From NPR News in Washington. I’m Lakshimi Singh.

 

　　President Obama is putting his ideas for immigration overhaul before the people of Las Vegas, Nevada this hour.

 

　　“I’m here today because the time has come for common sense, comprehensive immigration reform. The time is now.” Obama’s visit comes a day after bipartisan group of senators unveil their own plan for addressing the deeply divisive issue. Jude Joffe-Block, a member of Station KJZZ, reports the bipartisan plan won applause from immigrant advocates.

 

　　Advocates have applauded the senator’s plan for including a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country now without papers. At the same time, they voice concerns that such a path would be contingent on additional border security measures. Patrick Coyne with the Grass Root Group promised that originally form to impose Arizona’s immigration enforcement law.

 

　　“We don’t need more money being spent on border security. We’ve got enough out there. We don’t need all of these technology to hunt down people like animals.”

 

　　Coyne says policies that promote family unity should be the focus of a final immigration bill and her group will continue to advocate for that. From NPR News, I’m Jude Joffe-Block in Phoenix.

 

　　But there is still a fair amount of skepticism surrounding the bipartisan proposal. Jessica Zuckerman with the Heritage Foundation says in principle all seems well.

 

　　“A coeternal is that this will just be the same type of bill we’ve seen before, a large comprehensive legislation that tries to address everything at once in sale to recognize that we are not talking about one monolith group of illegal immigrants.”

 

　　Zuckerman is research associate for homeland security and Latin America at the Heritage Foundation.

 

　　At the United Nations this afternoon, UN peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Bahimi is scheduled to brief his security cancel regarding his latest efforts to mediate and end the Syria crisis. Linda Fasulo reports diplomats expect international envoy assessment will be bleak.

 

　　Bahimi has been working for a political solution to the Syrian conflicts since last fall to **. He’s expected to press Security Council members again including Russia which has vetoed three resolutions calling stronger action. Last week UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that it is essential for the Council to hold responsibility to help resolve the crisis. He also expressed full support for Bahimi. From NPR News, I’m Linda Fasulo in New York.

 

　　The Syria crisis will be one of the most pressing issues to confront this country’s ** Secretary of State. That person is widely expected to be Democratic Senator John Carrie. The lawmaker’s nomination was approved this morning by his colleagues on the Senate from a relations committee. The full senate will decide this afternoon on whether to confirm Carrie.

 

　　At last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 16.9 points at 13,951.

 

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　　Syrian activists are reporting bodies of at least 65 men have been uncovered on the muddy banks of a small river in Aleppo today. The British based observatory for human rights says many of the victims were found with their hands bound behind their banks. No one’s saying who the men were. Rebels and pro-government militia have often blamed each other for massacre killings.

 

　　A new scientific study calls a question the use of the phrase shark-attack. NPR’s Greg Alan reports from Miami researchers from Florida and Australia say the term is misleading and suggests sharks pose a greater risk to humans than it is actually the case.

 

　　The researchers analyzed shark statistics from around the world and found that many so-called attacks involve no injuries to people. Dr. Robert Hueter of Mote Marine Laboratory Center in Florida is calling for researchers an immediate to stop using the phrase shark-attack which he says wrongly expected on shark’s motives and intentions. He’s advocating characterizing them as shark sidings, encounters, bites or fatal bites. In Florida that will change the numbers from six hundred attacks over the last century to just 11 fatal shark bites.

 

　　“And that really changes the public perception on how dangerous it is going into the water.”

 

　　Heuter says more realistic description of shark events will help improve scientists understanding of sharks and discourage governments’ sponsor shark-cons. Greg Alan NPR News, Miami.

 

　　Reflecting new life in the housing market, home prices have risen the highest rate in six years. The Standard and Poor’s Case Shiller index increased 5.5% in November from the year before. Prices generally rose in all but one of the cities sure abate with Phoenix, San Francisco and Detroit leading the way.

 

　　I’m Lakshimi Singh, NPR News in Washington.