Foreign students advised to make plans before Trump. And, the 2024 final news quiz

Good morning. Read the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to deliver it to your inbox. of e-mail and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

Today’s top stories

Iran’s capital was dismayed after the sudden collapse of the Syrian regime. Iran, a long-time enemy of Israel and the US, has relied on Syria as one of its biggest allies in its quest for power in the Middle East. Iran supported Syria’s now-ousted leader, Bashar al-Assad. Syria provided a connection to Iran’s proxies near Lebanon.

• Syria has allowed Iran to establish a critical land bridge to Lebanon to transport weapons to Hezbollah for many yearssays NPR’s Jackie Northam Top First. With anti-government rebels in control of Syria, the strategic route is most likely off-limits to Iran, impacting its long-term goals in the region. Iran had two main agendas: to destroy Israel as a Jewish state and counter any influence the US has in the Middle East. The Iranian regime may also be concerned about a threat of coups by its own population as they see what is happening in Syria, Northam says.

Several US colleges are advising international students who plan to leave the country for the holidays to return before Inauguration Day to avoid problems at the border. Universities including USC, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell have reached out to students as they prepare for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

• Kirk Carapezza of NPR network station GBH says he believes the decision is being made as school administrators and international students review Trump’s record. During his first term, the number of new foreign students fell by 12%. Trump implemented a travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries and briefly barred international students from staying in the US if they were only taking online classes during the pandemic. Trump is now promising stricter policiesbut there are no concrete proposals. Carapezza says behind closed doors, administrators and students are worried.

For weeks, New Jersey residents have reported seeing dozens of drones flying in the night sky. Officials have few concrete explanations about where the drones come from, who flies them and why. The White House says there is no evidence that drones pose a security threat or have foreign ties, which left many residents and officials with more questions.

• The FBI and other federal agencies say there is an active investigation into the casesays Giulia Heyward of NPR network station WNYC. The federal government is sending specialized radar technology to local police departments across the state to help determine what’s going on. Local New Jersey lawmakers have expressed concern about how safe people really arein contrast to federal and state officials who said residents should remain calm and that drones pose no threat. Drones are starting to appear in other states, including Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Connecticut.

Deep diving

Scientists have identified two types of neurons in the abdomen which seem to control parts of digestion. The finding, reported in the journal Naturehelps explain how groups of neurons in the body play a key role in the gut-brain connection. Just like in the brain, that adds evidence that neurons in the body can take on specialized functions.

• Although the research involved miceYuki Oka, one of the authors of the study, says that the human digestive tract is similar and probably contains a similar system.
• The study focused on the sympathetic nervous system, a subset of the peripheral nervous system which becomes more active when the brain detects danger. As a result, adrenaline rises and blood glucose levels rise.
• The research supports scientific views that specialized neurons in the body play an important role in the gut-brain connection, which affects everything from hunger to mood.
• Specialized neurons provide potential targets for treatment high blood pressure, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and more.

Weekend elections

see what Pr watch, read and listen this weekend:

Movies: Horror comedy run follows the Smith family as they embark on a vacation to a fictional Swedish island where no one seems happy to see them. Oh, and it’s kind of a slash-fest by the end.

TV: Jamie Foxx doesn’t just bring laughs in his new Netflix special What happened wasexplains the “medical emergency” that brought him to the hospital last year.

Books: NPR’s Annual Year-End Book Guide, The books we lovehe had a great appetite. Here are 11 cookbooks with a series of recipes.

Music: Discover 10 of the best classical albums of 2024 and an honorable mention — all of which NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga says have brought him joy, insight and hope.

Test: The last quiz of the year is about testing your knowledge of how much you remember from 2024. It seems I remember a lot more than I thought. Think you can get a passing score like me? Test your luck.

3 things to know before you go

1. Gukesh Dommaraju became the new world chess champion. The 18-year-old chess prodigy from India is now the youngest world champion ever.
2. An American who identified himself as Pete Travis Timmerman was found wandering around the Syrian capital from Damascus yesterday. He was last seen in BudapestHungary in June.
3. Stanley recalls about 2.6 million travel mugs due to a problem with the caps. The company is offering free replacement covers.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

Copyright 2024 NPR