Brown Shooting Suspect Found Dead | 12.19.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Brown Shooting Suspect Found Dead | 12.19.25
Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Reporters/Guests: Tim Pierce, Amanda Presto Giacomo, Cabot Phillips, Chloe Cole
Production: The Daily Wire

---

Episode Overview

This episode covers major breaking news—the conclusion of the search for the Brown University shooting suspect, new federal action on transgender medical procedures for minors, and a surprising drop in inflation offering political relief for President Trump. The hosts present developments in law enforcement, politics, and economics, with analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and expert commentary.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brown University Shooter Case Ends in Suicide

Segment: 02:45–07:08

• Update on the Case:

  • After a week-long search, authorities discovered the suspect, Claudio Neves Valenti—a former Brown PhD physics student—dead by suicide in a New Hampshire storage locker.
  • Valenti murdered MIT professor Nuno Lauriero two days after the Brown shooting.
  • Both Valenti and Lauriero were immigrants from Portugal and attended the same academic program there.
  • Police identified Valenti through vehicle tracking, after a second person of interest provided crucial information.

• Timeline of Events:

  • December 13–14: Valenti returns to Massachusetts.
  • December 15: Murders Professor Lauriero in Brookline, MA.
  • December 18: Police find Valenti dead in New Hampshire.

• Investigation Details:

  • DNA evidence, matching description and clothing, rental car traced.
  • Frustration mounted in public and media over pace and communication of case developments.
  • Viral moment: Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez struggles to clarify video evidence.

    “So do you have video?” “Yes, both inside and outside. I’m sorry, just outside. That’s what we have. Not inside. I’m sorry, just outside. That was released already.”
    (Oscar Perez & Chloe Cole, 05:22)

• Immigration Angle:

  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed Valenti entered the US via the diversity lottery in 2017, sparking executive action to pause the program.

    “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country… I have now paused that DV1 program at President Trump's direction.”
    (Kristi Noem, 06:32 paraphrased)

---

2. Trump Administration Moves to Ban Federal Funding for Transgender Procedures on Minors

Segment: 08:14–12:33

• Federal Action:

  • The Trump administration, via new HHS rules, will cut off Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP funding to hospitals performing transgender procedures (puberty blockers, hormones, surgeries) for patients under 18/19.
  • CMS head Dr. Mehmet Oz emphasizes the irreversible and costly nature of these procedures:

    “The typical vaginoplasty, a procedure a child does not need, costs $60,000. Shockingly, a phalloplasty... $150,000 per child. It is shameful that clinicians have profiteered off this. I do not understand how it could possibly have been tolerated by the leadership of these institutions, but it will no longer be funded.”
    (Dr. Mehmet Oz, 09:26)

• Personal Testimony:

  • Chloe Cole, a prominent detransitioner, gives an emotional account of her experience:

    “At 13 years old, I was administered puberty blockers and testosterone in high doses. And when I was only 15, they removed my breasts... That mastectomy ensured that I am never going to be able to nourish whatever children I may have. Because of the moral failings of my doctors, I forever have lost significant parts of my identity.”
    (Chloe Cole, 10:07)

• Legislative Efforts:

  • The “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” aims to criminalize gender-related medical procedures for minors, with steep penalties for doctors.
  • New bill proposed: “Protecting Children From Foreign Mutilation Act”—would bar foreigners who perform or facilitate gender transitions for American children from U.S. entry and target members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

---

3. Inflation Drops, Providing Political Win for President Trump

Segment: 13:06–17:11

• Surprising Numbers:

  • Latest inflation (CPI) report revealed a 2.7% year-over-year rise, lower than the 3.1% forecast.
  • Core inflation lowest since March 2021.
  • Positive reaction from media and Wall Street:

    “I mean, I was surprised. It was a better number than anyone was expecting. It was a positive news. There’s no other way to spin it.”
    (Georgia Howe quoting media, 14:27) “That is much better than the forecast from economists. Clearly, this is another step in the right direction.”
    (Cabot Phillips quoting, 14:34) “This number came in better than every single one of them. Not a single economist surveyed by BLOO got it right.”
    (Kevin Hassett, 15:02)

