A key figure in the impeachment Investigation Called to capitol hill has been ordered not to appear. Who was behind the decision and what are the democrats saying . Were live at the white house. Breaking overnight, the nbas commissioner speaks out and changes course, taking a stronger stance on that tweet that strained the leagues relationship with china. We are not apologizing for daryl exercising his freedom of expression. China not backing down, applying new pressure on the league this morning. All that plus ominous warning, what the lead prosecutor in the College Admissions scandal is saying in a rare interview about possible prison time for actress Lori Loughlin. Taking a stand. Beyond this horrific act. The judge in the amber guyger case explains why she gave the convicted murderer a hug in the moments after the sentencing. And ellens powerful message, what shes saying about this photo with former president bush that set off twitter. Today, tuesday, october 8th, 2019. From nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hey, everybody, welcome to today on this Tuesday Morning, thank you for joining us on this very busy news day. Lets get right to our top story. The president s sudden withdrawal from syria and the backlash reverberating around the globe this morning. Some of the harshest criticism has come from loyal defender, Mitch Mcconnell and Lindsey Graham among others. At the pentagon the top brass were reportedly blindsided by this move and the u. S. Troops on the ground never saw it coming. This is happening in one of the most volatile regions in the world, the border area across from turkey, and there are real concerns about isis coming roaring back. And the kurds who fought isis alongside the u. S. For years are saying this is a betrayal. Weve got a lot to work down, including with Richard Engel whos in istanbul for us this morning. Richard, good morning. Reporter good morning, savannah. Apparently with little or no consultation President Trump reversed u. S. Policy saying u. S. Troops would be leaving syria and signaling that Turkish Forces could invade Northern Syria and that has left our allies on the ground afraid for their lives. An urgent and desperate appeal this morning from one of the United Statess most loyal allies for President Trump to change his mind and not betray and abandon them. The Kurdish People in Northern Syria took to the streets to say theyll be massacred, even face genocide after President Trump appeared to give turkey a green light to invade them. President trump suggested u. S. Troops should leave syria tweeting the time has come to remove the United States from ridiculous endless wars. The pentagon was caught off guard. The opposition came almost immediately in washington. Including from some of the president s normally staunch supporters. The kurds stepped up with nobody else would to fight isis. If we abandon them, good luck getting anybody to help americans. Senate majority leader Mitch Mcconnell said a precipitous withdrawal from syria would benefit russia and iran and allow isis to regroup. We watched the kurds fought for four years side by side with elite u. S. Troops against isis. The kurds control an autonomous pocket in Northern Syria of roughly 2 million people. They have a secular culture, men and women fight together and share power. Turkey calls them terrorists who want a greater kurdish homeland, including inside turkey. The u. S. Military calls them friends. It was mutual trust. They trusted our first forces on the ground and we trusted them, and i can lo au ght here and tell you that they have not broken one of those promises. Reporter and they backed up their word with sacrifice. The kurds lost 11,000 of their men and women fighting isis with u. S. Troops. As criticism grew with President Trumps decision to let turkey invade kurdish territory. We are down to few soldiers in syria, 50 in the region that youre talking about. 50 soldiers. Reporter President Trump walked it back somewhat, tweeting if turkey does anything that i in my great and unmatched wisdom consider off limits, i will totally destroy and obliterate the economy of turkey. A Senior Administration official briefed reporters that turkey does not have a green light to attack the kurds. U. S. Officials tell us u. S. Troops in syria, around a thousand of them at least for now have not been given orders through their chain of command to leave, theyre not packing, theyre not doing anything differently. They are in a waitandsee mode. Mostly theyre watching to see if turkey will go ahead and launch this operation against the kurds in syria. Meanwhile, President Trump today confirmed hes invited the turkish president erdogan to the white house. Lets turn to jeremy bash who worked at the cia as chief of staff. The issue here is whether or not the turkish government was given the green light to go into Northern Syria and clear out the kurds. If they did, what would be the likely fallout . Well, the threat there, savannah, is isis. Not only will the kurds potentially get slaughtered but the kurds are our ground force. Theyre the ones who have taken the fight to isis and theyre guarding the prison where some 10,000 isis fighters are housed. If the kurds get slaughtered and those prison doors are opened up, isis is on the loose. Theyre not just going to stay in syria. They could effectuate terrorist attacks all over the world. You mentioned this, and we saw with one of the members of the military who fought alongside the kurds, a lot of folks