'Start Here': Whistleblower complaint revealed and acting DNI director testifies
It's Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. Let's start here.
1. Complaint controversy
For the first time, the public got to see a declassified version of a whistleblower complaint regarding President Donald Trump’s communications with the Ukrainian president and how those records were handled after it was released by the House Intelligence Committee.
In the document, the whistleblower described being concerned after Trump pressured the Ukranian leader to work with his personal attorney Rudy Guiliani and Attorney General William Barr to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
The whistleblower also described hearing from White House officials that “that they were ‘directed’ by White House lawyers to remove the electronic transcript from the computer system in which such transcripts are typically stored for coordination, finalization, and distribution to Cabinet-level officials."
President Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
ABC News Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer and ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams tell us what’s in the complaint and how it impacts the impeachment conversation.
2. DNI director speaks
Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire was grilled for hours on Capitol Hill Thursday about his handling of the complaint.
He defended the whistleblower and said he followed guidelines when he initially refused to turn the complaint over to Congress.
ABC News Senior Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce tells “Start Here” that “there are signs of a growing concern amongst Republicans” after reading the complaint.
3. State of the GM strike
The brakes could soon be pumped on the United Auto Workers strike at General Motors.
As the strike nears its second full week, a UAW source familiar with the matter tells ABC News that a deal could be struck by as soon as this weekend.
A GM spokesperson told ABC News Thursday that, "We continue to talk and our goal remains to reach an agreement that builds a stronger future for our employees and our company."
Keondris Howell, one of the workers currently on strike, tells the show why this issue is so personal to him.
4. Accounting for chaos
The NTSB is out with new safety recommendations which press certifiers to account for “real-world” chaos that can unfold in the air in the wake of two deadly Boeing 737 Max crashes.
The FAA responded in a statement saying safety is its first priority and it welcomed the NTSB's recommendations.
ABC News Senior transportation correspondent David Kerley explains to “Start Here” that “what the NTSB is saying that the FAA should tell Boeing you got to test for everything.”
"Start Here," ABC News' flagship podcast, offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or the ABC News app. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content and show updates.
Elsewhere:
'We mean business': Chicago public school teachers vote to strike if deal with the city can't be reached.
'Not on the right path': A senior U.S. official issues a strong new warning to Myanmar on Rohingya, amid growing concerns about refugees' future.
'A drastic reduction': The Trump administration is slashing the nation's refugee program, capping the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. in 2020 at 18,000.
From our friends at FiveThirtyEight:
FiveThirtyEight's Sarah Frostenson takes a look at what went down in Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire’s whistleblower testimony Thursday.
Doff your cap:
Every year nature photographers from around the globe enter their submissions to the Comedy Wildlife Photography awards. From smiling insects to shocked, furry otters the competition highlights some candid moments of Mother Nature's most spectacular wildlife.
In this photo, a red squirrel gathers dandelion seeds in Sweden. Click the image to see the full slide show.
2019 Comedy Wildlife Competition Finalists
The yearly competition looks to showcase the best comedic images in wildlife photography.
