Transcript for ABC News Live: Grand Jury in Trump hush money case not meeting Wednesday
YOU'LL YOU'RE STREAMING
"ABC NEWS LIVE" AND GOOD
AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
I'M KYRA PHILLIPS TODAY ON ABC
NEWS LIVE, DONALD TRUMP FACING
A POSSIBLE INDICTMENT.
THE GRAND JURY IN THE STORMY
DANIELS HUSH MONEY
INVESTIGATION WEIGHING
POTENTIAL CHARGES.
THE LATEST FROM NEW YORK AND
THE MAJOR NEW DECISION IN THAT
SEPARATE CASE INVOLVING
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AT
MAR-A-LAGO IS SHOCKING.
ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS IN
UKRAINE, INCLUDING A MISSILE
SLAMMING INTO AN APARTMENT
COMPLEX.
WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THOSE
STRIKES JUST ONE DAY AFTER
CHINA'S PRESIDENT MET
WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN IN MOSCOW
AND MEMBERS, ONLY CLUBS POPPING
UP IN CITIES ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
NOW, TWO BROTHERS FOLLOWING
SUIT WITH AN EMPOWERING TWIST.
WE'LL TAKE YOU INSIDE HQ, D.C.
HOUSE.
BUT WE DO BEGIN WITH THE
DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
FIRST IN NEW YORK .
SOURCES TELLING US THAT A GRAND
JURY IS NOT MEETING TODAY AS IT
CONSIDERS POTENTIAL CHARGES
AGAINST TRUMP IN THE STORMY
DANIELS HUSH MONEY
INVESTIGATION.
WELL, THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS
ACKNOWLEDGED PAYING THE STAR
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND
,BUT HE SAYS HE DID NOTHING
WRONG.
PROSECUTORS SEE IT DIFFERENTLY
AND ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER HE
POTENTIALLY VIOLATED ELECTION
LAWS AND FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS
WHILE TRYING TO CONCEAL
THE MATTER.
ALL OF THIS IS COMING AS WE
LEARN OF A MAJOR
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THAT
SEPARATE SPECIAL COUNSEL
INVESTIGATION INTO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT'S HANDLING OF
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AT HIS
MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE.
SOURCES TELLING US THAT A TOP
FEDERAL JUDGE HAS RULED
PROSECUTORS HAVE PRESENTED
PRETTY COMPELLING PRELIMINARY
EVIDENCE THAT TRUMP KNOWINGLY
AND DELIBERATELY MISLED HIS OWN
LAWYERS IN THAT CASE.
TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED
MISHANDLING DOCUMENTS, AND THE
MOVE COULD HAVE HUGE
IMPLICATIONS FOR HIS DEFENSE.
>> A LOT TO TALK ABOUT HERE
AND PUT INTO CONTEXT
ABC NEWS SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER AARON KATERSKY THERE
IN LOWER MANHATTAN.
ALSO OUR SENIOR REPORTER,
KATHERINE FAULDERS IS HERE IN
THE BUREAU IN D.C. AARON,
STARTING WITH THIS HUSH MONEY
INVESTIGATION EARLIER, WE
BELIEVE THE GRAND JURY MIGHT
ACTUALLY RECONVENE TODAY.
YOU HAVE FOUND OUT IT WON'T
EXPLAIN.
THE GRAND JURORS WERE CALLED
THIS MORNING AND TOLD THEY DID
NOT NEED TO REPORT FOR DUTY
TODAY AS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED.
THEY WERE EXPECTED TO CONVENE
JUST ABOUT NOW SOMETIME THIS
AFTERNOON TO RESUME
THEIR EXAMINATION OF FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ROLE IN
THE ACCOUNTING OF THE 130000
HUSH PAYMENTS.
STORMY DANIELS ON THE BRINK OF
THE 2016 ELECTION.
THEY WERE CALLED AND TOLD
THEY WOULD NOT BE NEEDED TODAY,
AS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED.
NO REASON WAS GIVEN.
BUT THE GRAND JURORS WERE TOLD
TO BE PREPARED TO COME
BACK TOMORROW, AT WHICH TIME
THEY MAY WELL HEAR FROM AT
LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL WITNESS.
IT'S STILL BELIEVED HERE THAT
THIS IS NEARER A DECISION
ON POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES
THAN NOT.
BUT IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE
THE GRAND JURORS WANT TO HEAR
FROM FROM THIS OTHER WITNESS,
AT LEAST ONE , BEFORE THEY MAKE
ANY ANY VOTE ON WHETHER
TO INDICT.