inside the military, republicans, democrats have said, you know, these are our partners. This amounts to a betrayal of the kurds. Explain that thinking. Whats the dynamic there . We have been allied with the kurds really since the 1970s. We have fought alongside them in this current syria conflict. Again, we patrol the skies over syria, but the kurds are the ones who are doing the fighting on the ground. They are the boots on the ground. If we pull out, if we abanding on them, they risk getting slaughtered by their arch rival, the turks. The president has said we have defeated isis, so i guess the presumption is its okay to leave now. We cant stay there forever. He said we cant have these endless wars. What do you say to that . We have taken territory from isis but its a very volatile situation. I would say we contained them but the threat exists. If the prison doors are left open, isis is going to be on the loose, and thats going to wreak havoc not only in the middle east but europe and potentially the United States. Its interesting to see because some republicans are often quick to criticize President Trump but others like Lindsey Graham or senator Mitch Mcconnell are not. Theyre some of his staunchest defenders and here they were coming out slamming this move. Are you surprised at the depth of the backlash and whats behind it . Not really, because this has been a bipartisan consensus on both sides of the aisle on capitol hill. We have to contain isis. We have to keep a small, limited presence there, and we cannot abandon our friends, the kurds. Jeremy bash, thank you very much. And now to the other big story in washington, the impeachment investigation. We have breaking news this morning. A key player in the unfolding drama who was supposed to testify on capitol hill this morning now says the state department has ordered him not to appear. Nbc News White House correspondent Kristen Welker joins us. Kristen, good morning. Reporter savannah, good morning to you. This is a dramatic aboutface. The Trump Administration blocking gordon sauondland from testifying today. The president tweeting i would love to sending ambassador sondland to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised Kangaroo Court where republicans rights have been taken away and true facts are not allowed out for the public. This morning a Dramatic Development in the impeachment inquiry. The Trump Administration blocking a key player at the center of it all from taulking with lawmakers just hours before a closeddoor meeting was set to take place. Gordon sondland, ambassador, Text Messages show a possible link between investigations and aid to ukraine. When the top u. S. Diplomat in ukraine texted that its crazy to withhold Security Assistance for help with a political campaign, sondland responded the president has been clear, no quid pro quos of any kind, adding i suggest we stop the back and forth by text. Sondland said he is profoundly disappointed not to be able to testify and he believes strongly that he acted at all times in the best interests of the United States. The decision prompting outcry from house democrats. The failure to prodthis witness, the failure to produce these documents we consider yet additional strong evidence of obstruction of the constitutional functions of congress. Reporter democrats are still moving ahead with efforts to interview the first whistleblower, taking extreme measures to conceal his or her identity if the person agrees to testify. Officials familiar with discussions about the potential testimony tell the Washington Post possible steps include a remote location for testimony and perhaps masking the persons face or voice. Where the president is trying to actively identify the first whistleblower, and hes trying to do so for one purpose, which is to somehow potentially retaliate against them or discourage him or her from coming forward and telling their story. Reporter that move comes after jabs like this. And that whistleblower, theres no question in my mind that some bad things have gone on and i think well get to the bottom of it. Reporter meanwhile this morning, a fourth republican senator is now distancing himself from the president over that controversial ukraine call. Ohio senator rob portman telling a local paper the president should not have raised the biden issue on that call, period. But he added, i dont view it as an impeachable offense. Overnight the Biden Campaign firing back at President Trump in a new digital ad. A president who puts his own interests ahead of the public good and National Security also poses a threat to each and every americans daily lives. Reporter now, part of this strategy in blocking sondland from testifying, the Trump Administration has argued the house inquiry is illegitimate because the house hasnt held a vote to open one. But its a risk because democrats have warned that blocking requests for documents and testimony could be viewed as an attempt to obstruct justice, which is an impeachable offense. The white house has said its planning to send a letter to congress this week that it wont comply with any requests until the households an official vote. The drama continues. Savannah, back to you. Kristen welker at the white house for us. Kristen, thank you. Craig has been off for a cusp couple of days. Good to be back, ladies, thank you so much. Turning now to that growing controversy at the intersection of sports and politics the nba this morning, is dealing with a fallout in one of its biggest and most lucrative