Transcript
A (0:00)
This message comes from Mint mobile starting at $15 a month. Make the switch@mintmobile.com Switch $45 upfront payment for 3 months 5 gigabyte plan equivalent to $15 a month. Taxes and fees extra first 3 months only.
B (0:15)
See Terms Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm RYLAND Barton. The U.S. military blew up another boat in the Caribbean last night that it claims was being driven by Venezuelan drug smugglers. It's the 10th such bombing, bringing the known death toll to more than 40. Has been sending aircraft and warships to the region for weeks now and is sending an aircraft carrier to the region. Former top US Diplomat to Venezuela James Storey tells NPR Trump is ratcheting up pressure against Venezuela for several reasons.
C (0:46)
You also have Iran operating freely inside Venezuela, you have Cuba supporting the Venezuelan regime, and you have strategic competitors, Russia and China also being engaged in Venezuela. So there's a lot going on here. This is an issue of democracy. It's an issue of human rights. It's an issue of migration. It's an issue of stability.
B (1:08)
Trump says he has the legal authority to launch these attacks in international waters, calling it a national security issue to save American lives. But some legal experts and lawmakers from both parties express concerns. Representatives from the US And China are meeting to talk about trade again, this time in Malaysia. NPR's Emily Feng reports that China's newest restrictions on rare earth exports are at the top of the agenda.
D (1:32)
Beijing said Chinese Premier He Lifong will be meeting US Trade Representative Jameson Greer and the Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant. Besant said before he headed to Malaysia that he was optimistic about the talks. But a potential stumbling block is rare earths. China controls up to 90% of the refining of these key minerals and metals used in all sorts of electronics. And Beijing recently widened its controls on the export of rare earth products. That prompted President Trump this month to impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports. The trade meeting will also help set the tone for a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump that the White House says will be next week. In South Korea, Emily Feng, NPR News.
B (2:12)
The Labor Department says consumer prices rose less than expected in September, making it more likely the Federal Reserve will decide to cut interest rates again next week. NPR's Maria Aspen has more annual inflation.
E (2:24)
Rose 3% in September from a year earlier, slightly below expectations. Consumer prices are still rising faster than the Federal Reserve has targeted, but economists largely expect the Fed to cut interest rates again next week. The federal government published the September inflation report nine days late, but called workers back specifically to work on this crucial update. It uses this data to finish calculating its annual cost of living adjustment for the 75 million people receiving Social Security benefits. Now the Social Security Administration says retirees will receive an increase of 2.8% next year. That works out to an extra $56 per month starting in January. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York.