NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-10-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 10, 2024

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JANENE HIRST, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON,

TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, WASHINGTON, TX, NPR NE from the Tel Aviv courthouse. As opening testimony, he said the charges were, quote, an ocean of absurdity. He said he does not live a lavish life and works out of national, not personal interests to defend Israel. He said the momentous events in Syria, where Israel is bombing Syrian military targets, means his aides may need to pass him notes. They did, and the trial paused for a couple of minutes. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, the Tel Aviv Courthouse. Now that Syrian rebels overturned one of the oldestrin, NPR News, the Tel Aviv Courthouse. Now that Syrian rebels overturned one of the oldest dictatorships in the world,

the Assad regime, after more than a decade of brutal civil war, the rebels with Abu Mohammed al-Jawani reportedly in charge are running the country. Empires Jane Araf has more from Syria. They're trying to secure the country. They've called for, they've said they've issued an amnesty for all army soldiers and they have reached out to reassure Syrians that everyone will be welcome in this new Syria. But we're already seeing that, Frank, in the Northeast, for instance. Kurdish forces have been driven out of Manbij, one of the centers that they had control of by the Arab-led opposition forces. And that is one of the big fears of Manbij, one of the centers that they had control of by the Arab-led

opposition forces. And that is one of the big fears of Syrians, that even though Bashar al-Assad is gone, that that doesn't mean things will be peaceful. And here's Jane Araf reporting. This, as Israel continues launching hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, which the UN says have to stop. In Southern California, a wildfire buffeted by strong winds has burned some homes and is threatening numerous others in Malibu. Steve Butterman has more. The fire here is burning out of control and it's rapidly grown overnight. It was first reported a bit after 11 o'clock last night. Five hours later, it had spread to more than 1,800 acres. The fire has been moving in all different directions as wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour come and go.

The flames have approached Pepperdine University. Many students have left, including Faday Akinfe. First it was a power out of that happened and I heard from my sweet miss that there was a fire. So we look out and it was like really red. The fire has jumped some portions of Pacific Coast Highway and the winds are expected to continue and even increase throughout the day. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Malibu, California. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a ban on the use of two chemical solvents that are found in everyday products like household cleaners and their linked-tea cancer.

Katja Mendoza of Arizona Public Media has more. Under EPA's latest rule, all uses of TCE will be banned over time, allowing some workplace uses for PCE. The discovery of TCE and other contaminants identified in the groundwater in Tucson's south side in the 1980s prompted federal designation of the area around the Tucson International Airport as a superfund site. EPA's new regulation is a step in the right direction, says environmental advocate and Tucson resident Linda Robles.

It's been over 40 years that this should have happened. Robles lost her daughter Tiana in 2007 to a rare form of cancer and kidney failure, which she believes is a result of chemicals from the airport and nearby military facilities. For NPR News, I'm Katya Mendoza in Tucson. The satirical paper The Onions bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alec Jones' Infowars site, is back in a Texas courtroom for a second day of testimony before a bankruptcy judge today. But it's not clear how quickly Judge Christopher Lopez will decide on whether to approve the bid. The Onions wants to turn Infowars' website and social media accounts into parodies.

It offered $1.7 million for the assets in the bankruptcy auction. Jones didn't attend the start of the key hearing. Instead, he continued to broadcast from his studios in Austin. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.