NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2024 10PM EST

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. A New York state judge has denied President-elect Donald Trump's attempt to toss out his felony conviction in the Manhattan hush money case on presidential immunity grounds. NPR's Ryan Lucas has more. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Marchand rejected Trump's argument that prosecutors shouldn't have been allowed to offer certain evidence from Trump's time in office in light of the US Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. In his 41-page ruling, Mershon says that the evidence in question relates to Trump's unofficial conduct and thus is not covered by the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision.

Trump was convicted in July of 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments he made to an adult film star. Trump's attorneys also have put forward other grounds as well for the case to be dismissed. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi-san is pledging a $100 billion investment in the U.S. over the next four years. As Empires' Bobby Allen reports, he's the latest tech mogul to spend big to court President-elect Trump. Masayoshi's son SoftBank, a Japanese financial juggernaut, hasn't explained where the $100

billion will come from, but he has said it will be spent on investments in AI startups and other ventures. It comes just as other tech executives like Metta's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and OpenAI's Sam Altman have all announced million dollar donations to Trump's inaugural fund. Silicon Valley historian Margaret O'Mara says tech companies have donated to inaugural funds before, but this time is different. We're giving lots of money and we're making it very clear how much we're giving and who

we're giving it to and why. That's something that was a departure from past forms. Well, Mayra says for some tech executives like Zuckerberg and Bezos, who have clashed with Trump, the publicity over the donations could be fodder for a fresh start. Bobby Allen, NPR News. Authorities in Madison, Wisconsin have identified the shooter who opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School, leaving three people dead, including a teacher, a student, and the attacker. Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes.

The shooter has now been identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who went by the name Samantha. She was a student at the school, and evidence suggests she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At least six others were injured, including two students who are in critical condition. There were no metal detectors or school resource officers on the campus of the small school, which has grades K through 12. Police have recovered the gun and they're talking with the parents and have searched the home. Asian markets are trading in mixed territory at this hour. The Nikkei, the main market in Japan, up one-tenth of a percent. The Heng Seng in Hong Kong is down about a half percent.

U.S. futures contracts are trading flat. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Biden has been inducted into the Labor Department's Hall of Honor. And Pierce Andrea Shue reports, the ceremonial presentation is part of an effort to secure Biden's legacy as the most pro-union president in history. Biden was at the Labor Department today to designate a new national monument in honor of Frances Perkins. As FDR's long-serving Labor secretary, she helped establish the 40-hour work week. But acting labor secretary Julie Hsu took the opportunity

to also honor Biden, noting he was the first sitting president to walk a picket line, among other accomplishments. President Biden promised to be the most pro-worker, pro-union president this country has ever seen. And he has gotten up each day and delivered on that promise. Danielle Pletka Past Hall of Honor inductees include Cesar Chavez, the Chinese railroad workers, and the essential workers of the coronavirus pandemic. The only

other president on the wall is Ronald Reagan, inducted under the first Trump administration. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Andrea Hsu TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have asked the Supreme Court in an emergency request to block a law requiring the Chinese company to sell the social video app or shut down by January 19th while the high court decides whether to hear an appeal. The White House and Congress say the owners present a national security concern to the U.S. because of the data on American consumers the app scoops up. But TikTok says the law violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million American users.

I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.