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Anchored by Jake Tapper, The Lead airs at 4 p.m. ET on CNN.
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politics lead
Former Bush spokeswoman 'haunted' by Weiner images
Political history is full of prodigal sons, and after just two years in the wilderness, many voters in New York City appear ready to welcome former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner back into the political fold - as their mayor.
"I don't know how they're not haunted by the images that were associated with this story, which I still see," said former Bush spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise Dyck. "I am haunted."
Jennifer Millerwise Dyck, now a senior director with consulting firm APCO, correspondent for The Huffington Post Ryan Grim, and CNN's chief political analyst Gloria Borger joined "The Lead" to discuss Weiner's comeback, and the bromance between President Barack Obama and Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
Christie is facing re-election this fall in Democratic-leaning New Jersey, a state Obama carried by 17 points last fall. Was there some political calculation at play in Obama's Tuesday tour of the Jersey Shore? Check out the video above to find out.
national lead
First Amendment expert: Justice Department overstepped bounds in pursuit of journalist
The House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress earlier this month, according to CNN's chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
"In regard to potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material – this is not something I've ever been involved in, heard of, or would think would be wise policy," Holder testified before Congress on May 15.
But some are pointing out that the attorney general would have signed off on a search warrant on Fox News reporter James Rosen's personal email account. The search warrant was obtained in part because there was probable cause to believe Rosen had broken a law or acted "at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator."
"The Department of Justice has really overstepped the bounds,"said First Amendment expert Floyd Abrams, author of upcoming book "Friend of the Court: On the Front Lines with the First Amendment."
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buried lead
Toronto mayor scandal: Top aides quitting
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is on the ropes but still punching, as Toronto's City Hall reels from blow after blow.
It started when reporters from The Toronto Star and an editor from the website Gawker said they were approached by men trying to sell a video purportedly showing the mayor smoking crack with drug dealers.
"He was rambling and he seemed to be high. I mean there is just no other way to describe it other than to say the mayor was high," said Toronto Star investigative reporter Kevin Donovan, one of the few who have seen the video.
But The Star journalists did not buy the video, which is allegedly still being offered for around $200,000.
The mayor, meanwhile, is on the attack.
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world lead
Reporter: White House asks for no-fly zone plan inside Syria
Just last month, President Barack Obama said he wanted options in war-torn Syria.
"As early as last year, I asked the Pentagon, our military, our intelligence officials to prepare for me what options might be available. And I won't go into the details of what those options might be," said Obama.
It now appears the Obama administration is exploring one particular option in depth.
"The White House has tasked the Joint Chiefs of Staff to plan for a no-fly zone inside Syria, that would be done on a multilateral basis with countries such as France and Britain," said Newsweek/The Daily Beast's senior correspondent Josh Rogin.
Read Josh Rogin's exclusive reporting on the Syria no-fly zone plan here.
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national lead
Millions protest genetically modified food, Monsanto, organizers say
Two million people in more than 50 countries marched over the weekend in protest against a company called Monsanto, organizers claimed. CNN could not independently verify those numbers.
Monsanto is a giant, $58 billion multinational corporation with field offices in 60 countries. It was founded more than 100 years ago – and is best known for producing the chemical known as Agent Orange that scorched thousands of miles of earth during the Vietnam war.
Monsanto currently produces pesticides designed to deliver a death blow to living things, and also produces seeds designed to resist those lethal chemicals.
Now the company, with a history of questionable ethics practices and close ties to the government, may have received protection from future trouble. Slipped into a bill signed by President Barack Obama back in March is something called the "Monsanto Protection Act," which would shield Monsanto seeds and other genetically modified crops approved by the Agriculture Department to be grown - even if there is action in the courts against them.
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