'Start Here': Trump blasts prosecutors in Roger Stone case, thanks DOJ for sentencing reversal
Here's what you need to know to start your day.
It's Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. Let's start here.
1. Barr 'taking charge'
As Democratic lawmakers demand investigations into the Department of Justice's decision to reverse its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone, President Donald Trump doubled down on Wednesday, blasting the four prosecutors who apparently resigned over the decision and congratulating Attorney General William Barr for "taking charge."
But Trump insists he did not speak to the Department of Justice before the decision for a more lenient sentence, despite tweeting on Monday that the initial recommendation of seven to nine years in prison was a "horrible and very unfair situation."
In November, Stone was convicted on seven counts including five counts of lying to Congress, one count each of witness tampering and obstruction of a proceeding.
Department officials are acknowledging to reporters that the situation was "totally bungled," according to ABC News' Alex Mallin on "Start Here" today.
"The excuse for this, essentially, is that senior department leadership was completely caught off guard by the recommendation that was put forward by these front-line prosecutors," he says. "But that messaging with the president constantly tweeting, congratulating the attorney general for making this decision, it's impossible to really separate the political implications that have entered what is a really contentious issue now with the sentencing of Roger Stone."
2. U.S. forces under fire
"Gunmen surrounded the vehicles, they fired into the air with AK-47s."
U.S. forces came under fire at a Syrian regime checkpoint while they were on patrol near the Turkish-Syrian border. ABC News Foreign Correspondent James Longman was embedded with the U.S. troops still on the hunt for ISIS in Syria when it happened.
"It just goes to show just how difficult the situation remains here in Syria," he tells "Start Here."
3. 'After Parkland'
Two years after a gunman stormed Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the survivors of the tragedy and the victims' families tell their stories of activism and finding purpose in the ABC Documentaries' film "After Parkland."
ABC News' producers Emily Taguchi and Jake Lefferman were on the ground for the making of the movie and witnessed many of the Parkland students' healing firsthand.
"I would say activism takes many forms and for the students, a big part of it is to be able to talk about their experience, making sure that their stories don't fade from the media, from the national conscious, and in the hopes that nobody else in no other community has to go through what they went through," Taguchi tells the podcast.
'After Parkland' is now screening in select theaters nationwide to commemorate the second anniversary.
"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.
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