>> GOT IT THERE.
AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
THE POTENTIAL CHARGES THAT
THE PRESIDENT COULD FACE IF
THE GRAND JURY DOES DECIDE
TO INDICT HIM?
>> YEAH, PROSECUTOR IS HAVE
HOMED IN ON WHETHER TRUMP
FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS IN THE WAY
HE ACCOUNTED FOR THE HUSH
PAYMENT.
ACCORDING TO MICHAEL COHEN,
WHO WROTE THE ONE HUNDRED
THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLAR CHECK
WHEN TRUMP REIMBURSED HIM IN
MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS, HE LOGGED
THOSE EXPENSES AS LEGAL
EXPENSES, LEGAL MATTERS
AND PROSECUTORS MAY COME
TO BELIEVE THAT THE PAYMENTS
WERE MORE TO PROP UP HIS HIS
ELECTION AND NOT DO ANYTHING
TO DAMAGE HIS CHANCES OF
BECOMING PRESIDENT IN 2016.
AND IN THAT WAY, HE MAY HAVE
FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS.
THAT'S A MISDEMEANOR IN
NEW YORK .
ORDINARILY, IT CAN BE BUMPED UP
TO A FELONY IF THE RECORDS WERE
FALSIFIED IN FURTHERANCE OF
ANOTHER CRIME, THAT COULD BE A
FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATION.
IT COULD BE SOME VIOLATION OF
STATE ELECTION LAW.
PROSECUTORS HAVEN'T TIP
THEIR HAND WHICH WAY THEY MIGHT
GO , BUT EITHER WAY, IT WOULD
REPRESENT SOMETHING OF A NOVEL
LEGAL THEORY THAT'S NEVER BEEN
TESTED IN A STATE COURT BEFORE.
>> NOW, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY
INVESTIGATION THE FORMER
PRESIDENTS TANGLED IN,
CATHERINE .
THERE'S THE CLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS INVESTIGATION
AS WELL.
WHETHER IT'S WHAT ARE
THE DEVELOPMENTS
YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT IN THAT
PROBE?
>> YES, SO WE'RE LEARNING
REALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT
PROSECUTORS INVESTIGATING THIS
ARE REALLY PUTTING TRUMP RIGHT
AT THE CENTER OF WHAT
THEY'RE CALLING A QUOTE, QUOTE,
CRIMINAL SCHEME.
NOW, WE'RE LEARNING THIS
THROUGH SOURCES, BUT IT WAS
DETAILED IN A RULING BY A
FEDERAL JUDGE, BERYL HOWELL,
WHO WAS LISTENING THE ARGUMENTS
FROM BOTH SIDES ABOUT WHY
A TRUMP LAWYER, EVAN CORCORAN,
SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO TESTIFY
UNDER
ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
WELL, SHE RULED AGAINST THAT.
SO NOW THE TRUMP TEAM
IS APPEALING THAT IN
THE CIRCUIT COURT STILL NEEDS
TO MAKE A DECISION.
BUT THIS IS HUGELY SIGNIFICANT
BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THAT WE'RE HEARING THAT
PROSECUTORS BELIEVE, DIRECTLY
BELIEVE THAT TRUMP
INTENTIONALLY AND DELIBERATELY
MISLED HIS OWN LAWYERS TO THEN
DECEIVE THE GOVERNMENT.
SO A LOT TO BREAK DOWN HERE.
WE'RE EXPECTING A RULING FROM
THE CIRCUIT COURT.
AND THEN THAT MEANS THAT
THEY COULD HEAR FROM TRUMP
LAWYER EVAN CORCORAN, WHO , OF
COURSE, IS REPRESENTING TRUMP
IN THE DOCUMENTS MATTER.
THEY COULD HEAR FROM HIM VERY
SOON.
>> AND THERE'S MORE EVIDENCE
BEING REQUESTED IN THIS CASE
AS WELL.
YEAH, WE'RE TOLD THROUGH
OUR SOURCES THAT THE JUDGE
ORDERED THAT HANDWRITTEN NOTES
BE TURNED OVER, THE INVOICES
BE TURNED OVER, THAT RECORDINGS
OF AUDIO CONVERSATIONS, THAT
TRANSCRIPTS, AUDIO
CONVERSATIONS ALSO BE TURNED
OVER.
SO THERE IS A LOT EVIDENCE HERE
THAT IT APPEARS THAT
PROSECUTORS KNOW ABOUT AND THEY
WANT FROM CORCORAN AND THEY
BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD PROVE
THAT TRUMP IS AT THE CENTER OF
THIS SO-CALLED CRIMINAL SCHEME,
THAT THEY DETAIL.
