Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia amid US warnings: The Morning Rundown Sept. 12, 2023

THE US ISSUES WARNINGS AS KIM JONG UN ARRIVES IN RUSSIA TO MEET WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN

AND —

THE BIGGEST ANTITRUST TRIAL IN A QUARTER CENTURY IS SET TO BEGIN

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. 

BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS TUESDAY — SEPTEMBER 12TH

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

NORTH KOREA’S KIM JONG UN IS SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN AFTER ARRIVING IN RUSSIA BY PRIVATE ARMORED TRAIN.

THE U.S. — GETTING AHEAD OF THEIR AGENDA — IS WARNING THE TWO NOT TO MAKE A DEAL THAT WOULD SUPPLY RUSSIA WITH WEAPONS TO USE IN THE WAR.

BUT GIVEN THE TWO COUNTRIES’ LACK OF INTEREST IN U.S. CONCERNS —

THE TWO ARE LIKELY TO SIT AND DISCUSS A TRADE AGREEMENT GIVEN **WHO TRAVELED WITH KIM JONG UN TO RUSSIA.

ACCOMPANYING KIM ON THE TRAIN WERE TOP ARMS INDUSTRY AND MILITARY OFFICIALS FROM THE NORTH.

WHILE RUSSIA COULD BENEFIT FROM NORTH KOREA’S ARMORY —

NORTH KOREA COULD SEEK HUMANITARIAN AID IN RETURN — ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE MEDIA REPORTS.

WASHINGTON HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE TWO’S ALLIANCE — ALONG WITH THEIR CLOSE TIES WITH CHINA.

IT’S RARE TO SEE THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER TRAVEL

KIM JONG UN HAS MADE SEVEN TRIPS ABROAD IN HIS 12 YEARS IN POWER — FOUR OF THOSE WERE TO CHINA.

AND HIS LAST TRIP IN 20-19 — WAS TO RUSSIA.

TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE REPORTED MISSING AND AS MANY AS TWO THOUSAND ARE FEARED DEAD AFTER DEVASTATING FLOODS SWEPT AWAY NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE NORTH AFRICAN NATION OF LIBYA.

AUTHORITIES SAY THE CITY OF DERNA WAS HARDEST HIT BY THE MEDITERRANEAN STORM NAMED DANIEL.

THE CITY – DECLARED A DISASTER ZONE – HAS BECOME INACCESSIBLE WITH NO ELECTRICITY OR TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS –

OFFICIALS DESCRIBING PARTS OF THE CITY AS A “GHOST TOWN”.

SOME AREAS WERE HIT WITH MORE THAN 16 INCHES OF RAIN OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD.

THE US EMBASSY IN LIBYA POSTED ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE X THIS MORNING – “TODAY THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES HAS ISSUED AN OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF HUMANITARIAN NEED IN RESPONSE TO THE DEVASTATING FLOODS IN LIBYA. THE DECLARATION OF HUMANITARIAN NEED WILL AUTHORIZE INITIAL FUNDING THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL PROVIDE IN SUPPORT OF RELIEF EFFORTS IN LIBYA.”

THE STORM HAD ALREADY CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN GREECE, TURKEY AND BULGARIA – KILLING AT LEAST 26 –  BEFORE HEADING INTO LIBYA.

THERE ARE SEVERAL UPDATES THIS MORNING REGARDING FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MULTIPLE INDICTMENTS.

TRUMP IS ASKING THE JUDGE TO RECUSE HERSELF FROM HIS FEDERAL 2020 ELECTION CASE —

AND FILED A MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES IN THE ELECTIONS CASE IN GEORGIA.

TRUMP WANTS THE FEDERAL JUDGE IN D-C PRESIDING OVER HIS 2020 ELECTION CASE TO RECUSE HERSELF —

POINTING TO PAST STATEMENTS MADE BY JUDGE “TANYA CHUTKAN” THAT QUESTION WHETHER SHE CAN BE IMPARTIAL.

THE FILING POINTS TO COMMENTS THE JUDGE MADE DURING THE SENTENCING OF A JAN. 6 DEFENDANT — TRUMP’S ATTORNEYS SAY THE REMARKS SUGGEST SHE BELIEVED AT THE TIME THAT TRUMP “SHOULD BE PROSECUTED AND IMPRISONED”.

IT IS UP TO CHUTKAN IF SHE WILL REMAIN ON THE CASE OR ANOTHER JUDGE SHOULD BE ASSIGNED.

