NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-15-2024 3PM EST

Episode Date: December 15, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Authorities in New Jersey and New York continue to press the federal government to answer questions about repeated drone sightings over their states. This morning, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is saying the government so far has found no reason to be alarmed. Mayorkas spoke on ABC's This Week. There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States. Recreational drones, commercial drones.

That is the reality. And in September of 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, changed the rules so that drones could fly at night. And that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before. Pressed on who might be flying these drones, Mayorkas declared there is no evidence that drones are related to foreign involvement

or criminal activity. Syrian students in the capital, Damascus, started back at school today for the first time since rebels began their push toward the capital nearly two weeks ago. By this time last week the rebels were entering Damascus and President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country. NPR's Hadid al- Shalshi has this snapshot. It's time for students to gather at the Al-Sharif of Radhi Elementary School in Damascus. Normally the students sing the Syrian

national anthem at the assembly. Today is the first day they won't. Some parents look worried as they drop off their children. Ibrahim Al-Khudr stands at the school's gate making sure his seven-year-old daughter makes it through the school doors. There's some fear because things are chaotic right now, Khudr says.

The school custodian stacks up framed pictures of President Bashar al-Assad and his father who ruled before him. He runs them to the trash. Third stars have been carefully added to the center of the old Syrian flag scattered around the school. In the new Syria like the old, symbols are important. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, has hired a high-profile former prosecutor as his defense lawyer in New York. NPR's Juliana Kim reports. Karen Friedman-Egniffilo will represent Luigi Mangione in defending against murder charges related to the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. Friedman-Egniffilo was a prosecutor for much of her career. She was second in command at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office where she prosecuted violent crimes, including those that had a mental health component, according to her

law firm's bio. She currently works in private practice, and it happens to be the same law firm representing Sean Diddy Combs against criminal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Mangione is currently held in Pennsylvania without bail. He's scheduled to appear in a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on December 23rd. Julianna Kim, NPR News. This is NPR.

Elon Musk has submitted a petition to turn the South Texas SpaceX facility and the surrounding complex into an incorporated city. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton reports. Officials in Cameron County say they received the petition asking them to incorporate Starbase as a municipality on the Texas-Mexico border. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino says his office is working on the petition and that residents in the proposed area could vote to decide. Some have pushed back against SpaceX expansion. Elon Musk says the company needs the ability to grow a star-based community in order to continue growing its workforce necessary to develop its giant rocket, Starship.

Some 3,400 workers are employed at the site. Musk also says he plans to move SpaceX headquarters from California to Texas. I'm Jerry Clayton in San Antonio. Baseball fans were wowed when Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman ended Game 1 of this year's World Series with the first ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history, this weekend that ball sold for $1.56 million at auction. In that thrilling game, Freeman had arrived at the plate on a sprained right ankle with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th against the New York Yankees. He hit the first pitch 413 feet for a walk-off grand slam and the 6-3 win, the buyer of the

ball was not identified. Colorado's Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy last night. A cornerback and wide receiver, he's the first two-way player to win college football's most prized individual honor since 1997. This is NPR.