>> ALL RIGHT, ERIN, CATHERINE ,
THANKS SO MUCH.
LET'S BRING IN NOW ATTORNEY AND
FORMER CHIEF MINORITY COUNCIL
OF 70% COMMITTEES
ON INVESTIGATIONS, JEFF
ROBBINS.
HE'S BEEN FOLLOWING ALL THIS
FOR US AS WELL.
SO, JEFF, THE HUSH MONEY CASE,
LET'S START THERE.
THE GRAND JURY NOT MEETING
TODAY.
SO HOW DO PROCEEDINGS
AND INVESTIGATIONS LIKE THIS
NOW WORK AND GO FORWARD?
AND HOW LONG COULD THIS
GO BEFORE WE DO LEARN OF
A DECISION?
>> I MEAN, COULD THIS JUST
BE STALLED FOR A WHILE?
WELL, HERE, IT DOESN'T SEEM
AS THOUGH THIS IS GOING TO BE
STALLED FOR VERY MUCH LONGER.
THE REASON FOR THE DELAY, THERE
COULD BE SO MANY DIFFERENT
REASONS.
SCHEDULING ISSUES WITH THE
GRAND JURORS, THE NEED
TO PRESENT OR THE PERCEIVED
NEED TO PRESENT A REBUTTAL
TO MR COSTELLO COORDINATION
WITH THE WITH THE COURT,
WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT,
WITH DONALD TRUMP'S TEAM, THOSE
COULD BE AMONG THE MANY REASONS
FOR THIS SHORT DELAY.
I'D EXPECT THAT IT'S GOING
TO MOVE FORWARD PRETTY QUICKLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A
CERTAIN WHIPLASH THAT GETS IN
FROM THE SWIVELED HEADS THAT WE
ALL HAVE NOW TRIED TO KEEP
TRACK OF THESE VARIOUS
INVESTIGATIONS, ALL OF WHICH
SEEM TO BE MARCHING FORWARD IN
THE DIRECTION, IF NOT OF AN
INDICTMENT, THEN OF AN
INDICTMENT DECISION.
AND THE REPORTING YOU'VE JUST
HAD ABOUT THIS RULING BY THE
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE IS A VERY,
VERY BAD BLOW FOR THE TRUMP
TEAM.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
THE GRAND JURY IS WEIGHING
WHETHER TRUMP BROKE CAMPAIGN
FINANCE LAWS.
RIGHT.
BUT IT COULD POTENTIALLY
COMBINE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW
HERE.
AND IF INDEED HE IS FOUND
GUILTY AND IN BOTH STATE
AND FEDERAL LAW, I MEAN, THAT'S
WHERE A MORE SEVERE PUNISHMENT
WOULD HAPPEN.
RIGHT.
AND SO IS THAT WHAT
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS ,
IS PROSECUTORS ARE JUST LET'S
GO FOR AS MUCH AS WE CAN, STATE
AND FEDERAL, TO GET THE BIGGEST
PUNISHMENT THAT WE CAN.
WELL, APROPOS OF WHIPLASH, YES,
THE BASIS FOR THIS APPARENT
INDICTMENT IS THAT THERE WAS
A FALSIFICATION OF BUSINESS
RECORDS, WHICH IS A MISDEMEANOR
UNDER STATE LAW, BUT IT BECOMES
A FELONY IF THAT FALSE
CLASSIFICATION OF BUSINESS
RECORDS, THE FALSIFICATION OF
BUSINESS RECORDS IS INTENDED
TO COMMIT ANOTHER CRIME,
WHETHER IT'S A CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATION, OR IT'S BEEN
SUGGESTED PERHAPS A TAX
VIOLATION.
AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,
KYRA.
THERE MAY BE AN UNTESTED
COMBINATION IN THIS REGARD OF
STATE LAW AND FEDERAL LAW
AND THAT WILL NO DOUBT PROVIDE
ONE OF THE LEGAL CHALLENGES
THAT WE WILL SEE IF IN FACT,
MR. TRUMP IS INDICTED.
WELL, WHAT ABOUT LEGAL RESPONSE
IF TRUMP WERE TO BE INDICTED?
RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO
INDICATION WHETHER THAT
WILL EVEN HAPPEN.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIS LEGAL
TEAM TO RESPOND?
>> WELL, THEY'LL RESPOND, FIRST
OF ALL, WITH A CONTINUED
WITHERING ASSAULT ON THE D.A.
