STAY WITH US. "DID HE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE MONEY? HE TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN STEALING MONEY." THIS MORNING ... THE JUDGE IN THE ALEX MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL ... WILL DECIDE WHETHER EVIDENCE OF MURDAUGH'S ALLEGED - *FINANCIAL *CRIMES ... BELONG IN HIS COURTROOM. WHY PROSECUTORS ARE DETERMINED TO LET JURORS HEAR THE CHARGES. THIS MORNING ... CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR ... IS *OFF OF A POWERFUL HOUSE COMMITTEE. WHY REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR AREA SAY THE MOVE IS A BIG MISTAKE. A GROUP OF GEORGIA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ... LOOKING TO CHANGE A *LAW ACROSS THE STATE. HOW THEY PLAN TO MAKE THEIR RIDE TO SCHOOL ... SAFER. IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY ... THE WEEKEND IS HERE. I'M NIKIYA CARRERO LIVE IN DOWNTOWN SAVANNAH ... WITH THE EVENTS HAPPENING ALL ACROSS OUR AREA ... AND THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS YOU'LL NOTICE. THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22 NEWS. GOOD MORNING - - I'M FRANK SULKOWSKI. METEOROLOGIST JONATHAN MYERS IS JOINING US NOW .... NOW, HERE'S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR... TODAY RAIN, MAINLY BEFORE 1PM. HIGH NEAR 54. NORTH WIND 9 TO 13 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IS 80%. NEW PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BETWEEN A QUARTER AND HALF OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. FRIDAY NIGHT CLEAR, WITH A LOW AROUND 34. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD RECEIVED THE FUNDS HIMSELF AND THAT I NEEDED PROOF THAT HE HAD NOT LATER THIS MORNING ... PROSECUTORS IN THE TRIAL OF ALEX MURDAUGH ARE SET TO RESUME THEIR FIGHT TO TELL THE JURY ABOUT MURDAUGH'S FINANCIAL CRIMES CHARGES. YESTERDAY THE DEFENSE ARGUED.. THOSE CRIMES AREN'T RELEVANT TO THE MURDERS OF HIS WIFE MAGGIE ... AND SON PAUL. RIGHT NOW ... AS EVA PILGRIM REPORTS ... THE JUDGE IS WEIGHING WHETHER JURORS WILL HEAR EVIDENCE ABOUT ALEX'S NEARLY ONE HUNDRED FRAUD CHARGES ... AS A POTENTIAL MOTIVE FOR MURDER. THE DEFENSE TEAM FOR ALEX MURDAUGH PRESSING A STATE INVESTIGATOR TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT SHE DIDN'T FIND WHEN SHE SEARCHED THE MURDAUGH HOME THE DAY AFTER PAUL AND MAGGIE MURDAUGH WERE SHOT TO DEATH AT THEIR DOG KENNEL ON THE FAMILY PROPERTY. HARPOOTLIAN: YOU'RE TELLING THIS JURY YOU SAW NO EVIDENCE OF BLOOD TISSUE, OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE SOMEBODY HAD SHOWERED OR WASHED OFF OR BATHED TO REMOVE EVIDENCE OF A CRIME FROM THEM? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US? KATIE MCALLISTER: YES, SIR. THERE WAS NOTHING VISIBLE TO ME. INVESTIGATORS HAD A SEARCH WARRANT BUT DIDN'T EXECUTE IT. INSTEAD THEY WERE ESCORTED AROUND THE PROPERTY BY THE FAMILY'S LAWYER AND ONE OF MURDAUGH'S BROTHERS. MCALLISTER: MULTIPLE FAMILY, CLOSE FRIENDS WERE AT THE HOUSE. STATE PROSECUTOR SAVANNA GOUDE: AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO ASK ALL THOSE PEOPLE TO LEAVE. MCALLISTER SOME OF THEM WERE VERY UPSET. AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO SIMPLY ASK FOR CONSENT. NATS IT COMES AFTER THIS NEWLY RELEASED SNAPCHAT VIDEO SHOWS ALEX MURDAUGH PLANTING TREES ON THE PROPERTY ON THE SAME DAY AS THE MURDERS WEARING A DIFFERENT OUTFIT THAN THE CLEAN WHITE SHIRT AND SHORTS HE'S WEARING WHEN POLICE ARRIVED LATER AT THE GRISLY SCENE. MURDAUGH TELLING THEM HE TOUCHED THE BODIES BEFORE CALLING FOR HELP. MURDAUGH I RAN OVER TO MAGGY (SOBS), ACTUALLY I THINK I TRIED TO TURN PAUL OVER FIRST. //POLICE DID YOU TOUCH MAGGY AT ALL? MURDAUGH I DID. I TOUCHED THEM BOTH. TONIGHT THE JUDGE IS WEIGHING WHETHER JURORS WILL HEAR EVIDENCE ABOUT ALEX MURDAUGH'S ALLEGED FINANCIAL CRIMES AS A POTENTIAL MOTIVE. WITH THE JURY OUT OF THE ROOM, THE CFO FOR HIS LAW FIRM DESCRIBING HOW MURDAUGH ALLEGEDLY STOLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM HIS CLIENTS AND LAW PARTNERS..SHE SAYS SHE CONFRONTED HIM THE DAY OF THE MURDERS SECKINGER HE TURNED AND LOOKED AT ME WHEN I CAME UP AND SAID, WHAT DO YOU NEED NOW? AND GAVE ME A VERY DIRTY LOOK//I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD RECEIVED THE FUNDS HIMSELF AND THAT I NEEDED PROOF THAT HE HAD NOT DON'T FORGET ... YOU CAN STREAM *EVERY *MOMENT OF THE TRIAL ON OUR WEBSITE ... WJCL DOT COM. OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WJCL 