Up First from NPR Trump Defends Affordability, SCOTUS & Presidential Power, Indiana Redistricting
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Dec 9, 2025 
Tamara Keith, NPR's senior White House correspondent, dives into Trump's affordability messaging as he rallies in Pennsylvania. Andrea Hsu, covering the Supreme Court, discusses potential shifts in presidential powers affecting independent agencies. Meanwhile, Sam Greenglass reports on Indiana's controversial redistricting efforts that could wipe out the last two Democratic seats, stirring local protests and legislative tensions. Together, they explore the intersection of politics, power, and public sentiment in a gripping discussion.
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Trump Ramps Up Messaging On Affordability
- President Trump is ramping up domestic messaging travel to sell his economic record after doing little of this in his second term.
- The White House aims to balance touting economic gains while acknowledging remaining problems to try to shift voter blame on prices.
Short-Term Payments As Bridge Policy
- The administration is offering targeted measures like tax refunds for some workers and a $12 billion farm bailout as short-term relief.
- Officials cast these as bridge help while arguing their longer-term policies will reduce costs over time.
SCOTUS May Expand Presidential Control
- The Supreme Court's conservative majority signaled willingness to overturn a 90-year precedent protecting independent agencies from presidential removal.
- If overturned, presidents could gain much greater control over agencies that traditionally acted with bipartisan independence.