Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee have released the transcript of their interview with former special counsel Jack Smith. As NPR's Kerry Johnson reports, Smith has volunteered to testify in public, but so far no one in GOP leadership has taken him up on that offer.
The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee dropped the nearly 300-page transcript on New Year's Eve.
Chapter 2: What recent developments were revealed in the House Judiciary Committee's report?
Jack Smith fielded questions about his work building criminal cases against now-President Donald Trump over Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged refusal to turn over secret documents to the FBI. Smith told lawmakers the election case was built on Republicans.
who put their allegiance to the country before their political party, and that several state and federal officials would have been witnesses for the prosecution. The Justice Department dropped both cases against Trump after last year's election, following a long policy that the sitting president cannot be prosecuted. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
As people add losing weight to their list of New Year's resolutions, they might be considering trying one of the blockbuster weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s. Empire's Sidney Lupkin has more about how 2026 could be another big year for those drugs.
The Food and Drug Administration approved a Wagovi pill at the end of 2025, and it will become available this year. A competing pill made by Eli Lilly could soon follow. Meanwhile, direct-to-consumer GLP-1s sold by the drug companies to patients who don't use their insurance could continue to grow in popularity. Those discounted prices have dropped over time.
But the drug's sticker prices haven't dropped, and insurance coverage for the injectables has actually gotten more restrictive when it comes to weight loss. For example, some plans only cover obesity drugs for patients with a body mass index over 40, even though obesity is classified as having a BMI of 30 or higher. Sidney Lepkin, NPR News.
The U.S. economy is closing out the year, having done better than many economists had expected. And the stock market also had a good year. But many Americans are still unhappy about the economy. One bright spot, says NPR's Scott Horsley, was the third cut in interest rates that occurred this month.
It does make it a little cheaper to buy a car or grow a business. Mortgage rates have also come down a little bit. The mortgage giant Freddie Mac said today that the average rate on a 30-year home loan is down to 6.15 percent, which is the lowest it's been all year. That could give a little boost to the housing market, which has been in a deep slump.
That's NPR's Scott Horsley. President Trump says the National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland are all heading home. He made an announcement on social media this afternoon. His deployments have met resistance from federal judges. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court left in place a ruling by a federal judge that bars the use of troops in Illinois.
Stocks were down on Wall Street. You're listening to NPR News. Bubbles are a sort of bright spot in the slowing wine sales scene, as the Washington State Wine Commission reports, quote, sparks of growth for sparkling. Now, more Northwest wineries are dipping a toe into sparkling wines. Northwest Public Broadcasting's Anna King has our reports.
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