Trump Economy, Federal Reserve December, Afghan Fighters' Struggles
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President Trump insists the economy is thriving. So, how does he explain why so many voters view the economy negatively? Also, the Federal Reserve considers whether to cut interest rates today. Will concerns over inflation keep rates as is or will unemployment worries prompt another cut? Plus, the unraveling of the Afghan man accused of gunning down two National Guard members. How are other Afghans in the US who fought for the CIA navigating the stress and despair that commonly haunt frontline soldiers?
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Luis Clemens, Alice Woelfle, and Arezou Rezvani.
It was produced by Kaity Kline, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Luis Clemens, Alice Woelfle, and Arezou Rezvani.
It was produced by Kaity Kline, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
"President Trump insists the economy is thriving." "We're getting inflation, we're crushing it, and you're getting much higher wages." "So how does he explain why so many voters view the economy negatively?" "I'm Michelle Martin, that's Leila Fado, and this is Up First from NPR News." The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates today, but members of the Fed's rate-setting committee are divided on whether to make the call. Will concerns over inflation keep rates as is, or will unemployment worries prompt another cut? "Plus the unraveling of the Afghan man accused of gunning down to national guard members. He was in a military unit that worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, and he wasn't the only one struggling with his mental health as a result. We get into why so many feel abandoned by the CIA. Stay with us for the news you need to start your day." Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, you can get everything from self-directed investing to full-service wealth management all in one place. No matter your investing goal, life stage, amount to invest, or know-how, you can invest your way with Schwab. This message comes from BetterHelp. Your brain has limited storage, so why is it still holding on to that embarrassing moment from years ago? BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that gives you space to talk about what's taking up too much of yours. BetterHelp is now in network with more than 125 health plans, with many co-pays as low as $15 for eligible members. And if you don't have eligible insurance, you can still get 20% off your first month. Visit BetterHelp.com/NPR. Austin coverage Mayberry. President Trump told a rally crowd in Pennsylvania Tuesday night that he has no higher priority than making America affordable again. They caused the high prices, and we're bringing them down. It's a simple message. If I had one message tonight, you know, this is being covered, like, all over the world, this is crazy, because I haven't made a speech in a little while, you know, when you win, when you win, you say, "Oh, I can now rest." He talked about a whole lot of other things, too. And NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith is here to help us decipher what the president had to say. Good morning, Tam. Good morning. So did the president have some new message or some policy prescriptions for Americans who are upset about the high cost of living? The banners on the stage said, "Lower prices, bigger paychecks." And that was the message, in essence. Trump insists prices are coming down, and brought up on the stage a handful of people who stand to benefit from the tax cuts he signed into law earlier this year. There were no new policies, and not a lot of new material, but if you go to see the village people, you'd be disappointed not to hear YMCA. So Trump spent much of this 90-minute speech going through the greatest hits, talking
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