News Wrap: Supreme Court won’t expedite ruling on Trump’s presidential immunity claim

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• Amna Nawaz:

  The Supreme Court won't expedite a ruling on former President Trump's claim of presidential immunity for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Special counsel Jack Smith had requested the Supreme Court fast-track its decision so the trial could begin in March, ahead of next year's presidential election.

  The issue will now be left to the U.S. Court of Appeals. It could still work its way up to the Supreme Court eventually.

  Wisconsin's Supreme Court today overturned the state's Republican-drawn legislative maps. They ordered new district boundary lines be drawn ahead of the 2024 election. Democrats had argued that the maps were unconstitutional because they weren't contiguous and gave Republicans an unfair advantage.

  President Biden issued pardons for thousands of people convicted of using and possessing marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia. It expands on a similar move he made last year, part of his pledge for criminal justice reform. Mr. Biden also granted clemency to 11 people serving — quote — "disproportionately long sentences for nonviolent drug offenses."

  A fierce Pacific storm unleashed downpours and strong winds on the deserts of Southern California today. The same system inundated the Los Angeles area yesterday, triggering flooding and road closures and wreaking havoc on holiday travel plans. The storm is expected to move into Southwest Arizona and taper off.

  The Czech Republic is reeling after its deadliest shooting in history. A gunman opened fire yesterday at a university in Prague, fatally shooting 14 people, before killing himself. Dozens more were wounded. Mourners gathered today at a makeshift memorial near the scene of the attack. They lit candles and reflected on the shooting's impact.

• Daniel Broz, Czech Student (through interpreter):

  What happened yesterday was, as a Czech especially, in the city center, hearing — I was on the other side of the river, and hearing gunshots, pops, not knowing what's going on, and then a flurry of police cars passing by, was absolutely surreal for me, as a Czech.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Authorities say the shooter was a student at the school, but they're still trying to piece together a motive. They believe he killed his father beforehand and possibly two other people last week.

  In Ukraine, Russian drones pounded buildings in the capital overnight and regions farther south. The strikes tore through the top floors of an apartment complex in Kyiv. Officials say more than two dozen drones flew towards the city, though most were shot down. More were intercepted in Odesa and Mykolaiv, where debris damaged a granary and other port facilities.

  Back in this country, trading was light on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 18 points to close at 37386. The Nasdaq rose 29 points, and the S&P 500 added eight.

  And nothing spreads holiday cheer quite like a winning ticket in Spain's annual Christmas lottery. In Madrid, crowds dressed up for the big draw. This year's total prize pot reached a record-breaking $2.8 billion dollars. The top winning ticket holders took home $440,000 apiece. Confetti fell and champagne flowed as the lucky numbers were announced. The Spanish Christmas tradition dates all the way back to 1812.

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