{"id":8368,"date":"2025-12-17T00:15:39","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/17\/live-updates-trump-to-deliver-national-address-from-white-house-tomorrow-night-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T00:15:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:15:39","slug":"live-updates-trump-to-deliver-national-address-from-white-house-tomorrow-night-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/17\/live-updates-trump-to-deliver-national-address-from-white-house-tomorrow-night-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Live updates: Trump to deliver national address from White House tomorrow night &#8211; NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div q:id=\"b\">\n<div id=\"rcrd94638\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T23:52:06.839Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"d\">\n<p>21m ago \/ 6:52 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Federal judge allows Trump\u2019s White House ballroom construction to move forward<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"j\">A federal judge is allowing construction of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/white-house-brings-new-architect-trumps-sprawling-300-million-ballroom-rcna247472\" target=\"_blank\">the White House ballroom<\/a>\u00a0to move forward, rejecting a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt Trump\u2019s $300 million project.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"m\">The preservation group sued the Trump administration last week in a bid to halt an expansive revamp of the White House property that has drawn\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/democrats-regain-white-house-trumps-ballroom-early-casualty-rcna243683\" target=\"_blank\">sharp criticism from Democrats.\u00a0<\/a>The lawsuit alleges the administration broke ground before plans were submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission and without approval from Congress, as required for construction on federal park land in Washington.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"p\">The Trump administration told U.S. District Judge Richard Leon today that within the next \u201ctwo weeks\u201d it expects to meet with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts to review plans that Justice Department attorney Adam Gustafson told the court were not yet finalized.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"s\">Tad Heuer, the national trust\u2019s attorney, quipped that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/two-weeks-notice-trumps-deadline-iran-familiar-one-rcna214089\" target=\"_blank\">with this administration<\/a>, \u201cit\u2019s always going to happen in the next two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"v\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/judge-allows-trump-white-house-ballroom-construction-move-forward-rcna249589\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94637\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T23:00:48.879Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"x\">\n<p>2h ago \/ 6:00 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Nonprofit groups offer legal assistance to U.S. troops amid debate over boat strikes<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"14\">Two nonprofit groups launched an ad campaign today offering legal information and confidential advice to help U.S. troops who believe they may have received unlawful orders.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"17\">The effort will include billboards saying \u201cObey Only Lawful Orders\u201d and online messages providing links to organizations and information to ensure troops are aware of their rights and informed about their options, organizers told NBC News.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1a\">The move comes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/house-senate-launch-inquiries-reported-second-strike-alleged-drug-boat-rcna246496\" target=\"_blank\">amid intense debate<\/a>\u00a0over the legality of the Trump administration\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/us-military-says-new-strikes-3-suspected-drug-boats-killed-8-board-rcna249433\" target=\"_blank\">military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats<\/a>\u00a0in Latin America, which some lawmakers and legal experts say violate U.S. and international law.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1d\">\u201cIf you believe you\u2019ve received a \u2018manifestly unlawful order,\u2019 you are protected by law and you are not alone,\u201d reads one online message, addressed to \u201cevery U.S. service member.\u201d<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1g\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/military\/nonprofit-groups-offer-legal-assistance-us-troops-debate-boat-strikes-rcna249524\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94635\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T22:23:14.840Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"1i\">\n<p>2h ago \/ 5:23 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Trump will travel to Delaware for dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in Syria<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1o\">The White House said today that Trump will be in Delaware tomorrow to meet with families of the two American service members who were killed in Syria over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1r\">White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump&#8217;s travel plans in a Fox News interview this afternoon.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1u\">Trump will be heading to Dover Air Force Base &#8220;to meet with the families of the fallen and to receive their bodies here at home,&#8221; Leavitt said.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"1x\">Two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/syria\/us-soldiers-killed-in-syria-rcna249016\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter were killed<\/a> in Syria, and other personnel were injured, in an incident that the Defense Department described as a counterterrorism engagement. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115713778827349150\" target=\"_blank\">wrote Saturday on Truth Social<\/a> that \u201cthere will be very serious retaliation&#8221; following the attack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94634\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T21:41:59.106Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"1z\">\n<p>3h ago \/ 4:41 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Top takeaways from White House chief of staff Susie Wiles\u2019s interviews with Vanity Fair<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"26\">White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reflected on Trump\u2019s second term in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOoqC5wVeft7muPtSI1T_IMS6CSyfdQ90EV-HPz0JGqSA3K2ULxFd\" target=\"_blank\">series of interviews<\/a>\u00a0for a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2\" target=\"_blank\">two-part profile\u00a0<\/a>published today by Vanity Fair, speaking candidly about key players in the administration who have influence over Trump and some of the administration\u2019s more controversial policies.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"29\">Wiles, 68, spoke to Vanity Fair writer Chris Whipple, an expert on White House chiefs of staff, 11 times over the past year about a range of issues, including the administration\u2019s Venezuela strategy and efforts to slash the size of the federal government.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2c\">She also said Trump \u201chas an alcoholic\u2019s personality,\u201d despite the fact that Trump does not drink alcohol, making a comparison with her father, television sportscaster Pat Summerall, who she said suffered from alcoholism.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2f\">\u201cSome clinical psychologist that knows one million times more than I do will dispute what I\u2019m going to say. But high-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink,\u201d Wiles said. \u201cAnd so I\u2019m a little bit of an expert in big personalities.\u201d She added that Trump \u201coperates [with] a view that there\u2019s nothing he can\u2019t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2i\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/top-takeaways-white-house-chief-staff-susie-wiless-interviews-vanity-f-rcna249467\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94633\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T21:30:40.593Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"2m\">\n<p>3h ago \/ 4:30 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Trump expands travel ban, adding 5 countries and imposing new limits on others<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2s\">The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/trump-administration\" target=\"_blank\">Trump administration<\/a>\u00a0is expanding its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/trump-administration\/trump-announces-new-travel-restrictions-19-countries-12-outright-bans-rcna211073\" target=\"_blank\">travel ban<\/a>\u00a0to include five more countries and impose new limits on others.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2v\">The move is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"2y\">In June, Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and that those from seven others would face restrictions. The decision resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"31\">At the time, the ban cover Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"34\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/immigration\/trump-expands-travel-ban-5-countries-imposes-new-limits-others-rcna249577\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94629\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T19:51:51.630Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"36\">\n<p>5h ago \/ 2:51 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Senators react to classified briefing on boat strikes in Carribbean<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3c\">Speaking to reporters after their classified briefing with Hegseth and Rubio, Democratic senators called for the unedited video of the Sept. 2 &#8220;double tap&#8221; strike to be released to the entire chamber.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3f\">Republican senators, meanwhile, said they were satisfied with what they learned from the briefing.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3i\">&#8220;There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that we have the legal authority to blow up these boats,&#8221; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. <\/p>\n<div id=\"rcrd94629-overflow-content\" data-testid=\"markupembeds-overflow\" q:id=\"3k\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3n\">Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told reporters that he was left with &#8220;more questions&#8221; after the briefing than when he walked in. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3q\">&#8220;What I did learn down there is they don\u2019t want to be that transparent with us. There were six briefers that used up about 35 to 40 minutes of the hour that we had, and then we had 20 minutes for questions,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;So, of 100 senators in the room, maybe six of us got to ask questions of the group, and then it was over, then they left.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3t\">Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters that the video will remain classified &#8220;because the sensitivity of some of the equipment that were being used in the techniques.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"3w\">&#8220;It\u2019s at a highly classified level.\u00a0I said that as soon as I came here.\u00a0It has nothing to do with overclassifying it,&#8221; Mullin said. &#8220;This administration has been highly transparent.