Trump Economy, Federal Reserve December, Afghan Fighters' Struggles

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How does President Trump justify the current state of the economy?

Leila Fadl 0:02
President Trump insists the economy is thriving.
Donald Trump 0:05
We're getting inflation, we're crushing it, and you're getting much higher wages.
Michelle Martin 0:10
So how does he explain why so many voters view the economy negatively?
Leila Fadl 0:14
I'm Michelle Martin, that's Leila Fadl, and this is Up First from NPR News.
Michelle Martin 0:20
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?
Leila Fadl 0:34
Plus, the unraveling of the Afghan man accused of gunning down two 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.
Unknown 0:57
Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet. The Schmidt Family Foundation is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org.
Brooke Gladstone 1:24
There's a lot going on right now. Mounting economic inequality, threats to democracy, environmental disaster, the sour stench of chaos in the air. I'm Brooke Gladstone, host of WNYC's On the Media. Want to understand the reasons and the meanings of the narratives that led us here and maybe how to head them off at the pass? That's On the Media's specialty. Take a listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown 1:52
This message comes from Bloomberg's Business Week podcast, Everybody's Business, the show that gives listeners a window into the discussions happening in boardrooms, Zooms, and group chats in the power centers around the world.

What are the Federal Reserve's considerations regarding interest rates?

Unknown 2:05
Listen every Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.
Michelle Martin 2:09
President Trump told a rally crowd in Pennsylvania Tuesday night that he has no higher priority than making America affordable again.
Donald Trump 2:18
They cause 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.
Leila Fadl 2:33
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.
Tamara Keith 2:41
Good morning.
Leila Fadl 2:42
So did the president have some new message or some policy prescriptions for Americans who are upset about the high cost of living?
Tamara Keith 2:50
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.

How do inflation and unemployment influence the Fed's decisions?

Tamara Keith 3:16
So Trump spent much of this 90-minute speech going through the greatest hits, talking about how members of his cabinet are straight out of central casting, denigrating Somali immigrants, weaving all over the place, joking about how it would be boring if he stuck to the teleprompter, and occasionally making it back to the economy.
Donald Trump 3:38
Lower prices, bigger paychecks. We're getting inflation. We're crushing it. And you're getting much higher wages. I mean, the only thing that's really going up big, it's called the stock market and your 401ks. It's going up.
Leila Fadl 3:55
Okay, that might be true. Stock values are up. But a lot of people, actually more than a third of Americans, don't have money in the stock market.
Tamara Keith 4:02
Yeah, and as our friends at Marketplace always say, the stock market is not the economy. A recent Fox News poll found three quarters of voters view the economy negatively, and two to one, they blame Trump for the current economy rather than former President Biden.

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