Top Recommendations: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will step down next month, signaling for one of the U.S.’ closest allies in Asia.
Summary
- But even though economists have been waiting to see these falling rates, not everyone is happy. Now, it has to be careful that high interest rates don’t put more people out of work. The White House is set to announce new, lower prices for 10 blockbuster drugs after between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies. He grew up in California where his family would tell him stories about the occupied West Bank, Gaza and Israel. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will step down next month, signaling for one of the U.S.’ closest allies in Asia.
Approximate Time
- 5 minutes, 918 words
Categories
- inflation rates, high interest rates, interest rates, more people, last week
Analysis and Evaluation
- In this piece, the intricate details of the story are unraveled, providing a comprehensive understanding. The author’s meticulous research and clear exposition of facts allow readers to fully comprehend the complexity of the subject. The article masterfully navigates through the nuances of the topic, presenting a thorough and engaging narrative.
Main Section
Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter.here to get it delivered to your inbox, andto the Up First podcast f[Today's Headlines]or all the news you need to start your day.
Today’s top stories
Inflation in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in more than three years last month, according to the Labor Department, making it more likely that the Federal Reserve can bring interest rates down in next month’s meeting. Gasoline, air fares and used car prices are down in the last year. But even though economists have been waiting to see these falling rates, not everyone is happy.
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues voted to keep interest rates unchanged Wednesday, as they try to curb stubborn inflation.
- On Up First, NPR’s Scott Horsley breaks down the difference between inflation rates and “inflation vibes.” There are still plenty of housing costs rise rapidly. Even though supermarket prices have been stable for the last year, they’re up more than 25% since before the pandemic. The Fed is also keeping a close eye on the unemployment rate, which has been creeping up. The job market had been strong for a long time, which meant the Fed could focus on getting inflation under control. Now, it has to be careful that high interest rates don’t put more people out of work.
The U.S., Egypt and Qatar are set to mediate a new round of talks to end the war in Gaza today. Several rounds of cease-fire talks in the past few months have ended in an impasse between Israel and Hamas. The war is in its 11th month and has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians. It started after a surprise Hamas-led attack on Israel last October killed around 1,200 people in Israel. This round of talks is based on a three-phase proposal that President Biden laid out on May 31 calling for a cease-fire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and Gaza’s reconstruction. Hamas says it will not participate because it already responded to Biden’s plan with a counterproposal in July. Israel sent a high-level delegation to participate in the talks. Here’s .
- One of the sticking points has to do with what happens after the six-week cease-fire in the first phase of Biden’s proposal, NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf says. Israel wants the if it feels Hamas is prolonging the talks. Hamas wants a guaranteed end to the war. Mediators said in a statement last week they were aware of the differences and were ready with a final proposal to bridge the remaining issues. The recent assassinations of a Hamas leader in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah official in Beirut have added additional pressure. Israel has been bracing for retaliation from Iran and its proxies, and many are worried about the potential of an all-out regional war.
The White House is set to announce new, lower prices for 10 blockbuster drugs after between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies. Prices will be lowered for drugs that treat arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart failure and more. In a press call ahead of the announcement, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said if the negotiated prices were in effect in 2023, Medicare would have saved $6 billion and beneficiaries would have saved $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs. The negotiated prices will go into effect in January 2026.
Today’s listen
Palestinians react to fire from an Israeli strike that hit a tent area in the courtyard of Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Sunday. The strike killed several people including a woman and injured others, health officials confirmed.
When is the right time, if ever, to make jokes about violence that’s killed tens of thousands of people? For Palestinian American Sammy Obeid, the time is now. The 40-year-old former math teacher turned stand-up comic weaves the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into his act. He grew up in California where his family would tell him stories about the occupied West Bank, Gaza and Israel. Some listeners could find his jokes upsetting or may feel uncomfortable, but that’s intentional.
- Listen to some of [Today's Headlines]his jokes and and tension that comedy creates.
Picture show
A woodpecker living in a Saguaro at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix on June 28.
During the pandemic, a new fear literally sprouted in metro Phoenix. A record-hot summer toppled the area’s mighty saguaro cactuses at a rate that alarmed casual observers. But experts say it’s not the old cactuses people should be worried about. Human-caused climate change is preventing the conditions needed for baby saguaros to take root and thrive.
- See photos of the how researchers are trying to save them.
3 things to know before you go
Marion Ackermann, director general of the Dresden State Art Collections, points to a display case with some of the recovered jewelry during a press event at the Green Vault in Dr[Today's Headlines]esden, Germany, on Tuesday.
- Jewels stolen during a multimillion-dollar heist in 2019, and recovered a few years later, are at the Grne Gewlbe, or Green Vault, in Dresden, Germany.
- Disney wants to throw out a widower’s wrongful death lawsuit after a doctor died from an allergic reaction at a Disney World restaurant. The company says the case should be handled outside of court because of a the plaintiff signed up for years earlier.
- Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will step down next month, signaling for one of the U.S.’ closest allies in Asia.
This newsletter was edited by.
Content comes from the Internet: https://www.npr.org/2024/08/15/g-s1-17091/up-first-newsletter-inflation-falls-medicare-negotiated-lower-drug-prices
SummaryOften working with multiple large video screens showing actors moving in extreme slow motion, Viola’s ruminations on fundamental human themes like grief and spiri[Today’s Headlines]tuality were immersive and hypnotic. “And that kind of direction connection to life liberated me so much.” After graduating from Syracuse University in 1973, Viola created experimental artworks across a variety of media, including video and sound installations, electronic music performances, and works for television broadcast. “The subjects that he has broached in his work for decades — birth, death, the human condition — courageously addressed with intensity, purity and directness,” gallerist , who worked on a project with Viola, told NPR. “Along with Nam June [Today’s Headlines]Paik, he was one of the pioneers.”Approximate Time 3 minutes, 422 wordsCategoriesBill Viola, Viola, Artist Bill Viola, monumental video…
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