Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

A new bipartisan divide has broken open after senior U.S. military officers showed Congress video of multiple strikes on a boat in the Caribbean in early September. Republicans backed the decision by a Special Operations commander to target survivors of the first strike, while Democrats accused the commander of targeting a shipwreck. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A classified briefing on the Pentagon's strike of an alleged drug boat opened partisan divides over whether the act constituted war crimes. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee. He was among the members of Congress briefed by military leaders. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A sprawling energy-sector scandal is rocking Ukraine. Last week, the country was shocked by the exit of President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Ukraine's second most powerful man resigned after the state anti-corruption body raided his home. As Jack Hewson explains, it's a crisis striking at the heart of the government as the country fights for survival against Russia's invasion. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Ukrainian officials met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to continue negotiations over an American plan to end the war. Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, where the Russian president said he endorsed only parts of the plan. Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Changes are afoot at the Federal Reserve: President Donald Trump will name a new Fed chair in the coming year, and the central bank’s job could get complicated as the economy absorbs the full impact of new tariffs. In this episode, why Fed independence is crucial and where the federal funds rate is headed in 2026. Plus: Families weigh the cost of child care, the BLS remains behind on data releases, and state farm bureaus offer cheaper health insurance to farmers — with a catch.

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Health coverage for millions of people is on the line as the federal government cannot get on the same page on a new health care plan or extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. If subsidies expire, premiums for Marketplace coverage will become much more expensive. Millions are projected to lose their coverage and providers that serve primarily uninsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable patients will bear the brunt of this change. In the Loop hears from Loretto Hospital CEO Tesa Anewishki and Sinai Chicago CEO Dr. Ngozi Ezike about how they’re continuing to provide healthcare to Chicago’s most vulnerable. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The average age of Congress' members has gotten older compared to the Americans it represents. This 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789. On today’s show, Princeton economist Owen Zidar joins Kimberly to explain how decades of public policy have fueled a generational wealth gap and what our so-called gerontocracy has to do with it. Plus, what it would take for Congress to really address the economic issues younger Americans are facing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• ”It’s My Party and I’ll Leave When I Want To” from Intelligencer
• ”Gerontocracy is everywhere” from Slow Boring
• ”How baby boomers got so rich, and why their kids are unlikely to catch up” from The Washington Post
• ”The Age Divide: How America’s Electoral System Reinforces the Gerontocracy” from New America
• ”The Everywhere Millionaire” by Owen Zidar

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These days, Americans are drinking less alcohol. While that may be a positive from a health perspective, it’s not great news for California grape growers. Industry groups predict that 2025 will be the smallest harvest since the mid-’90s. These changing consumption habits are changing the landscape of California vineyards. Also, the Trump administration is reducing fuel efficiency standards, and layoffs are running high ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting.

The Transportation Security Administration announced earlier this week that passengers without a REAL ID or other acceptable documents (like a passport or tribal ID) will have to pay a $45 fee for the extra screening required to get through security. We'll hear more. Plus, as part of our continued lunar economy series, we'll learn about what developing infrastructure or communications systems on the moon might look like.

From the BBC World Service: European antitrust regulators have just launched an investigation into Meta over its rollout of artificial intelligence features on WhatsApp for European users. This move marks the latest action by European regulators against large technology firms, as the trade bloc seeks to balance support for the sector with efforts to curb its expanding influence. Then, air travelers in India face continued disruptions, and Japan tries to regain a stronghold in semiconductor chip manufacturing.