AND THAT HAS NOT JUST
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE IS , OF
COURSE, BUT BUT LEGAL
CONSEQUENCES POTENTIALLY,
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, IF
THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS TRIED,
THE D.A. WILL HAVE THE BURDEN
OF PROVING TO EACH AND EVERY
ONE OF THOSE JURORS BEYOND
A REASONABLE DOUBT.
THAT THIS IS A VALID
PROSECUTION AND THAT HE SHOULD,
IN FACT, BE CONVICTED IN THIS
CASE OF OF USING THIS FALSE
CLASSIFICATION OF RECORDS
TO EVADE THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
LAWS.
AND THAT MEANS POISONING, BUT
NOT TO PUT TOO FINE A POINT
ON IT.
THE JURY POOL, BY MAKING
AS MANY PEOPLE THINK
AS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS A REAL
PROBLEM, THIS PROSECUTION.
>> SO THE FACT THAT MICHAEL
COHEN WENT DOWN FOR THIS HUSH
MONEY INVESTIGATION, DO YOU
THINK THERE'S A THINKING HERE
THAT YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE DOWN
HIS FIXER AND HIS LAWYER NOW
THAT WE HAVE DONALD TRUMP HERE
AND HE'S NO LONGER PRESIDENT ?
IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT WE HOLD
HIM ACCOUNTABLE NOW.
>> WELL, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
HE WAS PROSECUTED BY THE TRUMP
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND SENT
TO JAIL IN PART FOR HIS ROLE IN
THIS VERY HUSH MONEY PAYOFF
AND THE FALSE CLASSIFICATION OF
BUSINESS RECORDS.
SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE THINKING IS EXACTLY AS YOU
SAY.
HOW CAN YOU JAIL ONE PART OF
THE EQUATION AND LET THE OTHER
PART OF THE EQUATION,
THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY
APPARENTLY DIRECTED THE CONDUCT
,DIRECTED THE CRIMINAL
CONDUCT, GO SCOT FREE?
THAT'S EXACTLY
HOW THE PROSECUTION
IS THINKING, I THINK.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE ALSO TRACKING ALL THESE
DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN
THE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS,
INVESTIGATION SOURCES TELLING
US , AS YOU JUST HEARD, THAT
THE JUDGE PRESIDING OVER THAT
CASE BELIEVES THAT PRELIMINARY
EVIDENCE SHOWS TRUMP MISLED HIS
OWN ATTORNEYS ABOUT HIS
HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED
MATERIAL.
NOW THAT HIS OWN LAWYERS MAY
PRESENT EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM.
HOW COMMON IS THIS FOR
ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE TO BE
POTENTIALLY PIERCE?
I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS
MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO THAT HIS
LAWYERS AT TIMES KIND OF SEEMED
CLUELESS AT WHAT WAS REALLY
GOING ON , ACCORDING TO WHAT
TRUMP WAS TELLING THEM AND WHAT
WAS FACT.
YES, IT IS VERY UNCOMMON FOR
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN A CLIENT
AND A LAWYER TO BE PIERCED, FOR
THE LAWYER TO BE REQUIRED
TO DISCLOSE THOSE
COMMUNICATIONS.
IT IS ONLY IN A VERY NARROW
BAND OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE
A JUDGE HAS FOUND THAT
THE COMMUNICATION ITSELF
BETWEEN CLIENT AND LAWYER WAS
FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMITTING
A CRIME, THAT THE DISCLOSURE
IS FORCED.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS
OCCURRED HERE.
THAT'S WHAT A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS
FOUND.
MIND YOU, THIS IS THE SECOND
FEDERAL JUDGE WHO HAS FOUND
THAT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN
ONE OF TRUMP'S LAWYERS
AND DONALD TRUMP WERE FOR
THE PURPOSE OF COMMITTING
A CRIME.
>> THE OTHER ONE BEING
THE CALIFORNIA JUDGE.
WITH RESPECT, A TRUMP
ATTORNEY , JOHN EASTMAN, SO
THIS IS NOT A DAY FOR SINGING.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.
AT MAR-A-LAGO.
>> QUITE THE REVERSE.
AND SO DO YOU THINK TRUMP'S
ATTORNEYS COULD ACTUALLY BE
FORCED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIM?
>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN IF THE DISTRICT COURT
DECISION THAT CAME DOWN UNDER
SEAL LAST WEEK IS UPHELD BY THE
COURT OF APPEALS AND THE COURT
OF APPEALS IS GOING TO MAKE
A DECISION VERY, VERY QUICKLY
ON THAT.
THEY'VE ASKED FOR UNBELIEVABLY
EXPEDITED BRIEFING.