• Economic & Political Impact:

  • Stock markets surged following the report; possibility of further Federal Reserve rate cuts.
  • Trump administration claims credit, citing policy changes and deregulation.
  • National gas prices drop to lowest since 2021.
  • Despite improvements, Trump’s approval on the economy remains low—36% approval per Marist poll, lower than Biden’s at end of his term.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Police Investigation Struggles:

  “So do you have video?”
  “Yes, both inside and outside. I’m sorry, just outside. That’s what we have. Not inside. I’m sorry, just outside. That was released already.”
  (Chief Oscar Perez & Chloe Cole, 05:22)

• On Cost & Ethics of Surgeries:

  “It is shameful that clinicians have profiteered off this. I do not understand how it could possibly have been tolerated by the leadership of these institutions, but it will no longer be funded.”
  (Dr. Mehmet Oz, 09:26)

• On Personal Loss Following Transition Procedures:

  “Because of the moral failings of my doctors, I forever have lost significant parts of my identity as a now adult woman.”
  (Chloe Cole, 10:07)

• On Unexpected Drop in Inflation:

  “It was just an absolute blockbuster report. ... Not a single economist surveyed by BLOO got it right.”
  (Kevin Hassett, 15:02)

---

Key Timestamps

• 02:45 – Brown University shooter case update, Tim Pierce reports
• 03:23 – Providence Police identify suspect, Chief Oscar Perez press conference
• 05:22 – Chief Perez questioned on video evidence
• 06:40 – Immigration and DV lottery program discussion
• 08:14 – Trump administration announces transgender procedure funding ban
• 09:26 – Dr. Mehmet Oz discusses ethics and economics of transgender surgeries
• 10:07 – Chloe Cole’s testimony on detransition experience
• 11:20 – Congressional bills on trans procedures discussed
• 13:06 – New inflation report and analysis with Cabot Phillips
• 14:27 – Media reactions to inflation numbers
• 15:02 – White House economist Kevin Hassett reacts
• 16:00 – Gas prices and political landscape
• 17:06 – Polling and outlook for Trump on economy

---

Tone & Language

• Direct, fact-driven, and urgent, with the hosts and reporters supplying analysis, quotes, and policy context.
• Emotional testimony (Chloe Cole) and political critiques (Secretary Noem, Dr. Oz) add pathos and opinion to the news segments.
• Focused on clarity and providing actionable, trustworthy information.

---

This summary delivers a clear, detailed account of the main content and takeaways from this Morning Wire episode, including the most impactful moments and major news developments for listeners who want the facts, fast.

Transcript

[Cabot Phillips]

Limu Emu and Doug.

[Limu Emu]

Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Tim Pierce]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.

[Limu Emu]

They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings vary unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[John Bickley]

The investigation into the Brown University shooter takes a deadly turn as the search for the suspect ends in New Hampshire. Between December 13 and December 14, Nise.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

Valente returned to Massachusetts. On December 15, he murdered MIT professor Nuno Luriero at Luriero's home in Brookline, Massachusetts.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, December 19th. This is Morning Wire.

[Limu Emu]

Men are men. Men can never become women. Women are women. Women can never become men.

[John Bickley]

The Trump administration is cracking down on controversial transgender procedures for minors, cutting off any hospital that performs them.

[Georgia Howe]

And President Trump secures a much needed economic win as inflation comes in cooler than projected.

