NPR News: 12-17-2024 5AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 17, 2024 – Comprehensive Summary

Host: Dave Mattingly | Release Date: December 17, 2024

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1. Tragic School Shooting in Madison, Wisconsin

At the forefront of today's headlines is the devastating school shooting that occurred yesterday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. A 15-year-old female student, identified as Natalie Rupnau, opened fire during a late morning study hall, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives and injuries to six others.

Key Details:

• Victims: Two people were killed, and six others sustained injuries, with two reported to have life-threatening wounds. (00:21 - 00:31)
• Shooter: Natalie Rupnau succumbed to an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound while en route to the hospital. Investigators are currently examining potential motives and how Rupnau obtained the firearm. (00:36 - 01:01)
• Community Impact: Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes emphasized the profound sorrow the incident has cast over the community. “This has been a rough day for our city. This has been a sad day. This is going to be a day that will be etched in the collective minds and memories of all those from Madison,” Barnes stated. (01:01 - 01:10)
• Heroic Actions: A second grader at the school was commended for making the first 911 call, facilitating a swift response from law enforcement. (01:10 - 01:28)

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2. White House Addresses Drone Sightings Over the Northeastern United States

Recent reports have highlighted the presence of drones and helicopters over areas in the Northeastern U.S., including New Jersey and New York. The White House has sought to mitigate public concern regarding these sightings.

Key Points:

• Government Response: National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby clarified that most drones observed are lawful, including those used by commercial entities and law enforcement. (01:33 - 01:51)
• Assessment: The administration maintains that these drones pose no threat to national security or public safety, aligning with the FBI's stance from the previous week. (01:53 - 01:55)
• Political Context: This statement follows criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, who accused the Biden administration of insufficient transparency regarding the drone sightings. (01:55 - 02:25)

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3. President-Elect Donald Trump's Legal Challenges Persist

In a significant legal development, a judge in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York City has denied the president-elect's appeal to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts.

Case Highlights:

• Court Ruling: Judge Juan Mershon rejected Trump's argument that his legal actions should be expunged based on a recent Supreme Court ruling granting broad immunity to the president. The judge determined that the falsification of business records related to hush money payments was unofficial conduct, thereby not qualifying for immunity. (01:55 - 02:25)
• Ongoing Proceedings: The judge has yet to make a decision regarding the dismissal of the trial in light of Trump's upcoming inauguration. (02:58 - 03:00)
• Legal Team's Argument: Trump's defense contended that the president should be afforded legal protections due to his office, a claim dismissed by the court. (02:25 - 02:58)

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4. Intensified Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Amidst Ground Operations

The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate as Israeli forces intensify their airstrikes while advancing deeper into the western area of Rafah.

Developments:

• Military Actions: Israeli tanks are reported to be pushing further into Gaza, accompanied by increased aerial bombardments. (03:05 - 03:13)
• Humanitarian Impact: The surge in military activity has raised concerns about civilian casualties and the broader humanitarian crisis in the region. (03:05 - 03:13)

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5. Assassination of Russian Defense Official in Moscow

A bomb placed in a scooter resulted in the death of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's nuclear, biological, and chemical defense forces, along with his assistant, in Moscow.

Incident Overview:

• Victims: Lt. Gen. Kirillov and an unnamed assistant were killed in the explosion. (03:16 - 03:31)
• Context: Kirillov had been sanctioned by Western nations, including Britain and Canada, due to his involvement in the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (03:31 - 03:39)
• Motivation: While specific motives behind the assassination remain unclear, the timing and target suggest a possible connection to his sanctioned activities. (03:39 - 03:41)

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6. Library of Congress Announces 2024 National Film Registry Selections

The Library of Congress has unveiled its latest list of 25 films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, celebrating over a century of cinematic achievement.

Noteworthy Selections:

• Diversity of Genres: The list includes a wide array of films, from the silent short “A Twirling Dancer” (1895) to the modern social drama “The Social Network” (2010). (03:41 - 04:06)
• Popular Classics: Among the selections is the beloved comedy “Beverly Hills Cop” starring Eddie Murphy. (03:43 - 04:01)
  • Notable Quote: Eddie Murphy quipped, “You know, this is the cleanest and nicest police car I've ever been in in my life,” highlighting the film's humorous take on law enforcement. (04:01 - 04:06)
• Variety of Formats: The registry encompasses documentaries, film noir, student films, and cult classics like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” reflecting the rich tapestry of American filmmaking. (04:06 - 04:35)

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7. Amazon Delivery Drivers in Illinois Vote to Authorize Strike

In a significant labor movement, hundreds of Amazon delivery drivers at a facility in Illinois have voted to authorize a strike, joining similar efforts by Amazon workers in New York City.

