'Start Here': Trump's border wall national emergency, Amazon dumps New York City, Andrew McCabe speaks out
What you need to know to start your day.
It's Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. Let's start here.
1. Build in case of emergency
Both houses of Congress on Thursday passed a border security funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
In a surprise announcement before the Senate vote, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said President Donald Trump would sign the bill but also declare a national emergency to secure more border wall funding.
ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran and ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce walk us through the ramifications.
2. Undeliverable
Amazon said on Thursday it was abandoning plans to build a headquarters in New York City after pushback from local politicians, unions and residents.
"We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion -- we love New York," read a statement from the company, which said it won't pursue another location at this time.
Many locals balked at giving the Seattle-based retail giant $3 billion in tax incentives. Amazon's market cap at the end of trading on Thursday was more than $797 billion.
We talk to New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
3. McCabe talks Trump
Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe said in an interview airing on "60 Minutes" that he ordered an investigation into Trump in order to preserve inquiries into Russian interference in U.S. elections.
ABC News' Jack Date tells us McCabe says he was especially concerned how Trump was portraying the firing of James Comey.
4. The '1040 surprise'
Many Americans are seeing smaller tax refunds this year, a byproduct of the 2017 tax bill.
Refunds have decreased about 8.7 percent from a year ago, according to IRS data, and Treasury Department officials have said it's because people are withholding less and taking home larger paychecks throughout the year.
ABC News' Devin Dwyer breaks it down.
Elsewhere:
'Kids are still dying today': On the one-year anniversary of 17 murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, hundreds of student journalists from across the U.S. team up to share stories of the approximately 1,200 young people shot to death since then.
'Jones is the chief amplifier for a group that has worked in concert to create and propagate loathsome, false narratives': The host of Infowars will have to undergo a sworn deposition in Connecticut, where he's being sued by a group that includes family members of some of the 26 people murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
'My KKK friends will burn your family': Bodycam footage reveals a white woman accused of drunken driving threatening a black police officer.
'Horrendous acts of violence': After at least 200 attempts, the U.S. Senate finally passes a bill to make lynching a federal hate crime.
'Entrapment': Convicted felon Bill Cosby describes the mandatory counseling sessions he's refusing to attend.
From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:
Trump keeps doubling down on the same failed strategy: Indeed, the act of declaring a national emergency to build a wall is even more unpopular than the wall itself -- and the wall isn't popular.
Last 'Nightline':
Questions swirl over 'Empire' star's alleged racist attack: Jussie Smollett told ABC News, "I've never been some stunt queen," but Chicago police are investigating whether two "persons of interest" were involved in the attack -- or whether it even happened.
How this climber made a solo journey up Yosemite's El Capitan with no gear: Alex Honnold's ascent to the top of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park is depicted in the National Geographic documentary "Free Solo."
On this day in history:
Feb. 15, 2003: Millions protest the Iraq War.
The must-see photo:
Newlyweds Jennifer and Paul Raffa pose for a photograph with the Robert Indiana sculpture "LOVE" at John F. Kennedy Plaza in Philadelphia. (photo credit: Matt Rourke/AP)
For more great photos from around the world, CLICK HERE.
Socially acceptable:
A slow-motion scare for cruise ship passengers occurs as heavy winds push the Norwegian Epic into a pair of moorings in Puerto Rico.
All right, you're off and running. Get the latest news on ABCNews.com and on the ABC News app. Details on how to subscribe to the "Start Here" podcast are below. See you Monday.
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