This is great day for civilization. And tonight, turkey is not calling this a ceasefire. The deadly noreaster. A half million without power tonight. Winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour. And the new system were now watching. The massive teacher strike in chicago tonight. The white house revealing the g7 summit will be held at the president s own golf resort. The crash involving an oscarwinning actress. Her suv struck at an intersection, flipping onto its side. We do have news on her condition. The offduty sheriffs investigator appearing to pull a gun on a teenager because of loud music. And tonight here, the tributes for congressman Elijah Cummings. The civil rights leader remembered for his tireless work for justice and equality. And what his wife has now revealed. Good evening and its great to have you with us here on a thursday night. We have a lot to get to. And we begin with the eyeopening comments at the white house today. Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledging a quid pro quo with ukraine. Acknowledging u. S. Military aid was withheld from ukraine in part to pressure them to investigate the democrats, saying, get over it. This type of thing happens all the time. Thats not what the president has been saying for weeks now, that there was no quid pro quo. And tonight, just before we came on the air, mulvaney releasing a statement, trying to walk back what he said today. Abcs chief White House CorrespondentJonathan Karl asked the question that led to it all, and he leads us off. Reporter at the white house today, the president s acting chief of staff admitted something the white house has long denied, that the president cut off military aid to ukraine in part to pressure them to investigate democrats. Did he also mention to me in the past the corruption related to the dnc server . Absolutely, no question about that. Reporter i asked him to clarify. So, the demand for an investigation into the democrats was part of the reason that he ordered to withhold funding to ukraine. The the look back to what happened to 2016 reporter investigation of democrats. Certainly was part of the thing that he was worried about in corruption with that nation, and that is absolutely appropriate. Reporter withholding the funding . Yeah. Which ultimately then flowed. Reporter but to be clear, what you just described is a quid pro quo. It is, funding will not flow unless the investigation into the democratic server happens, as well. We do that all the time with foreign policy. And i have news for everybody. Get over it. Theres going to be political influence in foreign policy. Reporter it contradicts what the president has been saying for weeks. There was no quid pro quo. At all. Reporter and it seemed to blindside his allies on capitol hill. Mick mull Vail Mulvaney said that aid to ukraine was frozen in part to pressure ukraine to investigate the democrats. Do you still think theres nothing to see here . What did he say . He said he admitted that military aid to ukraine was frozen in part to pressure to put pressure on ukraine to investigate democrats. So Mick Mulvaney just said what you said . Yes. Okay, i dont know. I would like to know what that means. Reporter democrats have been investigating whether there was a quid pro quo. Things have just gone from very, very bad to much, much worse. Reporter today, another key witness testified behind closed doors. Gordon sondland is u. S. Ambassador to the eu and a central figure in the president s ukraine policy. According to written testimony obtained by abc news, he told lawmakers President Trump directed that matters related to ukraine go through his personal lawyer, rudy giuliani. Sondland said he and his fellow u. S. Diplomats were disappointed, but ultimately decided to do as President Trump directed and talk to mr. Giuliani. Ambassador sondland said giuliani told him if the ukrainians wanted a meeting with the president , they would have to issue a statement promising to investigate the dnc and burisma, the company that paid hunter biden to serve on its board. My understanding, sondland told the committee, was that the president directed mr. Giulianis participation, that mr. Giuliani was expressing the concerns of the president. In a previously released text message, the top u. S. Official in ukraine raised concerns with sondland, writing, quote, i think its crazy to withhold Security Assistance for help with a political campaign. Sondland said when he got that text, he called the president. I asked the president , what do you want from ukraine . The president responded, nothing. There is no quid pro quo. The president repeated, no quid pro quo multiple times. This was a very short call and i recall the president was in a bad mood. Sondland then relayed that message back to the top u. S. Diplomat in ukraine, texting, i believe you are incorrect about President Trumps intentions. The president has been crystal clear, no quid pro quos of any kind. Lets get to jon karl at the white house tonight. And jon, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledging to you there that u. S. Military aid was withheld from yu krein in part to pressure ukraine to investigate the democrats. It is made immediate headlines everywhere, as youre well aware. But just minutes ago tonight, in fact, right before we came on the air, mulvaney trying to walk that back now . Reporter mulvaney has put out a statement, david, that accuses, quote, the media, of misconstruing what he said. Mulvaney is now saying there was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian Military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election. But david, that is not what he said in that briefing. In fact, when i followed up and asked him directly if he was saying it was a quid pro quo, not only did he not deny it, he said, as you heard, we do that, we do that all the time with foreign policy. Now, mulvaneys statement came out after a statement from the president s legal team was released, distancing itself from what he said. The legal team said, quote, the president s Legal Counsel was not involved in acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaneys press briefing. David . Much more on this to come. Jon, thank you. Meantime, the resignation making news tonight. Late today, President Trump confirming that Energy Secretary rick perry will resign. The resignation by perry, who has been described by colleagues as one of the, quote, three amigos on u. S. Policy in ukraine, comes amid questions about his role in the white house effort to pressure ukraine into launching an investigation into the president s political opponents. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The president says perry will leave at the end of the year. The other major story playing out today involves turkey, and tonight, President Trump celebrating what the u. S. Is calling a ceasefire, saying this is a great day for civilization. It was a week and a half ago, President Trump talked with turkeys president , then President Trump suddenly announcing he was pulling u. S. Troops out of a key part of syria. The white house issuing a statement at the time that turkey would be moving in. Now, the president is taking credit for this ceasefire, and tonight, turkey is not even calling it a ceasefire. Theyre calling it a pause. Democrats and some republicans are livid by this and the horrible sequence of events that played out after that phone call with turkey. One key republican calling for an investigation tonight. And mary bruce is on the hill. Reporter emerging from a fivehour meeting with the turkish president , Vice President pence today declared they have a deal that will save lives. A week after Turkish Forces crossed into syria, turkey and the United States of america have agreed to a ceasefire in syria. At all. Rter b just a pause. The Turkish Foreign minister saying their forces are not withdrawing from syria. Theyre just giving kurdish fighters five days to get out. In exchange, if the fighting ends, the u. S. Will lift sanctions imposed on turkey this week. President trump is declaring victory, even though he helped create this crisis when he abruptly withdrew u. S. Forces from syria, giving turkey a green light to invade. Great day for the kurds. Its really a great day for civilization. Its a great day for civilization. And weve gotten everything we reporr ut on capito hill, even his republican allies arent buying it. It does not appear to me, however, with all due respect, that this is really a ceasefire. It is more an ultimatum, because what it basically is saying, is under erdogan is saying, heres land that i intend to take. I intend to drive every kurd out of this area and i intend for turkey to control this area in Northern Syria as a security zone, as he calls it. Reporter senator mitt romney says trump is giving turkey everything they want. The announcement today is being portrayed as a victory. It is far from a victory. Are we so weak and so inept diplomatically that turkey forced the hand of the United States of america . Turkey . Reporter according to the kurds, since turkey invaded last week, 218 civilians have been killed, including 18 children. Tens of thousands have been force to flee. Romney is demanding Senate Hearings to investigate the president s decisionmaking. The ceasefire does not change the fact that america has abandoned an ally. What we have done to the kurds will stand as a bloodstain in the annals of american history. So, lets get to mary bruce, shes live up on the hill. And mary, just to keep track of this timeline tonight. When President Trump had his phone call with turkeys president erdogan a week and a half ago, the white house then released a statement that sunday night after the call, acknowledges that turkey was moving ahead with its operation, saying, moving forward with its operation into Northern Syria. But today in announcing the temporary ceasefire, Vice President pence saying the u. S. Never supported that operation . Reporter well, david, the white house never supported the operation, but they also didnt object to it when they first learned of it. And now here on the hill tonight, the president is being slammed on both sides of the aisle for claiming to have solved a problem they say he helped to create in the first place. David . Mary bruce with us again tonight. Mary, thank you. To the other news this thursday night, and the deadly noreaster slamming the east from washington, d. C. To philadelphia, new york city, up through cape cod. The wind and rain slamming boats against the shore. This is scituate, massachusetts. Gusts in nearby cape cod reaching 90 miles an hour. The wind fueling the flames on new yorks fire island, destroying several homes there and leaving a trail of downed trees and power lines across the region. In fact, a half million without power tonight and its not done. And now, another system elsewhere were watching, as well. Abcs whit johnson from hyannis. Reporter tonight, that powerful storm lashing new england. Amid ferocious winds, rough seas and heavy rain. At bostons airport, gusts reaching 70 miles per hour, ripping the roof right off this delta hangar. On cape cod, trees crashing onto power lines, sending sparks flying. More than half a million customers losing power in the storm zone. And in duxbury, firefighters responding to dozens of calls. The damage we see is townwide. I mean, you cant get from one side of town to the other, because the amount of trees and wires that have been taken down. Reporter those violent wind gusts taking down two trees re, car, shattering the glass. The other, crashing through the