'Start Here': White House official to testify he reported concerns over Ukraine call
Here's what you need to know to start your day.
It's Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. Let's start here.
1. Another testimony
A national security official who listened to President Donald Trump's July phone call with the Ukrainian president is expected to tell House impeachment investigators he was so troubled by what he heard that he reported his concerns to a White House lawyer.
"I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government’s support of Ukraine," says Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's Director of European Affairs, in a copy of his opening remarks obtained by ABC News.
Vindman's expected testimony today comes as House Democrats say there will be a vote Thursday on a resolution outlining the next steps in the impeachment inquiry amid criticism from Trump and Republicans who have blasted their handling of the investigation.
"This is the latest sign that they're moving into a new phase in this inquiry," ABC News' Benjamin Siegel tells "Start Here" today. "They're ready to bring it out from behind closed doors into the public eye."
2. The future of ISIS
The death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a victory in the fight against terrorism and a blow to the terror group, but ABC News Senior Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell warns ISIS is down, not out.
"Killing the head of the beast is not slaying the beast," he says.
3. Boyfriend suicide case
A former Boston College student has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after a grand jury found she encouraged her boyfriend to take his own life by sending thousands of "abusive" text messages.
The indictment comes just months after another woman was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for sending texts telling her boyfriend to act on his suicidal thoughts.
Prosecutors again concluding that in some cases a campaign of words can lead to manslaughter charges: "Just because you're not pulling the trigger, shooting the gun or pushing someone off of a building to their death, doesn't mean that those words that you sent can't be resurfaced," ABC News' Eva Pilgrim says.
4. Surgical tool shortage?
The Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns about medical device availability, warning of closures of certain sterilization facilities due to elevated levels of ethylene oxide, which can be hazardous for people living near the plants.
The products impacted include critical surgical kits used in emergency Caesarean sections, as well as cardiac surgery and hip or knee replacement surgeries, according to the FDA.
"That presents a real problem because how do you tell a family that the reason their child or their loved one can't get the treatment the doctors say they need [if] the company isn't producing it or the equipment can't be cleaned," ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs says.
"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:
'A tremendous service': A Belgian Mallinois played one of the most crucial roles in a top-secret U.S. military operation in Syria on Sunday, racing through an underground tunnel and cornering one of the world's most sought-after terrorists.
'We are heartbroken': Former U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., died on Monday in her home in Greensboro, North Carolina, according to her family. She was 66.
'We need your help': Police in Indiana have released surveillance video in an effort to identify those responsible for a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a 27-year-old woman.
'Pouring salt on the open wounds': The grandfather, who was with his 18-month-old granddaughter when she fatally fell from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, has been arrested and charged with negligent homicide, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice announced.
From our friends at FiveThirtyEight:
'Qualifying for the December debates will be difficult for many democrats': New rules released by the Democratic National Committee could be a thorn in the side of many candidates who have previously qualified for recent debates.
Doff your cap:
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