Trump Addresses Nation, Congress ACA Vote, Venezuela Oil Tankers
Duration
14m
Broadcast on
18 Dec 2025
Audio Format
other
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In a nationwide address, President Trump says the U.S. is poised for an economic boom and that high prices are falling rapidly. Four Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote on a three year extension of the enhanced healthcare subsidies. And, President Trump has ordered a ban on all sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela.
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In a prime time address to the nation, President Trump defended his economic record, insisting prices are falling and an economic boom is on the way. "Our policies are boosting take home pay at a historic pace." Does that ring true to voters? I'm Michelle Martin with Layla Fadel and this is Up First from NPR News. A group of swing district Republicans have sided with Democrats to force a vote on extending healthcare subsidies. "This doesn't need to be an all or nothing zero sum game. We can't come to the center and build consensus." Will that encourage Congress to act before lawmakers head home for the holidays? Han, President Trump is escalating with Venezuela ordering a ban on some oil tankers. It's a blow to a country dependent on oil exports. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors. This message comes from Avilera Aviator. Avilader is the agent hub for tax and compliance. Herpis build AI agents work around the clock and across business systems to help execute the work. Visit Avilera.com/aviator. This message comes from Prolon. Want to look and feel your best this fall? Prolon's five-day fasting mimicking diet is a clinically developed nutrition program with the goal of promoting fat loss while protecting lean body mass. Developed at USC's Longevity Institute, it aims to assist the body in entering a fasting-like state that helps reset metabolism, target visceral fat, and support healthy metabolic markers. Get 15% off plus a bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com/NPR. This message comes from MattressFirm. Sharing a bed should not mean losing sleep every night. Your sleep experts will match you with a bed designed for more uninterrupted sleep, like a Tempur-Pedic made with unique temper material that absorbs motion so you can rest undisturbed. Right now, you can save up to $1,000 on select Tempur-Pedic split-king sleep systems during the Black Friday sale. Visit MattressFirm today to find your perfect sleep solution. They make sleep easy. In a defensive and boastful address to the nation Wednesday night, President Trump insisted that the U.S. is poised for an economic boom and said that high prices are falling. He blamed his predecessor and immigrants for many of the country's problems. The speech comes as a majority of voters say they are not feeling the economic relief Trump promised in his campaign and touted in his speech. Recent polling shows Trump's rating on the economy is historically low and high prices remain a top concern. With us to talk this through, is NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shiver on High Depot? Hey, good morning. Okay, so what did the president say to try to counter how Americans are feeling about high costs? Well, his message overall is essentially telling people to just hang on in wait. He says costs of goods like gas are going down and he said the administration is, quote, "making progress on lowering other costs, but it's not done yet."
