NPR News: 12-14-2024 7PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 14, 2024, 7 PM EST

Host: Janine Herbst
Release Date: December 15, 2024

1. ABC News to Pay $15 Million Settlement in Defamation Suit

Janine Herbst opens the episode with a significant development in the ongoing legal battles involving former President Donald Trump. ABC News, along with its parent company Disney, has agreed to pay $15 million and issue a formal apology to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Trump.

David Folkenflick provides detailed reporting on the case:

“George Stephanopoulos repeatedly asserted that Trump had been found liable for rape. A civil jury instead found Trump liable for sexual abuse.”
(00:43)

The settlement requires ABC to allocate the $15 million to a foundation typically used for funding a presidential library, alongside an additional $1 million designated for Trump's legal expenses. This resolution follows an earlier courtroom declaration where a jury determined Trump’s liability for sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll but not for rape, based on the jury's interpretation aligned with the common understanding of the term. Both Trump and Stephanopoulos are slated to testify under oath in related defamation proceedings shortly.

2. U.S. Engages with Syrian Rebel Group HTS Amid Captagon Discovery

Janine Herbst transitions to international affairs, highlighting Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent statements on U.S. engagement with the Syrian rebel group HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham):

“The U.S. is ready to work with them, and I have signed off on a set of principles to guide Syria toward a peaceful, non-sectarian country.”
(01:26)

Previously labeled a terrorist organization, HTS has now entered direct contact with the U.S., signaling a potential shift in regional strategies aimed at stabilizing Syria post-Assad regime.

Concurrently, significant findings in Syria reveal extensive stockpiles of the illegal amphetamine Captagon within Damascus. Reporter Hadil Al Shalchi describes her firsthand observations:

“I'm standing in what was probably the living room of this fancy luxury villa overlooking the Damascus countryside. But the smell in here is so strong, it smells of chemicals.”
(02:11)

Al Shalchi uncovers hidden facilities equipped with drums and heavy machinery used in Captagon production, starkly contrasting with the luxurious surroundings. The illicit trade in Captagon has been a substantial financial pillar for President Bashar al-Assad's family, aggravating Syria’s standing as a major global narco-state.

3. Nancy Pelosi’s Recovery and McKinsey's Opioid Settlement

The news segment continues with domestic developments:

• Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is recuperating from hip replacement surgery at a U.S. Military hospital in Germany. The 84-year-old fell during a bipartisan congressional event in Luxembourg commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Despite her injury, Pelosi’s office remains operational, though she will miss upcoming events.

• In a major legal outcome, McKinsey & Co. has agreed to a $650 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into its role in aggressively promoting OxyContin sales for Purdue Pharma. This settlement adds to the nearly $900 million previously pledged to state and local governments in opioid-related cases. McKinsey's agreement includes a pledge to cease future work involving controlled substances, including opioids, and to undergo increased federal oversight. A spokesperson for McKinsey expressed deep regret over their past involvement:

“We are deeply sorry for our past clients’ service to Purdue and for the actions of a former partner who deleted documents related to our work for Purdue.”
(02:51)

4. Tornado Warning Hits San Francisco for the First Time

Weather news brings an unusual event to the forefront:

Lakshmi Sara reports on a rare meteorological occurrence in San Francisco, where residents received a tornado warning for non-coastal areas for the first time:

“Most of the issues that we're going to deal with tornadoes are going to be land-falling waterspouts. So in this case, it kind of looked like that was the case with this storm and that's why we issued the tornado warning.”
(04:30)

Meteorologist Dalton Beringer elaborates on the storm's characteristics:

“San Francisco airport measured an 83 mile per hour wind gust early Saturday morning.”
(04:42)

The warning has since been lifted, but the incident marks a significant deviation from San Francisco's typical weather patterns, emphasizing the increasing unpredictability of climate phenomena.