[Tim Pierce]

I'm not saying we're going to declare victory yet on the price problem, but this is just an astonishingly good CPI report.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

This episode is sponsored by Equip Foods. The supplement industry is packed with bars masquerading as health foods loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients that leave you bloated and unsatisfied. Our team has been on the hunt for something better. A delicious, convenient way to get clean protein that actually keeps us energized for hours. Luckily, we discovered Equip Foods Prime Bar, the first of its kind, grass fed beef protein bar with only real food ingredients and absolutely nothing to hide. I've been carrying these with me everywhere. Chocolate, peanut butter, mixed berry. It all hits the sweet tooth craving that I didn't know I had in a way that makes me feel good in my body while hitting my protein goal. Starting today, listeners will receive an exclusive discount on Prime Bar, which has become our team's favorite protein bar on the market with 20 grams of protein in every bar. If you want to try the cleanest protein bar on the market that already sold out once, go to equipfoods.comwire and use code WIRE at checkout to get 25% off one time purchases or 40% off your subscription order for a limited time. That's equipfoods.comwire and Use Code wire at.

[John Bickley]

Checkout new bombshells in the Brown University shooter case with a police chase extending all the way to New Hampshire last night. Joining us now with the details is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. So, Tim, this shooter has been on the run for a week now, and there have been basically no leads up until last night when everything changed. What are the updates now?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, nearly a full week since a gunman at Brown University killed two students and injured nine others. But yesterday police found the body of the man who they say was responsible. Here's Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez. In a press conference last night, an.

[Oscar Perez]

Individual was identified as Claudio Neves Valenti, date of birth, and he was a 48 year old man. He was a Brown student. He was a Portuguese national and his last known address was in Miami, Florida. And I will tell you that he took his own life tonight.

[Tim Pierce]

This Neves Valente was a former Brown student. He was enrolled in a PhD physics program from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001. It's not clear yet what brought him back to Brown, but what authorities are certain of is that they found their guy. They found his body in a storage locker he had rented, dead by suicide. Police released images of him renting the car that they tracked him with. And in those images, he's wearing the same coat as the person of interest in the photos released earlier this week. Same build, also, same fanny pack. Nez Valenti also had two firearms on him when they found him. Now, authorities reported earlier yesterday that they had found DNA evidence of the gunman at the crime scene. Presumably that will match with Nevis Valenti to further seal this case. Officials said last night that this case really broke wide open after they released images of a second person of interest on Wednesday. Within a couple hours, that person had come forward, given police crucial information about the vehicle. And through the vehicle, police were able to identify Nevaez Valenti and eventually track him to that storage locker in New Hampshire. Law enforcement converged on it. Dozens of local, state and federal agents surrounded the place before they finally opened it up and found Neves Valenti dead inside. Now, this breakthrough came at a pretty tense time between officials and the local community. If you watched any of these press conferences this week, you could see the frustration between reporters and the officials. Officials have taken a lot of heat for the pace of the investigation and for the competency of those in charge. For instance, here's a viral clip of the Providence chief of police, Oscar Perez, struggling to answer a question on the bas facts of the case.

[Chloe Cole]

So do you have video?

[Oscar Perez]

Yes, both inside and outside. I'm sorry, Just outside. That's what we have. Not inside. I'm sorry, just outside. That was released already. That was the outside of the building. We released that.

[Tim Pierce]

Let me just jump here and clarify now.

[John Bickley]

We began seeing reports yesterday that the shooting in Brookline, Massachusetts, two days after the Brown University shooting might be connected. What's the evidence for that?

[Cabot Phillips]

Right.

[Tim Pierce]

And New Hampshire authorities confirmed that suspected connection last night as well. They said that Neves Valenti murdered MIT professor Nuno Lauriero in his Brookline home. Notably, Neves Valenti and Lauriero shared a common country of origin in that they were both immigrants from Portugal. And more than that, according to U. S. Attorney Leia Foley, Neves Valenti attended the same academic program in Portugal as Lauriero. Foley said that the main reason why it took so long to track Neves Valenti down is that he changed the plates on his rental car sometime after. After he murdered Lauriero and before he traveled to that storage locker that they found his body in. And I should note a bit more about Neves Valenti's background. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted about it last night. Keep in mind that Neves Valenti was a lawful resident, but he wasn't a citizen. Gnome said, quote, the Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valenti entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program DV1 in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country. She went on to add that she is requesting that the President in DV1 to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program. Then she went on to add that she has now paused that DV1 program at President Trump's direction.

