Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies in Trump election interference case: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 16, 2024

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY LEADING GEORGIA’S ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TAKES THE STAND

AND — AMAZON IS SUED AFTER A SUBSCRIBER SAYS THE ADDITION OF ADS TO PRIME VIDEO IS ‘IMMORAL’

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHO CHARGED FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD  TRUMP WITH INTERFERING IN THE 2020 ELECTION IN GEORGIA TOOK THE STAND ON THURSDAY – DEFENDING HERSELF AGAINST ACCUSATIONS THAT SHE HAD AN IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN THE CASE.

AT ONE POINT – FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS DESCRIBED THE MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AS “LIES.”

LAWYERS FOR TRUMP AND HIS 14 CO-DEFENDANTS ARE SEEKING TO HAVE WILLIS REMOVED FROM THE CASE – SAYING HER ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE PRESENTED A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

ON THE STAND — WILLIS FIRED BACK AT THE LAWYERS’ CLAIMS.

SUPER: FANIS WILLIS | FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: “I object to you getting records. You’ve been intrusive into people’s personal lives. You’re confused. Do you think I’m on trial? These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”

A FORMER FRIEND AND COWORKER OF THE D-A TESTIFIED WILLIS AND WADE HAD BEEN ROMANTICALLY LINKED PRIOR TO WILLIS HIRING WADE FOR THE CASE – AN ALLEGATION BOTH PARTIES DENY.

THOUGH THE RELATIONSHIP HAS SINCE ENDED – ATTORNEYS FOR THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGE WILLIS PERSONALLY PROFITED FROM THE CASE WHILE THE TWO WERE TOGETHER – SAYING WADE HAD USED HIS EARNINGS TO PAY FOR TRIPS FOR THE TWO.

WADE TESTIFYING WILLIS ALWAYS PAID HIM BACK.

SHOULD WILLIS BE DISQUALIFIED AND REMOVED FROM THE PROSECUTION – A NEW ATTORNEY WOULD BE APPOINTED WHO COULD EITHER CONTINUE WITH THE CHARGES OR DROP THE CASE.

THERE ARE UPDATES IN OTHER CASES INVOLVING THE FORMER PRESIDENT –  A JUDGE IN THE HUSH MONEY CASE HAS SET A TRIAL DATE FOR MARCH 25TH.  AND TODAY – A VERDICT IS EXPECTED IN TRUMP’S NEW YORK CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL.

AN FBI INFORMANT HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FALSELY REPORTING A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR BRIBERY SCHEME INVOLVING PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, HIS SON HUNTER AND UKRAINIAN ENERGY COMPANY BURISMA.

THE CHARGES WERE FILED BY SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS – WHO IS LEADING THE INVESTIGATION AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN – CHARGING HIM WITH FIREARM AND TAX VIOLATIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT – ALEXANDER SMIRNOV LIED TO THE FBI IN 20-20 WHEN HE SAID BURISMA PAID BOTH BIDENS FIVE MILLION DOLLARS EACH.

PROSECUTORS SAYING SMIRNOV “EXPRESSED BIAS” AGAINST JOE BIDEN WHO WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AT THE TIME.

SMIRNOV’S CLAIMS HAVE BEEN CENTRAL TO HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ EFFORTS TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT OVER HIS FAMILY BUSINESS DEALINGS.

CONGRESSMAN JAMIE RASKIN — THE TOP DEMOCRAT ON THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE – IS CALLING FOR AN END TO THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.

JAMES COMER – THE REPUBLICAN CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE – SAYS THE INQUIRY WILL CONTINUE – CLAIMING IT’S BASED ON “A LARGE RECORD OF EVIDENCE.”

SMIRNOV FACES CHARGES OF MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT AND FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS.

IF CONVICTED HE FACES A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF 25 YEARS IN PRISON.

THERE ARE NEW DETAILS EMERGING FROM THE CHIEFS SUPER BOWL PARADE SHOOTING.

KANSAS CITY POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING THAT LEFT A WOMAN DEAD AND 22 OTHERS INJURED WAS NOT AN ACT OF TERRORISM — BUT STEMMED FROM A PERSONAL DISPUTE.

