Call . Good morning. Welcome to early start. Im dave briggs. Nice to have you back. Im christine romans. It is tuesday, february 27th. 4 00 a. M. In the east. Lawmakers in the nation waiting for clarity from the president on guns. Theyre still waiting. The president mentioning a few possibilities when he spoke to governors at the white house. He was firm on bump stocks. Bump stocks, im writing that out. I dont care if congress does it or not. Im writing it out. President trump told lawmakers he is willing to stand up to the nra and they should be too. Dont worry about the nra. Half of you are so afraid of the nra. Theres nothing to be afraid of. If theyre not with you, we have to fight them every once and a while. Thats okay. Despite that, the white house is backing away from the president s call to increase the age requirement to buy some weapons to 21. They want to raise the age. They did not bring up the age raising one time. The president is listening to the stake holders here. The governors at the local levels. When they dont bring it up, it is telling to them. Not as telling to us. The president suggesting raising the age last week before sitting down with nra leaders over the weekend. Now the proposal to arm teachers. The ones he says can handle it. I want highly trained people that have a natural talent like hitting a baseball or hitting a golf ball or putting. How come some people always make a fourfooter and some people cannot take their club back. The president did renew his push for stronger background checks, but lamented options for dealing with mentally ill. We have to Start Talking about mental institutions. A lot of people in the room closed mental institutions. We have nothing between a prison and leaving him at his house which we cant do anymore. The president made a bold claim when he discussed a sheriff deputy who wanted to enter Stoneman Douglas high school while the mass shooting was under way. You know, i really believe you dont know until you are tested. I believe i would run in even if i didnt have a weapon. I think most of the people in the room would have done that too. Cnns jim acosta asked Sarah Sanders to clarify that remark. He was stating as a leader, he would have stepped in and help the individuals in the school. Coach and other adults. Even the students stepped up to protect other students. Is he trained in firing a weapon . Is he trained in using a handgun or firearm . I dont think that was the point he was making. He said he would be a leader and would want to take a courageous action. Critics pointing out five draft deferments . Bone spur. Troubling officials. I think this is a circumstance where we need to listen and educators should educate and not hoisted upon this responsibility of packing heat in first grade classes. I understand you have suggested this and we suggest things and sometimes we listen to people about it and maybe they dont look good later. I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here and more listening and lets take that off the table and move forward. It is not only democrats who have concerns this morning. We have jeff zeleny at the white house. Reporter christine and dave, President Trump is said to be with republican lawmakers today. One key topic on the agenda today is gun policy. The president has been talking about that for days here at the white house. Of course, holding a listening session last week meeting with the governors on monday. He talked a lot about Arming School teachers. He believes that is a deterrent and way to keep people safe. One republican governor rick scott said he disagrees with his president s proposal. Governor, you believe Arming School teachers is not the way to go. Why . I believe you should make sure you have law enforcement. I will work with my legislature and ensure there is significant enforcement in the schools. Law enforcement protects the schools rather than having teachers. I want the teachers to teach. Reporter the white house is clear they have been in favor of many potential issues. They are putting ideas on the table for discussion. It seems like the idea of Arming Teachers is taking up the president s time. The nra does support that plan. On wednesday at the white house, by part sipartisan meeting on g. This is suddenly a priority for the white house and president. Christine and dave. Jeff zeleny. Thank you. Americans say they want tougher gun control measures in the wake of the Parkland High School shooting. Senator john kennedy of louisiana says we need quote idiot control more than gun control. And proposals ran into roadblocks on monday. Including the tightening the checks to the background system. Closeddoor meetings will be held today. Enforcing back ground checks not enough for chuck schumer. The sheriff deputy who stayed outside Stoneman Douglas high school says the investigation will ultimately cleared him. Scot peterson was armed and never entered the building. Listen to what President Trump said about him and other deputies whose actions are under scrutiny. I got to watch some deputy sheriffs performing this weekend. They were not exactly medal of honor winners. The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting. The toefattorney for socot peterson says the attacks were unwarranted. He failed to meet the standards of Police Officers is patently untrue. Mr. Peterson is confident his actions on that day were