The State Department says the U.S. government’s top hostage negotiator is in Beirut in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years.

President Joe Biden says the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power.

The mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for more than a decade, says she's confident that her son is alive.

President Joe Biden has met with the parents of American journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria 10 years ago.

Talks between U.S. and Syrian officials last summer over the fate of journalist Austin Tice and other American hostages foundered over conditions laid out by Damascus and because of a lack of meaningful information provided on the fate of Tice.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County woman came up with a winning ticket in a Florida Lottery scratch-off game and is now two million dollars wealthier. Debra Tice, 56, of Hastings, claimed a $2 million top prize from the 100X Scratch-Off game using a secured drop box located at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,605,000.00. Tice purchased her winning ticket from Circle K, located at 4205 U.S. 1 South in Saint Augustine. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.