NPR News: 12-09-2024 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 9, 2024, 9AM EST

Hosted by NPR

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1. Assad Granted Asylum in Russia Amid Syrian Conflict

[00:16] Korva Coleman

NPR's Korva Coleman reports that the Kremlin has granted asylum to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad fled Syria over the weekend as rebel factions advanced towards the capital, Damascus.

[00:37] Ruth Sherlock

Ruth Sherlock provides context on Assad's long-standing regime, highlighting that the Assad family maintained control over Syria for more than five decades. Following 13 years of devastating civil war, the regime's collapse was swift, occurring "in the space of just over a week" (00:37). This sudden downfall has sparked widespread celebrations across Syria and among millions of Syrian refugees eager to return to their homeland.

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2. U.S. Conducts Strikes in Central Syria to Combat ISIS

[00:59] Korva Coleman

In related developments, the United States has executed at least 75 airstrikes in central Syria targeting Islamic State (ISIS) militants. President Biden emphasized that the objective is to prevent ISIS from re-establishing control in the region, especially as Syria's political landscape remains volatile.

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3. President-Elect Trump's Stance on Immigration and Abortion

[01:29] Tamara Keith

Former President Donald Trump, in an extensive interview with NBC's Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, reaffirmed his commitment to mass deportations of individuals residing illegally in the United States. He stated, "the only way to avoid family separation would be to, quote, send them all back, including US Citizen children" (01:29).

[01:49] Kristen Welker & [01:53] Donald Trump

When questioned about abortion, Welker asked Trump if he would "restrict the availability of abortion pills when you're in office?" Trump responded, "Probably. I'll probably stay with exactly what I've been saying for the last two years, and the answer is no" (01:53). He further clarified his position, indicating a steadfast stance: "I commit" (02:02).

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4. Ongoing Investigations: United Healthcare CEO Murder and Melbourne Synagogue Attack

[02:13] Korva Coleman

Authorities remain on the hunt for the individual responsible for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Despite releasing new photos of the suspect, no arrests have been made.

[02:37] Christina Kukulya

In Australia, police in Victoria have escalated their investigation into last week's suspicious fire at the Addas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, involving counterterrorism teams, federal police, and the domestic intelligence agency ASIO. Authorities believe the incident was a "targeted attack" with likely political motives. Significant progress has been reported, though specifics on potential arrests remain undisclosed.

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5. Ghana's Peaceful Power Transition

[03:12] Korva Coleman

Ghana's Vice President has conceded defeat in the recent presidential election held last Saturday, acknowledging former President John Mahama as the victor. The concession was made early to facilitate a "peaceful transfer of power by the age of six" (03:12), underscoring Ghana's commitment to democratic principles.

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6. Early Emergence of Gender Stereotypes in STEM Among Children

[03:48] Janaki Mehta

A comprehensive study by the American Institutes for Research reveals that children begin to discriminate between genders in engineering and computer science as early as age six. The research, encompassing over 40 years of data from more than 145,000 children globally, found that boys are perceived as more capable in these fields compared to girls from a young age (03:48). David Miller, the study's lead author, emphasizes the need for targeted initiatives to encourage girls in computing and engineering during early childhood to mitigate entrenched stereotypes.

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7. Climate Change Indicators: November's Record Heat

[04:31] Korva Coleman

The European Climate Service Copernicus has reported that November was the second hottest month ever recorded. Projections indicate that 2024 is on track to become the hottest year in recorded history. Scientists attribute this extreme heating to human-induced climate change, particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil (04:31).

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the newsworthy topics discussed in the episode.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The Kremlin says former Syrian President Bashar al Assad has been given asylum in Russia. He fled Syria over the weekend as rebel groups closed in on the capital, Damascus. NPR's Ruth Sherlock says Assad's family ran Syria for decades as he attacked Syrians who resisted his government's control.

[Ruth Sherlock]

This regime was in power for over 50 years, and then there was 13 years of devastating civil war and the Assad family seemed to have won. Then it collapsed like a house of cards. The regime collapsed in the space of just over a week. So there's now major celebrations across the country, but also among them, millions of Syrian refugees, many of whom now want to return.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Ruth Sherlock reporting. Meanwhile, the U.S. says it carried out at least 75 strikes in central Syria yesterday. These were aimed at sites where Islamic State militants were. President Biden says the US Wants to stop ISIS from gaining any control in Syria while the political situation in that country remains unstable. President Elect Trump is reaffirming his pledge to carry out mass deportations of those in the U.S. illegally when he returns to the White House. NPR's Tamara Keith has more.

[Tamara Keith]

In the lengthy sit down interview with NBC's Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Trump said he was all in on mass deportations of mixed status families. He said the only way to avoid family separation would be to, quote, send them all back, including US Citizen children. Welker also asked him about abortion.

[Kristen Welker]

Will you restrict the availability of abortion pills when you're in office?

[Donald Trump]

Probably. I'll probably stay with exactly what I've been saying for the last two years, and the answer is no.

[Kristen Welker]

You commit to that?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I commit. I mean, do things change? I think they change.

[Tamara Keith]

But Trump added he doesn't think his position is going to change. Tamara Keith, NPR News, New York City.

[Korva Coleman]

Police and the FBI continue to search for the person who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. No one is in custody. Authorities have released new photos of the man wanted in connection with the murder. Police in Australia believe terrorism is the reason for last week's suspicious fire at a synagogue in Melbourne. Christina Kukolya reports Police are looking for three suspects.

[Christina Kukulya]

Police in the state of Victoria say the investigation is now in the hands of a counterterrorism team, which also includes federal police, with help from the domestic intelligence agency asio. They say more resources will be deployed to investigate the fire that spread through Addas Israel Synagogue in the early hours of Friday morning. Police believe the incident was a targeted attack that's likely to have been politically motivated. Authorities say investigators have made significant progress over the weekend, but would not reveal if they're any closer to arresting the suspects.

[Korva Coleman]

Christina Kukulya reporting. This is npr. Ghana's vice president has conceded defeat in the country's presidential election last Saturday. The winner is former Ghanaian President John Mahama. The vice president says he conceded early to ensure that Ghana has a peaceful transfer of power by the age of six. Children start to see girls as being worse at engineering and at computer science than boys. That's according to the American institutes for research. NPR's Janaki Mehta reports. This has conducted what it calls the largest ever study on children and gender stereotypes.

[Janaki Mehta]

The biases began emerging at home and other places before children even begin their K12 education. The American Instit for Research looked at more than 40 years of data from over 145,000 kids across the world. They found that kids tend to see boys as being more capable at engineering and computing skills than girls as early as age 6. But this isn't a STEM thing altogether. At all ages, there are fewer stereotypes about other sciences and math. David Miller, the lead study author, says there need to be more focused initiatives encouraging girls in computing and engineering, especially in early childhood, so there's less of a chance for stereotypical stereotypes to set in. Janaki Mehta, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The European Climate Service Copernicus says November was the second hottest ever recorded. The agency says it is very likely that 2024 will be the hottest year ever measured. Scientists say human caused climate change is the reason for the heating, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This is npr.

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