It’s Thursday, March 7, 2019. Let’s start here.
1. ‘We are appalled’
Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, during a congressional hearing on military sexual assault on Wednesday, said a superior officer raped her when she was in the Air Force.
“I also am a military sexual assault survivor, but unlike so many brave survivors, I didn’t report being sexually assaulted,” McSally said. “Like so many women and men, I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways.”
The Air Force responded in a statement: “The criminal actions reported today by Senator McSally violate every part of what it means to be an Airman. We are appalled and deeply sorry for what Senator McSally experienced and we stand behind her and all victims of sexual assault. We are steadfast in our commitment to eliminate this reprehensible behavior and breach of trust in our ranks.”
ABC News’ Elizabeth McLaughlin and Stephanie Ramos join us to discuss McSally’s story and sexual assault statistics in the military.
2. Dems divided on anti-Semitism response
In the same week House Democrats are preparing to vote on signature anti-corruption legislation, leadership is contemplating a resolution condemning anti-Semitism in response to comments about America’s relationship with Israel made by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.
While her comments outraged Republicans and some members of her own party, the freshman congresswoman has drawn support from the younger wing of Democrats that feels Omar is being singled out. The debate is testing the patience of House leaders.
“This is not the debate that Democrats want to be having right now,” ABC News’ Ben Siegel tells us.
3. R. Kelly back behind bars
R. Kelly is back in custody a day after an explosive interview on CBS in which he denied allegations of sexual abuse.
The embattled singer was arrested after appearing in court for failing to pay $161,000 in child support. He’ll remain in custody until he pays that in full, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.
Last month, he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse following the release of Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly,” a docuseries that covered decades of accusations.
In the CBS interview, Kelly, who was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008, fired back for the first time since his most recent charges, at one point jumping out of his chair, causing a publicist to step in as the singer loudly professed his innocence.
Brad Garrett, an ABC News contributor and former FBI special agent, and Laura Richards, a criminal behavioral analyst, join us to talk about his interview and the case.
Elsewhere:
‘One of the things about being a Blockbuster is the kinship we all share’: The last Blockbuster store on the planet is thriving in Bend, Oregon, where new members are signing up daily.
‘We don’t currently have a strong reputation for building privacy protective services’: Facebook announces plans to build a privacy-focused platform.
‘This is not going to be the last CEO running for president of the United States’: Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who vowed in January she would “go in and impeach the motherf—–” shortly after she was sworn in, is planning to do just that.
From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:
PSG’s collapse completes a week of Champions League mayhem: Just half of the second-leg games in the Champions League’s round of 16 are complete, and already two titans of the sport are gone thanks to a youthful rebellion and instant replay. The prediction models are as surprised as the rest of us.
Is it a clown question to ask why Bryce Harper’s stats are down?: For starters, Harper’s defensive metrics fell off a cliff last season.
Last ‘Nightline’:
The debate around Kylie Jenner’s ‘self-made’ billionaire title: Forbes dubbed the 21-year-old cosmetics mogul the youngest “self-made” billionaire ever, leading to a flurry of reactions around what it really means to make your own fortune.
‘Jeopardy’ host Alex Trebek diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer: The legendary host said he plans to “fight this.”
On this day in history:
March 7, 2009: NASA launches the Kepler telescope.
The must-see photo:
Jessica Taylor prays in front of a cross for Jonathan Bowen, 9, at a makeshift memorial for tornado victims in Beauregard, Alabama. (photo credit: David Goldman/AP)
For more great photos from around the world CLICK HERE.
Socially acceptable:
Dashcam video shows a pickup lose control and almost collide head-on with a semi in Michigan.
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 “Start Here” are below. See you tomorrow.
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