&#8221; <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94626\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T18:31:26.566Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"3y\">\n<p>6h ago \/ 1:31 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Trump says he will deliver an address from the White House tomorrow night<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"45\">Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115730644486071082\" target=\"_blank\">annouced on T<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115730644486071082\" target=\"_blank\">ruth Social<\/a> that he would deliver a live address to the nation from the White House tomorrow night.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"48\">&#8220;My Fellow Americans: I will be giving an ADDRESS TO THE NATION tomorrow night, LIVE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, at 9 P.M. EST,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I look forward to &#8216;seeing&#8217; you then. It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4b\">White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the address would focus on what Trump sees as his biggest accomplishments of the year and preview what&#8217;s to come next year.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4e\">&#8220;The best is truly yet to come, as he often says, and so he\u2019ll be addressing the country about all of his historic accomplishments over the past year and maybe teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year, as well as we head into this Christmas season,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94623\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T18:25:21.082Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"4g\">\n<p>6h ago \/ 1:25 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Vance downplays WH chief of staff calling him a &#8216;conspiracy theorist&#8217;<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4n\">Asked for his response to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles&#8217; calling him a &#8220;conspiracy theorist,&#8221; Vance downplayed the remarks, saying he had joked in &#8220;public and private&#8221; with her about being a conspiracy theorist &#8220;for a long time.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4q\">The &#8220;conspiracy theorist&#8221; comments come from a two-part <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1\" target=\"_blank\">Vanity Fair<\/a> story, published today, in which Wiles shared thoughts on senior White House staff and Cabinet members. In the article, Wiles said that Vance understood that the Jeffrey Epstein issue would be a big deal because he had long been a conspiracy theorist.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4t\">&#8220;Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true,&#8221; Vance said before he listed examples, including masks for toddlers during the pandemic and questioning Joe Biden&#8217;s ability to serve as president because of his age. <\/p>\n<div id=\"rcrd94623-overflow-content\" data-testid=\"markupembeds-overflow\" q:id=\"4v\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"4y\">&#8220;So at least on some of these conspiracy theories, it turns out that a conspiracy theory is just something that was true six months before the media admitted it,&#8221; he said. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"51\">While Vance said he and Wiles &#8220;agree on as much as they disagree,&#8221; he praised her for her loyalty to Trump. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"54\">&#8220;And you know why I really love Susie Wiles? It&#8217;s because Susie is who she is in the president\u2019s presence [and] she\u2019s the same exact person when the president isn\u2019t around,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I\u2019ve never seen Susie Wiles say something to the president and then go and counteract him or subvert his will behind the scenes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94624\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T17:41:26.587Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"58\">\n<p>7h ago \/ 12:41 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">White House chief of staff Susie Wiles says Trump \u2018will go for it\u2018 when there\u2019s an \u2018opportunity\u2019 for retribution<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"5f\">White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said that the administration\u2019s accusations against New York Attorney General Letitia James \u201cmight\u201d be \u201cretribution\u201d and that \u201cwhen there\u2019s an opportunity\u201d for Trump to take retribution, \u201che will go for it,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2\" target=\"_blank\">Vanity Fair reported in a new profile of Wiles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"5i\">Vanity Fair published the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOoqC5wVeft7muPtSI1T_IMS6CSyfdQ90EV-HPz0JGqSA3K2ULxFd\" target=\"_blank\">two-part<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2\" target=\"_blank\">profile<\/a> today based on a wide-ranging series of 11 interviews over a year with Wiles, who rarely grants public interviews and generally stays out of the spotlight. The profile provides a rare look into the mindset of one of the most powerful people in the White House. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"5l\">Reached for comment on Wiles\u2019 remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wiles \u201chas helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"5o\">\u201cPresident Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie,\u201d Leavitt said in the statement. \u201cThe entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"5r\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/white-house\/trump-susie-wiles-vanity-fair-james-comey-letitia-james-retribution-rcna249466\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94621\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T17:23:11.877Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"5t\">\n<p>7h ago \/ 12:23 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Vance says congressional Republicans need to &#8216;step up&#8217; on health care<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"60\">Asked about efforts by congressional Republicans to reach a deal to extend ACA subsidies, Vance said it&#8217;s on those members of Congress to &#8220;step up&#8221; and fix a &#8220;broken&#8221; health care system. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"63\">&#8220;The health insurance system is totally broken. It\u2019s been broken for 15 years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We think that everything should be on the table, but Democrats and Republicans, they got to work together and put something on the president\u2019s desk to sign.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"66\">Vance said the administration was &#8220;talking&#8221; with Republican Sens. Bernie Moreno, of Ohio, and Susan Collins, of Maine, about health care legislation, as well as some &#8220;reasonable Democrats who are putting ideas out there.&#8221; But he reiterated that it wasn&#8217;t Trump&#8217;s sole responsibility to fix health care. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"69\">&#8220;Congress has got to get us something to lower the cost of health insurance for American citizens; the Obamacare system was broken,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;Donald J. Trump wants to fix it, but Congress has got to step up here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"6c\">House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said today that he won\u2019t call a vote to extend the enhanced subsidies, effectively\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/senate-rejects-aca-funding-republican-alternative-premiums-set-spike-rcna248497\" target=\"_blank\">guaranteeing they will expire<\/a>\u00a0at the end of the month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94620\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T17:21:49.633Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"6e\">\n<p>7h ago \/ 12:21 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Vance says will economic relief will take &#8216; little bit of time&#8217; <\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"6l\">Vance said at the event that the administration is trying to lower costs but that it won&#8217;t happen overnight.  <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"6o\">Blaming the impact of inflation during the Biden administration for a loss of purchasing power for average Americans, Vance said: &#8220;It\u2019s going to take a little bit of time where they really feel like that money has been put back in their pocket. That just takes a lot of time. It\u2019s a lot of work.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"6r\">&#8220;You&#8217;ve got to lower costs,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That\u2019s why we&#8217;re lowering regulations on American energy to get gas and groceries down. Now, how does energy connect to groceries? Because if the truck that takes the groceries to the grocery store is paying out the wazoo for diesel fuel, then that means every American is going to be paying more at the grocery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"6u\">&#8220;We do believe that if we keep on making the right decisions, we keep on investing in the United States of America, we are going to find that the American citizens can afford a good life in their country,&#8221; he said, but &#8220;Rome wasn&#8217;t built in a day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94619\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T17:09:06.064Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"6w\">\n<p>8h ago \/ 12:09 PM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Vance says he&#8217;s &#8216;surprised&#8217; when Democrats talk about  affordability<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"73\">Speaking to supporters at a manufacturing plant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Vice President JD Vance blamed the Biden administration and Democrats for the affordability strain felt by many Americans. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"76\">&#8220;I&#8217;m a little surprised by when the Democrats talk all the time about affordability,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats say, &#8216;You know, things aren&#8217;t affordable, this isn&#8217;t affordable, this has gotten more expensive, drugs have gotten more expensive, housing has gotten more expensive,&#8217; and you know what, they&#8217;re right \u2014 and it was because of them.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"79\">Vance touted last month&#8217;s job numbers, saying that thousands of jobs were added to the economy and that wages grew in November. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\">jobs data the administration<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\"> released<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/a>this morning showed that employment declined in October by more than 100,000 jobs before it partially rebounded in November. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7c\">&#8220;Private-sector wage growth grow at a rate of 4.2%. You know what that means? That means we&#8217;re seeing the fastest private-sector wage growth that we have seen in this country in many, many years,&#8221; Vance said. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7f\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\">NBC News <\/a>reported that wage growth remained sluggish last month, with average hourly earnings rising by just 0.1%. Over the past year, average wages have increased by 3.5%.