If it's Friday, new information in the search for a missing American in Syria, who's been missing there for more than a decade.

A former prisoner tells NBC News he saw Austin Tice alive with his own eyes years after the journalist went missing.

We'll get a live report from Damascus.

Plus, new hope for a hostage deal in the coming days.

As Secretary of State Blinken says, there are encouraging signs.

And NBC reports that President-elect Trump's recent threats against Hamas have been a big factor in the negotiations.

And as Washington prepares to take on the Trump agenda, President-elect Trump tells me he's open to possibly making a deal to raise the federal minimum wage.

But will he have the support to get it done in a closely divided Congress?

Welcome to Meet the Press Now.

I'm Kristen Welker in Washington.

We begin in the Middle East where we're tracking multiple developments as the Biden administration is in the midst of a last-ditch diplomatic push.

Both National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken

are in the region right now.

And there is new hope today for a ceasefire

and hostage release agreement in Gaza.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu,

National Security Advisor Sullivan told reporters

he's looking to get a deal done

by the end of the year.

And while we've heard similar messages before, Sullivan explained why this moment may be different and why there's new reason for optimism.

...