markets, after a Team Executive voiced support for antigovernment protesters in hong kong. Joe fryer has the latest on this this morning. Good morning to you. Reporter the league came under fire for the initial response to the tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets. Overnight nbc commissioner adam silver changing course, saying the nba has always supported freedom of speech. This morning, nba commissioner, adam silver speaking out in the face of backlash. We are not apologizing for daryl exercising his freedom of expression. Reporter silver refusing to apologize for a tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Darrell Morey that shows his support for antigovernment protesters in hong kong. The tweet which read, fight for freedom, stand with hong kong, angered the Chinese Government several chinese businesses cut ties with the rockets and the countrys main broadcaster announced it will no longer show the teams games initially, the nba trying to distance itself from the controversy, calling the situation regrettable, adding we have Great Respect for the history and culture of china, but just hours ago silver clarifying that while its not up to the nba to pass judgment on the differences between america and china, the league will not put itself in the position of regulating speech from its players, employees or team owners. There are consequences from that exercise of in essence, his freedom of speech, and, you know, we will have to live with those consequences. Reporter the Chinese Market for pro hoops is worth billions with an estimated 800 million fans watching the nba last season the rockets are one of the most popular teams. Superstar Center Yao Ming played there from 2002 to 2007, now president of the Chinese Basketball Association which also cut ties with houston current rockets star james harden apologizing to chinese fans. We love china we love playing there. They show us the most support and love we appreciate them as a fan base reporter morey later apologized saying i did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to rockets fans and friends of mine in china i was merely voicing one thought based on one interpretation of one complicated event. A bad bounce for a League Caught between American Free speech and its own global ambitions joe, has this controversy affected any other nba plans or projects there in china . Reporter craig, it has, chinas state tv, cctv released a statement overnight suspending the current broadcast arrangement of the nbas preseason games in china and says it plans to investigate, quote, all cooperation and exchanges involving the nba. Commissioner silver also said this morning he hopes to meet with the appropriate officials on his trip to shanghai this week back to you guys. Joe fryer in los angeles, thank you. We have a lot more to get to this morning, including our interview with the judge at the murder trial of the former Dallas Police officer. Shes opening up for the first final time not only about the case but also about her decision to hug amber guyger moments after she was sentenced and handing her a bible. Nbcs Morgan Chesky is in dallas hey, morgan, good morning. Reporter of all the moments that happened throughout the trial, this is one that sticks with people. The judge said that this embrace was an act of compassion when guyger asked for a hug, she admits she hesitated and went ahead and did it, and said it was the right thing to do. This morning she says she has no regrets. Im trying to look at the person beyond the act. Reporter this morning judge tammy kemp speaking publicly for the first time, sharing how the amber guyger murder trial changed her and her courtroom forever. Can i give her a hug, please. Moments like when brandt jean asked if he could hug the woman who killed his brother. That surprising and emotional hug leading to another from the judge herself. I just said to her, miss guyger, mr. Jean has forgiven you. Please forgive yourself so that you can live a purposeful life and she said, do you think my life can still have purpose . And i said i know it can reporter after a jury convicted guyger of murder, kemp stepped away and handed her a bible. Your job is to do mercy, walk humbly, how can you not hug this lady so we hugged. What did you feel then . I felt somebody who was incredibly fragile reporter another powerful moment when joshua brown took the stand. Brown, who bloke down when he testified about the night his neighbor botham jean was shot was himself gunned down over the weekend. Police say they have no suspects his untimely death depriving jeans family of a key witness in their civil lawsuit against guyger and the city of dallas. How pivotal a role would josh have played in that suit joshua would have been one of the first witnesses we called. Reporter the judge hoping those two families find peace, and botham jeans killer can find purpose. I think if we meet her with love and compassion, we might help her find that, and then botham jeans death would not have been in vain. Reporter while it is rare to see a judge interact with a defendant, especially a convicted murderer after a trial, kemp told me she frequently does so when she saw guyger, she witnessed a woman hurting and was reminded of a recent sermon, to seek the lost, you need to offer love and compassion and saying thats what her true motivation was that morning. Guys, back to you. Interesting interview to get her perspective. Thank you very much, morgan. A judge that knows her scripture. Were