Trump's deal with; ACA Vote; Venezuela Oil Tankers : NPR

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Right this moment's prime tales President Trump insisted that the U.S. is poised for an financial increase throughout a prime-time deal with to the nation yesterday. He stated that prime costs are lowering and attributed lots of the nation's issues to his predecessors and immigrants. This message comes as Trump's ranking on the financial system is traditionally low, and excessive costs stay a prime concern, based on the newest NPR/PBS Information/Marist ballot.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x4860+0+450/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F83%2F1c%2F8c3586294754a3435ae31dd4512c%2Fgettyimages-2251828067.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x4860+0+450/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F83%2F1c%2F8c3586294754a3435ae31dd4512c%2Fgettyimages-2251828067.jpg" class="img" alt="President Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House." loading="lazy"/> President Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 17, 2025. Doug Mills/Pool/AFP by way of Getty Photographs disguise caption

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Doug Mills/Pool/AFP by way of Getty Photographs 🎧 The president primarily requested folks to attend as a result of his insurance policies, which he handed this 12 months, can have advantages within the new 12 months, NPR's Deepa Shivaram tells Up First. Trump stated households will see a bigger tax refund subsequent 12 months. He additionally introduced an initiative that may pay service members $1,776 and an upcoming plan to assist decrease the price of housing. Shivaram stated that total, it seemed like a fairly typical Trump deal with, which included a protracted record of every part he sees as his accomplishments, all tacked collectively. The Home of Representatives voted yesterday on a Republican-led well being care plan that didn't embrace extending enhanced well being care subsidies. Over 20 million People depend on the subsidies which might be set to run out on the finish of this month. A number of Republicans went towards occasion management and joined Democrats to pressure a vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies.

🎧 The Home speaker now has a call to make on whether or not to maneuver the vote sooner, NPR's Barbara Sprunt says. If the vote would not occur by the top of this week, it will not happen till subsequent 12 months, as lawmakers are leaving for the vacations. Sprunt says some Republicans might be shifting their stance on these subsidies as a result of subsequent 12 months is a midterm 12 months. Lawmakers acknowledge what's essential to their constituents — on this case, the impression of expiring subsidies on insurance coverage premiums. Trump has ordered a ban on all sanctioned oil tankers touring to and from Venezuela. This menace of a partial blockade escalates the administration's strain marketing campaign towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. It additionally sparks the query of whether or not the 2 nations are inching nearer to direct army battle.

🎧 A full blockage is taken into account an act of struggle, however the Trump administration seems to be focusing on solely tankers already on the sanctions record, based on NPR's Greg Myre. For years, the U.S. has been sanctioning "ghost ships," that are tankers that try to disguise their identities and places in an effort to evade U.S. and Western sanctions. This newest transfer may show to be a significant blow to Venezuela, because the nation is closely depending on oil exports. A completely loaded giant tanker carries over $100 million value of oil. If the U.S. seizes a variety of ships, it may presumably scare away non-sanctioned tankers who could determine it is not definitely worth the danger.

Deep dive <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x2531+0+234/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F7e%2F35cabec14f9dbbd84a8c182ccf32%2Fnpr-ed-harlan-ai-detection-software-education-schools-20.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x2531+0+234/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F7e%2F35cabec14f9dbbd84a8c182ccf32%2Fnpr-ed-harlan-ai-detection-software-education-schools-20.jpg" class="img" alt="Ailsa Ostovitz, left, and her mother, Stephanie Rizk, at their home in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. In mid-November, Rizk met with Ostovitz’s teachers to discuss accusations that her daughter had used AI to do some of her schoolwork." loading="lazy"/> Ailsa Ostovitz, left, and her mom, Stephanie Rizk, at their residence within the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. In mid-November, Rizk met with Ostovitz's lecturers to debate accusations that her daughter had used AI to do a few of her schoolwork. Beck Harlan/NPR disguise caption

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Beck Harlan/NPR Greater than 40% of surveyed Sixth- to Twelfth-grade lecturers used AI detection instruments through the earlier tutorial 12 months, based on a ballot by the Middle for Democracy and Expertise. The lecturers did so regardless of quite a few research highlighting that these instruments lack reliability. Fashionable detectors like Turnitin, GPTZero and Copyleaks misidentified some issues as AI that weren't, and vice versa, based on findings by Mike Perkins, a number one researcher on tutorial integrity and AI at British College Vietnam. Their accuracy charges plummet even additional when customers manipulate the AI take a look at to seem extra human. Regardless of these challenges, NPR discovered that faculty districts throughout the U.S. spend 1000's of {dollars} on these instruments.

