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Today’s Top Stories
Inflation in the United States fell to its lowest level in more than three years last month, according to the Labor Department.The Federal Reserve is more likely to cut interest rates at its meeting next month. Gasoline prices, airfares and used car prices have all fallen over the past year. But while economists have been waiting to see this rate cut, not everyone is happy.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues voted to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, in an effort to curb persistent inflation.
Saul Loeb/AFP
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Saul Loeb/AFP
- 🎧 ABOVE To The TopNPR’s Scott Horsley breaks down the difference between inflation rates and “inflationary sentiment.” There is still a lot complain when people keep seeing Housing costs are rising rapidly. Although grocery prices have been steady over the past year, they have risen more than 25% since before the pandemic. The Fed is also keeping a close eye on the unemployment rate, which is rising. The job market has been strong for a long time, which means the Fed can focus on controlling inflation. Now, the Fed must be careful that higher interest rates do not cause more people to lose their jobs.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar will mediate a new round of talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza today. Several rounds of ceasefire talks in recent months have ended in stalemate between Israel and Hamas. The war is now in its 11th month and has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians. It began after a surprise Hamas-led attack on Israel last October that killed about 1,200 Israelis. The talks are based on a three-phase proposal President Biden put forward on May 31 that calls for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas has said it will not participate because it responded to Biden’s plan with a counter-proposal in July. Israel has sent a high-level delegation to the talks. Here’s what Everything you need to know about today’s negotiations.
- 🎧 One of the key sticking points concerns what happens after the six-week ceasefire in the first phase of Biden’s proposal.Israel wants to the possibility of continuing war if it feels Hamas is dragging out the talks. Hamas wants a definitive end to the war. Mediators said in a statement last week that they were aware of the differences and were ready with a final proposal to narrow the remaining issues. The recent assassinations of a Hamas leader in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah official in Beirut have added to the pressure. Israel has braced for retaliation from Iran and its proxies, and many fear a full-scale war in the region.
White House set to announce new, lower prices for 10 best-selling drugs Later months of negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies. Prices will be lowered for drugs that treat arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and more. In a press conference ahead of the announcement, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said that if the negotiated prices take effect in 2023, Medicare will save $6 billion and beneficiaries will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs. The negotiated prices will take effect in January 2026.
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Palestinians react to fire from an Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment in the courtyard of Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Sunday. The airstrike killed several people, including a woman, and wounded others, medical officials confirmed.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
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Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
When is it appropriate to tell a joke about violence that has killed tens of thousands of people? For Palestinian-American Sammy Obeid, the time has come. The 40-year-old former math teacher turned stand-up comedian weaves the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into his repertoire. He grew up in California, where his family told him stories about the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and Israel. Some listeners may find his jokes offensive or make them uncomfortable, but that’s intentional.
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A woodpecker lives in a Saguaro tree at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix on June 28.
Caitlin O’Hara/for NPR
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Caitlin O’Hara/for NPR
In a pandemic, a new fear literally germinated in the Phoenix metropolitan area. A record-breaking hot summer has shattered The region’s majestic saguaro cacti are dying at a rate that worries casual observers. But experts say people shouldn’t worry about the aging cactus. Human-caused climate change is preventing the conditions necessary for baby saguaros to take root and thrive.
3 things to know before you go
Marion Ackermann, director general of the Dresden State Art Collection, points to a display case of some recovered jewelry during a press event at the Green Vault in Dresden, Germany, on Tuesday.
Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images
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Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images
- Jewellery stolen in 2019 multi-million dollar heistand recover after a few years, is back to screen at the Grüne Gewölbe or Green Vault, in Dresden, Germany.
- Disney wants to dismiss a widow’s wrongful death lawsuit after a doctor died from an allergic reaction at a Disney World restaurant. The company said the case should be settled out of court because Disney+ trial terms in the fine print The plaintiff registered many years ago.
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will resign next month.signal political instability may occur for one of America’s closest allies in Asia.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