22 NEWS APP TO WATCH IT ON THE GO. AND COMING UP ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA ... STARTING AT SEVEN ... ABC LEGAL ANALYST DAN ABRAMS WILL WEIGH IN ON THE TRIAL. RIGHT NOW ... THE PENTAGON IS MONITORING A MASSIVE SPY BALLOON ... HOVERING OVER MONTANA. FEDERAL OFFICIALS THINK IT'S FROM CHINA. THE PENTAGON SAYS SURVEILLANCE BALLOONS HAVE FLOWN OVER THE U- S ... A HANDFUL OF TIMES .... BUT THIS TIME THE BALLOON IS LINGERING FOR LONGER. IT COMES JUST DAYS BEFORE THE U-S SECRETARY OF STATE ... IS SET TO VISIT CHINA. THEY WANT THE AMERICANS TO SEE THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITIES TO PUT SENSITIVE MILITARY COLLECTIONS DEVICES OVER THE CONTINENTAL US. BEIJING HAS NOT DENIED THE BALLOON CAME FROM CHINA. IN A NEW STATEMENT.. THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THE REPORTS AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF VIOLATING ANOTHER COUNTRY'S AIRSPACE. "I AM AN AMERICAN." NEW THIS MORNING... CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR IS NO LONGER ON THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. YESTERDAY ... CONGRESS PASSED THE RESOLUTION TO REMOVE HER. SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MACE SAYS SHE'S WORRIED THE RESOLUTION DISTRACTS FROM THE REAL WORK AT HAND. REP. NANCY MACE: "WELL, CERTAINLY I'M CONCERNED REPRESENTING A SWING DISTRICT THAT WE'RE DISTRACTED FROM THE REAL ISSUES FACING AMERICANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING AND TALKING ABOUT INFLATION." THE PUSH TO OUST OMAR STEMS FROM TWEETS SHE MADE YEARS AGO SUGGESTING REPUBLICAN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL IS FUELED BY DONATIONS FROM A PRO- ISRAEL GROUP. DEMOCRATS SAY OMAR PUBLICLY APOLOGIZED FOR THOSE COMMENTS IN 20-19.. CALLING THE RESOLUTION AN ACT OF POLITICAL REVENGE. SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSMAN JAMES CLYBURN RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE MATTER... SAYING IN PART... "REMOVING HER WAS A DESPERATE ACT OF POLITICAL RETRIBUTION THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THE VALUES OF THIS NATION." ALL NEW THIS MORNING ... SOME GEORGIA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ... ARE PUSHING STATE LAWMAKERS ... TO MAKE A CHANGE ... THEY SAY ... WOULD MAKE THEM *SAFER ON THE BUS. THE BILL REQUIRES AN ADULT MONITOR TO BE ON EVERY BUS TO HELP KEEP KIDS UNDER CONTROL. STUDENTS FROM FAIRBURN ... NEAR ATLANTA ... DROPPED IT OFF AT THE STATE CAPITOL YESTERDAY. THE BILL'S FIRST READING IS SET FOR MONDAY. IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY ... THE WEEKEND IS HERE ... AND WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED WITH EVENTS HAPPENING *ALL ACROSS OUR AREA. WE WANT TO GET RIGHT OUT TO OUR NIKIYA CARRERO ... LIVE IN DOWNTOWN SAVANNAH. NIKIYA ... WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? WELL FRANK THERE'S A LOT OF FUN GOING ON NOT JUST HERE IN SAVANNAH, BUT ACROSS OUR AREA FOR ALL AGES. FIRST ... WE'RE CELEBRATING NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY ... WITH A FIRST ANNUAL FREEDOM BREAKFAST. IT'S BEING PUT ON BY THE SAVANNAH CHAPTER ... OF THE A-PHILLIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE. THAT'S TOMORROW FROM 9 TO 11-30 ... AT THE RALPH MARK GILBERT CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM ON M-L-K. STARTING *TONIGHT ... IT'S THE TWO-DAY CRITZ RUN FEST ON TYBEE ISLAND. THERE'S A KIDDIE RUNA T 5-45 TONIGHT. A 5-K AT SIX. THEN TOMORROW ... A 10- K AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING. A HALF- MARATHON AT 8-30. A BEACH RUN AT NOON. AND A ONE-MILE FUN RUN AT ONE O'CLOCK. ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE Y-M-C-A OF COASTAL GEORGIA. HAPPENING TONIGHT IN DOWNTOWN STATESBORO ... IT'S WINTERFEST. IT'LL RUN ON MAIN STREET ... FROM 5-30 TO 9. THERE'LL BE AX THROWING ... SHOPPING ... A S'MORES STATION ... AND LIVE MUSIC. KEEP IN MIND ... EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT GOING ... THERE - *WILL BE ROAD CLOSURES IN PLACE. FRANK ... A LOT OF FUN THINGS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND. INCLUDING ... SUPER MUSEUM SUNDAY ... WHERE - *DOZENS OF MUSEUMS ACROSS OUR AREA ... WILL OFFER SPECIAL DEALS. AND HERE'S A LOOK AT YOUR TRAFFIC TRACK 22. THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING. WARE COUNTY, SOUTH GEORGIA PARKWAY AT VICTORY DRIVE IN WAYCROSS AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE