From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　Search warrants released today in the Newtown school shooting describe an arsenal of weapons found in the home and car of shooter, Adam Lanza. NPR's Margot Adler reports the rampage during which Lanza killed 20 children, six adults, then himself lasted only five minutes.

 

　　Prosecutors have made few details available, although they face pressure when the media got hold some of the information. Parts of the released search warrants are redacted. State's Attorney Steven Sedensky said Lanza killed all 26 victims with a Bushmaster rifle and took his own life with a Glock 10-millimeter handgun. He had another loaded handgun and three 30-bullet magazines for the Bushmaster. A hundred and fifty-four spent casings were recovered at the scene. Investigators found knives, samurai swords, a military-style uniform in Lanza's bedroom, a smashed computer hard drive, a gun safe with numerous boxes of bullets, binoculars, paper targets in the clipping of an Illinois school shooting. The investigation is continuing at least until June. Margot Adler, NPR News.

 

　　Declaring shame on us if we've forgotten, President Obama is warning lawmakers not to allow gun control efforts in the wake of Newtown to languish.

 

　　We can do better to make sure that fewer parents have to endure the pain of losing a child to an act of violence.

 

　　Obama spoke today at the White House alongside parents of the Newtown victims. Meanwhile, gun lobbying groups, including the NRA, argued the administration should focus more on improving the mental health care system and less on restricting fire arms.

 

　　Meanwhile, the 22-year-old woman accused of buying the gun that was later used to kill Colorado Corrections Director Tom  Clements, is being held on $25,000 bond. Police expect Stevie Marie Vigil gave the gun to Clements alleged killer, Evan Ebel, a felon who died last week during a shootout in Texas.

 

　　The UN Security Council is authorizing a new combat force to take out rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The mandate for an intervention brigade is reported to be unprecedented in UN peacekeeping. The draft resolution states the UN force may conduct defensive operations on its own or with Congo's military to neutralize rebels "in a robust highly mobile and versatile manner".

 

　　Initial claims for unemployment were up last weekend in the U.S.. Labor Department saying it received a seasonally adjusted 357,000 new claims for unemployment benefits. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports that's an increase of 16,000 from the previous week.

 

　　Though the number spiked last week, the overall trend has been a downward one. The four-week average for claims for unemployment is at 343,000, which is about 61,000 lower compared to the same period last year. And economists say at today's level, job losses are low enough that the unemployment rate can improve. Last week was the first for annual seasonal adjustments, which the Bureau of Labor Statistic says, boosted claims by about 3,000 over the last 10 weeks. The Labor Department will release its monthly unemployment reports next week.Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Dow was up 51 points.

 

　　This is NPR.

 

　　In a rare disclosure, the U.S. military says it has completed a drill in South Korea using nuclear capable B2 bombers. The practice ran as the second response from the allies this week to North Korea's nuclear threats. Pyongyang recently said it would launch attacks on its southern neighbor and U.S. bases in the Pacific to protest their joint military drills as well as United Nations sanctions.

 

　　A mortar round has hit the University of Damascus in Syria, killing at least 10 students. NPR's Susannah George reports the attack comes as rebel forces are making more and more attacks inside the Syrian capital.

 

　　Pro-government Syrian state TV footage shows puddles of blood in a colorful school cafeteria. An awning is torn above where the mortar allegedly landed.

 

　　State TV says the attack at the faculty of architecture engineering was carried out by terrorists. Syrian activists are also reporting the attack, but they aren't saying who was responsible. The university is in central Damascus, just a few kilometers away from the strategically important neighborhood of Malki. It houses a number of government buildings and one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main palaces. While rebel forces are carrying more and more attacks inside central Damascus. They have been unable to capture and hold territory inside the city. Susannah George, NPR News, Beirut.

 

　　Banks in Cyprus are open for the first time nearly two weeks. However, people are still limited in how much money they can withdraw or transfer. The government wants to prevent a wrong on banks.

 

　　Before the closing bell, Dow was up 52 points at 14,578; NASDAQ up 11 at 3,268; and the S&P 500 up six at 1,569.

 

　　This is NPR.