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.
world lead
Did Rodman hurt U.S. efforts to free American imprisoned in North Korea?
(CNN) - Does Dennis Rodman plan to leave North Korea anytime soon? One of the former NBA players who was on the trip with Rodman flew back to Beijing today, but Rodman and others appeared to have stayed behind. There are reports they went skiing.
Rodman's team lost the exhibition game against North Korea, and he gave an explosive interview to CNN's Chris Cuomo in which he appeared to criticize Kenneth Bae, an American that has been detained in North Korea for more than a year.
FULL POST
politics lead
Kean: If more comes out over this bridge scandal, Christie's got 'real problems'
(CNN) - Former New Jersey Republican Governor Tom Kean is a political mentor to current Gov. Chris Christie. Just last week Christie said of Kean, "I have enormous respect and admiration for Governor Kean and I always will."
Christie's mentor is supporting him as the governor has become embroiled in an erupting political scandal that threatens to tarnish his image well before the 2016 elections. E-mails that surfaced Wednesday suggest top Christie appointees orchestrated traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge as part of a political vendetta to punish a local mayor who wouldn't support him at the polls.
Today, Christie apologized repeatedly, telling reporters he was blindsided, and humiliated by the actions of his aides.
FULL POST
pop lead
'Insane Clown Posse' fights gang label
(CNN) - "Insane Clown Posse" is a horror core band mixing rap, heavy metal, and heavy make-up. Their songs often focused on homicidal themes.
The Detroit based duo, "Violent J" and "Shaggy 2 Dope," formed two decades ago and has sold millions of albums.
They've also inspired an intensely loyal following among their fans who call themselves "Juggalos," and share a subculture, and a love of face paint.
FULL POST
politics lead
Democratic Congressman: There is more to this Chris Christie bridge controversy
(CNN) - Republican Governor Chris Christie offered a full apology Thursday for the actions of members of his senior staff involving lane closures in one New Jersey town, and political retribution against that town's mayor for not endorsing the governor's reelection effort.
"It was a masterful performance, I think, of damage control, and if this were the end of the story I think a lot of people might be satisfied,"Rep. Rush Holt, D-New Jersey, said of Christie's nearly 2-hour press conference. "But I suspect it's not the end of the story."
FULL POST
politics lead
How damaging is bridgegate to Christie's political ambitions?
(CNN) - Maybe the only word New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said more than "apologize" and "sorry" during his news conference Thursday was "sad."
He was sad that some of his closest aides had lied to him, sad that they had conspired to snarl traffic leading to the world's busiest bridge, sad that they did this out of a high-school-like motivation for revenge at a mostly invisible slight.
Christie told reporters he hadn't "gotten to the angry stage yet."
But with this controversy feeding into the notion that the New Jersey governor might be a bully - accusations he repeatedly and forcefully denied today - will Christie still be the brash, matter-of-fact politician going forward? Or will he have to distance himself from the image that fueled his rise to national prominence?
WNYC and New Jersey public radio Matt Katz, New Yorker correspondent and CNN political commentator Ryan Lizza, and reporter for The Atlantic Molly Ball discuss.
Check out the second half of our politics panel here, or by clicking the video below.
Recent Comments