Courtroom drama in Trump's Georgia case

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Fani Willis takes the witness stand to fight a push to kick her off Donald Trump’s election case. A personal dispute was what led to a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, police said. And is Russia working on a space-based nuclear weapon?

👋Hello, Thursday! Laura Davis here. It’s time for the news.

But first: Let’s eat!! 🍝🥗 From buzzy Instagram-worthy spots to tried-and-true small-town standbys, see USA TODAY's top restaurants across the United States.

Prosecutor under fire in Trump's Georgia case

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is fighting for her professional reputation and the biggest case of her career as one of former President Donald Trump's codefendants tries to get her, the special prosecutor she's having an affair with, and the entire DA's office thrown off Trump's sprawling Georgia election racketeering case.

Day of drama: The courtroom fireworks featured Willis running to the courtroom and declaring that witnesses were lying, and included talk of a rented cabin, trips to Aruba and a Norwegian cruise. In another state, Trump ranted that the whole show was rigged, even as a New York judge set a trial for a different criminal case for March.

📍 Here's everything that happened in court.

Attorney Fani Willis speaks from a witness stand during a hearing in the case of State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday.
Attorney Fani Willis speaks from a witness stand during a hearing in the case of State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday.

Kansas City shooting wasn't terrorism, police say

A personal dispute between several people erupted into gunfire at a packed celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory, injuring over 20 people and killing a mother of two, authorities said Thursday. Nearly 1 million people were estimated to have been in downtown Kansas City when gunshots sent scores of people running for cover near Union Station. Twenty-two people were wounded by gunfire, and about half of the victims are under the age of 16, police said. Police detained three people, including two juveniles, and recovered several firearms, but no one has been charged in connection with the shooting, Kansas City police said. 👉 All the latest updates.

Volunteer radio host Lisa Lopez-Galvan is being remembered as a fierce advocate for Kansas City's Tejano music community. She was shot and killed while performing as a DJ at the Chief's Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.
Volunteer radio host Lisa Lopez-Galvan is being remembered as a fierce advocate for Kansas City's Tejano music community. She was shot and killed while performing as a DJ at the Chief's Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.

Real quick

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Nuclear weapons in space?

While it might sound like the plot of a futuristic movie, the U.S. has new intelligence detailing Russia's desire to put a nuclear weapon in space – a move that could pose a major threat to international security. The intelligence, confirmed by two officials not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, will be the subject of a meeting between President Joe Biden's top national security adviser and congressional leaders on Thursday.

How did we get here? In an ominously worded statement Wednesday, Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, warned of a "serious national security threat," and asked Biden to declassify all information related to the threat, "so that Congress, the administration and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond." 👉 Here's what we know.

California mansion now on cliff’s edge after landslide

It's kind of a scary sight: A massive Southern California mansion is sitting at the very edge of a cliff. But officials say the home is not in any immediate danger, even after a landslide sent the ground in front of the home tumbling to the beach below. The cliff-top homes in Dana Point, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean were affected by landslides caused by last week's atmospheric river, also known as a "Pineapple Express," which brought heavy rain, wind, rockslides, flooding and more damage. The house is built on caissons that are anchored to the bedrock, so officials said the house is safe to occupy. Crazy view, though. 🏡 See more photos here.

Cliff-top houses along sit close to a landslide in Dana Point, Calif., on Tuesday.
Cliff-top houses along sit close to a landslide in Dana Point, Calif., on Tuesday.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com.  Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fani Willis, Kansas City parade shooting, California landslides: Thursday's news