i'm wolf blitzer in washington. "newsroom" with brooke baldwin starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> wolf, thank you so much. great to be with all of you at the start of the week on this monday afternoon. i'm brooke baldwin. as i come to you at this moment, more iraqi cities are falling, seized by radical militants and their bloody march to bagdad. secretary of state john kerry in iraq's capital on the mission to help the iraqi government regain control of the country. secretary kerry calling for a new iraq government that rises above sectarian motivations, stopping short of calling for the ouster of iraq's prime minister nuri

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we have now projected a winner in mississippi, thad cochran, the long-term republican senator wins this contest against a significant tea party challenger chris mcdaniel. 99% of the vote is now in. thad cochran, 51%. chris mcdaniel, 49%. he is up by almost 6,000 votes. thad cochran will win this contest tonight. chris mcdaniel did well, but not well enough. gloria borger and dana bash are a joining us. dana is in jackson, mississippi right now. i assume, dana, that thad cochran is going to be delivering a victory speech fairly soon? >> that's right. we were just told that he is on his way here to this location. we're actually at a children's museum in jackson, and they've kind of redone to it make it election night headquarters. so he has not been here. it's not like a regular situation where the candidate is at a hotel and just comes down to the ballroom. so we're waiting for him to arrive. and we're told that we will get a five-minute warning to talk to him. but the fact that he is

i'm wolf blitzer in washington. let's get some military analysis from what we just heard from the president. general, what do you think, the u.s. is moving an aircraft carrier into the persian gulf. there there are a lot of fighter plans, fighter aircraft on an aircraft carrier. what do you anticipate the options are? because right now the president says he's not going to do anything unless maliki's government steps up and does the right thing trying to deal with some sort of reconciliation. >> well, first of all, let me say i'm glad to see the president finally acknowledging that he can no longer disengage from iraq and the consequences of that disensganlgment. and think what we heard just now was a new policy of the united states to reengage ourselves in iraq, whether we like it or not, he is recognizing that we have interesting in iraq and that there are threats in iraq that are existential threat to the united states. so i as a soldier personally appreciate what the president has said and glad to see he recogniz

this is a special edition of the situation room and i'm wolf blitzer. let's talk to gloria borger, and cnn political analyst maggie abe rahman. let's go down the line, ladies. give us your immediate thought. what do you think? >> i think she did very well. she got looser as time went on. i still don't hear a theme of what her candidacy would be like her discussion was like her book, a series of issues. but she was much more candid than she has been. she did show flashes of humor and you did see at the end she addressed the questions of grandmother. she said a lot of grandfathers have run too. that's a good point. >> what did you think, gloria? you've been watching her for a while. >> i don't think there is any overall message because, i am woman. i am different. i am running as a woman this time. in 2008 when she lost, she said it was difficult to gauge how i was being presented. she talked about the hair, make-up, being under the microscope as a woman. how people ask her about being a grandmother and didn't ask mitt romney so much about being a grandfa

wolf blitzer is going to take over after this break. you know what, he's going to give you the latest on iraq. we won't take a break. we'll go straight to wolf. secretary kerry having some very important meetings and the issue of the oil refineries and control are the headlines today. wolf will take it from here. >>> right now, the power of persuasion. the secretary of state john kerry wrapping up his mission to iraq, saying words are cheap, as the u.s. waits for concrete action from iraq's government. a senator is fighting for his political life. it's election day. senator thad cochran facing a tough challenge from tea party favorite chris mcdonnell. the latest from that race. andelations uncovered by cnn that records may have been changed to hide how many veterans died, simply waiting for care. >>> hello, i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we start in iraq, where the battle in iraq has now shifted back to the fight over iraq's oil. right now, isis insurgents are fighting iraqi forces for control over the country's largest oil

