NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-17-2024 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Cora VaColeman. Police in Madison, Wisconsin say a 15-year-old student shot and killed a teacher and another student and injured several others yesterday at a Christian school. And Piers Meg Anderson reports Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes says

the shooter then took her own life. At a press conference Monday, Chief Barnes said the police department is still working to determine a motive in the shooting. He said the shooting happened in a study hall and a 911 call from the school came in shortly before 11 a.m. That call was made by a second grader. As parents waited at a reunification center to hear about their children's safety, pastors from other churches came to offer them comfort. Adam Penning was one of them. Adam Penning, President, National Children's Hospital of New York, What I saw today were parents who have this instinct, which is when their kid falls and skins their knee, they've always been able to jump in to help. But he said this time all they could do was wait, sometimes for hours, to find out if their kid was

OK. Meg Anderson, NPR News, Madison. President Biden hosted a Hanukkah celebration at the White House last night. He says he is committed to getting all hostages out of Gaza. Biden says he realizes the celebration is coming as many hearts are heavy. This is the second Hanukkah since the horrors of October 7th. Over a thousand slaughtered, hundreds taken hostage. He says he won't rest until the remaining hostages in Gaza are free. President-elect Trump gave a press conference for more than an hour yesterday at his Florida resort.

He covered several topics. He says he recently talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And Trump said if the hostages aren't freed by the time he is inaugurated, quote, all hell is going to break out. Trump says he has spoken to more than 100 world leaders since his election, and he insists China's president has not ruled out coming to watch his inauguration. China has not officially commented. Meanwhile, China's top foreign policy official says he hopes the incoming Trump administration

will work with China to remove disruptions and overcome obstacles in the country's strained relationship. NPR's John Rewich has more. Polly remember Wang Yi, who's also foreign minister, told a forum in Beijing the two countries can achieve many great things if they work together. He said China hopes the new US administration will make the quote, right choice and cooperate. Relations between Washington and Beijing have been frosty. Trump's first administration and the Biden administration dialed up pressure with tariffs

and restrictions on technology transfers to China. And Trump has said he would impose fresh and even steeper tariffs on Chinese goods after he takes office. But at a press conference on Monday, he struck a somewhat more conciliatory tone, calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping an amazing guy and at one time a friend. John Rewich, NPR News, Shanghai. You're listening to NPR News in Washington. Russian authorities say a top Russian general has been killed in a bombing in Moscow.

News reports say Ukraine is claiming responsibility. The general led Russian troops responsible for nuclear and chemical protection. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 rocked the South Pacific island of Vanuatu. There are reports of damage and injuries. The U.S. Embassy sustained damage and is closed. A tsunami warning has been lifted. The Senate Judiciary Committee reviews legislation today putting stricter rules on sports gambling in the US. The Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018.

NPR's Windsor Johnston reports it's since grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. The legislation is designed to address the public health effects linked to sports gambling. The proposals include set limits on advertising during peak hours, enforcing affordability checks, and establishing deposit limits. The bill would also include new rules around the use of artificial intelligence by US sportsbooks and online casinos. Supporters of the federal legislation argue the changes are needed to address gambling addiction. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling,

nearly 50 percent of sports wagering in the U.S. takes place online via smartphone. Critics call the bill overreach into state-regulated markets. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. Congress only has till late Saturday night to pass a spending bill for the federal government or it will partially shut down. One huge issue is appropriations for the sprawling farm bill. I'm Korva Kuhlman, NPR News.