SO THERE'LL BE A DECISION
PRETTY SOON IF THAT RULING
IS UPHELD.
EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAY IS GOING
TO OCCUR.
MR. CORCORAN WILL BE REQUIRED
TO TELL A GRAND JURY WHAT IT
WAS THAT DONALD TRUMP TOLD HIM
WHAT THEY DISCUSSED IN THIS
CASE WITH RESPECT TO THESE
DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING
EXAMINED UNDER THE ESPIONAGE
ACT.
>> ALL RIGHT, JEFF ROBBINS,
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
STAY TUNED.
MORE TO COME.
WELL, COMING UP, RUSSIA
LAUNCHING TWENTY ONE LETHAL
ATTACK DRONES IN UKRAINE JUST
ONE DAY AFTER CHINA'S
PRESIDENT WAS THERE IN MOSCOW
SHAKING HANDS WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN, SAYING THAT HE MAY
CONSIDER A CEASE FIRE .
WHAT HAPPENED MORNINGS
ON "ABC NEWS LIVE".
RUSSIA LAUNCHING
TWENTY ONE LETHAL ATTACK DRONES
OVER NIGHT IN THE KYIV REGION,
16 OF WHICH WERE SHOT DOWN.
BUT THESE ATTACKS CAME JUST
AFTER CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING
HAD LEFT MOSCOW AFTER A THREE
DAY TRIP WHERE HE MET
WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN.
AND APPARENTLY THE TWO LEADERS
PROCLAIMED THAT THEY WANTED
TO MAKE PEACE IN UKRAINE.
>> FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
TOM SOUFI BURRIDGE HAS
THE LATEST FROM KYIV, JOINS
US LIVE NOW.
SO, TOM , SO MUCH FOR
THE CONSIDERATION OF A PEACE
DEAL .
YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK, THERE WAS
A WAVE OF ATTACKS, REALLY JUST
MOMENTS AFTER THAT KEY SUMMIT
BETWEEN PRESIDENT XI
AND PRESIDENT PUTIN.
THE CHINESE AND RUSSIAN LEADERS
.
AND ACTUALLY, SHE WAS REALLY
STILL IN MOSCOW WHEN
THE EXPLOSION STARTED HERE.
WE HAD AIR RAID SIRENS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY LATE LAST NIGHT
INTO THE MORNING AT THE MOST
BRAZEN ATTACK IN THE SOUTHERN
CITY OF ZACHARY KIESCH,
A MISSILE STRIKING AN APARTMENT
BUILDING, KILLING THREE ,
INJURING NEARLY 20 PEOPLE.
TWO OF THEM SERIOUSLY,
INCLUDING CHILDREN INJURED IN
THAT ATTACK.
AND WE ALSO HAD DRONE THOSE
LETHAL IRANIAN MADE DRONES
LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA, POSSIBLY
FROM BELARUS IN THE NORTH
AND DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE SAW CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
HIT.
AND SHE TOLD THEM IN THE CENTER
OF THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO A TOWN
TO THE SOUTH EAST OF KYIV HIT
AN APARTMENT BLOCK, HIT THERE,
AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE KILLED.
NOW, THE RUSSIANS ARE SAYING
THAT UKRAINIAN MILITARY
PERSONNEL WERE IN THAT
APARTMENT BLOCK.
THE UKRAINIANS ARE DENYING
THAT.
AND ONCE AGAIN,
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY REACTING
QUITE STRONGLY, SAYING THIS
IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
HOW RUSSIA IS , IN HIS WORDS,
A TERRORIST STATE.
>> SO HOW ZELENSKYY RESPONDING
TO ALL THIS NOW?
WELL, I THINK IT'S A STRONG
REACTION.
PRESIDENT SAYING ONCE AGAIN,
THIS IS A BRAZEN ATTACK
AND HE'S CALLING ON THE WORLD
TO STAND UP TO RUSSIA EVEN
MORE .
HE'S SAYING THIS SHOULD NOT
BECOME JUST A NORMAL DAY IN
UKRAINE, A NORMAL DAY IN
EUROPE.
AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,
HAVING COVERED THIS WAR FOR
THE LAST YEAR, WE'RE USED
TO THESE KIND OF DAYS.
WE'RE USED TO THE AIR RAID
SIRENS GOING OFF.
WE'RE USED TO A WAVE OF
STRIKES, MISSILES AND DRONES
HITTING TARGETS ACROSS UKRAINE
IN UKRAINIAN CITIES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO A GROUP, MEANWHILE, OF
65 UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS ARE
WRAPPING UP THEIR TRAINING
ON THOSE PATRIOT SURFACE TO AIR
MISSILE SYSTEMS.
