About the Show
Anchored by Jake Tapper, The Lead airs at 4 p.m. ET on CNN.
On the Next Episode of The Lead
We've moved! Come join us at our new show page.
politics lead
Christie aides tied to political payback plan
(CNN) - Some pundits say that how New Jersey Governor Chris Christie responds to his latest crisis, could determine whether or not he has a chance of being president. It all has to do with accusations of a political vendetta.
Of particular alarm for Christie supporters is this direct quote from one of his top aids to an executive at the Port Authority: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
FULL POST
politics lead
Conservative commentator: If Christie's involved in bridge scandal, he should 'resign now'
(CNN) - E-mails emerged on Wednesday from top aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie bolstering suggestions that George Washington Bridge lane closures last year that tied up traffic stemmed from a political vendetta and not bureaucratic incompetence as his administration claimed.
Christie said in a statement that "what I've seen today is unacceptable," adding that he was "misled by a member of his staff" and knew nothing about what had transpired.
"I like Chris Christie, I hope that he wasn't involved, said co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" S.E. Cupp. "But if he was, and if he knows that he was and this will come out later ... if I were giving him advice (that I know he won't take): Resign now."
For more political analysis from Cupp, along with her CNN "Crossfire" co-host Stephanie Cutter, and Politico's Glenn Thrush, check out the video above.
pop lead
Golden Globes week: Actor Idris Elba on preparing for Mandela, and James Bond rumors
The Lead is profiling Golden Globe nominees this week, in the run-up to Sunday's awards show.
(CNN) - The London premier of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" took place on the same night the anti-apartheid hero died. Some in the audience had heard the news, others had not - so at the end of the film, star Idris Elba and a producer stepped up on stage, and read South African President Jacob Zuma's statement.
"It was just a roomful of mixed emotions," Elba told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." Elba said he was hit very badly" by Mandela's death, and attended the memorial in South Africa.
FULL POST
buried lead
Dealing with crash survivor's guilt
(CNN) - Why me? It's the one question many people who survive horrific events ask themselves every day of their lives, and a question many are never able to answer.
It's even worse when someone is the sole survivor out of dozens of innocent people. Along with the memories of such a traumatic experience, they are also dealing with the emotional burden and pain from simply still being here, while so many around them died.
That's the topic of a stunning new CNN film. CNN's Rene Marsh has more.
sports lead
Isiah Thomas weighs in on former teammate Dennis Rodman's trip to North Korea
(CNN) - NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is familiar with the idiosyncrasies of former teammate Dennis Rodman.
But Rodman's recently befriending North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, and visiting the isolated regime to engage in what he considers basketball diplomacy, causes a bit of discomfort.
"When we look at the situation, all of us would be much more comfortable if the State Department was involved in this," Thomas said in an interview with CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper."
"If the State Department was involved in this diplomatic game, so to speak, we would all feel a little more comfortable," said Thomas.
Isiah Thomas joined "The Lead" to respond to CNN's investigation into illiteracy rates among college athletes, for more of that conversation, click here.
Recent Comments