'Start Here' podcast: Sky-high stakes

It's Friday, April 6, 2018. Here are some of the stories we're talking about on ABC News' new daily podcast, "Start Here."

1. Stormy silence broken

Yesterday in West Virginia, President Trump went off-script speaking at a roundtable that was supposed to focus on taxes. He went on at length about illegal immigration and mentioned the so-called caravan of migrants making its way through Mexico while also repeating claims about widespread voter fraud.

Those were things we've heard before.

But up in the sky on Air Force One, the president addressed something in public for the very first time – Stormy Daniels. ABC News Chief National Correspondent Tom Llamas says Trump had been noticeably silent on the case until now.

2. Syria strikes: 1 year later

One year ago, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria.

It was a defining moment for a new president, barely two months into his term, and two days after a gruesome chemical weapons attack on civilians. Now, the president is announcing his desire to pull U.S. troops out of the country.

ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz says leaving Syria could reverse years of military progress in the fight against ISIS.

3. Mueller's musings

This week, the public learned that the special counsel’s team told President Donald Trump’s lawyers that the president remains under investigation but is not a criminal target, which was first reported by the Washington Post and multiple sources familiar with the conversations confirmed to ABC News. The Washington Post also reported that Mueller’s team is preparing a report about the president’s actions while in office and that the president’s allies think a second report detailing their findings on Russia’s interference could follow.

ABC's Lauren Pearle says how much information the public ends up seeing is entirely up to Mueller.

4. Santa Rosa recovery slowed

In Santa Rosa California, where deadly wildfires blazed through last October, families continue to rebuild - or at least they're trying to.

Some families say the problem isn't a lack of resolve, it's a lack of money. And these are people who had homeowners' insurance - hundreds of families who say they're just finding out now that they're under-insured.

We speak to Lauren Thompson, a homeowner in the area who says the money she thought her family would be getting to rebuild never materialized.

5. Stoneman Douglas teens driving gun conversation

The survivors of the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida are continuing to demand politicians to act on guns.

They packed a town hall in Florida this week. But tomorrow, we're going to see a lot of town halls across the country, and those students from Stoneman Douglas are asking fellow teenagers to flood the zone.

FiveThirtyEight editor-in-chief Nate Silver says these students could help drive the gun conversation in favor of the Democratic party.

6. Therapists helping with homework

When you were growing up and you didn't do your homework, what happened? Chances are, someone got very mad at you.

Well, right now in New York, you can hire someone to prod your kid along and at the same time, help them discover what's holding them back at school.

We speak to Amy Margolis, a neuropsychologist who coined the term “homework therapist.”

"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.

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