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94617\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T16:43:50.720Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"7j\">\n<p>8h ago \/ 11:43 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Hegseth says no plans to make full boat strike video public<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7q\">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters today that the video of a second strike on an alleged drug boat in September will be shared with select congressional committees tomorrow, but that he has no plans to make the full video public.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7t\">&#8220;Of course, we\u2019re not going to release a top secret full unedited video of that to the general public,\u201d Hegseth said after he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the full Senate on the boat strikes.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7w\">Members of Congress have been pushing for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/house-senate-launch-inquiries-reported-second-strike-alleged-drug-boat-rcna246496\" target=\"_blank\">more information<\/a> on the two strikes on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.  The second strike killed the survivors of the initial strike.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"7z\">Democratic senators complained that they weren&#8217;t shown the video during the briefing today, but Hegseth said it would be shown to members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees tomorrow. <\/p>\n<div id=\"rcrd94617-overflow-content\" data-testid=\"markupembeds-overflow\" q:id=\"81\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"84\">Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the full video should at least be shown to the full Senate.  <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"87\">Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., noted that the Defense Department had already released numerous videos of its strikes on alleged drug boats. &#8220;They released all the video that they liked &#8230; ,&#8221; Kelly said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94616\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T15:41:27.078Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"89\">\n<p>9h ago \/ 10:41 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">U.S. military strikes 3 more alleged drug boats in Pacific, killing 8 <\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"8f\">The U.S. military says it struck three more alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people. Officials said the strikes targeted \u201cdesignated terrorist organizations.\u201d The military didn\u2019t provide evidence of the alleged drug trafficking, but posted a video of a boat moving through the water before exploding. The Trump administration\u2019s boat strike campaign has killed at least 95 people since early September.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"jwplayer-with-overlay\" on-document:qidle=\"q-DjvzrQF-.js#_hW[0]\" q:key=\"GH_16\" q:id=\"8j\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" q:slot=\"poster\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,g_auto,w_390,h_220\/mpx\/2704722219\/2025_12\/1765892475570_tdy_news_8a_military_boat_strikes_251216_1920x1080-elgk4w.avif\" alt=\"U.S. military strikes 3 more alleged drug boats in Pacific, killing 8\" width=\"390\" height=\"219.375\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94612\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T14:12:01.560Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"92\">\n<p>11h ago \/ 9:12 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Already shaky job market weakened in October and November, according to delayed federal data<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"99\">The United States shed 105,000 jobs in October and added 64,000 jobs<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this morning, lifting a monthslong fog that had shrouded the labor market.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"9c\">The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"9f\">The national employment picture already looked fragile before the report. Jobs reports in June and August showed net job losses, the first time since 2020 that there have been two months of contractions before November.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"9i\">September\u2019s report, the last one before the government shutdown, showed a more modest increase of 119,000 jobs and a little changed unemployment rate of 4.4%.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"9l\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94611\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T13:28:00.189Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"9n\">\n<p>11h ago \/ 8:28 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Trump\u2019s post on Rob Reiner\u2019s death draws bipartisan criticism <\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"9t\">Trump\u2019s response to the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, just hours after the murders were announced, drew outrage and swift backlash from both sides of the aisle. In a social media post, the president suggested the director was killed over his political opposition to him, writing that Reiner died \u201cdue to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as Trump derangement syndrome.\u201d NBC\u2019s Garrett Haake reports for &#8220;TODAY&#8221; from the White House.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"jwplayer-with-overlay\" on-document:qidle=\"q-DjvzrQF-.js#_hW[0]\" q:key=\"GH_16\" q:id=\"9x\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" q:slot=\"poster\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/c_fill,g_auto,w_390,h_220\/mpx\/2704722219\/2025_12\/1765889270566_tdy_news_7a_haake_trump_reiner_comments_251216_1920x1080-4sd2hp.avif\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s post on Rob Reiner's death draws bipartisan criticism\" width=\"390\" height=\"219.375\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94608\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T12:50:00.000Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"ai\">\n<p>12h ago \/ 7:50 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Trump files $10 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC over edited clips of his Jan. 6 speech<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"ao\">The BBC has said it will defend itself against a $10 billion\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/trump-says-obligation-sue-bbc-edited-speech-jan-6-rcna243394\" target=\"_blank\">lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0filed by Trump yesterday, which alleges the British public broadcaster defamed him in a documentary before last year\u2019s presidential election by deceptively\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/trump-says-obligation-sue-bbc-edited-speech-jan-6-rcna243394\" target=\"_blank\">editing parts<\/a>\u00a0of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"ar\">In a brief statement, the BBC said it would fight the lawsuit, raising the possibility of a legal battle over whether the edit of the speech caused harm to the president\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"au\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/president-files-10-billion-defamation-lawsuit-bbc-january-6-speech-rcna249420\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94607\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T12:26:00.000Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"aw\">\n<p>12h ago \/ 7:26 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">U.S. military says new strikes on 3 suspected drug boats killed 8 on board<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"b3\">Eight alleged \u201cnarco-terrorists\u201d were killed yesterday in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/military\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. strikes<\/a>\u00a0on three suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific, defense officials announced.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"b6\">U.S. Southern Command\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/southcom\/status\/2000756230252314901?s=43&#038;t=G1XVoS44BtAkC1gmsK7X_w\" target=\"_blank\">said in a social media post\u00a0<\/a>that the strikes, among about two dozen conducted in the region since early September, were ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"b9\">Three people were killed in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third, Southern Command said. The boats were allegedly being operated by U.S-designated terrorist groups in international waters, and Southern Command said they were using known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"bc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/us-military-says-new-strikes-3-suspected-drug-boats-killed-8-board-rcna249433\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94609\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T12:25:00.000Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"be\">\n<p>12h ago \/ 7:25 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Jobs reports to finally lift the fog on a fragile U.S. labor market<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"bl\">An answer is finally coming to a question that economists, consumers and even the chair of the Federal Reserve have been asking for months: What is happening with the nation\u2019s labor market?<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"bo\">Emerging from the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release a long-awaited trove of employment data today: October\u2019s payrolls and November\u2019s full jobs report are both set to be published at 8:30 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"br\">After months in a data fog, economists broadly expect to see net job losses overall in October, followed by a slight rebound and gains in November.<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"bu\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/economy\/jobs-report-november-october-payrolls-rcna249325\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rcrd94606\" data-pubat=\"2025-12-16T12:20:00.000Z\" on:qvisible=\"q-DjdwZPu9.js#_hW[0]\" q:id=\"bw\">\n<p>12h ago \/ 7:20 AM EST<\/p>\n<h2 q:key=\"r0_1\">Poll: Majority plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year amid broader economic concerns<\/h2>\n<div data-icid=\"liveBlogCardLink\">\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"c3\">A majority of U.S. adults, 55%, say they will spend less on holiday gifts this year compared with last year, according to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/26376521-nbc-news-decision-desk-poll-nov-dec-2025-topline\/\" target=\"_blank\">NBC News Decision Desk Poll<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/surveymonkey.com\/?utm_source=nbc_2025\" target=\"_blank\">powered by SurveyMonkey<\/a>, highlighting how inflation has changed spending habits. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"c6\">Only 9% say they will spend more on holiday gifts this year, while 36% say they\u2019ll spend about the same. The results are part of broader data showing some concern about the state of the economy. <\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"c9\">The poll found deep partisan differences in how Americans view the U.S. economy, with those differences showing up in holiday shopping sentiment, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p q:key=\"Il_0\" q:id=\"cc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/economics\/poll-majority-plan-spend-less-holiday-gifts-year-broader-economic-conc-rcna249269\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>21m ago \/ 6:52 PM EST Federal judge allows Trump\u2019s White House ballroom construction to move forward A federal judge is allowing construction of\u00a0the White House ballroom\u00a0to move forward, rejecting a request by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt Trump\u2019s $300 million project. The preservation group sued the Trump administration last week [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}