of J&J vaccine “should be even” across communities; Dona...

U.S. Intel Report: Saudi Crown Prince approved operation to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi; U.S. Intel Report: Saudi crown price viewed Khashoggi as a threat and supported using violence to silence him;  U.S. publicly asserts Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi murder, but imposes no penalties to him; Tonight: House votes on Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill; Senate ruling on minimum wa...

One year ago, Trump team said Covid & terrorism wouldn’t hit U.S.; Capitol Police Chief says emergency protocols weren’t followed, officers overwhelmed; Law enforcement officials continue to blame lack of intelligence for failing to prepare; New fractures emerge in GOP over Trump’s political future; Source: Trump’s CPAC speech will be his resurgence into politics; GOP Rep Greene attacks Dem collea...

Promising signs in pandemic: vaccine progress, cases and hospitalizations down, deaths slow in new estimate; WH: 3-4 million doses of J&J vaccine to go out next week if FDA grants emergency use; Moderna testing vaccine boosters to combat South Africa variant; WH: J&J’s production problems were “disappointing,” drug maker to now deliver 100m doses by summer; FDA: Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 85% ef...

Tiger Woods injured after car flipped in single-car crash; Golf Digest: Tiger Woods suffered multiple leg injuries, in surgery following accident; Sheriff: Tiger Woods’ vehicle crossed onto wrong side of road before crash; White House: States to now get 14.5M vaccine doses per week; Vaccine makers pledge to deliver 240 million doses by end of March, even more by summer; Johnson & Johnson vows to d...

Garland: I will be a lawyer for the people, not the president; Garland chokes up as he speaks of immigrant family and his desire to pay back the U.S. by serving as Atty General; Garland: will pursue “ring leaders” involved in Capitol attack; Garland: have not discussed Hunter Biden case with president; Garland: I don’t see why Durham should not continue in role investigating origins of Trump-Russi...

WH: Backlog of 6 million vaccine doses due to weather; Biden defends Covid aid plan, says “I’m open” to GOP’s suggestions on cutting costs responsibly; 5% of U.S. population fully vaccinated; Experts estimate 70-85% needed for herd immunity; Officials: Have to work “double time” to make up for vaccine delays; Biden says teachers should be a vaccine priority; CDC says it’s not a requirement for reo...

At least 42 deaths amid winter freeze expected to continue for days; Winter storms cripple fragile vaccine distribution; 400K without power, 13.5M facing water issues in Texas; Mayor: 40,000 without power in Houston, down from 1.3 million; CDC: Life expectancy for black Americans dropped a staggering 2.7 years in first half of 2020; Fauci: Could take until end of summer for all Americans to be vac...

Biden pushes back timeline, says vaccines widely available for public by end of July; Biden admin: early shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine will be smaller than expected; Warren & Schumer push back on Biden after he shoots down cancelling $50k in student loan debts; Trump slams McConnell as a “dour, sullen, & unsmiling political hack” despite voting for acquittal; CDC: variants c...

Bipartisan group of govs asks Biden to improve vaccine rollout; WH weekly vaccine supply increasing to 13.5 million doses; Fauci: It will take until end of summer or early fall to vaccinate vast majority of Americans; CDC says schools should reopen, but new guidance advises most schools to stay closed right now; GOP Sen Johnson downplays Capitol attack: “This didn’t seem like an armed insurrection...

CDC says schools should reopen, but new guidance advises most schools to stay closed right now; CNN: 89% of U.S. kids live in “red zones” where CDC advises in-person classrooms can stay closed; CDC director: guidance for school reopening developed from the science and conversations with teachers; CDC director: not all schools can take the recommended steps to reopen right now; Researchers identify...

Impeachment managers finish presenting case, Trump lawyers next; Impeachment managers wrap case after citing Trump’s words, tweets, lack of remorse, danger he still presents To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House impeachment managers present case to convict Trump To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Schumer, McConnell reach deal on Trump impeachment trail rules; Schumer: each side will get 16 hours over two days to present their arguments in Trump’s trial; Schumer: house managers requested senate hold votes on witnesses if needed; Trump legal team argues trial is unconstitutional, accuses democrats of pursuing “political theater”; Schumer: GOP searching for way to “oppose the conviction of Do...

Johnson & Johnson asks FDA for emergency use authorization of CVOVID-19 vaccine; CDC to give guidance on schools in coming week; CDC director says schools should re-open, WH says those remarks made in “personal capacity”; New study: convalescent plasma treatment, touted by Trump admin, may have fueled COVID mutation; Biden administration considering sending masks to all Americans; Biden: “can can’...

Dems ask Trump to testify under oath at impeachment trial; Soon: House vote over Rep. Greene’s committee assignments;Awaiting house vote over Rep Greene’s committee assignments; Rep. Greene on conspiracy comments: These were in the past, do not represent me; Rep. Greene attempts to rewrite history, doesn’t apologize for spreading conspiracy theories about 9/11, school shootings; Kevin Mccarthy pre...

Study: younger adults are the biggest Covid spreaders in the U.S.; CDC director: teachers don’t need to be vaccinated to safely reopen schools; Study shows Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine might help stop virus transmission, rather than just preventing illness;  CNN analysis: pilots blame being “rusty” in at least 26 incidents since start of pandemic; In first interview, Biden vows family won’t have rol...

New arguments submitted ahead of trial start next week; Trump team argues he was exercising his first amendment right in questioning election results; Dr. Fauci warns of reinfection risk if new variants become dominant; States, Biden admin racing to expand vaccine access; Study: Single shot may be enough to produce Covid-19 protection for people who already had virus; Growing number of GOP Senator...