i know turn you over to wolf blitzer who is in "the situation room." mr. blitzer? >> jake, happening now. bergdahl execution threat. as president obama defends the swap, they say he would have been killed by his captors if word of the deal had gotten out. bergdahl's captor speak. jubilant at the prisoner exchange and return of five hardcore leaders. but why did they give a gift to sergeant bergdahl? >>> plus, russia's leader offering billions of financial help to nuclear-armed north korea. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." we're getting stunning new evidence that bergdahl would be executed by the taliban. and while many were shocked, critics say the price was too high. president obama says the prisoner swap controversy was whipped up in washington and he's making no apologies for trading five taliban detainees for bergdahl. our correspondents are standing by. let's go to barbara starr. barbara? >> wolf, the pentagon's position is remaining the same. they leave no one behind on the battlefield but there are plenty of questions for sergeant bowe bergd

this wolf blitzer is in washington tonight. dana bash is in jackson, mississippi, where the nasty esterase in the country is unfolding. alexandria field right here in new york, where one veteran congressman is fighting for his political life. more on that in just a moment. gloria borger live in washington to help us break it all down. wolf, among the big races around the country, oklahoma, colorado, new york. but none with as much national importance as mississippi, right? >> mississippi is huge tonight, and it's a real nail-biter. let's put it up on the screen right now. you can see with about what, 80% of the vote now in, 80%, the republican establishment, the long-term senator, thad cochran with 51%. chris mcdaniel with 49%. only about 6,269 votes you see right there separating these two, these two candidates. the tea party favorite chris mcdaniel. thad cochran, the long-term six-term republican senator from mississippi. let's bring in dana bash. she is in jackson, mississippi. this is very, very close, dana. everyone who is

. >>> wolf blitzer is here with "the situation room." you're going to have more of the undocumented children being sent to arizona. tell us about that. >> it's an amazing story. there's been a dramatic uptick in the number of young kids, illegal immigrants simply crossing into the united states from mexico without parents, without adults. they are just coming in in big numbers. the obama administration is trying to figure out what to do with these young children. apparently there have been rumors that if the kids came into the united states, the president would allow them to stay. it's a big problem right now. we're going to be all over this story, among a lot of other stories coming up at the top of the hour. jake? >> wolf blitzer, thank you. >>> when we come back, a couple of relatively unknown actors take on a hollywood heavyweight who came out on top. at od, whatever business you're in, that's the business we're in with premium service like one of the best on-time delivery records and a low claims ratio, we do whatever it takes to ma

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." now let's step into the kriez with van jones and s.e. cupp. >> whether it likes it or not, president obama will have to order additional military action in iraq. >> there's only one problem. that's exactly what the terrorists want him to do. the debate starts right now. >> tonight on kros fire, can president obama stop the chaos in iraq, even if it means taking the same side as iran? on the left, van jones within on the right s.e. cupp. in the crossfire, victor sink who supports the president. who broke iraq? what should we do to fix it tonight on "crossfire." >>> welcome to cross fire i'm van jones on the veleft. >> i'm s.e. cupp on the right. let's go inside iraq. >> reporter: launching air strikes on kilo occasions, claim to have killed 200 isis spiders, while more key territory has been captured. the front lines remains an hour north of the capital. isis able to capture telafar. they're making sure shah people know what their fate will be if they dare stand in their way. yet another execution video emerged, this one showing a bearded

i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." now let's step into the "crossfire" with stephanie cutter and newt gingrich. >>> wolf, an astonishing new video from the taliban shows just how dramatically the obama administration has failed. >> or at least how dramatically republicans want to pretty size a prisoner exchange. the debate starts right now. >>> tonight on "crossfire." beau bergdahl's hand-over and walk to freedom. was it worth the price? >> this is clearly a terrible idea. >> would hillary clinton have held out for a better deal? >> we have a long way to go before we really know how this is going to play out. >> on the left, stephanie cutter. on the right, newt gingrich. in the

i'm wolf blitzer. this is a cnn special report. militants are stepping up their propaganda campaign. an isis militant posted new videos on a facebook page showing five captured men being interrogated. another video shows one of the men after he was executed. a u.s. amphibious assault ship now moving into the persian gulf. iraqi forces strike back. the iraqi air force claimed to have killed more than 200 militants in air raid. that according to iraqi state television. let's bring back our panel. some workers at the u.s. embassy are very nervous. the u.s. spent a million dollars building the largest embassy in the world thinking this would be the heart of a great democracy in iraq. now the few thousand who are left there military, contractors, others, a lot of them are worried this could be the end. >> thing is an important issue, an issue for the americans that are there. we have to think about contingencies for withdrawing them safely. >> how worried should americans be that the 4 our 5,000 americans who are there could get caught