appropriate. He said there were reports of fireworks outside first. It sounded like the gunfire was from outside. He was tryingcertain where the shots were coming from. He said he did everything by the book. Deltas decision to sever ties with the nra may cost them. They stopped offering discounted flights. Republicans threatened to kill part of a bill eliminating a tax on jet fuel. Lieutenant governor casey cagel said corporations cannot attack conservatives. Delta is one of a dozen breaking up with the nra because customers are demanding it. They will no longer offer special discounts to members of the nra. The nra calls it political cowardice. The choice is reflecting neutral status. Other companies are keeping discounts. Fed ex says it never changed ratesbeliefs or issues. Fed ex opposes assault rifles in the hands of civilians. Melania trump says she is encouraged by the students speaking up. The first lady making a rare appearance publicly addressing the spouses of governors. She is helping them find their voice. It is important as adults we take the lead and the responsibility in helping our children. Manage the many issues they are facing today. This means encouraging positive habits with social media and Technology Even limiting time online and understanding the content they are exposed to on a daily basis. Cheers to that. The Public Comments from the first lady were her first since scrutiny of the merarriage over her husbands alleged affairs. Earlier this month, chief of staff john kelly ended a stop of clearances which includes Jared Kushner. That deadline passed on friday. Did anyone get their interim clearance revoked . As we said many times before we will not discuss individual clearances. That goes to a broader number or an individual number. Im not going to get into that today just as i have not in the past. Kelly ordered revocation of the security clearances and fallout from the rob porter scandal. That former white house aide served for one year under temporary clearance despite Domestic Violence allegations against him. White House Communications director hope hicks set to appear in a private meeting in the house intelligence committee. She is one of the president s longest serving aides. Her appearance delayed over whether she could discuss the transition and time at the white house. Hicks appears to have knowledge about the key events in the first year of the presidency. That includes the misleading statement of donald trump jr. s meeting at trump tower. The House Intel Committee hasnt been instilling confidence in what congress can do today based on the memos back and forth. She is claiming executive privilege. 11 minutes past the hour. The decision to send ivanka trump to the olympic closing ceremonies not sitting well with some inside the white house. Including the chief of staff. We are live in seoul next. The decision to send ivanka trump to south korea for the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games is not sitting well with senior officials in the west wing. Chief of staff john kelly was not enthusiastic about acceptediacceptesending the president s daughter. With tensions looming over north korea, the stakes were higher than a typical closing ceremony. We learned that one is leaving his post. Lets get the latest from ivan watson. Reporter the point man in the state department dealing with north korea. He is a veteran diplomat with 30 years in the foreign service. He insists he is retiring and it is due to his own decision. The state Department Says secretary of state Rex Tillerson accepted his resignation with regret. Former diplomats and colleagues of mr. Yun are saying this is a big blow to the state department. That he is the best of the best. Extremely experienced man who speaks korean and went to retrieve Otto Warmbier. The american student held for more than a year in north korea. He discovered he was in a coma and essentially dying when he was brought back to the u. S. They say at this time you need experienced diplomats with their voices in washington. This is a loss of yet one more. It is also coming after victor chau. He has been overlooked for that job and warned about the threat of violence here on the Korean Peninsula. To this day, there is no u. S. Ambassador here in the korean capital. Dave. We are left to wonder where does this relationship go from here . Ivan watson, thank you. The white house is demanding the Syrian Government honor the ceasefire. The calls come amid reports of Chemical Attacks launched on civilians. Russian president Vladimir Putin ordering a fivehour pause daily in the area of ghouta from 2 00 a. M. To 7 00 a. M. Eastern time. Sam kiley has the latest for us. Sam, is the pause holding and why does Vladimir Putin have the authority to call the shots . Reporter first, the question of the pause. It is not holding. There has been at least one death according to multiple sources in the town of dhouma close to ghouta. There have been five surfacetosurface missiles fired into another neighborhood. There is skuirmishing going on. There is less violence because Vladimir Putin has literally called the shots or instructed his clients stated to dial down on the violence to allow the fivehour humanitarian pause. This may well be International Window dressing. There are 19 hours in which the area of east ghouta has been turned into a kill zone for the rest of the day. It has had a devastating amount of fire power rained down upon it. The russians have great influence over the damascus regime. Without the russians, damascus regime would have collapsed two years ago and russians sent Ground Forces and air force and above all air defenses. That meant any other inte International Efforts have effectively been sideswiped. Sam kiley for us in istanbul. All right. Ahead, how would you like it if you were on a plane and saw this right out the window. Fire from the engine on the southwest jet. Thats next. 