NPR News: 12-17-2025 8AM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The latest poll from NPR, PBS, and Marist shows that President Trump's handling of the U.S. economy has dropped to a new low. NPR's Domenico Montanaro has more.
Of the 1,440 respondents to the survey, just 36 percent say they approve of the job Trump is doing on the economy. That's the lowest Marist has recorded for Trump in six years of asking the question. In fact, during Trump's first term, the economy was a relative strength. It's a big reason he was able to win again in 2024. Trump promised to bring prices down, and Latinos, for example, crossed over in big numbers to vote for him. But in this survey, just 32% of Latinos approve of the job he's doing handling the economy. It's yet another sign of how much the group is moving away from Trump. as they feel the pinch of prices and a warning sign for Republicans heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.
After days of flooding in Washington state, now some areas are under blizzard conditions. The National Weather Service has measured hurricane-strength winds in the mountains. Some areas east and west of Seattle could get nearly a foot of snow. Washington has gotten torrential rain that's breached levees. Governor Bob Ferguson says infrastructure improvements are getting tested.
It's not a one- or two-day event, right? We're in for the long haul, and all that water is putting a lot of stress on our infrastructure.
What recent poll results reveal about President Trump's economy approval ratings?
Forecasters say nearly two feet of rain have already fallen. At least one person has been killed. Mourners in Australia have held the first funeral for a victim of last Sunday's mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. Australian police say they searched the car of one of the shooting suspects and found inside two Islamic State flags. Separately, two U.S. troops and an American interpreter were killed in Syria last weekend. It was an attack believed to be inspired by ISIS. NPR's Scott Newman reports some are questioning if the terror group is re-emerging.
Aaron Zelen, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. says Islamic State has been severely weakened since its peak a decade ago when it controlled vast territory across Iraq and Syria and carried out brutal killings broadcast on social media. But, he says, ISIS has continued to use social media to incite and encourage attacks in the West.
ISIS never gives up. As long as they continue to have the will to fight, they'll use any means necessary to accomplish what they're trying to do.
Last year, the Pentagon estimated that the Islamic State still had 2,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq. Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington.
Entertainment company Warner Bros. is telling its shareholders don't take the bid offer from rival Paramount Skydance. Paramount launched a hostile takeover bid last week. It's trying to win Warner Bros. away. from an offer made by rival Netflix. On Wall Street and pre-market trading, Dow futures are higher. This is NPR. President Trump says he's ordering a total blockade on all oil tankers going to and from Venezuela. Writing online, he alleges Venezuela has stolen land and oil from the U.S. He didn't explain what he meant, and he didn't offer evidence. The Trump administration has been building up a military presence off Venezuela, And it's also struck about two dozen boats in the region alleging they're carrying drugs.
Again, no evidence has been offered. Some 700 million people around the world live on less than $2.15 per day. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports lifting most of them out of extreme poverty may be less expensive than researchers previously thought.
Aaron Powell, Jr., Ph.D. : That allowed them to estimate that virtually ending extreme poverty would cost roughly $318 billion a year.
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