Up First from NPR - Navalny Dies In Prison, Georgia DA Hearing, Middle East Latest, KC Shooting Aftermath

Episode Date: February 16, 2024

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison. An Atlanta judge will decide if the prosecutor on Trump's Georgia election interference case, should be removed for a conflict of interest stemming from a romantic relationship. Israel plans to push Palestinians out of Southern Gaza as Israeli forces raid the region's largest hospital. And, two juveniles are in custody related to the Kansas City shooting as public looks for answers.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Ben Swasey, Catherine Laidlaw, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Lilly Quiroz.We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman. And our Executive Producer is Erika AguilarLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A Georgia prosecutor faces removal from the election interference case she brought. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial. But was the relationship between herself and another prosecutor misconduct? I'm A. Martinez, that's Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Israeli forces take over southern Gaza's largest hospital, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects calls for a two-state solution vowing to invade southern Gaza. Is Egypt preparing for an influx of Palestinian refugees? Kansas City is still recovering from the shooting of multiple people at the Chiefs' victory parade.

The types of guns that we have and their accessibility, easy availability is a problem. What more do we know about this horrifying event? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. Now Our Change will honour 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force and their dedicated service to communities at home and abroad. From the skies to our change, this $2 commemorative circulation coin marks their storied past and promising future. Find the limited edition Royal Canadian Air Force $2 coin today.

Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, has died in prison. He was 47. The news first came in a statement from a regional office of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service. Later, the Kremlin spokesperson told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of Navalny's death. Navalny's supporters say they have not yet confirmed his death independently. We're joined now for more on this from Moscow by NPR's Charles Mains. Charles, good morning here, good afternoon there. Thanks for joining us. Happy to be with you. So what do we know at this moment? Well, we know Navalny was in a penal colony in Russia's far northwest. This is above the Arctic Circle where he'd been transferred late last year. There were some

concerns about his health at the time. He was serving out a 19-year sentence for a slew of charges, all widely seen as politically motivated. But the regional prison authorities, as you note, said Navalny collapsed after a walk in a prison yard. Doctors were unable to revive him. He'd been in declining health for years after his imprisonment due to a past poisoning attack. So there always were these questions about Navalny surviving in these harsh circumstances. And essentially, he was in a very isolated and very lonely place at the end of his life. Would you just remind us of who Alexei Navalny was and why he was such an important figure? I'm thinking he might be the only opposition leader a lot of Americans know. So just tell us about

his significance, and especially in Russia. Yeah, you know, he was the longtime critic of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's authoritarian. Yeah, you know, he was the longtime critic of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's authoritarian government. And of course, his prison, as I noted, was widely seen as payback for his political ambitions. You know, he wanted to be the next president of Russia, and he didn't hide it. Now, he emerged as a breakout political star during anti-government protests over a decade ago, and really made enemies in the Kremlin with anti-corruption campaigns that exposed graft in the government's inner circles, including with President Vladimir Putin. And this

had consequences for Navalny's safety. He barely survived a poisoning attack in 2020. He blamed it on the Kremlin. But I think what Navalny did was really cleave at generational differences in Russia. Putin has always tapped into older Russians, or if you like, the Soviet generations, you know, grievances over the end of the Soviet Union, over the end of the USSR. In turn, Navalny, he channeled this younger generation's hope that, you know, Russia could break free from this sort of repressive past

and become more of what he called a normal country, a European country. Where does this leave the opposition in Russia? Well, in tatters. You know, most are either in prison or exile, and Navalny was the leader, and he's now dead. He'd been urging supporters to campaign against the invasion of Ukraine. Even as he was behind bars, he remained an active participant in Russian politics. He had the moral weight from it because he stayed in Russia. Many who are abroad really can't sort of claim to tell Russians to risk their own safety as they protest the war or protest against Putin's continued rule.

So, for example, Navalny had been urging Russians to vote against for any other candidate other than President Putin in the upcoming March elections. And it's why, for one reason, why he was in the Arctic Circle, to try and silence him. That is NPR's Charles Mainz in Moscow. Charles, thank you. Thank you. I want to mention that our colleague Steve Inskeep spoke to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan this morning. Given the Russian government's long and sordid history of doing harm to its opponents, it raises real and obvious questions about what happened here. Steve also asked Sullivan about other issues, including the Israel-Hamas war, and we'll have more of that conversation tomorrow on Up First.

A court hearing in one of former President Donald Trump's legal cases featured a different main character. Yeah, that's right. Yesterday's main protagonist was Fulton County District Attorney Fonny Willis. She's fighting off an attempt to remove her from the Georgia election interference case involving the former president. Trump and other defendants accuse her of a conflict of interest stemming from a romantic relationship with a prosecutor that she hired for the probe. W.A.B.E.'s Sam Greenglass has been in the courtroom and he is with us now from Atlanta. Good morning, Sam. Hey, Michelle.