IN OKLAHOMA HERE IN THE STATES.
WHEN CAN WE ACTUALLY SEE THEM
DEPLOYED ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD
AND USING THESE WEAPONS SYSTEMS
?
YES.
SIXTY FIVE UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS
ARE TRAINING AT FORT SILL,
OKLAHOMA.
THAT TRAINING WRAPPING UP IN
THE COMING DAYS, ACCORDING
TO U.S. OFFICIALS AND THOSE
U.S. OFFICIALS SAYING THAT
THE FIRST US DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS
WILL BE IN UKRAINE IN A MATTER
OF WEEKS.
AND THAT IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S A B BEYOND SCHEDULE.
THEY ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,
AND THAT IS ACCORDING TO U.S.
OFFICIALS, BECAUSE THOSE
UKRAINIAN TROOPS ONCE AGAIN ARE
PROVING ADEPT AT ADAPTING
TO HIGHLY COMPLEX ADVANCED
MILITARY SYSTEMS AND THAT
THE PATRIOTS WILL MAKE A HUGE
DIFFERENCE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE SHOULD BEAR IN
MIND THAT THE U.S. AND ITS
ALLIES HAVE PROVIDED UKRAINE
WITH AN ARRAY OF AIR DEFENSE
SYSTEMS.
BUT THE PATRIOTS ARE RIGHT AT
THE HIGH END.
IT IS A COMPLEX SYSTEM.
THE UKRAINIANS WILL HAVE
TO DECIDE WHERE TO DEPLOY.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY COULD CHOOSE
TO PLACE IT IN OR AROUND A CITY
LIKE KYIV, AND THAT WOULD
DRAMATICALLY BOLSTER
THE DEFENSES OF THIS CITY.
IT WOULD PROTECT KEY ASSETS.
AND , OF COURSE, THAT CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE POWER
STATIONS, WHICH RUSSIA HAS BEEN
TRYING TO STRIKE AGAIN
AND AGAIN THROUGHOUT
THE WINTER.
BUT THANKFULLY FOR UKRAINIANS,
THE TEMPERATURES ARE RISING NOW
AS WE MOVE INTO SPRING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
AND NOW WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
ABOUT THESE FRESH DRONE ATTACKS
AGAINST RUSSIAN OCCUPIED CRIMEA
?
THESE ARE THOSE WATER, WATER
BORNE DRONES YOU WERE TALKING
ABOUT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THIS
IS INTERESTING, KYRA.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD AERIAL DRONE
ATTACKS FROM THE UKRAINIANS
INTO CRIMEA WITHIN THE LAST
48 HOURS, WITHIN THE LAST
24 HOURS, WE'RE SEEING EVIDENCE
THAT THERE WERE EXPLOSIONS IN
CRIMEA.
THE RUSSIANS ARE SAYING THESE
WERE WATER BORNE DRONES.
WE'VE SEEN PREVIOUS ATTACKS
PROBABLY BY THE UKRAINIANS.
THE UKRAINIANS OFTEN DON'T
CLAIM THESE TYPES OF ATTACKS,
BUT USING THESE WATER-BORNE
DRONES, WHICH WE BELIEVE
THE UKRAINIANS DEVELOPED
THEMSELVES, THE RUSSIANS ARE
SAYING THIS TIME NONE OF
THEIR ASSETS WERE HIT IN
AND AROUND CRIMEA.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE NEED
TO REALIZE THAT THE CRIMEAN
PENINSULA HAS A KIND OF SACRED
STATUS FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN.
AND HIS REGIME.
IT WAS ANNEXED ILLEGALLY BY THE
RUSSIANS BACK IN 2014.
SO IT IS A CONTENTIOUS AREA.
AND PEOPLE SHOULD REALIZE THAT
BEFORE THE FULL SCALE INVASION
LAST FEBRUARY, CRIMEA WAS
A PRETTY SAFE PLACE FOR
RUSSIANS TO LIVE.
IT ISN'T NOW.
AND THESE EXPLOSIONS REALLY NOT
ONLY HAVE A MILITARY, BUT ALSO
A PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT, TOO
KYRA.
ALL RIGHT.
TOM SOUFI BURRIDGE THERE FOR
US IN KYIV.
TOM , THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND COMING UP, THEY ARE SOCIAL
BUBBLES THAT BOOM DURING COVID
.
UP NEXT, WE GO INSIDE
THE MEMBERS ONLY WORKSPACE
AIMING TO UPLIFT COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR.
MORE STRAIGHT AHEAD.
.
YOU'RE STREAMING
"ABC NEWS LIVE" SO GLAD
YOU'RE STREAMING WITH US.
SOME OTHER HEADLINES THAT WE'RE
FOLLOWING FOR YOU THIS
AFTERNOON.
THE CDC WARNING ABOUT A RAPIDLY
SPREADING FUNGUS ACROSS
THE U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
AND ITS FACILITIES.
THAT'S RIGHT.
CANDIDA R.S. DRUG RESISTANT
FUNGUS HAS TRIPLED OVER
THREE YEARS.
WITH REPORTS IN MORE THAN
TWENTY FIVE STATES THAT FUNGUS
NOW USUALLY HARMFUL TO THOSE
WHO ARE HEALTHY BUT CAN
BE DEADLY TO HOSPITAL.
AND NURSING HOME PATIENTS.
WELL, JAPAN IS BACK ON TOP OF
THE BASEBALL WORLD .
THE TEAM'S STUNNING THE HEAVILY
FAVORED US TEAM THREE TO
TWO AFTER THE FINAL PITCH FANS
ERUPTED IN TOKYO.
WELL, THEY HAVE WON THREE WORLD
TITLES.
NOW, THAT'S THE MOST OF ANY
COUNTRY.
WELL, MEMBERS, ONLY CREATIVE
SPACES LIKE SOHO HOUSE HAVE
BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN
MAJOR CITIES.
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND NOW THE SO-CALLED BERN'S
BROTHERS ARE GETTING IN
ON THE ACTION WITH AN
EMPOWERING TWIST.
IKE EJIOCHI HAS THAT STORY FOR
US AND TELLS US MORE ABOUT HQ
DC HOUSE.
WELCOME , WELCOME .
WELCOME , WELCOME .
IT'S A FIRST OF ITS KIND CLUB
ON THE DC, AC DC HOUSE.
THE MEMBERS ONLY LUXURY KIND OF
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SPACE HERE
IN WASHINGTON.
>> FEE FOUR STORIES AND TWELVE
THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF WORK
SPACES, LOUNGES, A BARISTA,
A WELLNESS SPACE AND EVEN
A ROOM FOR MUSIC SESSIONS.
AND IT'S BUILT TO SUPPORT
MOBILIZE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
>> THERE'S NO REAL SPACE FOR
YOU TO GO.
IT FEELS A LUXURY THAT FEELS
SPECIAL TO WHERE YOU CAN EITHER
GO TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.
AH, YOU CAN JUST KIND OF COME
TO JUST DECOMPRESS AND BE
YOURSELF.
>> HOW LONG IS IT GOING
TO TAKE, DO YOU THINK?
HOPEFULLY THAT'S MIKE AND
JOHN BURNS, THE CORPORATE
EXECUTIVE AND ATTORNEY ARE
THE CREATORS OF HQ HOUSE.
>> FOR A FEE, THE BURNS
BROTHERS SAY MEMBERS WILL HAVE
ACCESS TO ALL OF THESE SPACES
TO NETWORK AND COLLABORATE.
THERE'S VERY HIGH END KIND OF
COWORKING OPPORTUNITIES DURING
THE DAY DURING THE WEEK AND ON
THE WEEKENDS, TOO.
WE'RE HAVING ABOUT FIFTEEN
EVENTS AND ACTIVATIONS A MONTH
FOR MEMBERS FROM, YOU KNOW,
VERY HIGH END DINNER SERIES
TO GAME NIGHT WATCH PARTIES.
>> THEY'RE AIDING AND ABETTING
THE DREAMS OF OTHERS, NAMELY
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND MORE
SPECIFICALLY, BLACK PEOPLE,
THE PARENTS, BROTHERS, FROM
GETTING SOME HELP WITH A LITTLE
STAR POWER.
WE NEED YOU OUT ON THE STREETS.
I'M OFF THE GAME.
AWARD WINNING ACTOR OMARI
HARDWICK PLAYED GHOST IN
THE HIT SHOW POWER.
>> HE'S KNOWN THE BROTHERS FOR
NEARLY 15 YEARS.
WORKING WITH THEM ON SEVERAL
VENTURES.
>> THE BURNS BROTHERS HAVE
REALLY BECOME IN THEIR OWN
RIGHT.
LET'S SORT OF MOVEMENT, IF YOU
WILL , A SORT OF NEW CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT, A MOVEMENT
THAT'S IN THEIR BLOOD.
>> DR DIANA BURNS, BANKS
IS THEIR MOTHER.
SHE PROVIDED HEALTH CARE
TO CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY
BY CREATING ONE OF TEXAS'S
LARGEST PRIVATE PEDIATRIC
PRACTICES.
>> RAISED IN THE 50S AND 60S.
DR. BURNS BANKS WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST STUDENTS
TO DESEGREGATE HER SCHOOL IN
MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.
>> AND IT'S A REAL STRENGTH
TO SEE DISCRIMINATION IS SUCH
A FORM WHERE YOU CAN COME
AND SIT IN A ROOM AND EVERYBODY
MOVES THEIR CHAIR AWAY FROM
YOU, WHICH IS A STRANGE FEELING
THAT LEAVE YOU SITTING IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM ALONE,
ALONE.
BUT YOU IT RATHER THAN MAKING
YOU FEEL ALONE, IT MADE YOU
FEEL DETERMINED, MADE US FEEL
DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD, NO
MATTER WHAT, WE WOULD SUCCEED.
>> SHE ENROLLED HER BOYS INTO
MILITARY SCHOOL WHERE THEY BOTH
EARNED HIGH HONORS.
MIKE WENT ON TO FLY APACHE
HELICOPTERS IN AFGHANISTAN
AND IRAQ AND WAS SELECTED
BY GEN..
DAVID PETRAEUS TO LEAD
THE REBUILD OF FOUR CITIES IN
NORTHERN IRAQ.
HIS BROTHER JOHN BECAME
THE FIRST BLACK PARTNER IN HIS
LAW FIRM, EVENTUALLY COMING
TOGETHER AGAIN TO BUILD UP
THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR
THEIR MULTIPLE COMPANIES.
>> WE HAVE A CORE DNA
AND TALENT AND CULTURE COMPANY
CALLED THE COLLECTIVE.
WE HAVE A MARKETING
COMMUNICATION COMPANY CALLED
MANCHESTER PARC.
WE HAVE A CELEBRITY SPEAKER
SERIES CALLED ICON TALKS.
WE ALSO HAVE A PRODUCTION
COMPANY CALLED STYLED BY THE
BURNS BROTHERS AND FINALLY,
OUR FIT COMPANY IS HQ DC HOUSE.
>> IT'S AN IDEA THAT STARTED IN
THE SUMMER OF 2024 AND HANDS
ON RACIAL JUSTICE.
PROTESTS ERUPTED ACROSS
THE COUNTRY FOLLOWING
THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD AT
THE HANDS OF MINNEAPOLIS.
>> POLICE OFFICERS IN MY OFFICE
BY TV IN MY BACKGROUND,
AND IT'S POINTED TO EIGHT AND A
HALF MINUTE VIDEO OVER AND OVER
AND OVER OF GEORGE FLOYD.
>> AND THEN BEHIND MY COMPUTER
MONITORS, I HAVE A PICTURE OF
MY TWO LITTLE BLACK BOYS,
AND I'M ON THIS PHONE CALL
TALKING ABOUT REAL ESTATE
DOWNSIZING.
AND I WAS LIKE, HOW IN
THE WORLD IS THIS PHONE CALL
GOING TO CHANGE THE SITUATION
FOR MY LITTLE BLACK BOYS?
SO IT NEVER BECOMES LIKE WHAT'S
HAPPENING ON THE TV?
AND I HOPE THE PHONE CALL
I PICKED UP THE PHONE
AND CALLED JOHN AND I SAID, DO
YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND CHANGE
THE WORLD?
>> BOTH BROTHERS LEFT
THEIR LUCRATIVE CORPORATE JOBS
TO GO ALL IN ON THE BURNS
BROTHERS FIRM.
AN UMBRELLA CORPORATION
CONTAINING FIVE COMPANIES.
TAYLOR TO SERVE COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR.
>> ALL OF OUR COMPANIES ARE
REALLY BUILT AROUND
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPOWERING,
UPLIFTING, SUPPORTING
AND MOBILIZING COMMUNITY
AND REALLY UPLIFTING THE VOICES
THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED,
UNHEARD, THE BxRGE BROTHERS ARE
UPLIFTING PEOPLE OF COLOR IN
THEIR OWN WAY.
THEY'RE BREAKING DOWN
STEREOTYPES CATERING TO AN
UNDERSERVED DEMOGRAPHIC
AND SENDING STRONG, POSITIVE
EXAMPLES FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION.
AND OUR THANKS SO MUCH FOR
THAT.
STORY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR
STREAMING WITH US.
I'M KYRA PHILLIPS.
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