'Start Here': More fighting reported amid Syrian ceasefire and Tulsi Gabbard fights back against 'Russian grooming' allegations
Here's what you need to know to start your day.
It's Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. Let's start here.
1. Tenuous ceasefire
Despite a deal struck Thursday by the U.S. and Turkey to pause Turkey’s offensive in northeastern Syria for 120 hours, eyewitnesses in the region reported shelling that continued in to the weekend.
"We put out a joint statement which we think will really save lives. It's worked so far," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on ABC News "This Week" Sunday, adding that he had just received a report from his senior advisers that indicated there was relatively little fighting still in Syria.
ABC News’ James Longman joins the show from Iraq and tells us Kurdish officials fear the agreement just paves the way for ethnic cleansing against their people.
2. Gabbard the Russian agent?
Hillary Clinton suggested over the weekend, without evidence, that Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is being "groomed" by the Russians to disrupt the 2020 presidential election.
Gabbard has vehemently denied the accusation.
Clinton made the comments on the “Campaign HQ with David Plouffe” podcast without mentioning Gabbard by name.
ABC News Deputy Political Director MaryAlice Parks says Clinton and Gabbard have a history dating back to the 2016 election.
3. Opioids on trial
Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday in Ohio in the first federal trial over the country's opioid epidemic after settlement talks broke down.
All the companies involved have denied any legal wrongdoing.
ABC News Senior Investigative reporter Aaron Katersky tells "Start Here" that the squabbling involves where potential settlement money would be allocated: "The cities and towns really want to control how the money is spent because they're the ones that are affected."
"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:
Tragic training exercise: Three soldiers were killed and another three injured in an accident at Fort Stewart when their Bradley Fighting Vehicle flipped over into water during a training session.
'Outraged, disgusted, and heartbroken': A weekend of violence culminated with the tragic shooting of a 2-year-old child in Philadelphia on Sunday. The shooting came less than 24 hours after an 11-month-old was shot four times in the city.
'We need to talk about the cost': After taking shots from all sides during the fourth Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she will finally release details of how she will fund Medicare for All in the coming weeks.
On again, off again: President Donald Trump tweeted late Saturday he had decided not to hold next year's G-7 summit at his Doral golf club after all. The move, announced last week, had earned derision from both sides of the aisle.
From our friends at FiveThirtyEight:
We Sought Out Some PR Advice For The White House After Its Very Bad Week: Rihanna once sang, "Nobody text me in a crisis." She would not be very useful in impeachment inquiry-era Washington.
Doff your cap:
The heroic actions of an Oregon high school football coach are getting renewed attention after authorities released stunning surveillance footage over the weekend.
Keanon Lowe, a star wide receiver at the University of Oregon, is the coach at Parkrose High School, and he didn't hesitate to step into action when a student brought a shotgun into a classroom back in May.
Lowe, also a security guard on campus, wrestled with the student over the gun in the classroom -- as students ran for safety -- before the video shows him hugging the student, taking away the gun and handing it over to another teacher.
"This was a best-case scenario," Portland Police Sgt. Brad Yakots said at the time. "The staff members from all accounts did an excellent job."