i'm wolf blitzer. you'ren

that's it for me, thank you for watching, i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." now let's go to "the cross fire." >> we're debating the decisions that president obama has made in the white house. >>> tonight, on "crossfire" as iraq falls apart, who gets the blame? on the left, stephanie cutter. on the right, newt

i turn you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." mr. blitzer? >> jake, thanks very much. happening now, a courthouse attack a gunman armed with explosives and a rifle launches an assault on a georgia court building. how a deputy may have prevented a slaughter. bergdahl kept in a cage. we're getting dramatic new details on physical and psychological abuse that the young sergeant suffered during the years of his captivity. >>> and kim jong-un is holding another tourist who reportedly left a bible in a hotel room. what kind of fate can he expect? i'm wolf

i know turn you over to wolf blitzer who is in "the situation room." mr. blitzer? >> jake, happening now. bergdahl execution threat. as president obama defends the swap, they say he would have been killed by his captors if word of the deal had gotten out. bergdahl's captor speak. jubilant at the prisoner exchange and return of five hardcore leaders. but why did they give a gift to sergeant bergdahl? >>> plus, russia's leader offering billions of financial help to nuclear-armed north korea. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in

i'm wolf blitzer.

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> all of that coming up but let's begin with the breaking news just coming into "the situation room." we're just learning about a very dangerous near collision between a u.s. military aircraft and a russian fighter jet. let's bring in our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto. what happened ? >> u.s. officials tell me this is one of the most dangerous passes that took place on april 23rd in international waters off the eastern coast of russia. a u.s. air force plane used surveillance aircraft on a routine mission intercepted by a single russian flanker aircraft. the su-27 crossed the nose of the u.s. aircraft within just 100 feet, making a maneuver, i'm told, straight out of the movies, so close that the american jet was caught in the jet wash of the russian fighter. the fly by, i'm told, put the lives in the jeopardy and raised it to the highest level with general dempsey and discussed it with the russian chief of defense and an incident

blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we're getting shocking new details on the bloody rampage in las vegas. police have identified the two as jerad and amanda miller who held anti-government views. they left a swastika on the bodies of the officers before killing a civilian and then died in a suicide pact. let's go to kyung lah with the very latest. kyung? >> well, wolf, the details here are chilling. the crime itself as well as the people behind the murdering spree. >> well, here we are, outside of los angeles. >> reporter: narrating a cross country trip that began in his home state of indiana. with his wife amanda, the couple would eventually wind up here in las vegas where authorities say they opened fire on two police officers, killing them before shooting to death another man in a walmart store. >> the cops are coming, the cops are coming, everyone get out, get out, get out. >> reporter: now the eebts of that day are backing clear. the millers walked into cici's pizza and shot igo

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> getting ready for battle. iraqi troops move to the front to fight isis insurgent, but this bloody conflict is getting a whole lot more complicated as syrian warplanes hit villages in iraq, iran sends surveillance drones overhead and u.s. advisers go to work on the ground. the war is clearly spreading. the former jordanian foreign minister is in the situation room. mohammed jamjoon is in the situation room and barbara starr has the latest. >> i think you just laid it out. this war getting more dangerous by the day. as iraqi army forces battle isis militants west of baghdad, there is disturbing evidence the war is now not limited by borders. in the iraqi town of al kei mercks, the carnage of syrian air strike, at least 57 iraqis killed and more than 120 wounded up and down iraq's border with syria after syria launched air strikes inside iraq. the u.s. doesn't know yet if syrian president bashar al assad who fights

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we begin with dramatic new details about former p.o.w. bowe bergdahl's condition and the treatment cease receiving right now at landstuhl hospital in germany. this is 48 hours after being recovered from special operation forces in a highly controversial diplomatic swap that set five taliban detainees free. the exchange authorized by president obama is getting heavy praise from some but growing criticism from others claiming that it put the united states at risk and even potentially breaking the law. our guests are all standing by. first, let's bring in our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. she's joining us now with new information. wolf? >> barbara, at this hour, bergdahl is working with psychologists at the army hospital. they want to restore his trust. he hasn't been able to speak to anyone in five years that he can actually trust. that may be job one. they are also treating him formal nutrition and other medical needs but at this hour, perhap

i bet you can't wait to see wolf blitzer. he starts right now. thanks for being with us. >>> right now, the u.s. captures a key suspect in the benghazi attack that left four americans dead. a libyan militia leader is now in u.s. custody. the first arrest in connection with the 2012 attack. also right now, isis fighters move in closer and closer to baghdad. gun battles with the iraqi security forces are under way just north of the capital. our own anderson cooper is there. he'll join us live this hour. right now, hillary clinton getting ready to face what could be her toughest audience yet. iraq, benghazi, clint on's new book, "fair game," all topics of cnn's exclusive town hall event. >>> hello, i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we start with the breaking news out of libya. one of the prime suspects in the 2012 attack in benghazi has been captured, and he is in u.s. custody. four americans died in the attack. the white house released a statement from president oba

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. the white house is firing back at critics of the deal that freed the former p.o.w. bowe bergdahl. for more on the administration's response, we're joined by the white house press secretary jay carney. thanks, jay, for coming in. i want to give you a chance to clarify a couple questions, detailed questions, about bowe bergdahl. there have been some conflicting things apparently said about his health. listen to what the national security adviser susan rice said on sunday on abc. >> he's now in landstuhl hospital, in germany, he's going through all of the requisite evaluations and care. and he is said to be walking and in good physical condition. >> all right, good physical condition. yet secretary of defense hagel said his health was in jeopardy and that's why the u.s. had to act quickly and didn't provide notification to congress. is he doing fine or not so fine? >> i think you're making a connection there that doesn't exist. point that the secretary defense made on behalf of the presi

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> he's the man in the hot seat of a house republican investigation, but as yet to break a sweat. the irs commissioner john cos kanaan is no stranger to washington and now finds himself at the center of the scandal over the agency's targeting of conservative groups. john kaskey nen will join us but first, here's tom foreman. >> i don't believe it. >> why should anyone believe you? >> what i didn't hear in that was an apology. >> i don't think an apology is owed. >> amid the storm of congressional outrage and accusations, there he sat serene as a saint. irss commissioner john koskinen. >> if you have evidence of that, i'd be happy to see it. >> i asked a question. >> i answered it. >> throwing jabs and making jokes. >> i did not say i would provide you e-mails that disappeared. if you have maj calloway for me to do that, i'd be happy to know it. >> the white house could not have picked a bretter brawler. he was traned in law at yale. he worked for a con

wolf blitzer is on assignment. i'm brianna keilar and you're in "the situation room." >> we begin with breaking news. up to 75 government scientists and staffers possibly exposed to the deadly anthrax bacteria. the alert is taking place at the centers for disease control and prevention in atlanta. officials say it began when live samples were moved from a highly secure lab to another lab. workers believe the samples were inactive. they did not wear protective equipment. so let's get more on then like serious breach. how could this happen? this was a safety lab taking this anthrax and moving it to a lower biosafety lab, one that takes less precautions. they were supposed to inactivate the bacteria first, wait 4 hours to make sure the deactivation process worked and then move the bacteria. those two things didn't happen. the process didn't work and they didn't wait to see that it didn't work and that caused some of the problems. it was at least a week, could have been longer when they realized what was now sitting in

i want to bring in wolf blitzer. we've been talking about the idea that the white house says they'll make a decision as early as this weekend about what to do in iraq. iraq, we have news about what the president might do or say even in the coming minutes. >> we expect the president to walk out of the white house and head out toward marine one, the official helicopter, that will take the president to andrews outside of washington d.c. we do expect now the president will make a statement on the situation in iraq within the next few minutes before he leaves the white house on this previously arranged trip. as you know, john, we've been anticipating some sort of statement from the president. yesterday he said all options are on the table. then his press secretary jay carney said except for one option, no boots on the ground in iraq. whether or not the president authorized new military action, whether air strikes, drone strikes or whatever, that certainly is on the table right now. the situation is very dire in iraq. ther

wolf starts right now. >>> i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we want to welcome our visitors from the u.s. and around the world. the fighting in iraq threatens to explode into an all out civil war. the u.s. taking steps to protect several thousands

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." a simmering scandal now boiling over in the fallout of my interview with the head of the irs. republicans are pouncing on john koskinen's remarks about irs targeting of conservative groups and calls are now growing louder for the justice department to the appoint a special prosecutor to investigate. cnn's tom foreman has details. >> john koskinen admits a few people in his agency once held up granting tax exempt stat to us some consecutive political groups. he admits e-mails possibly related to those events were lost. however, that was before he got there and he has been furiously denying talk in congress of a further conspiracy or i an cover-up. >> what i didn't hear in that was an apology to this committee. >> i don't think one is owed. >> but listen to what he is saying now to the public. >> i apologize to anybody who had their applications held up needlessly. everybody needs to be confident that the irs is going to treat them fairly no matter who they are, republicans, democrats.

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." terrorists leave a trail of blood and graphic video evidence of their crimes as they move toward baghdad. by showing off their mass executions, they seem intent on stirring up all out civil war. they're also showing of off what they claim to be captured firepower. >> iraq's air force is hitting back at the insurgents and president obama is weighing air strikes and even direct talks with iran as options to address the crisis. the united states is moving some staffers out of its embassy in baghdad and moving more troops into a different area to protect the complex. while others move into the region for possible evacuation duty. from the pentagon to iraq, our correspondents and analysts are standing by to bring you the coverage only cnn can deliver. let's begin with chief national security correspondent corporate jim sciutto. >> tonight, the president is convening his national security team to discuss options for a u.s. response including military options. we're told he will make his dec

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> new urgency in iraq right now as insurgents attack the biggest oil refinery. baghdad is bracing for a terrorist onlaslaught and askin for u.s. help namely air strikes and they look over a list of likely targets. president obama has been muddling with top lawmakers and is meeting this hour with secretary of state john kerry. our correspondents and analysts are standing by to bring you all of the coverage that only cnn can deliver. we begin with our chief national security correspondent jim shuno, jim? >> the pentagon has presented the president with several options for iraq including sending military advisers and limited air strikes. i am told there is a draft target list and that list is very fluid and constantly being re-evaluated. meanwhile, today we saw the regional implications as iraq accused saudi arabia of backing isis militants, a charge saudi arabia vehemently denied this as those militants continued their march towards baghdad. for isis mi

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we're learning chilling new details about an oregon high school shooting that has left one student and the gunman dead. police now revealing just a little while ago that a teacher was also injured in the incident and that the weapon used was a rifle. our cnn justice correspondent pamela brown is working all of the details for us. she's joining us. pamela, you're learning new information about the student. tell us what you have learned. >> that's right. we're learning from law enforcement forces that the student was reportedly wearing all black, including a helmet and bulletproof vest when he opened fire on the school this morning killing one of the students. it appears that he died from a self-inflicted wound. right now investigators are trying to piece together why the gunman did this. >> shots fired in the locker room. at least one person down. >> the burst of gunfire rang out shortly after 1:00 a.m. with more than 2800 students. >> one person is

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." right now, there's a closed door briefing on iraq for all members of the united states senate. they may be finding it pretty disturbing. u.s. officials now put the number of isis insurgents inside iraq and syria as high as 10,000. their number is growing with each stunning and savage success on the battlefield. at the same time, the pentagon now says new u.s. troops have just arrived in iraq. their mission, to try to help iraq's military counter this isis terrorist threat. the latest battle is for control of iraq's biggest-refinery. it's not clear at all if iraqi air strikes will really make much of a difference. nic robertson and arwa damon are both standing by in iraq. i'll also speak with a key iraqi insider. let's begin with our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. what are you learning? >> would he have, the latest is the pentagon a short time ago announced u.s. military advisors are back on the ground inside iraq. about 130 of them now near the e

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> we're following fresh and deadly fighting in iraq where the government says clashes between its forces and isis fighters near the syrian border now have left at least 17 militants dead and in northeastern iraq, isis forces launched an attack on a military outpost in the kurdistan region. with isis now controlling huge swathes of iraq including its second largest city, calls for the ouster of the prime minister nuri al maliki are growing louder and louder and some of his most critical support is clearly crumbling. we're of covering all angles with our correspondents and guests, our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto begins. what's the latest? >> we'll see the u.s. troop presence in iraq build up quickly. the first teams will come from american troops already in iraq stations at the embassy there. other troops from outside iraq will be sent in, we're told "very, very soon" from elsewhere in the region. and now we have secretary of state

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. the prisoner exchange that freed the captured american soldier bowe bergdahl has touched off a major legal debate. the political firestorm as well. by not notifying congress about the release of prisoners from kw guantanamo bay, did the obama administration make things worse? today, saying the obama administration should have taken a harder line in try to make a deal. >> it's not the best deal we could have gotten. it's the deal they wanted. i don't think there's any real effort. would you just take one, would you just take two? i don't think they fought very hard to not release five because they're look for ways to get rid of these people. >> our chief political analyst gloria borger has been looking into this, doing some reporting. if the president or his white house chief of staff or secretary of defense had consulted order notified members of the house and senate, might some of the political uproar have been mitigated, if you will? >> i was speaking to one national security source

wolf blitzer takes over right now. >>> defense secretary chuck hagel in the hot seat. lawmakers are grilling him on the deal to get bergdahl back and whether that puts american lives at risk. >>> the republican party is reeling from eric cantor's surprise primary loss. why did he lose? what does it mean for the future of the gop? >>> california scrapping tenure laws that protect grossly ineffective teachers. they say it's good for the kids and education. critics say it turns teachers into scapegoats. we will hear from both sides this hour. >>> i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. on capitol hill, defense secretary chuck hagel is explaining the prisoner swap that frees army sergeant bowe bergdahl from the taliban in exchange for five terrorists. did the u.s. give up too much? hagel stood firm before the house armed services committee. he called the deal legal, the right thing to do. hagel phased a tough exchange over the release of the five and the risks of having to capture them again. >> the intelligence community has said clearly that these five are not a thre

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> right now, hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing for their lives, some of the most feared terrorists in the world capture yet another major city in iraq. even government troops they're on the run, withdrawing from territory seized by an islamist group that even al qaeda views as too ruthless. iraq's future is now at risk along with the legacy of america's long and costly war there. let's get the latest from our chief national security correspondent, jim sciutto. >> you know, wolf, during the u.s. invasion of iraq, i was in mosul, takrit. to see them falling to the hands of militants is alarming. it's considered too brutal even for al qaeda, and now this group controls large parts both of syria and iraq. this is iraq, 11 years after the u.s. invasions. three years after the u.s. withdrawal. and now in a state of crisis. after capturing mosul, iraq's second largest city, islamic militants are boldly pushing on. taking over saddam hussein's homet

wolf blitzer just talked to the man who heard those words. wolf will join me next. >>> and later, a pilot who flew skydiving missions but had never been on a skydive himself, had to make an emergency jump. the only problem, once again, never jumped out of a plane before. we'll talk to him live in a minute. but first, one of cnn's newest family members, mike roe made a name for himself by getting dirty. he'll impact your world. >>> during his eight seasons of "dirty jobs," mike learned all about the hard working men and women keeping america running. he found there was a disconnect between unemployment and available jobs. >> everywhere i was going, i saw help wanted signs. everybody i talked to said how hard it was to find people who were willing to retool, retrain, learn a truly useful skill, and apply it. micro works evolved to shine a light on a lot of jobs that for whatever reason were going unloved. and then we set up a foundation and began to award work ethic scholarships. >> it's really, really great to be here. >> reporter: roe travels

i'm wolf blitzer in washington. critics of president obama's foreign policy are laying the blame of the crisis in iraq clearly on the obama administration's doorstep. here's what house speaker john boehner said a little while ago. >> it's not like we haven't seen this problem coming for over a year. it's not like we haven't seen, over the last five or six months, these terrorists moving in, taking control of western iraq. now, they've taken control of mosul, they're 100 miles from baghdad? what's the president doing? taking a nap. >> then he quickly left that podium after saying the president was taking a nap. only moments later, the president talked about the crisis but in the oval office, saying it underscores the need to partner with other countries in the middle east. >> that's part of what the counter-terrorism partnership fund that i am going to be calling for congress to help finance is all about, giving up the capacity to extend our reach without sending u.s. troops to play whack-a-mole wherever there ends u

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. the white house says bow bergdahl should not be tried in the court of public opinion. in an exclusive interview with our jim acosta, the national security adviser to the president, susan rice, says people should wait until the facts are in before judging. >> i think what we need to care most about is his health and well being and recovery. they'll be an opportunity and the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. if there is a consequence that results from that, that will be delivered. in the meantime, let's remember, this is a young man who volen tissued to serve his country. he was taken as a prisoner of war. he suffered in captivity. he's now trying to begin the process of recovery. let's let that happen and know the facts and then we can make a judgment. >> we're also learning more about bergdahl's time in captivity. our pentagon correspondent barbara starr is following that part of the story. what do we know about bergdahl's attempts to escape during tho

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com fear and tension are growing by the hour in iraq right now with isis militants seizing city after city, town after town. the sunni fighters now have a direct line to the western outskirts can of baghdad where shiite forces say they're prepared to fight to the death in a sectarian battle for control of the country. in the middle of it all, a surprise appearance today in baghdad by america's top diplomat. we're covering all thing ands of the crisis with our analysts and correspondents inside iraq as well as here in washington. our senior international correspondent nic robertson is in baghdad and he begins our coverage this hour. what is the latest? >> well, wolf, john kerry has just left the city here. he got agreements from the leading politicians here to stay committed to a timeline for forming a new government. that is quite a protracted process. in the meantime, isis fighters continue to make substantial gains in

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." a simmering scandal now boiling over in the fallout of my interview with the head of the irs. republicans are pouncing on john koskinen's remarks about

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> there is breaking news. a no fly zone is in effect. georgia authorities are all on the scene right now amid concerns the home of a suspect killed just a few hours ago in a shootout with police may be booby-trapped. one deputy was shot in the leg when a man wearing a gas mask attempted to run his car into a courthouse armed with grenades and an assault rifle. if it weren't for that deputy, this could have been a major catastrophe. we'll go live to nick valencia. let's go to our justice correspondent pamela brown. what are you learning? >> wolf, a still very active scene there on the ground in georgia as police try to figure out what dennis marx went to that courthouse this morning armed to cause a catastrophe and they say one deputy in particular prevented a major catastrophe and they also say that dennis marx was a former tsa agent for at least a year. the hail of gunfire began ringing out just before 10:00 a.m., sending passerbies fleeing and leavi

. >> and my colleague, wolf blitzer will have a special on the crisis in iraq and what it means to you. i urge you to tune in. this is an important topic and perhaps the tip of the iceberg. also, the world cup tipping off today and it is certainly not fun and games. take a look. >> there is pushing back, as you can see. got to go! >> not a good situation. a cnn crew caught in the middle as police respond to protesters. we will take you there, the latest from brazil, right after this. ♪ fill their bowl with the meaty tastes they're looking for, with friskies grillers. tender meaty pieces and crunchy bites. in delicious chicken, beef, turkey, and garden veggie flavors. friskies grillers. >>> additional breaking news out of another part of the world, south america. the world cup is officially beginning today and supposed to be a global festival of sport and excitement and unity and competition. guess what, it is not, at least not in one particular area. things are getting very ugly down there in brazil. >> reporter: got to go! >> that is our correspondent in the middle of a big mess in

i bet you can't wait to see wolf blitzer. he starts right now. thanks for being with us. >>> right now, the u.s. captures a key suspect in the benghazi attack that left four americans dead. a libyan militia leader is now in u.s. custody. the first arrest in connection with the 2012 attack. also right now, isis fighters move in closer and closer to baghdad. gun battles with the iraqi security forces are under way just north of the capital. our own anderson cooper is there. he'll join us live this hour. right now, hillary clinton getting ready to face what could be her toughestie

wolf blitzer starts right now. >>> right now, president obama's in warsaw, poland, for a four-day trip through poland. he defended his decision to swap five gitmo detainees for a captive american

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. right now, up to 300 u.s. military advisers are preparing to deploy to iraq. some arriving as early as tomorrow. their mission, to help the iraqi military gather critical intelligence on islamic militants would are taking other towns in northern iraq and moving closer and closer to the capital of baghdad. joining us in washington, robin wright, middle east analyst for the woodrow wilson center. thank you for joining us. the strategy the president has, no combat troops in iraq, but he's sending 300 special operations forces, obviously, naval seals, army age rangers, n beret, these are men and women capable of engaging in combat. what is going on here? t >> the real mission is to get on the ground and make sure the iraqi military remains cohesive. >> which it hand been. >> right, particularly as isis mosts on the capital, that that's no fleeing these forces in a way that makes baghdad vulnerable. i think to some degree they're baby-sitters, making sure these guys do what they're supposed to do. >> with reexpespe

i'm turn you over to the able hands of wolf blitzer right next door. mr. blitzer. >>> happening now, breaking news, we have new prisoner swap details, stunning images show armed taliban fighters handing over sergeant bowe bergdahl to u.s. troops. we are learning why the obama administration may have acted urgently to free him. >>> lawmakers who first cheered bergdahl's release are slamming the exchange for hard core taliban figures. i'll ask republican senator possible 2016 hopeful, marco rubio what he may have done? video surfacing of an american woman and husband who disappeared while traveling in taba

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room."

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. a court decision in utah today paves the way for a possible supreme court ruling on same sex marriage. a federal appeals court struck down utah's ban on same-sex marriage. in a 2-1 ruling, the court said the 14th amendment protects right to marry and a state cannot deny couples the right based on sex. utah officials could ask the full appeals court to review the decision or proceed directly to the u.s. supreme court. also today, a federal judge in indiana struck down that state's ban on same-sex marriage as well. here in washington, a blunt and unanimous message to police from the u.s. supreme court. get a warrant. when it comes to searching cell phones, smart phones, other mobile devices of criminal suspects without probable cause. let's bring in george washington university law professor jonathan turley. first of all, on this decision, saying that these laws banning same-sex marriage in utah, indiana, they were really unconstitutional, what do you say? >> the trend is becoming overw

. >>> hello, i'm wolf blitzer reporting pr washington. we start with two major decisions by the supreme court today and one is a significant blow for president obama. in a unanimous ruling, the justices sided with congress that its power struggle with the president over recess appointments. the court decided three appoi appointments the president made to the labor relations board during the senate's winter break in 2012 were not valid. one over abortion protests. the court struck down a massachusetts law creating a 35-foot no protest buffer zone on public property surrounding abortion clinics. more on that decision in just a moment. >>> first, more on the ruling that has a direct impact on the white house shs the congress and the struggle over the presidential powers issue. pamela brown is joining us in washington with more. unanimous decision, clear setback for the president. >> it is a unanimous decision. it's being seen as a win for congress, a defeat for the white house. when president obama appointed three people to the national labo

i'm wolf blitzer reporting from washington. we're waiting for a live news conference from las vegas. police there getting ready to brief us on the horrible shooting. two police officers and a third person yesterday by a couple who then apparently killed themselves. we'll have the latest on what's going on. we'll have live coverage. stand by for that. other news we're following, in just the past few hours, the airport in karachi, pakistan, once between opened, following an attack by the taliban last night. the military says 28 people were killed in the attack. according to the pakistani government, terrorists entered the airport with the intension of destroying as many planes as it possibly could. the taliban said this was revenge for a u.s. drone strike that killed a taliban leader last year. a remarkable meeting between the palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and the israeli president peres. they met at the vatican this weekend and prayed together for peace in the middle east. saying it was a response to people who w