'Start Here' podcast: Fog of horror
Here are some of the stories we're talking about.
It's Monday, April 9, 2018. Here are some of the stories we're talking about on ABC News' new daily podcast, "Start Here."
1. Suffering in Syria
It's been just over a year since the U.S. launched Tomahawk missiles into Syria in response to chemical weapons being used on civilians.
On Saturday, horrific images emerged out of Douma, east of Damascus, showing Syrians foaming at the mouth and children suffocating and being hosed off, in another apparent chemical attack. President Donald Trump called the alleged incident "mindless" and slammed “President Putin, Russia and Iran” for backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The region has suffered months of attacks, but ABC News' senior foreign correspondent Ian Pannell tells us why these strikes are different and how the world may respond.
2. View from the border
The White House said it's deploying as many as 4,000 National Guardsmen to the U.S.-Mexico border over the next several months -- and some are on the move right now. The reason, according to homeland security and counterterrorism adviser Tom Bossert, is a big bump in the number of illegal border crossings last month.
We speak to Sister Norma Pimentel, head of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. She said that while more people have come across the border in recent months, the situation does not call for military intervention.
3. Congress tackles confirmations
Congress is back in session after a two-week recess.
An increasing number of people at the Capitol are saying they don't expect members to accomplish much between now and the midterms. But, even if they're not passing laws, members of Congress will face plenty of big decisions in the coming weeks. Among them, whether to confirm Trump's latest Cabinet selections.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and current ABC News contributor Col. Stephen Ganyard said Trump’s pick to lead the CIA will draw plenty of scrutiny from both sides of the aisle.
4. Kushner's passion project
Amid the blaring headlines and palace intrigue engulfing the White House, Jared Kushner, the president's adviser and son-in-law, has been quietly pursuing a personal passion project: prison reform.
In the last year, Kushner has met with 11 governors and dozens of members of Congress. Even in an administration that takes pride in a "tough on crime" approach, Kushner got Trump to mention it in his State of the Union address.
ABC News' Jordyn Phelps said Kushner is finding pushback from unlikely sources on this issue.
"Start Here" is a daily ABC News podcast hosted by Brad Mielke featuring original reporting on stories that are driving the national conversation. Listen for free at Apple Podcasts -- also available on TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio and the ABC News app.
Follow @StartHereABC on social for exclusive content, show updates and more: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.