POLICE ORIGINALLY DETAINED THREE JUVENILES, BUT RELEASED ONE THEY DETERMINED WAS NOT INVOLVED.

THEY ARE WORKING WITH PROSECUTORS TO FILE CHARGES.

POLICE SAY ABOUT HALF OF THOSE INJURED WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 16 —  THE YOUNGEST JUST 6 YEARS OLD

NINE OF THE CHILDREN SUFFERED GUNSHOT WOUNDS — 7 HAVE SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.

THE FAMILY OF THE WOMAN KILLED IN THE SHOOTING ISSUING A STATEMENT SAYING THEY ARE HEARTBROKEN AT THE LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONE — LISA LOPEZ-GALVAN — A MOTHER OF TWO AND LOCAL RADIO HOST.

NEARLY A MILLION PEOPLE WERE ESTIMATED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE SUPER BOWL PARADE.

MORE AND MORE VIDEO STREAMING PLATFORMS ARE PLAYING ADS THESE DAYS – AND AT LEAST ONE PERSON THINKS THAT’S ILLEGAL.

AN AMAZON SUBSCRIBER FROM CALIFORNIA IS SEEKING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF HIMSELF AND OTHER CUSTOMERS-

ACCUSING THE TECH GIANT OF FALSE ADVERTISING AND DECEPTIVE PRACTICES AFTER ADS STARTED TO PLAY BY DEFAULT ON PRIME VIDEO.

THE LAWSUIT CALLS AMAZON’S ACTIONS “IMMORAL” AND “UNETHICAL.” –

SAYING IT’S NOT FAIR THAT PRIME USERS MUST NOW PAY AN ADDITIONAL 2 DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS A MONTH TO STREAM SHOWS WITHOUT ADS – SINCE THEY HAD BEEN PAYING FOR AN AD-FREE VERSION BEFORE THE RECENT CHANGE.

THE SUIT IS SEEKING DAMAGES AND AN END TO THE PRACTICE.

AMAZON HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING IT DOES NOT COMMENT ON PENDING LITIGATION.

IT’S NOT THE END OF THE CONSOLE WARS – BUT MICROSOFT IS MAKING A BIG MOVE IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY.

THE COMPANY ANNOUNCING IT WILL RELEASE FOUR EXCLUSIVE X-BOX GAMES ONTO COMPETING CONSOLES – RUMORED TO BE NINTENDO’S SWITCH AND SONY’S PLAYSTATION 5.

DETAILS ON WHAT GAMES AND WHEN WILL THEY BE MADE AVAILABLE HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED.

REVENUE FOR MICROSOFT’S X-BOX RELATED BUSINESS GREW BY 61 PERCENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER – OVERTAKING WINDOWS  IN EARNINGS – LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE 75 BILLION DOLLAR ACQUISITION OF ACTIVISION BLIZZARD IN OCTOBER.

MICROSOFT NOW LOOKING TO GENERATE EVEN MORE REVENUE — AS ITS XBOX SYSTEM RANKS THIRD IN SALES.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – HISTORY WAS MADE IN COLLEGE SPORTS LAST NIGHT – AS IOWA HAWKEYES GUARD CAITLIN CLARK BECAME WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER.

CLARK ONLY NEEDED TO SCORE 8 POINTS EARLY IN THE GAME AGAINST MICHIGAN TO BREAK THE N-C-DOUBLE-A RECORD – HITTING A THREE-POINTER TO REACH THE MILESTONE.

SHE WOULD GO ON TO SCORE A CAREER-BEST 49 POINTS IN THE GAME IN IOWA CITY –

PUTTING HER AT THE TOP OF THE LIST WITH THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE CAREER POINTS.

WNBA STAR KELSEY PLUM – WHO PREVIOUSLY HELD THE COLLEGE RECORD – SAYS SHE IS “GRATEFUL TO PASS THE BATON” TO CLARK.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS FRIDAY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE MONDAY.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!