NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-12-2024 1PM EST

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The U.S. is working to bring home an American man who was found wandering the streets near the Syrian capital, Beirut. He identified himself to local residents as Travis Timmerman. He says he was on a Christian pilgrimage when he crossed into Syria seven months ago and was detained. Initially, there was speculation the man might have been Austin Tice, the journalist who went missing in 2012. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the administration has not given

up trying to find Tice. We're working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria and to bring him home. But for privacy reasons, I can't share any more details about him. Blinken speaking in Jordan, he returned to the Middle East to help manage U.S. interests days after rebels overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. President-elect Trump has invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping to his inauguration next month and other foreign leaders have been invited as well, according to a Trump spokesperson.

Here's NPR's Deepa Sivaram. Incoming White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said on Fox News that Trump has invited Xi, but it's,'s quote to be determined whether the Chinese leader will attend. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors.

Two levitt did not name any other foreign leaders who have been invited. Recently, Trump threatened a 10% tariff on all products from China for the flow of illegal drugs coming in from that country, though it's unclear if that would actually go into effect. In response, the Chinese embassy in Washington has warned that neither the U.S. nor China would win a trade or tariff war. Deepa Sivaram and PR News, West Palm Beach, Florida. With just weeks left in his term, President Biden's commuting the sentences of nearly

1,500 people. The White House describes it as the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history. Biden's also pardoning 39 people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes. Earlier this month, Biden pardoned his son Hunter, a felony gun and tax charges. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration says he will step down January 20th. More from NPR's Joel Rose. Mike Whitaker has served as head of the FAA since October of last year when he was confirmed for a five-year term.

It's not unusual for FAA administrators to resign at the change of administration, though some have stayed longer. Whitaker's time at the FAA has been largely dominated by Boeing, as he led the agency's response to major safety and quality problems at the company and its suppliers. He also worked to hire more air traffic controllers, although the FAA remains far short of full staffing in that area. Still, the agency made it through a near-record year of air travel with relatively low cancellations and delays.

Whitaker says his confidence in the FAA to keep the US airspace safe has quote never been stronger. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. The Dow Jones industrial average is down nearly 100 points. You're listening to NPR News. Environmental groups are petitioning the federal government to reconsider how it manages grizzly bears. Federal wildlife managers have been deciding whether or not to remove the animals from the Endangered Species Act. Montana Public Radio's Ellis Julin has details. Fifteen wildlife and tribal groups are petitioning the Fish and Wildlife Service to keep grizzly bears listed. They want it to implement a new management plan drafted by Chris Cervine, who led the agency's federal recovery efforts for 30 years.

D-listing takes the focus off real recovery and is pushed for political expediency, not to benefit grizzly bears. A record number of grizzly bears have been killed in and around Yellowstone National Park this year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been court ordered to make a decision on delisting the grizzly bear population around Yellowstone National Park by January 20th. A similar decision is also expected for bears around Glacier National Park in the new year. For NPR News, I'm Ellis Zhu-Lin in Missoula, Montana. In Southern California, the Franklin Fire has surpassed 4,000 acres and it remains 7%

contained. Flames driven by high winds pose immediate threats this week to as many as 18,000 people in the Malibu area, some of whom were forced to evacuate. The Internal Revenue Service says it has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds stemming from various crimes. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel says the agency's made improvements that should help the incoming administration and GOP-majority Congress carry out their goals of administering an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. It's NPR.