NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-13-2024 4PM EST

Episode Date: December 13, 2024

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When it came out in 1843, a Christmas carol was a sensation, and Charles Dickens became a legend. Some people would consider him the originator of Christmas or the inventor of Christmas. The past, present, and future of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Listen to Thulein wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Tens of thousands of people packed the Syrian capital today. They gathered at a mosque in Damascus for the first Friday prayer since former President

Bashar al-Assad was ousted last weekend. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been traveling through the Middle East, drumming up support for Syria as it works to form an interim government. Blinken spoke from Baghdad today after meeting with the Iraqi prime minister. It's very significant that Iraq, along with many other countries in the region and beyond will make best efforts to support the Syrian people as they emerge from the Assad years. The Biden administration says it's closely watching the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq who have threatened U.S. interests in the past.

An American citizen who was among thousands of prisoners freed from Syrian jails has been handed over to U.S. forces. NPR's Jane Arrath reports the 29-year-old man from Missouri was held for seven months in a Damascus prison after being arrested for illegally entering the country. U.S. fighter jets flew overhead as Pete Timmermanman who goes by the name Travis identified himself to an American officer. Can I get your full name? Travis.

Last name? I just Travis. Travis. Can I get your birthday? Travis answered a couple more questions from the Special Forces officer. How long were you in detention? Seven months. And which country did you come from to come into Syria?

Lebanon. And then? Travis, welcome home. Thank you. Not home yet although a step towards it Travis who is Christian said he crossed by foot from Lebanon into Syria on a religious pilgrimage. He had been fasting for three days on a mountain when he was arrested. Jane Araf and PR News in southeastern Syria. With many students still struggling to make up ground after school closures during the pandemic,

new research is offering schools some insight into how to use their time wisely. NPR's Corey Turner explains. The researchers, who published their findings in the American Educational Research Journal, found large variation in state requirements around how much time students must spend in school. So much variation, in fact, that students in states with the highest requirements will, by the end of 12th grade, have gotten nearly a year and a half more class time than students in the bottom-ranked states. They also found that adding minutes to the school day or days to the school year can

improve student achievement if it's done thoughtfully. Districts that added class time and saw the best results also tended to do other things, like use tutoring or data-driven instruction. NPR News from Washington. Authorities offered a sizable reward for information during the five-day search for the suspect accused in the shooting death of a UnitedHealthcare executive. But as NPR's Rachel Triesman reports, it may take a while for tipsters to cash in. New York City police and the FBI collectively offered up to $60,000 for information leading to the suspect in last week's shooting.

On Monday, Luigi Mangione was arrested after a customer recognized him at a Pennsylvania McDonald's and an employee called in the authorities. It may be some time before any tipsters get their rewards. Both agencies say the information must lead not only to an arrest but to a conviction, and the total amount could be smaller, based on how many people split it and factoring in taxes. Rachel Triesman, NPR News. Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown Jackson is set to make her debut on Broadway.

She'll perform the walk-on role during the Romeo and Juliet musical on Saturday night. In Jackson's recent memoir, she talked about wanting to become the first black female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage. And it's hard to imagine the holiday season without this festive hit playing on loop. Pop icon Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You has surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify. The song, released 30 years ago, is the first holiday hit to reach that mark on the platform. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News in Washington.