--:-- [Scene: A news studio. The hosts, Leila Fadel and Michelle Martin, are seated at a desk.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: Hey, can we have a little light in there? It's kind of dark. Mood lighting. Yeah, but my mood is I want to go to sleep, so can we not? Make it bright. Thank you. It doesn't have to look like the gynecologist's office, but if it could definitely be not that.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Vice President Harris rolls out her economic agenda today. Prices for everyday things like groceries are still too high. You know it and I know it. How is she proposing she'll get the cost of food and housing under control?
--:-- Leila Fadel: I'm Michelle Martin, that's Leila Fadel, and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Vice President Harris' Economic Agenda" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: Former President Donald Trump was also pushing his plans for the economy in another long press conference where Froot Loops and Orioles were held up as examples of inflation. What's he saying he will do for consumers?
--:-- Leila Fadel: Plus, five people have been charged in the death of actor Matthew Perry. Various go-betweens, two medical doctors and a major source of drug supply known as the Ketamine Queen. They're accused of supplying him with drugs in his final days.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Actor Matthew Perry's Death Investigation" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
--:-- [Scene: A commercial break.]
--:-- [Scene: A news studio. The hosts, Leila Fadel and Michelle Martin, are seated at a desk.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: This message comes from BetterHelp. President Fernando Madeira describes how BetterHelp online therapy has helped him.
--:-- [Audio clip of President Fernando Madeira]
--:-- President Fernando Madeira: For me, sometimes I just need to go and talk to somebody that is not going to judge me, right? Is going to be there and they're going to listen to me. And I can start just saying, look, I'm not feeling right today. And it feels natural.
--:-- Leila Fadel: To get matched with a therapist, visit betterhelp.com slash NPR for 10% off your first month.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "BetterHelp" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from NetSuite. What does the future hold for business? Can someone invent a crystal ball? Until then, over 42,000 businesses have future-proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one AI cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform.
--:-- [Audio clip of a NetSuite representative]
--:-- NetSuite Representative: With real-time insights and forecasting, you're able to peer into the future and seize new opportunities. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at netsuite.com slash story.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "NetSuite" appears on screen.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: Support for this podcast and the following message come from Arm. In the latest episode of their podcast, Tech Unheard, Arm's CEO Renee Haas talks with Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian about AI and the future of education and innovation, available on all podcast platforms.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Arm" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: The economy remains a top priority for many voters. And later today, Vice President Harris is rolling out her economic agenda. This comes as the Democratic presidential nominee has been facing criticism for offering scant details about her own vision for the job and as her Republican opponent Donald Trump tries to blame her for high prices.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Vice President Harris' Economic Agenda" appears on screen.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: Joining us now is NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid, who's been covering the Harris campaign. Good morning.
--:-- Asma Khalid: Good morning, Leila.
--:-- Leila Fadel: So what's the vice president proposing?
--:-- Asma Khalid: Well, the big headline is that Harris is calling for a substantial expansion of the child tax credit, up to $6,000 for low- and middle-income families when they have a new baby. She also wants to restore the child tax credit that families got during the pandemic. And just to remind folks, that was $3,600 per child. You know, the program was really popular and it was credited with reducing child poverty significantly.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It's worth pointing out that some Republicans, including the GOP vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, have also called for bolstering the child tax credit. So money for low and middle-income families. What else is in the plan?
--:-- Asma Khalid: She's been foreshadowing some of her ideas out on the campaign trail. Recently in her speeches, I've heard her use this one line again and again. Take a listen.
--:-- [Audio clip of Vice President Harris]
--:-- Vice President Harris: While our economy is doing well by many measures, prices for everyday things like groceries are still too high. You know it and I know it.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And later today in North Carolina, she's going to really focus on cutting expenses that are top of mind for voters. Things like health care, housing, and groceries. And to this point on groceries, I mean, that's something that Harris is expected to single out today. She's calling for a federal ban on price gouging in the food sector. Her campaign specifically cites the price of meat.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Also, when it comes to prescription drug prices, she's calling for a $35 cap on the cost of insulin for everyone, not just seniors.
--:-- Asma Khalid: OK, so you also mentioned housing a moment ago. We often hear about the high cost of housing. So what's her plan there?
--:-- Asma Khalid: She's suggesting some ideas that expand upon some of the things we've heard in the Biden administration. But I would say these are bigger and bolder than what we have seen from the White House to date. One thing that caught my eye is that she wants to give first-time homebuyers $25,000 toward their down payment. The campaign estimates that could help some 4 million people.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It is a much more expansive version of a plan that Biden announced in his State of the Union. Harris is also calling for new tax breaks that her campaign says could help lead to 3 million new housing units and help fill a housing shortage. And she's calling on Congress to pass legislation to prevent Wall Street investors from buying up large numbers of single-family rental homes.
--:-- Asma Khalid: So how does this Harris economic agenda differ from what Biden was proposing?
--:-- Asma Khalid: Well, much of the substance does seem to be in line with President Biden's vision for the economy, which I would say is to be expected. She's the sitting vice president in this administration. But she's a different messenger. You know, she's not adopting Biden's language. She's not out there talking about Bidenomics. But she is still, like Biden, talking about trying to build up the middle class.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This speech today is about contrasting herself with her Republican opponent. The economy is one of the biggest political vulnerabilities for Harris, so she needs to have an answer for voters. Republicans have been trying to tie her to the Biden economy. Polls show that voters do tend to trust Trump more on his handling of the economy, though the former president does not yet seem to have much of an edge on this issue against Harris, at least as much as he did against Biden.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Vice President Harris' Economic Agenda" appears on screen.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: Now turning to the other candidate, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is also using the wheat to focus on the economy. Trump has been facing pressure from Republicans to focus on policy issues and not crowd sizes and personal attacks.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Former President Donald Trump" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: So is that what he did at a rally in North Carolina and a lengthy press conference at his New Jersey golf club?
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah, I mean, he actually brought out Froot Loops and Oreos to highlight the food prices and inflation. He touted his plans to eliminate taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. He blamed Harris for food and gas prices. He called her proposal for a federal ban on price gouging on food as, quote, communist price controls.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Kamala Harris is a radical California liberal who broke the economy, broke the border, and broke the world, frankly.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: He spoke for almost an hour and a half and took questions on topics like Israel, the assassination tip, Harris's VP pick, Governor Tim Walz. And it was clearly part of Trump's efforts to highlight that he answers questions while Harris has not held a news conference.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But I'll just note that they limited the number of media organizations and we, NPR, were not allowed in.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Broke the world's quite the charge there.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Now, Trump's messaging has been dominated by personal attacks on Harris, but policy is where Republicans think they have the upper hand, especially on the economy. Is Trump sticking to that message?
--:-- Franco Ordonez: I mean, yeah. I mean, allies like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have urged him to stop the insults and stick to the script. Here Trump former adviser Kellyanne Conway actually speaking on Fox Business about that.
--:-- [Audio clip of Kellyanne Conway]
--:-- Kellyanne Conway: The winning formula for President Trump is very plain to see. It's fewer insults, more insights, and that policy contrast.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: I will note that yesterday at least for the beginning of the press conference, he did largely stick to the script, food prices, inflation, credit card debt. So the beginning, how long did that last?
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah, I mean, he read from the script for about 45 minutes before taking questions, and then it really got off track.
--:-- Leila Fadel: I mean, he was asked about this, and he said he was angry. I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence. And I think she'll be a terrible president. And I think it's very important that we win.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And he repeats again there that Harris isn't smart. She holds a degree from Howard, went to UC Law San Francisco, was a prosecutor, an attorney general.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah, I mean, while Republicans are telling him to tone down these personal attacks, I mean, he says he's the candidate and he has to do it his own way.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Harris has really benefited from jumping into the race late in the game. And she's expected to get another bump in public opinion during next week's Democratic National Convention, as candidates often do.
--:-- Michelle Martin: What is Trump's challenge there? I mean, it's really a race to define her. I mean, yes, she's the vice president and former senator of California. But outside of Washington and California, a lot of people really just don't know much about her.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: And Trump said this yesterday and noted their strategy is to paint her as a California liberal. I mean, the campaign is working on this as well, the Harris campaign, which is, of course, why so many of our listeners are seeing all these ads about her being a prosecutor.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Right. And they also point out that Trump is a convicted felon.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah. I mean, there is going to be so much attention on the Democratic Convention, a lot of celebrities and former presidents. Trump allies tell me they're going to be working very hard to steal as much of the spotlight from Harris. Trump will be out holding rallies. I mean, you can expect a lot, a lot of counter-programming each day.
--:-- Leila Fadel: That's White House correspondent Franco Ordonez. Thank you, Franco.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Thank you, Leila.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Actor Matthew Perry's Death Investigation" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: Five people have been charged in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry. Yes, the man best known as Chandler Bing from Friends died last year from the acute effects of ketamine.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Officials said in a press conference yesterday that a broad underground criminal network supplied him with the drugs that ultimately killed him.
--:-- Robert Garova: This network included a live-in assistant, various go-betweens, two medical doctors, and a major source of drug supply known as, quote, the Ketamine Queen.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Robert Garova is a reporter at LAist. He's been following the story and is here to explain who was involved and what happened.
--:-- Robert Garova: Yeah, that would be Jazveen Sonia of North Hollywood. She was arrested yesterday and she's really central to this case. The indictment alleges that the ketamine Sonia distributed last fall is is what caused Perry's death.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Authority said they found a quote drug selling emporium when they searched her home.
--:-- Robert Garova: It was her and a doctor, Dr. Salvador Placentia, who were both arrested yesterday. Perry met Placentia while looking to buy ketamine.
--:-- Leila Fadel: U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said yesterday at that press conference that Placentia saw an opportunity to profit off of Perry's addiction.
--:-- Robert Garova: He said he wrote in a text message in September of last year, quote, I wonder how much this moron will pay.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, Estrada said Perry paid $55,000 in cash, actually for some 20 vials of ketamine over two months last year. That a lot of money.
--:-- Robert Garova: Why were authorities describing this as a criminal network? Well, that really gets to the number of people involved and how they were all, you know, sort of working together to take advantage.
--:-- Leila Fadel: You know, it was clear Matthew Perry had a public history of addiction. He'd written about it in his 2022 memoir.
--:-- Robert Garova: U.S. Attorney Estrada said yesterday that the defendants cared more about making money off of Perry, you know, rather than caring for his well-being.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The investigation revealed that in the fall of 2023, Mr. Perry fell back into addiction, and these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves.
--:-- Robert Garova: You know, there were three other people who were charged as allegedly being part of this. Those would include Perry's live-in assistant who injected him with the drug. And after Perry's death, the prosecutor said that they had tried to cover up their involvement.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Now, ketamine is a controlled substance. How did Perry start using it?
--:-- Robert Garova: So a Drug Enforcement Administration official said that Perry was trying to get help for anxiety and depression, and that's when he became addicted to ketamine.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Usually it's cleared for use in anesthesia, and it's also approved for some cases of depression, but only in supervised settings.
--:-- Robert Garova: That same DEA official said that after Perry had become addicted to ketamine at a local clinic, doctors refused to increase his dosage. And that's when he started looking to other doctors who were ready to take advantage for profit.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Officials said they really wanted to send a clear message with the charges and arrests announced. People who sell illicit drugs like this are playing roulette with people's lives, they said, and they wanted to hold people accountable.
--:-- Robert Garova: That's Robert Garova of LAist. Thanks for the reporting, Robert.
--:-- Robert Garova: Thanks.
--:-- [Scene: A graphic with the title "Up First" appears on screen.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: And that's Up First for Friday, August 16th. I'm Leila Fadel. And I'm Michelle Martin.
--:-- Leila Fadel: And don't forget, Up First airs on the weekends, too. Aisha Roscoe and Scott Simon have the news. It will be here in this feed or wherever you get your podcasts.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Megan Pratz, Sierra Crawford, Jenea Williams, and H.J. Mai. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas, and Lily Kidos.
--:-- Leila Fadel: We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez, and our technical director is Zach Coleman.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Join us again on Monday, because we're not here tomorrow.
--:-- [Scene: A commercial break.]
--:-- [Scene: A news studio. The hosts, Leila Fadel and Michelle Martin, are seated at a desk.]
--:-- Leila Fadel: This message comes from Lisa. Lisa mattresses are meticulously designed and assembled in the USA for exceptional quality.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And each mattress is designed with specific sleep positions and feel preferences in mind. Plus, they back it all up with free shipping, easy returns, and a 100-night sleep trial.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Visit Lisa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code NPR. That's L-E-E-S-A dot com, promo code NPR.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Support for this podcast and the following message come from MidiHealth. Women's midlife health issues have often been trivialized and ignored. It's time for a change. It's time for Midi.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Midi is covered by major insurance companies, making expert care accessible and affordable. Clinicians provide one-on-one consultations where they listen to your unique needs and offer data-driven solutions tailored for you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: MIDI works to make you feel seen, heard, and prioritized. Visit JoinMIDI.com to book your virtual visit. MIDI. The care women deserve.
