An American man identifying himself as Travis Timmerman has been found near the Syrian capital Damascus after being freed from a prison as rebels took over the country.
Mr Timmerman, who said he was… [+1498 chars]

Travis Timmerman told CBS that he was detained upon entering Syria seven months ago.

BBC News

US man found near Damascus after being freed from Syrian prison - BBC.com

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 9: Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People on November 9, 2024 in Beijing, C… [+4882 chars]

The annual economic work conference followed a high-level Monday meeting of the Politburo, the ruling Communist Party's top decision-making body.

CNBC

China stresses plans to boost growth at top agenda-setting meeting - CNBC

Google News

Live Briefing: Blinken in Mideast to discuss Syrian transition as Gaza ceasefire efforts continue - The Washington Post

Biden Is Pardoning Nearly 1,500 Americans, a Record for a U.S. President - The New York Times

New Federal Rule Limits Overdraft Fees at Large Banks - The New York Times

Selena Gomez has revealed she is engaged to songwriter Benny Blanco. 
The actress and singer posted a picture of a large engagement ring on Instagram, with the caption "forever begins now".
It come… [+2456 chars]

The singer and actress wrote "forever begins now" as she posted an engagement ring picture on Instagram.

Selena Gomez announces engagement to Benny Blanco - BBC.com

<ul><li> Leaked image shows off iPhone 17 Pros possibly redesigned rear camera bump.</li><li>The new design is said to accommodate Face ID components, though it is not clear what is changing.</li><li… [+2671 chars]

Leaked images suggest a major redesign is coming to the iPhone 17 Pro's camera bump. Could this be the end of the iconic squircle design?

Android Authority

Leaked image reveals potential iPhone 17 Pro redesign, and it's suspiciously familiar - Android Authority

Tesla Stock Hit a Record. What History Says Comes Next. - Barron's

Stocks edged lower on Thursday and the euro was steady ahead of a European Central Bank monetary policy decision, while investor sentiment was supported by U.S. consumer inflation data that cemented bets for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next week.

Reuters

Stocks edge up on Fed cut bets; euro firm ahead of ECB decision - Reuters

Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick has been named the next coach of the North Carolina football program, the school announced Wednesday, completing one of the biggest surprises in recent football his… [+10622 chars]

Belichick is taking a leap into the ever-changing world of college football while giving up his pursuit of further NFL history

CBS Sports

Bill Belichick gives North Carolina old college try: Inside Super Bowl-winning coach's shocking career change - CBS Sports

As the NFL season gets ready to head into Week 15, there have only been four playoff spots clinched, which means there are still 10 up for grabs. 
The Chiefs and Bills have clinched a spot in the AF… [+1817 chars]

Also, a look at every team's chance of getting in the postseason

2024 NFL playoff picture: Projecting the full bracket for AFC and NFC with Chiefs and Lions earning byes - CBS Sports

Meta has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural fund, the company confirmed to CNN.
The news comes two weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-L… [+1875 chars]

Meta has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, the company confirmed to CNN.

Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund in latest step to mend relationship - CNN

Syrian rebel leader, after Assad's ouster, puts his own stamp on the state - Reuters

Pool Report on the Final Seconds in Tonights Golden State at Houston Game
The Pool Report interview was conducted by Jonathan Feigen (Houston Chronicle) with Crew Chief Bill Kennedy following tonigh… [+275 chars]

Pool Report on the Final Seconds in Tonight’s Golden State at Houston Game   The Pool Report interview was conducted by Jonathan Feigen (Houston Chronicle) with Crew Chief Bill Kennedy following tonight’s Golden State at Houston game.   December 11, 2024   QU…

Heat.com

Pool Report on the Final Seconds in Tonight’s Golden State at Houston Game - NBA Official

Moon Alert
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Taurus.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
 This is a good day to wrap up writing projects, especially related to col… [+3942 chars]

Suntimes.com

Horoscope for Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Chicago Sun-Times

The NFL didnt respond to a Sunday request for comment from PFT about the lawsuit filed against Jay-Z. On Wednesday, unnamed sources told the AP that the relationship with Roc Nation, owned by Jay-Z, … [+1972 chars]

The NFL didn't respond to a Sunday request for comment from PFT about the lawsuit filed against Jay-Z.

NBCSports.com

Roger Goodell: NFL’s relationship with Jay-Z, Roc Nation is “not changing” - NBC Sports

IOWA CITY What it lacked in basketball beauty, Wednesday's Cy-Hawk showdown made up for with vintage in-state intensity. This vigorous women's basketball rivalry needs little to thrive.
Missed treys… [+2321 chars]

Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball need every ounce of support and then some to pull out Wednesday's Cy-Hawk win vs. Iowa State.

Hawk Central

Iowa women's basketball: Hawkeyes grind out Cy-Hawk win over Iowa State - Hawk Central

Google AI research lab DeepMind said its new artificial intelligence model, Gemini 2.0, will be the bedrock used to build more advanced AI agents. 
An AI agent powered by Gemini 2.0 and released Dec… [+3860 chars]

Google research lab DeepMind has come up with a new AI model that makes AI agents more advanced, with the ability to take action on behalf of users in tasks such as web browsing.

Cointelegraph

Google touts ‘new agentic era’ with AI agents powered by Gemini 2.0 - Cointelegraph

Donald Trump has appointed Kari Lake as the director of the Voice Of America, tapping an unabashed loyalist for the U.S. government’s international broadcast network.
Lake, a former news anchor, los… [+1396 chars]

The choice suggests that Trump will try to overhaul the news outlet.

Deadline

Donald Trump Appoints Kari Lake To Lead Voice Of America - Deadline

Elton John minced no words explaining his stance against the legality of marijuana in America and Canada.
While speaking with Time magazine, which selected the prolific piano man as its 2024 Icon of… [+1326 chars]

Elton John minced no words explaining his stance against the legality of marijuana in America and Canada.

General