Unbiased headline news for Tuesday February 13, 2024 – Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is set to proceed with an evidentiary hearing on Thursday to examine a motion from a co-defendant of Donald Trump. The motion aims to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from prosecuting the 2020 election interference case in Georgia and to drop all charges against the defendant.
Michael Roman, a former Republican National Committee staffer, alleges that Willis had an improper relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Roman claims that Willis paid Wade over $650,000 for his work for the D.A.’s office and benefited financially from their relationship, alleging that Wade took her on cruises and trips.
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President Joe Biden met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House, where disagreements over key issues in Israel’s war in Gaza were evident.
While Biden reiterated his opposition to a permanent cease-fire, Abdullah called for an immediate end to the war, expressing concern about a potential Israeli attack on Rafah. Abdullah emphasized the humanitarian impact, stating that it could lead to another catastrophe for over a million people who have been pushed into Rafah since the war began.
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Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister declared a “national emergency” due to a significant oil spill near the twin-island nation in the eastern Caribbean.
Crews are struggling to contain the oil that has already coated numerous beaches on Tobago’s southwest coast. The vessel responsible for the spill, which overturned near Tobago last week, has not been identified by the government. The extent of the spill and the cause of the vessel overturning remain unclear.
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The U.S. government seized a Boeing 747 cargo plane, alleging that it was sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a state-owned Venezuelan firm in violation of American export control laws.
The Justice Department announced that the plane, previously transferred from Mahan Air to Emtrasur, a Venezuelan cargo airline, would be disposed of. Mahan Air has faced allegations of supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
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Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen reversed his decision and announced that the state will accept approximately $18 million in federal funding to help feed hungry children over the summer break.
Pillen initially rejected the funding in December, citing his opposition to welfare. However, he faced pressure to reconsider, including from some members of his party. Pillen’s change of stance comes after meeting with a group of high school students from around Nebraska.
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A Republican lawmaker in Michigan, Representative Josh Schriver, lost his committee assignment and staff after posting an image of a racist ideology on social media.
House Speaker Joe Tate, a Democrat, emphasized that the House would not tolerate “racist, hateful, and bigoted speech.” Schriver shared a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) displaying a map with Black figures outnumbering white figures, accompanied by the phrase, “The great replacement!”
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North Korea conducted a test of a new “controllable shell and ballistic control system” for multiple rocket launchers, according to state media.
The test-firing of 240mm-caliber rocket shells using the new system was carried out by the North’s Academy of Defense Science. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that the launcher’s role in battlefields would be increased after a re-evaluation.
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Bob Edwards, the anchor of National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” for nearly 25 years, passed away at the age of 76. Edwards, known for his baritone voice, played a pivotal role in informing Americans about current events.
He co-hosted “All Things Considered” with Susan Stamberg in 1974 and was the founding anchor of “Morning Edition” in 1979. Edwards left NPR in 2004 after being replaced on the show.
