AG Merrick Garland testifies before Congress; Fed interest rate prediction; 7 habits to reduce depression

Plus, listen to a brand new album from the Consumer Safety Commission

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen September 20, 2023 Good morning. The Latin Grammy nominees were announced yesterday. Mexican American songwriter and producer Edgar Barrera led the pack with 13 nods. Here's what else we're following today.  Attorney General Merrick Garland is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee today. Republican lawmakers are expected to ask him about how the Justice Department handled the Hunter Biden investigation and former President Donald Trump's indictments.  David Zalubowski/AP 🎧 Republicans have long criticized Garland and the DOJ, NPR's Jaclyn Diaz says on Up First today. They allege there's been unequal treatment from the department. Garland is expected to defend the DOJ and warn against attacks against public servants like special counsels Jack Smith and David Weiss. The Federal Reserve will make a decision about whether to raise interest rates today. Economists expect it will maintain rates, but they're looking for signs indicating whether they could go up again in the following months. 🎧 NPR's Scott Horsley says inflation is still higher than the Fed's target of 2%. The Fed is also expected to give an update on when they'll lower rates. Policymakers predicted they could begin doing so next year, but Horsley says the auto workers' strike, a looming government shutdown and student loan repayment resuming add uncertainty.  Auto workers are six days into their historic strike. What does this mean if you’re thinking of buying a car?  🎧 Whether or not you should be worried is "just a numbers game," NPR's Camila Domonoske says. Inventories are at their highest level in two years. With only three plants on strike so far, only a few car models are affected.  But Domonoske says a prolonged strike means sales might go away and consumers might not see holiday discounts this year. ➡️ Even UAW president Shawn Fain admits his union's demands are "audacious." Here's why he's still fighting for them. Recent comments from Trump at a rally in South Dakota indicate he's looking past the Republican primary and ahead to the general election. He mentioned President Biden almost 60 times. He only referenced his closest Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, twice. 🎧 NPR's Franco Ordoñez spoke to Republican strategist Alex Conant for Morning Edition. Conant says the attacks on Biden are a way to attract headlines and workshop material so he can "find a punch that can land" before the general election. From our sponsor, Organic Valley   How one small family farm works in harmony with nature For Organic Valley farmer Tyler Webb, caring for his cows and farm starts with listening to the ecosystem around them. Instead of using pesticides, he maintains bird habitat like native foliage to encourage swallows that eat common pests like flies. Click below to hear from Tyler and learn how he partners with nature to care for his land. Living better Maria Stavreva/Getty Images  Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.  Serious depression should be treated with medication and/or therapy. But a new study adds to a growing body of evidence tying behaviors to mental health. Researchers at Cambridge identified seven healthy habits that affect your mood. They looked at nearly 300,000 people in the UK Biobank database initiative and found that maintaining at least 5 of these habits could cut the risk of depression by 57%. Try adding some of these daily habits to your life:  💤 Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night on average. 🏃 Add more physical activity to your routine. 🥬 Eat a balanced diet focused on plants, whole grains and lean proteins. 🚬 Limit alcohol intake and don't smoke. 📱 Limit screen time to avoid being sedentary. ❤️ Cultivate friendship and community through hobbies. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission The Consumer Safety Commission is releasing a new album today aimed at reaching teens and adults. We're Safety Now Haven't We Volume 1 is a pack of six genre-spanning songs (plus one Spanglish version of a song). There's an EDM banger about wearing helmets, a K-pop song about firework safety and more. 🎧 Sample some of the tracks and hear how the agency partnered with artists to create the album. You can read more about it here. Free for All, Regardless of Ability to Pay Across the NPR Network, support from people like you ensures the delivery of free, unbiased news to everyone. Regardless of their ability to pay. If you have a little extra in your budget, make a difference that empowers your community: donate. You'll be a part of ensuring that trustworthy, independent journalism remains with reach to all.  Grassroots support is the cornerstone of public radio because it is powerful. From $5 to $500, every dollar makes a difference.  It takes all of us. Help today.  Donate Now  NASA via AP Tomorrow will mark one year in space for astronaut Frank Rubio. Last week, he broke the record for the longest U.S. spaceflight.  A painting from Bob Ross' very first episode of The Joy of Painting is on sale for nearly $10 million.  Mango Starbucks Refreshers don't have mango. Barilla pasta isn't made in Italy. Buffalo Wild Wings' boneless wings aren't technically wings. Fed-up consumers are increasingly taking their frustrations over misleading food claims to court. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy