National Security Adviser Susan Rice returns to State of the Union for a wide ranging interview about Obama’s foreign policy blueprint and of course, Benghazi.
Plus, the last American soldier held captive in Afghanistan, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held for nearly five years, is released in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees. House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers, General Jim Jones, and diplomat Nick Burns are live in our studio with their reaction.
Also joining us, former Senator Jim Webb, combat veteran and author of "I Heard My Country Calling.” What is his country saying to him following Eric Shinseki’s high-profile exit from the Department of Veterans Affairs?
Sunday at 9am and Noon ET.
By CNN's Deena Zaru
President Obama reaffirmed Wednesday in his commencement speech at West Point that the United States will not intervene militarily in Syria, stating that there is “no military solution that can eliminate the terrible suffering anytime soon.”
Taking boots on the ground off the table, the President supports a collaborative and political approach. He pledged to work with Congress to “ramp up” support for elements of the Syrian opposition who "offer the best alternative to terrorists and a brutal dictator."
By CNN's Tracey Webb
Get your daily scoop of what State of the Union is watching today, May 30, 2014
1. Shinseki resigns. President Obama announced that he accepted VA Secretary Eric Shinseki's resignation "with considerable regret." He offered praise for Shinseki, calling his commitment to veterans "unquestioned," but added Shinseki did not want to be a distraction. "His priority is to fix the problem and make sure our vets are getting the care they need," Obama said. "That was Rick's judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, and I agree." Shinseki had been under increasing fire since CNN first reported delayed medical appointments and phony bookkeeping at a VA hospital in Phoenix. By Thursday, more than 100 members of Congress had called for Shinseki's resignation.
By CNN's Tracey Webb
Get your daily scoop of what State of the Union is watching today, May 29, 2014
1. VA crisis. A growing list of Democrats is calling for VA chief Eric Shinseki's ouster, after a preliminary report by the VA Inspector General's office found at least 1,700 military veterans who sought medical care were never scheduled for an appointment and were never placed on a wait list at a VA hospital in Phoenix. Since Wednesday, Democratic Senators Mark Udall of Colorado, John Walsh of Montana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Al Franken of Minnesota, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Warner of Virginia, and Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico have said Shinseki should resign. All but Heinrich are up for re-election this year. With the White House acknowledging that Shinseki is on "thin ice" pending the outcome of the IG's investigation, it many now be a matter of not of if, but when, President Obama cuts the retired four-star general loose.
By CNN's Tracey Webb
Get your daily scoop of what State of the Union is watching today, May 28, 2014
1. Obama's foreign policy. President Obama pushed back against critics of his record and outlined his vision for how the U.S. should deal with global challenges. In a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the President said America will be the "one indispensable nation for the century to come," and should never shy away from military action when necessary. But he also told those attending the graduation ceremony that "U.S. military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance." Obama urged Congress to support new fund that would focus U.S. efforts on counter-terrorism efforts in the Middle East and Africa.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) & Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on the VA scandal.
Penny Lee, Corey Dade, and Alex Castellanos on the optics of a presidential multitasker.
Wes Moore, an Army combat veteran, & Executive Producer of PBS's "Coming Back" talks to Candy Crowley about how to help veterans coming home.
As Pope Francis travels to the Holy Land, we take a look back at some pivotal papal pronouncements.
By CNN's Deena Zaru
Pope Francis is making his first trip to the Middle East since becoming the leader of Catholic Church last year. And while the spotlight shines on two cities he will visit, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Palestinian Christians in Gaza and the West Bank, hope to participate in this religious pilgrimage as well.
Palestinians in the West Bank need permits to enter Jerusalem. During religious holidays, the Israeli government allows a small number of Palestinian Christians to visit the holy sites there.