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At t doesnt. We offer more complete reliability with up to 8 hours of 4g Wireless Network backup. At t, no way. We offer 35 voice features and solutions that grow with your business. At t, not so much. Get internet on our gigspeed network and add voice and tv for 34. 90 more per month. Call 18005016000. All 680 Public Schools in West Virginia are closed for a fourth day after the teacher walkout and strike. Nearly 20,000 teachers hit picket lines for Better Benefits and higher wages. Governor jim justice signed legislation to raise teacher pay, but teachers say it doesnt address health care costs. A terrifying ordeal for passengers and crew members on the Southwest Airlines flight. The plane just taken off from Salt Lake City for los angeles on monday when passengers heard a loud explosion. Next thing they knew, an engine was on fire. We have shooting flames on the side of the plane. It is crazy. I got really, really scared and i started crying and i just started praying. Holding my sisters hand. Very composed. The pilot remained calm as he completed an emergency landing. Another jet was brought in and passengers were flown to l. A. X. Miami heat star dwyane wade learning that Joaquin Oliver was buried in his jersey. I understand the position i have been in because god gave me the ability to play at this level. I understand what comes with that from the role model standpoint. Wade tweeting in part this is why we will not just shut up and dribble. That last part a reference to news host laura ingraham. Our hearts go out to the family of Joaquin Oliver. The president said he would have been ready to act at Stoneman Douglas high school. I believe i would have run in even if i didnt have a weapon. All right. Now the white house is backing off a proposal to raise the minimum age to buy certain guns. What is the president s position on gun violence and safety . Half of you are so afraid of the nra. We have it fight them every once and a while. Thats okay. President trump says he is willing to fight the nra, but after hearing from the nra and having a meal this weekend with the lobby, the white house appears to be backing off a proposal to raise minimum age on guns. Does the first soninlaw Jared Kushner have access to classified information . The white house wont say even after the deadline to deal with clearance has come and gone. And a pause in fighting in syria ordered by the russian president. Why did Vladimir Putin make the call . Is fragile Peace Holding on the ground . Good morning. Welcome to early start. Im christine romans. Im dave briggs. Lawmakers in the nation waiting for clarity from the president on guns. Theyre still waiting. The president mentioning a few possibilities when he spoke to governors at the white house. He was firm on bump stocks. Bump stocks, im writing that out. I dont care if congress does it or not. Im writing it out. President trump told lawmakers he is willing to stand up to the nra and they should be too. Dont worry about the nra. Theyre on our side. Half of you are so afraid of the nra. Theres nothing to be afraid of. If theyre not with you, we have to fight them every once and a while. Thats okay. Despite that, the white house is backing away from the president s call to increase the age requirement to buy some weapons to 21. They want to raise the age. They did not bring up the age raising one time. The president is listening to the stake holders here. The governors at the local level to help stop some of the shootings. When they dont bring it up, that is telling to them. Not as telling to us. The president suggesting raising the age last week before sitting down with nra leaders over the weekend. The president standing by his proposal to arm teachers. At least the ones he says can handle it. I want highly trained people that have a natural talent like hitting a baseball or hitting a golf ball or putting. How come some people always make a fourfooter and some people cannot take their club back. The rare golf guns analogy. The president did renew his push for stronger background checks, but lamented options for dealing with mentally ill. We have to Start Talking about mental institutions. A lot of people in the room closed mental institutions. We have no halfway. We have nothing between a prison and leaving him at his house which we cant do anymore. The president made a bold claim when he discussed a sheriff deputy who waited to enter Stoneman Douglas high school while the mass shooting was under way. You know, i really believe you dont know until you are tested. I believe i would run in even if i didnt have a weapon. I think most of the people in the room would have done that too. Cnns jim acosta asked Sarah Sanders to clarify that remark. He was stating as a leader, he would have stepped in and help the individuals in the school. Coach and other adults. Even the