Labor Developments:

• Strike Authorization: The vote marks a growing trend of unionization and labor action among Amazon's workforce. (04:35 - 04:46)
• Union Response: The Teamsters Union claims that Amazon has been unresponsive to their requests to recognize their representation, prompting the push for organized labor actions. (04:46 - 04:52)
• Broader Implications: These strikes signify increasing worker dissatisfaction and a potential shift in labor dynamics within one of the world's largest e-commerce companies. (04:35 - 04:52)

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For more detailed updates and analyses, listeners are encouraged to tune into NPR News Now. This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the major stories covered in the December 17, 2024 episode.

Transcript

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[Dave Mattingly]

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly.

[NPR News Anchor]

Police in Wisconsin say It was a.

[Dave Mattingly]

15 year old female student at a Christian school in Madison who opened fire at the school yesterday.

[NPR News Anchor]

Two people were killed.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Six others were injured. Chuck Kuernbach with member station WUWM says.

[Dave Mattingly]

Investigators are still looking at a possible motive.

[Sean Barnes]

Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes has identified the shooter as Natalie Rupnau. Barnes says he doesn't know why the 15 year old opened fire inside a late morning study hall at Abundant Life Christian School or how Rupnau obtained a handgun. But Barnes says Rupnau's parents are cooperating with investigators at a very difficult time.

[Madison Police Chief]

This has been a rough day for our city. This has been a sad day. This is going to be a day that will be etched in the collective minds and memories of all those from Madison.

[Sean Barnes]

Barnes credits a second grader at the school for making the first 911 call that brought law enforcement to the building. Police say Rupnau was found with an apparently self inflicted gunshot wound after shooting the others and died on the way to a hospital. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Kuermbach in Milwaukee.

[NPR News Anchor]

Hospital officials say two of the injured.

[Dave Mattingly]

Have life threatening injuries.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

The White House is downplaying concerns about drones spotted over areas of the northeastern.

[Dave Mattingly]

U.S. including New Jersey and New York.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says.

[NPR News Anchor]

What people have been seeing in the.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Skies and recording on their phones have been largely lawful, commercial and law enforcement.

[Dave Mattingly]

Drones as well as helicopters.

[NPR News Anchor]

He he says the White House assessment.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Is the drones pose no threat to national security or public safety. That's something the FBI said last week. This follows criticism from President elect Donald Trump that the Biden administration wasn't doing enough to disclose more information about the sightings. The judge in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York City is denying an appeal by the president elect ruling against Trump's efforts to have his conviction on 34 felony counts overturned. Bruce Kahnweiser has more.

[Bruce Kahnweiser]

Trump's legal team argued in court that the president elect should have his legal record expunged. They cited a ruling handed down by the U.S. supreme Court this summer that gives the president wide latitude to act with immunity. But New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Mershon rejected that argument. He found that Trump's falsifying of business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star relate entirely to unofficial conduct and thus received no immunity protections. Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in relationship to those payoffs. For NPR News, I'm Bruce Kahnweiser in New York.

[NPR News Anchor]

The judge has yet to decide whether.

[Dave Mattingly]

To dismiss the trial due to Trump's upcoming inauguration for a second term.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

More Israeli airstrikes are being reported today in Gaza as Israeli tanks push deeper toward the western area of Rafah.

[Dave Mattingly]

This is NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

Officials in Russia say it was a.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Bomb placed in a scooter that killed the head of the country's nuclear, biological and chemical defense forces in Moscow.

[NPR News Anchor]

An assistant to Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was also killed by the blast.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Kirillov had been under sanctions from some Western countries, including Britain and Canada, for the use of banned chemical weapons during.

[Dave Mattingly]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

The Library of Congress is out with.

[NPR News Anchor]

Its Latest list of 25 movies to.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

Be preserved in the national film registry. As NPR's Netta Ulaby reports, this year's editions span more than a century of filmmaking.

[Netta Ulaby]

The list always includes wildly popular movies. This year, one is the comedy Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy.

[Eddie Murphy]

You know, this is the cleanest and nicest police car I've ever been in in my life.

[Netta Ulaby]

The 1984 hit joins two dozen others that represent the breadth and depth of American film. The oldest movie on this year's list is a silent short from 1895 that shows a twirling dancer. The most recent from 2010, is the social Network, based on Facebook's creation in between documentaries, film noir, student films and the low budget horror classic the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Netto Ulibi, NPR News.

[Dave Mattingly]

Hundreds of delivery drivers at an Amazon facility in Illinois have voted to authorize a strike. It follows similar strike votes at Amazon facilities in New York City late last week.

[Chuck Kuernbach]

The Teamsters say Amazon refuses to recognize their union representation.

[Dave Mattingly]

I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.

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