Okay, so awkward, embarrassing, all of the above. But what exactly does this personal relationship, which the two have now acknowledged, have to do with the Trump case? I guess I'm asking, how did we get to this hearing? Well, Michelle, this began when one of the defendants lobbed an accusation of his own. He said DA Fawnie Willis had been in an improper relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade and that she stood to financially benefit from this prosecution, with the money Wade earned from the case funding fancy trips with Willis. Essentially, the defendants argue Willis has a disqualifying conflict. To be clear, though, these claims have

nothing to do with actions by Trump and others to undermine Georgia's 2020 election result. So now a judge is trying to decide whether to disqualify the DA. What's the testimony been like so far? Well, the two prosecutors already acknowledged that they had been more than colleagues, but there were still many unanswered questions, some very personal, like what exactly did the relationship entail? Who paid for what? Michelle, there were gasps in the room when Willis suddenly appeared saying she wanted to testify. You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on

trial. Well, I mean, it sounds kind of intense. What exactly was so contentious? Prosecutors insist the relationship did not begin before Willis hired Wade for the election probe, but an ex-friend of Willis disputed that. Another disagreement, whether Willis paid Wade back for her share of vacation expenses, that matters because it gets to whether Willis has a financial stake in this prosecution. Willis and Wade say she reimbursed him in cash. Defense attorneys like Craig Gillen were skeptical, as you can hear in this exchange with Wade. You don't have a single solitary deposit slip to corroborate or support any of your allegations that you were paid by Mrs. Willis in cash, do you? No, sir. Not a single solitary one?

Not a one. Wade says he didn't have a paper trail for this money because he spent it. So now you've got prosecutors with one version of events, and you've got these defense lawyers with another. What does the judge do with that? Last night, I called up a law professor who is actually sitting right behind me in court, Georgia State University's Anthony Michael Krase. This is his take. The evidentiary testimony that we heard today was essentially not terribly revealing. What this is essentially boiling down to is a battle of credibility. So not only will Judge Scott

McAfee have to weigh what legal standard to use here, you know, an actual conflict versus an appearance of conflict, he's also got to judge the facts themselves. Look, the window is already narrow for Trump and his co-defendants to stand trial before the next election, and delays from disqualification or appeals could make that opening even smaller. And I think this underscores, despite the seemingly tabloid nature of this story, the stakes are quite high. That is WABE Sam Greenglass in Atlanta. Sam, thank you. Thanks, Michelle. Israeli forces have entered and taken over southern Gaza's largest hospital,

where they believe bodies of some Israeli hostages are being held. And despite international pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows Israeli forces will go into the southern town of Rafah. That's where at least a million Palestinians are sheltering. After another phone call with President Biden last night, Netanyahu, in a social media post, again rejected calls for a two-state solution. We're going to go now to NPR's Eleanor Beardsley, who is following all this from Tel Aviv. Eleanor, hello. Good morning. So what is Israel and the Palestinians saying about what's happening in

this hospital? Well, according to Gaza's health ministry, there's no power or heating in the hospital, and fuel for generators is set to run out in the next 24 hours. And the ministry said there are patients on respirators and babies in incubators. They called it a catastrophic situation. Late last night, Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari spoke. He said Israel does not enter hospitals without good reason, and he said they have proof that Hamas has been hiding and operating inside the Nasser Hospital complex.

He even named ambulance drivers who he said had confessed to transporting hostages. You know, Israeli media are also reporting there may be hostages' bodies in that hospital, but we don't have any proof of that yet. Meanwhile, there's been an increase in cross-border rocket fire in the country's north with the Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. What can you tell us about what's going on there? Yeah, the two sides have traded rocket barrages that have gone deeper into each other's territory. One Israeli soldier, a young woman, was killed and several injured in an attack this week.

And Israel responded with rockets into southern Lebanon, killing eight civilians there. Both sides say they are ready for war if it comes to that. But keep in mind, the rhetoric heats up and cools down regularly between Israel and Hezbollah over the border. But there's no doubt it's very high now. And this is happening as Israel remains poised to send ground troops into southern Gaza, the city of Rafah, where at least a million Palestinians are sheltering. And even Egypt is getting increasingly nervous about this and preparing for a possible influx of Palestinian refugees. I understand you've also been talking to the families of Israeli hostages right now. What are they saying? Yeah, you know, Michelle,

they're still the main moral voice in Israeli society and they carry a lot of weight. Usually they meet on Saturday nights, but last night they gathered in front of Israel's Defense Department in Tel Aviv as the war cabinet was meeting, they blocked a major four-lane road downtown. They clearly wanted to send a message. And along with huge pictures of hostages, they carried signs that said, time is running out and Biden, please save us. They're furious that Israel has left ceasefire talks. And they think winning this war must begin with freeing the more than 130 hostages still

