It’s Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Thanks for choosing to start here.
1. Trump orders withdrawal of troops from Syria
President Donald Trump on Wednesday surprised both congressional and military leaders by declaring victory over ISIS in Syria and saying roughly 2,000 troops would be pulled back within the next 30 days.
ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce says even the president’s closest allies are voicing displeasure with the move, while ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz says Turkey likely had something to do with Trump’s decision.
2. Controversy surrounds proposed island community for Rohingya refugees
For the last several years, ABC News has been reporting on the Rohingya, the Muslim minority being pushed out of their homes and fleeing state-sponsored violence.
The U.N. has said persecutions of the Rohingya should be investigated as a genocide.
While most of the refugees live in crowded camps in Bangladesh, authorities are proposing to move 100,000 of them to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.
ABC News’ Bob Woodruff has been to the island and tells us what he saw.
3. MLB reaches landmark deal with Cuban Baseball Federation
Yesterday, Major League Baseball reached an agreement with its Players Association and the Cuban Baseball Federation that will allow Cuban players to pursue a career in baseball’s top league without defecting — similar to how players from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan join MLB.
ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez, a former major league player whose father emigrated from Cuba, tells us about the policy and what it means for Cubans moving forward.
Other news:
‘I realized that we had very unfortunately convicted the wrong man’: A Kansas man gets $1.1 million after spending 17 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
‘Each and every one of these episodes illustrates the fundamental fact that Mark Zuckerberg, shareholders, directors, employees and users would benefit enormously by bringing in an independent board chair’: Facebook, according to The New York Times, gave about a dozen companies access to the data of 2.2 billion users without their consent.
‘The American people have the right to know if the President is working in his own personal best interest to support his pocket book, or whether he is working in theirs’: Democrats vow to investigate the Trump Organization.
‘I just wanted to make sure that I made the trip and I had a chance to see all of you guys’: Barack Obama delivers gifts to a children’s hospital.
From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:
How Cable News Covered Mueller In 2018: MSNBC mentioned him almost every day. Fox News mentioned him less.
Last ‘Nightline’:
The ‘floating island’ where Bangladesh wants to send thousands of Rohingya refugees: “Nightline” visited a remote island where Bangladesh wants to house the thousands escaping genocide in Myanmar — but many Rohingya, now in camps, don’t want to relocate again.
A holiday tradition: Inside the success of Hallmark movies: The undisputed queen of the Hallmark universe takes us into the booming holiday industry, and good-hearted critics of ‘Deck the Hallmark’ break down why they’re so beloved.
On this day in history:
Dec. 20, 2002 — Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi resigns as majority leader after making racist remarks.
The must-see photo:
House Speaker Paul Ryan pauses as he gives his farewell speech in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington. (photo credit: Carolyn Kaster/AP)
For more great photos from around the world, click HERE.
Socially acceptable:
Hundreds of carolers come together to fulfill the dying wish of a 78-year-old Canadian man who has terminal lung cancer.
All right, you’re off and running. You can always 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 tomorrow.
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