[John Bickley]

Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me on.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

This episode is sponsored by the University of Austin, Texas. You know, college is broken. Activist professors, seminars that feel like struggle sessions. $80,000 a year to hear Hamas chants on the quad while being told America is evil in class. So what's the alternative? It's called the University of Austin or uatx. At uatx, students are in small seminars taught by great professors. They read the great books of Western civilization to learn from them, not tear them down. They build actual companies on campus with mentorship from a vast network of top entrepreneurs and investors. You can be openly Christian or Jewish without apology. And when you walk into the main atrium, there's a giant American flag. UATX admits students based purely on test scores. So the application takes just five minutes. Oh, and another thing, tuition is completely free, forever. It's funded by American patriots who want to create the Navy Seals of the mind, not another generation of credentialed activists. To apply to the University of Austin, visit uaustin.org that's u a u-t I.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

N.Org.

[Georgia Howe]

The Trump administration has moved to cut off federal funding for hospitals performing transgender procedures and surgeries on minors, fulfilling a major Trump campaign promise.

[John Bickley]

Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So, Amanda, big news from HHS yesterday. This is a pretty sweeping decision. How exactly is it going to be implemented?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

So a number of new rules are going to be applied to cut off federal funding to any facility that's going to perform these trans procedures on minors. That would include puberty, blood blockers, cross sex hormones, or any sex operation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, cms, they're going to bar hospitals from performing any of those procedures on children under 18 as a condition of participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs. New rules are also going to block funding of Medicaid's Children's Health Insurance Program that will stop trans procedures for anyone under 19. That program, known as CHIP, covers millions of kids nationwide. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz spoke yesterday about these coming changes. He really stressed the irreversible nature of these trans procedures and how much money they bring in.

[Limu Emu]

The typical vaginoplasty, a vaginoplasty, a procedure a child does not need, costs $60,000. Shockingly, a phalloplasty, the creation of a penis, costs on average in America, according to this data, high quality, $150,000 per child. It is shameful that clinicians have profiteered off this. I do not understand how it could possibly have been tolerated by the leadership of these institutions, but it will no longer be funded.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

At the same presser, there were some powerful words from Chloe Cole. She's a detransitioner who's been fighting to stop these procedures so that other children don't have to go through what she went through.

[Chloe Cole]

At 13 years old, I was administered puberty blockers and testosterone in high doses. And when I was only 15, they removed my breasts. My questions about whether I will be able to have children or about the future of my reproductive health and my overall health have gone unanswered. But that mastectomy ensured that I am never going to be able to nourish whatever children I may have. Because of the moral failings of my doctors, I forever have lost significant parts of my identity as a now adult woman.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

The changes follow an HHS review of trans procedures that found they have harmful impacts on children like fertility issues, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development and other irreversible psychological effects. But of course, this was all spearheaded by President Trump. The changes are a fulfillment of an executive order he signed back in January, January just days after he took office.

[John Bickley]

Now, there's also a bill that passed in the House this week that takes aim at the doctors that are providing these treatments. What exactly does that bill propose?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah. So this bill is called the Protect Children's Innocence act. And what it does is criminalize these procedures. It would bar doctors nationwide from performing trans surgeries or giving gender confused kids puberty blockers or cross sex hormones. Doctors would face steep fines and even up to 10 years in prison for violating that ban. The bill will have an uphill battle in Senate given the partisan divide here. Generally, Democrats are not going to support the bill and you know, it would need some support from a handful of Democrats to pass.

[John Bickley]

And now we also have a Daily Wire exclusive that broke yesterday about a bill on this subject matter. Tell us about that.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yes. So as Leif lemayhue reported for the Daily Wire, a new bill is being introduced by Georgia Rep. Addison McDowell. It's called the Protecting Children From Foreign Mutilation Act. This would bar foreigners who perform, prescribe or facilitate gender transitions for American children from ever entering the U.S. the bill is also going to bar entry for foreigners who are members of the World Professional association for Transgender Health, known as wpath. That's a very controversial organization that pushes these trans procedures for minors.