➡️ John Grady, a language and literature trainer, makes use of AI detection instruments as a place to begin to provoke conversations with college students about AI use.➡️ Grady says he scans all essays with GPTZero, and if the device flags a 50% chance of AI use, he digs deeper by utilizing revision historical past instruments to measure writing time and edit counts. If a scholar submits work with few edits and minimal time writing, he'll conduct a check-in.➡️ Highschool scholar Zi Shi, whose first language is Mandarin, fears that AI software program will flag his work as a consequence of his writing type and his restricted English vocabulary. Life recommendation <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5472x3076+0+271/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5c%2Fa9%2F93c67dfc4a5ab1fd0210fe37bf1f%2Flk-buy-now-pay-later-gettyimages-1061635684-copy.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5472x3076+0+271/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5c%2Fa9%2F93c67dfc4a5ab1fd0210fe37bf1f%2Flk-buy-now-pay-later-gettyimages-1061635684-copy.jpg" class="img" alt="Close up photo collage of a dark blue zipper on a light blue backdrop, half-zipped, with a close-up of a 100 dollar bill peeking through behind the zipper." loading="lazy"/> zip with financial institution notes on blue background Parkpoom/Getty Photographs disguise caption

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Parkpoom/Getty Photographs Extra vacation consumers are selecting to purchase now, pay later (BNPL) this season. On Cyber Monday, customers financed a document $1 billion in on-line purchases by means of this fee choice, based on Adobe Analytics information. Adobe initiatives that by the top of the season, that determine will soar to $20.2 billion, up 11% from final 12 months. BNPL permits consumers to buy items immediately by means of lenders like Afterpay and Klarna, and pay them again over time. Nonetheless, like all type of credit score, it comes with drawbacks. Finance consultants shared with Life Package tips about methods to use BNPL responsibly. Right here is a number of the steerage supplied that will help you shield your self from danger:

💲 If you have already got bank card debt or can't afford to cowl the funds, be cautious of utilizing BNPL.💲 Attempt to solely take these loans from one lender, so all of your fee plans are in a single place, permitting you to raised preserve monitor of funds.💲 Keep away from impulse shopping for simply because BNPL is an choice. One method to keep away from purchaser's regret is to think about speaking together with your future self, who's all these payments. In case you are curious to be taught extra about how BNPL loans work, try these six professionals and cons. Subscribe to the Life Package e-newsletter for professional recommendation on love, cash, relationships and extra.

3 issues to know earlier than you go <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1336x752+0+251/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0a%2F85%2F3b81024b4e5e801ca773ed4094e9%2Fan-orange-tributary-of-the-kugororuk-river-photo-by-josh-koch-u-s-geological-survey.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1336x752+0+251/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0a%2F85%2F3b81024b4e5e801ca773ed4094e9%2Fan-orange-tributary-of-the-kugororuk-river-photo-by-josh-koch-u-s-geological-survey.JPG" class="img" alt=""Rusting rivers" are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska, the result of thawing permafrost. The orange color is caused by naturally occurring iron, but it also often indicates elevated levels of heavy metals." loading="lazy"/> "Rusting rivers" are more and more frequent within the Brooks Vary of northern Alaska, the results of thawing permafrost. The orange colour is attributable to naturally occurring iron, however it additionally typically signifies elevated ranges of heavy metals. Josh Koch/U.S. Geological Survey disguise caption

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Josh Koch/U.S. Geological Survey The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Arctic Report Card for this 12 months finds that the Earth's northernmost half is warming quicker than the worldwide common. That is resulting in melting glaciers, shifting fish populations and rivers operating orange.In Chiloé Island, Chile, NPR's Michele Kelemen seen many shops promoting photographs of witches. She requested her pal Chilean anthropologist Alejandra Leighton to elucidate the rationale. Take a look at the lore behind these witches on this week's version of the Far-Flung Postcards collection.Stealing a smooch beneath the mistletoe is a time-honored vacation custom, however the phrase's origins aren't fairly so romantic. For NPR's "Phrase of the Week," we discover the plant's identify historical past, dive into the kissing custom and take a scientific detour. This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.