Conclusion

Janine Herbst wraps up the episode, ensuring listeners are informed of the day's pivotal news stories—from high-stakes legal settlements and international diplomatic shifts to unprecedented weather events and significant political recoveries. This comprehensive overview equips listeners with the essential updates they need to stay informed.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content sections were excluded from this summary to focus solely on the informative aspects of the episode.

Transcript

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[Janine Herbst]

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. ABC News and its parent company, Disney, will pay $15 million and post an apology to settle a defamation suit filed by President elect Donald Trump. George Stephanopoulos repeatedly asserted that Trump had been found liable for rape. NPR's David Falkenflick reports. A civil jury instead found Trump liable for sexual abuse.

[David Folkenflick]

Back in March, Stephanopoulos was pushing his guest, a US Representative who was herself raped as a young woman, on why she would support Trump. He incorrectly referred to a court verdict from last year in which a jury found that Trump was liable for sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll, but not rape. The judge in that case said what transpired as determined by the jury, fit the common, commonly understood definition of rape, but not the narrow one. Under New York state law, ABC will pay the $15 million to a foundation for Trump that's typically used to fund a presidential library and a million dollars for Trump's legal costs. Both Trump and Stephanopoulos were to be questioned under oath for Trump's defamation suit in coming days. David Folkenflick, NPR News.

[Janine Herbst]

The U.S. says Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. has been in direct contact with members of the rebel group HTS today, which led the effort to oust the Assad regime. The US Once considered that group a terrorist organization, but Blinken says the US Is ready to work with them, and he says he signed off on a set of principles to guide Syria toward a peaceful, non sectarian country. Meanwhile, rebel fighters in Syria have been uncovering huge stockpiles of the illegal amphetamine Captagon in various warehouses across the Syrian capital. President Bashar Al Assad's family and associates profited from the manufacturing and trade of Captagon, turning Syria into one of the world's biggest narco states. NPR's Hadil Al Shoulchi visited one of these drug warehouses.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

I'm standing in what was probably the living room of this fancy luxury villa overlooking the Damascus countryside. But the smell in here is so strong, it smells of chemicals. Stacked behind me to the ceiling are these drums of chemicals that were used for the Captagon. And there's also these stacks that look like fl, but again, they have the chemicals that are used to make Captagon. There are all these heavy duty machinery also used to make the drug in a very incongruous setting with these chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. And the end product was Captagon, these tiny pills that propped up the Syrian economy under bashar Al Assad.

[Janine Herbst]

NPR's Handil Al Shalchi reporting from Damascus. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is recovering from hip replacement surgery at a US Military hospital in Germany after she fell during a bipartisan congressional trip to Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her office as the 84 year old, continues to work but won't attend the rest of the events. This is NPR. Global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a federal probe of its role in helping to aggressively spur sales of the highly addictive opioid painkiller OxyContin for Purdue Pharma. McKinsey told NPR in a statement that it's deeply sorry for past clients service to Purdue and for the actions of a former partner who deleted documents related to work for Purdue. This comes on top of the nearly $900 million McKinsey agreed to pay in opioid settlements with state and local governments now. As part of the deal, McKinsey has agreed to refrain from any work in the future involving controlled substances, including opioids, and to face closer federal oversight. Some San Francisco residents woke up to a notification from the National Weather Service today warning of a possible tornado amidst a windy and rainy storm in the Bay Area. Lakshmi Sara from member station KQED has more.

[Lakshmi Sara]

The warning is now over, but the National Weather Service says it's the first time non coastal parts of San Francisco have ever been under a tornado warning. Radar showed a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado with winds of 45 mph. Dalton Beringer is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

[Dalton Beringer]

Most of the issues that we're going to deal with tornadoes are going to be land falling waterspouts. So in this case, it kind of looked like that was the case with this storm and that's why we issued the tornado warning.

[Lakshmi Sara]

Barringer said San Francisco airport measured an 83 mile per hour wind gust early Saturday morning. For NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Sara.

[Janine Herbst]

And I'm Jeanine Hurst, NPR News in Washington.

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