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Jeanine Herbst
In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. In Syria, a senior rebel commander is urging military officers from the Syrian military to defect as armed insurge the city of Homs in their lightning advance against regime troops. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has more.
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Ruth Sherlock
In a video address, Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdulghani urges Syrian military officers to give up the fight and defect from the Syrian regime. His message comes as opposition rebels capture two further towns just north of Homs in central Syria. It's part of a sweeping assault that has seen the rebel groups seize large swathes of Syria in less than a week in an attack that now threatens the viability of President Bashar al Assad's regime. In southern Syria, separate rebel forces made gains in Dera province. Jordan says it's closed its border with Syria there after rebels fired at Syrian army positions at the border crossing. The United nations says the escalation in fighting has displaced some 280,000 Syrians in just over a week. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News.
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Jeanine Herbst
Pete Hegseth, President elect Trump's embattled pick to head the Department of Defense, has submitted paperwork for the standard FBI background check of all nominees. Meanwhile, Vice President elect Vance today voiced his support for Hegseth amid allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
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Vice President
We believe that Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense. That's why President Trump nominated him. We're not abandoning this nomination. I fully support Pete. I think Pete's going to get confirmed and we are completely behind him.
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Jeanine Herbst
Van spoke to reporters during a tour of the damage from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, the search for the gunman who shot and killed Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, the largest US Health insurer, continues. Police say they think he left New York City on a bus shortly after the shooting Wednesday. They have video of him entering the terminal but not leaving. They also think they have the back he was carrying. It was found in the park. Authorities also say the suspect used a fake New Jersey driver's license to check into the hostel he stayed at. The city of Tokyo is set to introduce a four day work week for government workers. Rebecca Rossman reports. It's part of the latest push to help working mothers and fight Japan's record low fertility rates.
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Rebecca Rossman
The announcement comes as Japan's fertility rate has reached a record low of 1.2 births per woman. For a population to remain stable, it needs a fertility rate of 2.1. Many cite the country's grueling work culture, complete with long hours and stagnant wages, as a reason why so many have forgone children. Tokyo's governor says the four day workweek was designed to ensure that, quote, no one has to give up their career due to life events such as childbirth or childcare. It will take effect next April. Rebecca Rossman, NPR News, Tokyo.
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Jeanine Herbst
And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. A real estate company offering controversial sale leaseback deals to financially strapped homeowners is shutting down. NPR's Caitlin Thompson has more.
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Caitlin Thompson
EasyKnock promised to help people access their equity by purchasing their house and letting them stay in the home as a renter. But an NPR investigation in June found some people lost tens of thousands of dollars and even their homes. This week, the company abruptly announced it's going out of business. Clients received a notice that the management of their properties was passed to another company. Stacy Tutt with the National Housing Law Project says this development calls into question the validity of these types of deals.
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Stacy Tutt
It's a lesson to be learned by any other company that is operating in this space because it is an indication that there are flaws within their model that opens them up to these claims of unfair practices.
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Caitlin Thompson
EasyKnock faces more than two dozen lawsuits and investigations by several state attorneys general. The company denies any liability and says it's cooperating with investigations. Caitlin Thompson, NPR News.
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Jeanine Herbst
U.S. employers added more jobs than expected last month. The Labor Department says 227,000 jobs were created, showing the labor market remains solid. And October's low numbers, which were Revised up from 12,000 to 36,000, were impacted by her hurricanes and the Boeing strike. But many businesses impacted by the storms have reopened and the strike is over. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%. That was in line with expectations. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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