[John Bickley]

So Republicans going at this issue from all angles, it sounds like. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

You're welcome.

[Babbel Advertiser]

If you used Babel, you would. Babel's Conversation Based Techniques teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com Spotify spelled B-A-B-E-L.com Spotify rules and restrictions may apply.

[John Bickley]

A new report shows that inflation fell last month, defying expert predictions and providing political relief for President Trump.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here to break down the latest numbers. Hey, Cabot. So for the last four years, you've come on to talk about these monthly inflation reports, it's usually bad news, but there's some good news this month. What did we learn?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, this month's inflation report took on even more importance as it was the first one that we've received since back in September. The October report was lost to the federal shutdown. So economists had originally predicted that inflation would rise month over month by 3.1%, but the numbers were released yesterday and it actually came in at 2.7%. So considerably lower. Now, that 0.4% discrepancy doesn't sound like much, but in economic terms, that is huge. For context, inflation peaked at 9% in 2022 under President Biden. So we have come a long way now. And the numbers get even better when you look at core inflation, or cpi. That is the metric most closely watched by economists because it strips out prices on volatile things like food and gas. And last month, CPI was all the way down at 2 point percent. That is the lowest it's been since March of 2021. So this report came as a surprise to a lot of folks on Wall street and especially the legacy media. Here are some of the responses we saw on CNN and cnbc.

[Georgia Howe]

I mean, I was surprised. It was a better number than anyone was expecting. It was a positive news. There's no other way to spin it.

[Cabot Phillips]

That is much better than the forecast from economists. Clearly, this is another step in the right direction.

[Tim Pierce]

The number of the morning, the cpi. Oh, maybe coming in a little bit better than expected. 2.7%. That is a very good number here.

[Cabot Phillips]

As you can imagine, the Trump administration took a bit of a victory lap on Thursday. Here's White House economist Kevin Hassett, kind of mocking the experts who had predicted that inflation would be spiking right now.

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, it was just an absolute blockbuster report. We've looked at 61 forecasts, and this number came in better than every single one of them. Not a single economist surveyed by BLOO got it right.

[Cabot Phillips]

And investors were also thrilled by the news as the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all climbed significantly, almost hitting record highs following the report. And it's also worth pointing out if inflation keeps heading in the right direction, it could also make it more likely the Fed will continue to lower interest rates next year, which, again, would be more welcome news for Trump. For their part, the White House took offense to the idea that inflation fell unexpectedly. One administration official argued that this should be expected when a president, quote, cuts waste, fraud and abuse, slashes costly regulations, and allows the energy sector to Drill, baby, drill. And to that last point on oil nationwide, gas prices have reached their lowest point since 2021. More good news there, 38 states are now below $3 a gallon. And in seven states, it's below 250.

[Georgia Howe]

Yeah, I've certainly noticed personally the difference at the pump. So this follows Trump's national address that focused a lot on the economy. What does this all mean for the president's political standing?

[Cabot Phillips]

So there are still some skeptics on this report in the economy more broadly. They point out that the government shutdown last month could have impacted some of the data gathering from the federal government and resulted in some slight inaccuracies. But regardless, the White House is thrilled. So now we've got to see how voters respond. There's no question this report comes at a great time for Trump. As you mentioned, he's working to convince folks ahead of the midterms that his economy is gaining momentum after four years of Joe Biden at the helm. And there's no question he's got some ground to gain. Poll after poll shows him still struggling on this issue. The latest numbers from Marist, for example, show that just 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. That is not only the lowest mark for Trump ever over his first two terms, that is lower even than President Biden's approval when he left office on the economy. So the administration says the economy is stronger than folks realize and it's going to take time to recover. They've got less than a year now to make that case right.

[Georgia Howe]

Clock is ticking, but no doubt this report is a good start for them. Cabot, thanks so much for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.