corner. erin, thank you for being live for us in brussels. thank you all for joining us today. i m poppy harlow. i m itjim sciutto. at this hour with kate bolduan starts right now. hello, everyone. i m kate bolduan. breaking news out of federal court in washington, d.c. just moments ago, a 30-year-old former american university grad student walked into a courtroom to strike a deal as an accused russian spy now working with the u.s. government. maria butina was arrested back in july. at first, she insisted she was innocent. now, she s cooperating with investigators, offering up information on how and why she was trying to infiltrate u.s. political circles including the powerful groups like the nra. it s worth noting earlier this morning, moscow demanded her, quote, swift release. let s figure out what s going on here today. let s begin outside the court.