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Lakshmi Singh
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. An American man has been found in a suburb of the Syrian capital. Local residents found him early today wandering barefoot on the streets. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi has more.
Hadil Al Shalchi
The American man who identified himself to reporters as Travis Pete Timmerman said that he was on a pilgrimage and was detained earlier this year after crossing into Syria on foot from Lebanon. Hungarian police had released a missing persons report for the 29 year old after he went missing in Budapest after attending church there seven months ago. Timmerman, who is believed to be from Missouri, claimed he was jailed in Sydney prison, one of the most notorious in the country. He was released after opposition forces entered the capital last week and overthrew President Bashar al Assad. Video circulating of him earlier sparked speculation that he could be missing journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria 12 years ago. A United States official confirmed the man in the video was not Tice. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.
Lakshmi Singh
The Franklin fire in Southern California now tops 4. Containment stands at 7%. Flames driven by high winds have forced mass evacuations in Malibu. Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke recounted his harrowing experience on NBC's Today. He said he and his family raced to escape the fire and at one point, he says he became exhausted and neighbors came to his aid. Van Dyke turns 99 on Friday. President Biden has commuted the sentences of nearly 1500 people who'd been on home confinement since the COVID pandemic. He also pardoned 39 others convicted of non violent crimes. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. The White House says this is the largest single day grant of clemency in modern history.
Tamara Keith
In a statement, President Biden said that it was a great privilege of the presidency to be able to extend mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation. The 1500 people granted clemency had been serving long prison sentences and have been on home confinement since COVID The president said they have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown they deserve a second chance. Biden plans to issue more pardons and commutations in the weeks ahead. He is still getting criticized for his decision earlier this month to pardon his son Hunter. Tamara Keith, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh
President Elect Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. An image projected on the wall behind him showed that for a second time he was named Time magazine's Person of the Year, talked about taking the US Economy to new heights, evoking cheers from company executives and traders in the room.
Audience
Usa. Usa.
Lakshmi Singh
Trump repeated his plans to cut the corporate tax rate to open up oil drilling and to keep lowering inflation. Yesterday, the Labor Department reported consumer prices in November were 2.7% higher than a year earlier. From Washington, this is NPR. Well, one day after November's consumer price rating came out, the Labor Department's release the producer price index tracks price changes. A business seat. NPR Scott Horsley reports. Wholesale prices rose last month more than expected.
Scott Horsley
Wholesale prices in November were up 3% from a year ago. That's the biggest annual increase in 21 months and underscores the message that inflation is not yet fully tamed. Wholesale prices rose 0.4% between October and November. New applications for unemployment benefits jumped. Last week, 242,000 people applied for jobless aid. That's up 17,000 from the week before. Some applications may have been delayed by the Thanksgiving holiday. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
Lakshmi Singh
Animals like sharks, dogs and parakeets develop their scales, hair and feathers using a shared genetic toolkit. But NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports new research shows crocodiles are a bit different.
Jonathan Lambert
Look at the head of a crocodile and you'll see a mishmash of weirdly shaped scales. A new study in the journal Nature finds that these irregular patterns aren't laid down by genes like other scales, but instead arise from a largely physical process. The skin on their heads grows faster than the underlying tissues, causing folding that creates this irregular pattern. Computer models of this physical process were able to recreate the different facial patterns of a variety of crocodile species. This shows that complex biological patterns can arise without complicated genetic changes. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh
U.S. stocks trading lower with a Dow down 80 points. This is NPR.
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Host: Lakshmi Singh
Release Date: December 12, 2024
Duration: 5 minutes
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.
Timestamp: [00:20]
Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
An American man, identified as Travis Pete Timmerman, was discovered wandering barefoot in a suburb of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Local residents reported finding him early this morning.
Details:
Speculation:
Quote:
“The American man who identified himself to reporters as Travis Pete Timmerman said that he was on a pilgrimage...”
– Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus [00:36]
Timestamp: [01:21]
Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Franklin Fire in Southern California:
Quote:
“...I became exhausted and neighbors came to my aid.”
– Dick Van Dyke [01:21]
Presidential Clemency:
Quote:
“...it was a great privilege of the presidency to be able to extend mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”
– President Joe Biden [02:03]
Controversy:
Timestamp: [02:42]
Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Event Highlights:
Economic Plans:
Quote:
“...taking the US Economy to new heights.”
– Donald Trump [02:57]
Economic Indicators:
Quote:
“Wholesale prices rose last month more than expected.”
– Scott Horsley, NPR News [03:34]
Timestamp: [04:03]
Reporter: Jonathan Lambert
New research published in Nature explores the unique skin patterns of crocodiles. Unlike other animals like sharks, dogs, and parakeets, which develop their scales, hair, and feathers through genetic mechanisms, crocodiles exhibit a different process.
Findings:
Quote:
“This shows that complex biological patterns can arise without complicated genetic changes.”
– Jonathan Lambert, NPR News [04:19]
Timestamp: [04:53]
Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
U.S. stock markets are experiencing a downturn, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down by 80 points. Market volatility continues amid ongoing economic concerns and policy announcements.
The episode provided a comprehensive overview of significant current events, from international incidents and natural disasters to major political decisions and scientific discoveries. Noteworthy insights included President Biden's unprecedented clemency actions and President-Elect Trump's economic strategies aimed at invigorating the U.S. economy. Additionally, the episode highlighted important economic indicators signaling ongoing inflationary pressures and labor market fluctuations. The scientific segment offered a fascinating look into how crocodile skin patterns develop through physical processes, broadening our understanding of biological pattern formation.
For listeners seeking a concise yet thorough update on national and international news, this episode of NPR News Now delivers essential information complemented by expert reporting and firsthand accounts.