'Start Here' podcast: The game plan
President Trump says "we have come a long way with North Korea."
It's Thursday, April 19, 2018. Here are some of the stories we're talking about on ABC News' new daily podcast, "Start Here."
1. Meeting talk at Mar-a-Lago
It was the summit no one thought possible. Then progress was inching along. Well now, the prospect of President Donald Trump meeting face-to-face with Kim Jong Un has taken a giant leap forward this week.
White House officials confirm that CIA Director and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo made a secret trip to meet the North Korean leader over Easter to help set up the meeting. Yesterday, at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said, "We have come a long way with North Korea."
ABC News' chief White House correspondent says the president is looking to create a major world moment with this meeting.
2. Pompeo primer
The lead-up to the meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un took a giant leap forward this week, when officials revealed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a secret trip to meet with the North Korean leader.
Pompeo stands to become the next Secretary of State, but he has to get confirmed first. And the White House is saying this trip should help his cause.
ABC's Conor Finnegan says there is concern by some at the State Department about Pompeo's ability to lead the rank and file.
3. Olympic athletes open up about abuse
Yesterday, four elite former athletes came before the Senate to share their stories of sexual abuse and of predators, they say, who were enabled by the authorities in their sports.
Former speed skater Bridie Farrell opens up about her story of abuse and how the Olympic institution failed her in her time of need.
4. Mid-air heroics
The airline industry is still shaken up after the first death over American soil in nearly a decade.
In Philadelphia, as investigators check out the Southwest plane that lost an engine, we've learned that the victim, who was partially sucked out of a window, died of blunt-force trauma.
But one person may have prevented that one death from becoming hundreds.
Tammi Jo Shults not only guided the plane to safety, but passengers said she walked back afterwards and talked to every one of them individually.
ABC News Senior Transportation Correspondent David Kerley tells us investigators are looking closely at the engine that failed to make sure it's not part of a pattern.
5. GRAMMYs on the Hill
You're likely to see crowds in Washington for a really interesting lecture at a think tank. So, imagine the excitement when the nation's biggest musical acts come to town.
Artists including Little Big Town, Alabama Shakes and Lisa Loeb descended on D.C. for a concert.
These people are paid to melt your heart on cue. You know what that's called on Capitol Hill? A really good lobbyist.
Today, they're hitting the halls of Congress and telling members to support the Music Modernization Act, which would set up a new system for tracking streaming plays and paying artists. We caught up with some of them on the red carpet.
"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.