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Jack Speier (0:19)
In Washington, I'm Jack Speier. The Trump transition and the US Justice Department have signed an agreement that will begin the process of background checks and security clearances for the incoming admin administration. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. It had been delayed.
Tamara Keith (0:35)
President Elect Trump hasn't been shy about expressing his distrust of the Justice Department and FBI, but they play a key role in the transition from one administration to the next, conducting background checks and processing security clearances for intended nominees and the transition officials who will go into agencies before the inauguration to get ready. This agreement allows the transition to begin submitting names. In a statement, Susie Wiles, who will be White House chief of staff, said this agreement will ensure President Elect Trump and his team will be ready on day one to begin enacting the America first agenda. Tamara Keith, NPR News, West Palm Beach, Florida.
Jack Speier (1:16)
The number of people with unaffordable housing costs has reached yet another record high. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. Both renters and homeowners are struggling as prices continue to spike.
Jennifer Ludden (1:26)
Nearly 43 million households paid more than third of their income for housing last year, and for about half of them, it was more than 50%. That's according to an analysis of new census data by Harvard's Joint center for Housing Studies. Renters are far more likely to struggle, but the biggest uptick was actually among homeowners. Harvard researchers say a growing number of older people have retired or cut back on work, lowering their income just as housing costs have spiked. And even if they've paid off a mortgage, insurance and property taxes have also shot up since 2019. Harvard finds that housing costs have risen faster than wages for both renters and owners. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.
Jack Speier (2:09)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing a new rule to better protect Americans financial data from scammers. More from NPR's Laurel Walmsley.
Laurel Walmsley (2:17)
For more than 50 years, the Fair Credit Reporting act has protected consumer privacy by restricting how consumer reporting agencies can use personal information. But a growing industry of data brokers has avoided compliance with that law, even as they collect and sell enormous troves of sensitive financial data. Now the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing a rule that would ensure financial data brokers comply with that law. CFPB Director Rohit Chopra says the rule will help protect Americans personal information often.