roof of this home. The woman inside was not hurt. Those falling trees wreaking havoc across the region. Big, loud bang, like like almost like a bomb went off. Shook the whole house. Reporter in new haven, connecticut, firefighters battling 30mileperhour wind gusts while bringing this twoalarm fire under control. David, the owner of this boat tells me that it was anchored about 1,000 feet offshore before those powerful winds ripped it from its moorings. The cleanup here just Getting Started as the storm moves out. David . Just an incredible image there behind you whit, thank you for that. Lets get to meteorologist rob marciano, tracking the noreaster and another system were watching tonight. Hey, rob. Reporter hi, david. This is a powerful, recordbreaking storm for he l sr. Re abl got cou t off to the east. Gulf of mexico, that disturbance, 600 miles from new orleans. Forecast to become a Tropical Storm. So, warnings have been posted from louisiana to florida, forecast to make landfall as a Tropical Storm early saturday morning, somewhere along the florida panhandle, but impacts there will be felt by this time tomorrow. David . All right, rob marciano, thank you. Now, to the other headline today drawing immediate scrutiny, the white house announcing today that the next g7 meeting with World Leaders will be at the president s own golf resort. Heres abcs Senior National correspondent terry moran. Reporter it was a major announcement and a major promotion for the president s brand, straight from the white house podium. White house chief of staff Mick Mulvaney revealing that next years g7 summit will be at the Trump National doral, the president s resort near miami. Meaning World Leaders, their staff and security will all be paying the trump family when they check out. Its not the only place. Its the best place. Reporter mulvaney said staffers started with a list of a dozen or so potential summit sites, from hawaii to michigan to florida and that it was trump himself who proposed the doral. We sat around one night, we were back in the dining room and he goes, what about doral . Thats not the craziest idea. It makes perfect sense. Reporter the doral is an 800acre resort. It is reportedly struggling to be profitable. The president made a personal pitch at the last g7 summit in france in august. With doral, we have a series of magnificent buildings, we call them bungalows. We have incredible conference rooms, incredible restaurants. Its like its like such a natural. Reporter mulvaney claims the doral summit will save taxpayers millions of dollars. Hes not making any money off of this, just like hes not making any money from working here. Reporter but the decision has ethics watchdogs and democrats outraged. House judiciary chairman jerry nadler calling the move among the most brazen examples yet of the president s corruption. Mick mulvaney claimed the president isnt going to make any money, but the white house offering no explanation of that, saying dollar figures might be released afterwards. And he also noted, when asked if this is a branding opportunity for the president , Donald Trumps brand is probably strong enough. David . Terry, thank you. Next tonight, to chicago. And the teachers strike in the nations thirdlargest Public School system. 300,000 students had School Canceled today as 25,000 teachers protested. They are demanding smaller class sizes and more support staff. Chicagos mayor tonight saying they dont have the money. Negotiations are ongoing. And we move on tonight here and to the tributes for congressman Elijah Cummings. The civil rights leader remembered for his tireless work for justice and equality. And this evening here, what his wife is now saying about his final days. Heres abcs linsey davis. Reporter the son of sharecroppers, tonight, Elijah Cummings is being revered for his ascent to the height of power in washington, remembered fondly by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He started as a defense attorney, reportedly once saying that he was inspired by the tv character perry mason. From there, he entered the world of politics. Known for his booming voice, a tell it like it is tongue and a dogged pursuit of civil rights. His quest as a champion for all people evident even in his first speech on the house floor. Our world would be a much better world and a much better place if we would only concentrate on the things we have in common. Reporter he often challenged the trump administration, as chairman of the powerful House Oversight committee. Come on, man. Whats that about . Reporter and defended his hometown when the president called it rat and rodentinfested. Come to baltimore. Do not just criticize us. Reporter during the freddie gray riots, during some of baltimores darkest hours, he grabbed a bullhorn and urged a better way. He leaves behind three children and a grieving wife. Elijah cummings was 68. Cummings had been suffering from health complications. Today, his wife wrote he worked until his last breath and he believed our nations diversity was our promise, not our problem. Quite a legacy, david. Worked until the end and universally praised today on both sides of the aisle. Linsey, thank you. There is still much more ahead on world news tonight this thursday. The crash involving an oscarwinning actress. Her suv struck at an intersection, flipping. We have news on her condition. After the murder at the home of tarzan actor ron ely, what we have now learned about his son, accused of killing his mother. And the offduty sheriffs investigator tonight appearing to pull a gun on a teenager because of loud music. A lot more news ahead. A place with one of the highest life expectancies in the country. And you see so many people Walking Around here in their 100s. So how do you stay financially well for all those extra years . Well,