Visits: 2
It’s Oct. 1, 2019. Let’s start here.
1. Barr’s conversations draw scrutiny
As a part of his review of the origins of the investigation into members of President Trump‘s 2016 campaign, Attorney General William Barr has asked President Trump on several occasions to initiate introductions between him and the leaders of Australia and Italy, among other countries, a Department of Justice official with direct knowledge of the calls told ABC News on Monday.
“As the Department of Justice has previously announced, a team led by U.S. Attorney John Durham is investigating the origins of the U.S. counterintelligence probe of the Trump 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Durham is gathering information from numerous sources, including a number of foreign countries,” Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement.
Meanwhile, three House committees subpoenaed President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani for documents relating to Ukraine as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry.
”I have received a Committee subpoena from 3 Committees of the House. It raises substantial constitutional and legal issues as well as attorney-client and other privileges. These and other issues must all be considered before a proper decision can be made,” Giuliani said in a statement Monday evening.
Also, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was among administration officials who listened in on the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Zelensky.
ABC News Senior National correspondent Terry Moran tells “Start Here” that the president is “on a warpath now to get to the bottom of how he was attacked,” while ABC News’ Katherine Faulders explains that some Democrats want Giuliani to continue talking in public about his actions on behalf of the president: “he’s essentially giving them multiple different investigative threads every single time he’s on television.”
2. Jury gets Guyger trial
A Texas jury began deliberations on Monday in the case of Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer accused of the murder of Botham Jean.
Guyger says she entered Jean’s apartment one floor above her own by mistake and shot Jean, who was in his own home, thinking he was an intruder.
“For almost 13 months, the family of Botham Jean has been waiting for justice,” Ben Crump, the lawyer for Jean’s family, said in a statement. “Today, with the case in the jury’s hands, we pray for a just verdict and a peaceful response in the community.”
ABC News’ Marcus Moore tells “Start Here” that Guyger’s defense team is leaning on the “Castle Doctrine,” which allows people to use lethal force inside their home even though the shooting did not occur in Guyger’s apartment.
Deliberations resume this morning at 9:30am ET.
3. NCAA v. California
California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that will allow college athletes to make money from endorsements, prompting a challenge from the NCAA.
The first-in-the-nation law will also permit student-athletes to hire agents.
In a statement, the NCAA said it will consider its “next steps” while also moving forward with “efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.”
The NCAA also argues that the law gives California a recruiting advantage, which could lead to the removal of schools in the state.
Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tells the “Start Here” podcast why he believes the law is a step in the right direction.
“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:
‘Copies of images and videos’: A former Yahoo engineer admits to hacking 6,000 accounts looking for explicit photos.
‘Knowingly working as a courier’: An alleged Chinese spy has been caught passing along information about the U.S. government, federal officials say.
‘In accordance with the law:’ Watchdogs and experts debunk Trump’s claim that the whistleblower rules changed before the whistleblower’s Aug. 12 complaint was made.
From our friends at FiveThirtyEight:
Clare Malone asks, Is Joe Biden really the front-runner?
Doff your cap:
A mysterious woman who captivated Los Angeles police with her commanding operatic singing voice and went viral after they posted a video on Twitter, has been identified.
The video shows Emily Zamourka singing as she stands with bags on the platform of an underground Metro stop in Los Angeles.
4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices…sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful. pic.twitter.com/VzlmA0c6jX
The aria, “O mio babbino caro,” from the opera Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini, is well-loved by opera buffs.