being held by Hamas. I spoke with 31-year-old Gil Dickman, whose cousin Carmel is in Gaza. Here's what he said. The most urgent thing is to bring home the hostages. That's the most urgent thing, because it's going to take time to win this war, and the hostages have no time. We have to make sure that they're home, and this is the most important thing. Then we can deal with all the other things. And I understand that President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke last night. Can you tell us anything about that? Well, the gap between Netanyahu and the Biden administration appears to be widening. Netanyahu called the two-state solution a reward for unprecedented terrorism, citing the October 7th Hamas massacre. And after the call, he tweeted that Israel rejects international diktats about a final

status solution with the Palestinians. That is NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Tel Aviv. Eleanor, thank you so much for this reporting. Thank you. Shock gave way to grief last night in Kansas City, Missouri, as the community turned out for a vigil to honor Lisa Lopez Galvan. The 43-year-old mother, community leader, and radio host died in Wednesday's shooting. The violence broke out at a parade held in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win. NPR's Brian Mann is in Kansas City this morning. Good morning, Brian. Good morning, Michelle.

So you were at last night's vigil. Thank you for that. What did you hear? Yeah, people in Kansas City, especially in the Hispanic community, really adored Lisa Lopez-Galvan. They described her as one of those people who just kind of connect everybody and put all the pieces together. Christina Nunez grew up with her and said

Lopez Galvan was at her wedding. She was here to do good. This was senseless, senseless. And it's just so hard to understand. 23 people were victims of this violence, half of them, Michelle, under the age of 16. And one thing I heard last night is that people here just don't feel safe. Isabella Vides was at the chief's victory celebration. And one thing I heard last night is that people here just don't feel safe. Isabella Vides was at the Chiefs victory celebration. And then one day later, she was at this vigil. It just sucks and being so scared. And I'm 23. I grew up when Sandy Hook happens. It feels like nothing ever changes. And I just, I wanted to come out because it's like, it's a very lonely feeling. And I didn't want to be alone. So people did gather. They wrapped arms around each other.

They held candles that they had to kind of shelter with their hands against the winter wind that was blowing last night. I understand that there are two people in custody, two juveniles in custody. Do we know any more about what led to this episode of violence? Yeah, police here say this appeared to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire. We don't have a lot of details. They say prosecutors who specialize in working with juveniles are now part of the investigation trying to figure out what charges might be filed. There was a third suspect, an adult detained after the shooting. That individual was released yesterday. Police now believe that person was not involved in the violence. There was one hopeful development yesterday, Michelle, of nearly 30 people

admitted to area hospitals. About two-thirds have been released as of yesterday. About eight people, some of them kids, however, are still in hospital. Brian, we had Kansas City's Mayor Quentin Lucas on All Things Considered last night, and he expressed sorrow and frustration at just the level of gun violence in his community. I just want to play a little bit of what he said. When you have 850 officers and folks who will act recklessly nearby them, who can still get off enough rounds to hit almost two dozen people within just a matter of moments, that tells us that the guns, the types of guns that we have and their accessibility, easy availability is a problem. So Brian, I was just wondering what you heard at the vigil last night. Do people there think that there are answers?

Yeah, a lot of people at this gathering, Michelle, were calling for tougher gun laws. Right now there are very few restrictions on carrying firearms in this Republican-controlled state, though it does remain to be seen how these underage individuals might have acquired the guns allegedly used in this shooting. One other thing people were talking about a lot at this gathering was finding ways to de-escalate conflicts and rivalries among young people here. Community leaders say these disputes are leading to a lot of shootings, a record number of murders in Kansas City last year, more than 180, many involving firearms. Again, police haven't said exactly what kind of argument sparked this violence.

We know very little about the suspects, except that they appear to be young. That is NPR's Brian Mann in Kansas City, Missouri. Brian, thank you. Thank you. And we have one more story for you before we let you go this morning. As the saying goes, records are made to be broken, and that is what college basketball star Caitlin Clark did last night. Here comes Clark. How will she go for history? There it is! The all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball. Clark needed eight points to pass former University of Washington standout Kelsey Plum. For the record, she accomplished that in less than two and a half minutes, scoring her team's first three buckets. Clark finished the night with 49 points as her Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines in front of a sellout home crowd.

Now with the record out of the way, Clark and her team can focus on winning their first NCAA title. And that's Up First for Friday, February 16th. I'm Michelle Martin. And I'm A. Martinez. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Ben Swayze, Catherine Leila, Mohamed El-Bardisi, and H.J. Mai. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Ben Abrams, and Lily Quiroz. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zach Coleman, and our executive producer is Erika Aguilare. Start your day

with Up First on Saturday. That's right. Up First airs on Saturday, too. Aisha Roscoe and Scott Simon have the news. It will be here in this feed or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.