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Anchored by Jake Tapper, The Lead airs at 4 p.m. ET on CNN.

Anchored by Jake Tapper, The Lead airs at 4 p.m. ET on CNN.

On the Next Episode of The Lead

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buried lead

May 24th, 2013
06:59 PM ET

Actor Gary Sinise making veterans' issues a priority

Memorial Day is when America recognizes service members who gave their lives for her as well as their families, who gave their sons and daughters to the nation.

This Memorial Day weekend, the nation is also mindful of those in uniform who are struggling today.

One person who understands this better than most is actor Gary Sinise.

Of all the characters Sinise has played on film and in television, he is probably best known as "Lieutenant Dan" from the movie "Forrest Gump."

That defining role, as a Vietnam vet that loses his legs, is not one that Sinise forgot when the cameras stopped rolling. In August 2003, Sinise visited a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

"The first time I walked in, there was a roomful of 30 wounded Marines and soldiers in there with burns, and all kinds of things going on," said Sinise. "They were not in good shape, these guys. And I walked in and they started lighting up and calling me Lieutenant Dan just immediately."
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national lead

May 24th, 2013
06:51 PM ET

Scam artists exploit Oklahoma tornado victims

Usually when disaster strikes, as it did with a deadly tornado in Moore, Oklahoma this week, you can be sure that the scammers will follow, trying to take advantage of people's desire to do good, and to take away whatever the tornado didn't from the victims.

One of these brilliant con arists was just flagged, when a robo-call claiming to be from the Red Cross called the actual Red Cross.

Oklahoma inspector Julie Bays said scam artists show up in the wake of every disaster.

"The problem is a lot of time these victims are vulnerable, they are in shock, and so they are easily taken advantage of," said Bays, Public Protection Chief with the Oklahoma Attorney General's office.
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pop lead

May 24th, 2013
06:44 PM ET

Cult show 'Arrested Development' returns

"Arrested Development" was a show that was truly ahead of its time, one that the network television audience had trouble computing a decade ago, back when many still waited a whole week for a new episode.

Now the show is back, in a new time, and a new place. At 3:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, "Arrested Development" returns exclusively on Netflix. Fans having premiere parties should grab their cornballers and settle in, because they can binge on all 15 episodes at once.

"This Netflix model of releasing shows just really changes the entire, kind of, business of how a show is promoted," said Meeta Agrawal of Entertainment Weekly. "Once it all comes out on Sunday, you're going to have to see, kind of, a fan-led promotion, it's going to have to be more grassroots, from the people who have been watching it."
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politics lead

May 24th, 2013
06:31 PM ET

Reporter: Justice Department tried to keep Rosen warrant secret

Just how icy is the relationship between the Obama administration and journalists?

The president thought it important enough to address leaks, and the Justice Department's investigation into Fox News correspondent James Rosen, in his address on national security.

"I believe we must keep information secret that protects our operations and our people in the field. To do so, we must enforce consequences for those who break the law and breach their commitment to protect classified information," President Barack Obama said Thursday.

"But a free press is also essential for our democracy. I am troubled by the possibility that leak investigations may chill the investigative journalism that holds government accountable. Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs," said Obama.

Tell that to Rosen. 
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national lead

May 24th, 2013
06:26 PM ET

Bridge repairs compete with 'sexy' new infrastructure projects

A Washington State bridge collapsed Thursday after a tractor trailer with an over-sized load struck part of the bridge, sending two vehicles into the water dozens of feet below.

Amazingly, no one died.

"You hold on as tight as you can," Dan Sligh told CNN affiliate KOMO. Then, a "white flash and cold water." Sligh was one of the three people who fell into the freezing waters of the Skagit River.

The governor's office declared a state of emergency in three counties, and said the estimated cost to fix the bridge is $15 million.

The bridge was rated "functionally obsolete," but that does not mean officials knew it was not safe. That rating is more about the width of the lanes and how it can handle traffic.

The Washington State Department of Transportation said in a press conference Friday that the bridge was not found to be "structurally deficient."

The collapse raises serious questions about the safety of American Bridges.

This bridge "had outlived its usefulness, in terms of today's traffic, and today's loads, like that big tractor trailer," said David Goldberg, communications director with Transportation for America.
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