Hi, I'm Laurel Wamsley, and I cover personal finance for NPR. That means I report on some of the questions that might keep you or your loved ones up at night. Like, will I ever be able to buy a home? What about retirement? As interest rates drop, where should I put my money? Economic headlines can be confusing, but NPR is here to help you make sense of them. To support this coverage, please give today at donate.npr.org.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Syrian insurgents say they have entered the central city of Hamad, dealing another blow to the Assad regime. After a week of intense clashes with Syrian troops, the opposition has also seized Idlib province and large parts of Aleppo province. NPR's Hadil al-Shalchi has the latest. Hama has been one of the few cities in Syria that's been completely under government.
since the civil war broke out in 2011. It's also a supply route used by Iran to move arms to their Lebanese ally Hezbollah. If the rebel forces capture the city fully, it will be a major victory for them since they launched a shock offensive last week, which saw the takeover of Syria's second city, Aleppo.
Violent clashes broke out on the eastern outskirts of Hama, but Syria's state-run media denied that the insurgents had completely breached the city. The offensive is being led by a jihadist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. HDS is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and is an offshoot of al-Qaeda, even though it broke off ties with the group a few years ago. Hadil al-Shalchi, NPR News.
An especially busy day on Capitol Hill. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the two men President-elect Trump, has selected to lead a new commission to reduce government spending, are scheduled to meet with congressional Republicans today. Meanwhile, as NPR's Tamara Keith reports, Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary,
is spending another day meeting with lawmakers who may be worried about confirming Hex Seth in light of the sexual assault and alcohol abuse allegations against him. He's saying that all of these allegations are part of a smear campaign from anonymous sources who don't... like what he would do with the Defense Department.
He also said he doesn't have a drinking problem, but he did promise to stop drinking if he's confirmed. He's meeting privately with the senators who will decide his fate, and he's also doing something very unusual for a nominee. on social media, published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, and did that Megyn Kelly interview.
Even his mom sat for an interview on Fox & Friends yesterday. NPR's Tamara Keith. The U.S. Department of Transportation says it's looking into ways to protect passengers when they're stranded by airlines. Here's NPR's Joel Rose. The proposed rule would require compensation. to provide cash compensation or to cover meals and overnight lodging.
Canada and the European Union have already adopted similar protections. It's the latest effort by outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to expand airline passengers' rights. But the airlines are likely to push back. And some industry executives say they're looking forward to a more business-friendly climate under the Trump administration. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR.
Childhood exposure to lead from vehicle exhaust may have dramatically increased the number of psychiatric disorders in the United States. NPR's Maria Godoy has details of a new study. Lead is a common pollutant. It's also a neurotoxin that can alter brain function. Numerous studies have linked lead exposure to mental health problems, including increases in depression. No level of lead exposure is considered safe, and children are especially vulnerable.
For decades, lead was used as an additive in gasoline used in cars. More than half of the current U.S. population was exposed to adverse lead levels during childhood. In the new study, researchers found that over a 75-year period beginning in the 1940s, exposure to lead gasoline may have contributed to an estimated 151 million additional cases of mental illness in the U.S. that would not have occurred otherwise. The U.S. banned leaded gas from most cars in 1996.
The findings appear in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Maria Godoy, NPR News. In western Pennsylvania, the search for a woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole... has turned from a rescue to a recovery operation. Authorities say they've been digging through mud and rock for two days, trying to find a 64-year-old woman named Elizabeth Pollard. But so far, there are no signs of life.
They say Pollard's relatives reported her missing Tuesday morning. Hours later, her vehicle was located and her five-year-old granddaughter was found inside, unharmed. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News. in Washington. Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.