Syria; Travis Timmerman; Donald Trump; IranExBulletin

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The Iranian capital is dismayed after the sudden collapse of the Syrian regime. Iran, a longtime enemy of Israel and the United States, has relied on Syria as one of its greatest allies in its quest for power in the Middle East. Iran supported now-deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Syria offered a connection to Iran's proxies in neighboring Lebanon.

Syrian residents in Turkey wave Syrian opposition flags as they celebrate President Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria after rebel fighters took control of Damascus overnight, at the Fatih Mosque, Istanbul , December 8, 2024. Yasin Akgul/Getty Images/AFP .

. Yasin Akgul/Getty Images/AFP Syria allowed Iran to establish a critical land bridge to Lebanon to funnel weapons to Hezbollah for many years, NPR's Jackie Northam tells Up First. With anti-government rebels in control of Syria, the strategic route is most likely beyond Iran's reach, impacting its long-term goals in the region. Iran had two main goals: to destroy Israel as a Jewish state and to counter any U.S. influence in the Middle East. The Iranian regime may also be worried about a threat of upheaval from its population in light of what is happening in Syria, Northam says.

Several U.S. universities 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 station GBH says he thinks the move comes as school administrators and international students revisit Trump's record. During his first term, new international student enrollments fell 12%. Trump implemented a travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries and briefly barred international students from remaining in the United States if they only took online classes during the pandemic. Trump is now promising tougher policies, but he has no concrete proposals. Carapezza says behind closed doors, administrators and students are anxious.

For weeks, New Jersey residents have reported seeing dozens of drones flying through the night sky. Authorities 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 has left many residents and officials with more questions.

The FBI and other federal agencies say an investigation is underway into the matter, said Giulia Heyward of NPR station WNYC. The federal government sends specialized radar technology to local police departments across the state to help them determine what's going on. Local lawmakers in New Jersey have expressed concern about whether people are actually safe, in contrast to federal and state officials who have 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 dive

Scientists have identified two types of brain cells in the abdomen that appear to control different aspects of digestion. inkoly/Getty Images/iStockphoto .

. inkoly/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Scientists have identified two types of neurons in the abdomen that appear to control parts of digestion. This discovery, reported in the journal Nature, helps explain how groups of neurons in the body play a key role in the gut-brain connection. Just like in the brain, this adds evidence that the body's neurons can carry out specialized functions.

Although the research involved mice, Yuki Oka, one of the study's authors, says the human digestive tract is similar and likely contains a similar system. The study focused on the sympathetic nervous system, a subset of the peripheral nervous system that becomes more active when the brain detects danger. As a result, your adrenaline increases and your blood glucose level increases. The research supports scientific views that specialized neurons in the body play an important role in the gut-brain connection, which impacts everything from hunger to mood. Specialized neurons offer potential targets for treating high blood pressure, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and more. Weekend Picks

Find out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

Movies: The horror comedy Get Away follows the Smith family, who vacation on a fictional Swedish island where no one seems happy to see them. Oh, and at the end there's some sort of slash fest.

TV: Jamie Foxx doesn't just laugh in his new Netflix special What Had Happened Was, he explains the “medical emergency” that landed him in the hospital last year.

BooksExBulletin's annual holiday book guide, Books We Love, had an appetite for good food. Here are 11 cookbooks with a range of recipes.

Music: Check out 10 of the best classical albums of 2024 and one honorable mention that NPR Music's Tom Huizenga says brought him joy, introspection and hope.

Quiz: The last quiz of the year is to test your knowledge of how much you remember about 2024. Apparently I remember a lot more than I thought. Do you think you can get a passing grade like me? Test your luck.

3 things to know before you leave

Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju reacts after his victory against Chinese chess grandmaster Ding Liren in the 14th match of the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore on Thursday. Simon Lim/AFP via Getty Images .

. Simon Lim/AFP via Getty Images Gukesh Dommaraju has become the new world chess champion. The 18-year-old Indian chess prodigy is now the youngest world champion ever. An American man identifying himself as Pete Travis Timmerman was found yesterday wandering around the Syrian capital, Damascus. He was last seen in Budapest, Hungary in June. Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its travel mugs due to a problem with the lids. The company offers free replacement lids.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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