News Wrap: Suspect in killing of CEO charged with murder as an act of terrorism

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• Amna Nawaz:

  Welcome to the "NewsHour."

  Prosecutors in New York have charged the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO with murder as an act of terrorism, among other charges.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Luigi Mangione had already been charged with murder in the killing of Brian Thompson. The terror allegation is new. Under New York law, such a charge can be brought when an alleged crime is intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, among other fActors.

  Manhattan's district attorney, Alvin Bragg, said the brazen attack was meant to have a broader impact.

• Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney:

  This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation. It incurred in one of the most bustling parts of our city, threatening the safety of local residents and tourists alike, commuters and businesspeople just starting out on their day.

• Amna Nawaz:

  The killing has sparked a wave of outrage against the health care industry at large, with police warning that there could be an elevated threat against executives, and it's led to an outpouring of support for Mangione himself.

  At a press conference this afternoon, New York City's police commissioner compared some of the public's reaction to that of a violent mob.

• Jessica Tisch, New York City Police Commissioner:

  In the nearly two weeks since Mr. Thompson's killing, we have seen a shocking and appalling celebration of cold-blooded murder. Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack. Let me say this plainly. There is no heroism in what Mangione did.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The 50-year-old Thompson was shot in the early hours of December 4 while walking to a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealthcare was holding its investor conference. Mangione was arrested nearly a week later in Pennsylvania.

  His lawyer has said he will fight extradition to New York to face the charges there. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

• Amna Nawaz:

  The day's other headlines start in Wisconsin, where officials say the motive behind yesterday's school shooting appears to be a — quote — "combination of factors."

  But Police Chief Shon Barnes provided no further details. Officials say a 15-year-old girl killed two people and wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison before shooting herself. Two students remain in critical condition. Police searched the alleged shooter's home today and said they were investigating her online activity.

  Madison's mayor said that authorities would not be releasing information about victims just yet.

  Satya Rhodes-Conway (D), Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin: There is so much that we do not know at this point. And we have to allow law enforcement the time and space for a careful and methodological investigation. Let them do their jobs. And, above all, please respect the victims.

• Amna Nawaz:

  The Madison police chief also said that numerous local schools were dealing with false threats known as swatting. That's when fake reports of violence are called in, leading to an emergency response. But police say there are no current threats to any nearby schools.

  Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a bomb blast in Moscow that killed one of Russia's top generals. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was head of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical defense forces. Dashcam video from Ukraine's security service shows the moments before a bomb was remotely detonated outside of the general's apartment complex, killing him and his assistant as they left for work.

  Just a day earlier, Ukraine had opened a criminal case against Kirillov for allegedly granting the use of banned chemical weapons in Russia's war. Moscow has denied this and says it's looking into Kirillov's death as an act of terrorism.

• Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman, Russian Security Council (through interpreter):

  Today, as a result of a terrorist attack, our colleague and our comrade has died. Everyone understands what happened, what happened and what needs to be done. The investigators must find the killers in Russia and we must do everything to destroy the patrons who are in Kyiv.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Poland's prime minister to the Western city of Lviv today. Donald Tusk said that Poland will do everything in its power to make Ukraine's membership in NATO a real possibility. Zelenskyy is set to meet with NATO leaders tomorrow in Brussels.

  Turning now to the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation's troops will remain in what Israel calls a buffer zone inside Syria for the foreseeable future. Netanyahu made the comments during a visit to the top of Mount Hermon about six miles inside Syria and across the border from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

  Israel seized a portion of Southern Syria in the days after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted earlier this month. It comes as another conflict, the war in Gaza, barrels on. Palestinian medics said today an Israeli strike in the north killed at least eight people, all from the same family.

  Meanwhile, in Washington, U.S. State Department officials expressed cautious optimism about a potential cease-fire in Gaza.

• Matthew Miller, State Department Spokesman:

  We should be able to get to an agreement. We should be able to bridge the disagreements between the two parties. But that is not to say that we will. All the United States can do is push and try to come up with compromises, but we cannot dictate to either side what choice they have to make. They have to make those decisions for themselves.

• Amna Nawaz:

  In a statement today, Hamas said reaching a cease-fire agreement is possible and cited the — quote — "serious and positive discussions" being held by mediators in Qatar.

  French authorities issued an overnight curfew for Mayotte as the territory struggles to recover from last weekend's deadly tropical cyclone; 22 people are confirmed dead across the archipelago, which is located between Madagascar and the coast of Africa. The storm was the worst to strike Mayotte in nearly a century.

  Authorities fear hundreds, if not thousands, of people have been swept away or buried beneath the rubble. The French military is dispatching planes with up to 50 tons of food, water and medicine each day. And French President Emmanuel Macron plans to visit the territory himself on Thursday.

  President-elect Trump is suing The Des Moines Register and Iowa's top pollster over their final poll before the election. That state poll showed him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris by three points. Trump ended up winning Iowa by more than 13 points. He's now suing nationally recognized pollster Ann Selzer, her polling firm, the newspaper and its parent company, Gannett, accusing them of consumer fraud.

  A Gannett spokesperson said today — quote — "We stand by our reporting on the matter and believe this lawsuit is without merit." This comes just days after ABC News agreed to pay Trump $15 million to settle a defamation case.

  On Wall Street today, stocks slipped ahead of tomorrow's decision by the Federal Reserve on interest rates. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 260 points. The Nasdaq fell 60 points, but held above that 20000-point level. The S&P 500 also ended lower on the day.

  And a bit of unwelcome news for the pair of astronauts who have been stuck aboard the International Space Station for much longer than planned. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were only supposed to spend a week or so in space when they blasted off an early June on board Boeing's new Starliner aircraft. Technical problems extended their stay until February.

  NASA said today that they now won't be home until late March, at the earliest.