NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-02-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 2, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Rebel groups are making territorial gains in Syria. In response, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is vowing to crush the opposition militias who've seized the country's second-most populous city, Aleppo. A brutal civil war has been raging in Syria for more than a decade. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports the renewed fighting is presenting the biggest challenge to the ruling regime in years. The rebels launched the surprise offensive and made sudden massive gains. You know, the war in Syria, it's been stalemated for many years, but then in just about 72 hours, opposition militias seized the huge

city of Aleppo and a string of villages around there, and then they pressed even further south, racing down towards the central city of Hama. That's NPR's Ruth Sherlock reporting. President Biden has issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing this month in two federal cases. One involved tax evasion, the other gun charges. NPR's Dave Mistich reports the outgoing president says his son was unfairly prosecuted. In a statement, Biden says he hopes Americans will understand why a father and a president

would come to this decision. He also said, quote, raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice. The younger Biden had struggled with addiction to crack cocaine and says he has been sober for more than five years. Issuing a statement of his own, Hunter Biden says he has admitted and taken responsibility for his mistakes during the darkest days of his addiction. The president's son also says those mistakes have been, quote, exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport. Dave Mistich, NPR News. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and Secretary

of Defense Pete Hegseth are coming under scrutiny for a religious belief they support. NPR's Jason DeRose reports the concerns are over Christian Zionism. Christian Zionism holds that God gave the Holy Land to the Jews. Some believers say the Bible prophesies that Jews must control the land so that the second coming of Christ can happen. More extreme versions teach Jews will either be killed or convert to Christianity in an end times battle. Among Christian Zionist beliefs, the third Jewish temple will be built in Jerusalem on the site of what's now

the Dome of the Rock, something Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth referred to while speaking in Jerusalem a few years ago. There's no reason why the miracle of the reestablishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible. Critics of Christian Zionism argue it's anti-Semitic and conscripts Jews into a Christian narrative. Jason DeRose, NPR News. It's NPR. The Prime Minister of Australia is expressing his support for a newly passed law that bans

children under the age of 16 from accessing social media. NPR's Bobby Allen reports that tech companies fought the restriction, arguing industry compliance with the law is extremely problematic. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says tech companies will have a year to figure out how to prevent anyone under 16 from using social media apps. On the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Albanese defended the social media ban. I want children to have a childhood. I want them to engage with each other. And when mobile phones were banned in schools, there was criticism of that as well. But guess what? Children's education standards

are being lifted. Snap, TikTok, Meta and X could face hefty fines for letting kids under 16 use their services. Australia is the first country to legally restrict social media access for young people. Tech companies say complying could mean asking users for their ID or images of their face. Bobbi Allen, NPR News. Hong Kong is kicking off a giant panda exhibition. The 2,500 sculptures were showcased during a ceremony of the Panda Go Fest at the city's airport today.

Excitement for the bears has grown in Hong Kong since two cubs were born at a local theme park. The panda sculptures will be on display starting Saturday at the Avenue of the Stars, a popular shopping district. Officials say the exhibition is part of a broader effort to boost tourism in the city. This is NPR.