MEANWHILE IN GEORGIA —

TRUMP’S TEAM FILED A MOTION TO GET CHARGES AGAINST HIM DISMISSED IN THE STATE’S ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE.

HIS ATTORNEYS ARE USING SIMILAR ARGUMENTS PUT FORTH BY SOME OF THE OTHER 18 CO-DEFENDANTS TO TRY AND GET RACKETEERING AND OTHER CONSPIRACY-RELATED CHARGES DROPPED.

THE MOTION TO DISMISS COMES DAYS AFTER TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM TOLD THE COURT THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS LOOKING INTO MOVING THE CASE TO FEDERAL COURT.

SOMETHING FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS HAS TRIED TO DO — SO FAR UNSUCCESSFULLY.

FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY FANI WILLIS WANTS TO TRY ALL 19 DEFENDANTS NEXT MONTH.

THE BIGGEST ANTI-TRUST TRIAL IN DECADES WILL BEGIN TODAY.

AND IT’S GOOGLE VERSUS THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

THE UNITED STATES CLAIMS GOOGLE PAID BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO APPLE AND OTHER PARTNERS IN ORDER TO BECOME THE “DEFAULT SEARCH ENGINE” ON ITS DEVICES AND WEB BROWSERS.

OVER THE NEXT 10 WEEKS — FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WILL TRY TO PROVE GOOGLE “RIGGED THE MARKET’S COMPETITION” AMONG OTHER SEARCH ENGINE COMPANIES.

THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS GOOGLE PROMOTED ITSELF ACROSS IPHONES, APPLE’S SAFARI BROWSER, MOZILLA’S FIREFOX, AND OTHER PLATFORMS.

TOP EXECUTIVES AT GOOGLE AND POTENTIALLY APPLE TOO ARE EXPECTED TO TESTIFY.

GOOGLE ARGUES IT FACES A WIDE RANGE OF COMPETITION – FROM MICROSOFT’S BING TO WEBSITES LIKE AMAZON AND YELP — BUT SAYS PEOPLE HAVE LONG PREFERRED THEIR SEARCH ENGINE  — HENCE THE TERM “GOOGLING” BECOMING SYNONYMOUS WITH “LOOKING THINGS UP” ON THE INTERNET.

GOOGLE COMMANDS ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE INTERNET SEARCH MARKETPLACE.

MGM RESORTS REPORTED A “CYBER-SECURITY ISSUE” THAT IMPACTED OPERATIONS AT ITS CASINOS, GAMING AND ENTERTAINMENT PROPERTIES ON MONDAY.

AND ITS MAIN WEBSITE REMAINED DOWN AS OF TUESDAY MORNING —

THE HOMEPAGE URGING GUESTS TO **CALL THEIR HOTELS FOR RESERVATIONS.

THE ISSUE FIRST BEGAN ON SUNDAY AND IMPACTED THE COMPANY’S CASINO FLOORS AND RESERVATION SYSTEMS —

BUT MGM RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING GAMING FLOORS ARE SINCE — BACK IN BUSINESS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS WORKING WITH MGM ON THE MATTER.

DETAILS ON THE CYBER THREAT ARE LIMITED AS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE HAS BEGUN.

FINALLY THIS MORNING, TWO COMPANIES WELL-KNOWN TO SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS ARE COMING TOGETHER IN A DEAL ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH FIVE POINT SIX BILLION DOLLARS.

HOSTESS – THE MAKER OF SNACKS LIKE TWINKIES AND HOHOS – IS BEING SOLD TO JELLY MAKER J.M. SMUCKER.

HOSTESS HAD SEEN ITS SHARES JUMP SINCE AUGUST WHEN REUTERS FIRST REPORTED THE COMPANY WAS EXPLORING A SALE – FIELDING INTEREST FROM FOOD GIANTS LIKE HERSHEY, GENERAL MILLS AND PEPSI-CO.

IN ADDITION TO JELLY, SMUCKER IS ALSO THE PARENT COMPANY BEHIND JIF PEANUT BUTTER, DUNKIN, FOLGERS COFFEE, AND UNCRUSTABLES.

THE BOARDS OF BOTH COMPANIES HAVE APPROVED THE DEAL – WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE IN SMUCKER’S FISCAL THIRD QUARTER.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS TUESDAY.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE MORNING RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT SAN.COM AND ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

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