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10+ min ago (150+ words) December 18, 2025 / 8:35 AM EST / CBS News The Consumer Price Index rose at an annual rate of 2.7% in November, cooler than economists had forecast and providing a sign that price pressures may be easing. The CPI was expected to rise 3% on an annual basis last month, according to economists surveyed by financial data firm FactSet." The CPI tracks the changes in a basket of goods and services typically bought by consumers, providing a snapshot of price changes on everyday items such as food and apparel. Thursday's report provides the first glimpse of recent inflation data since late October, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics released September CPI data." Data collection was disrupted due to the government shutdown, which delayed the September and November CPI reports. The Labor Department on Thursday said it didn't collect October data due to the shutdown. Edited by…...

21+ min ago (70+ words) President Trump gave a forceful, but not always factual, primetime speech defending his economic record as polling shows many Americans aren't feeling as positive about their finances. Plus, Nick Reiner makes his first court appearance after being charged in his parents' murders. All that and all that matters in today's Eye Opener. Eye Opener: Trump defends economic record during primetime speech Eye Opener: Trump defends economic record during primetime speech...

39+ min ago (104+ words) December 18, 2025 / 8:06 AM EST / CBS News Trump Media & Technology is merging with fusion energy company TAE Technologies in a deal worth more than $6 billion." TAE, which is privately owned, is developing technology aimed at producing energy by fusing atomic nuclei. Trump Media & Technology owns President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform. Former California lawmaker Devin Nunes, now chief executive of Trump Media, will serve as co-CEO of the new company with TAE Technologies CEO Michl Binderbauer, according to a"statement from the two companies Thursday. "This is a developing story and will be updated. Edited by Aimee Picchi...

40+ min ago (33+ words) "Things That Matter," a series of planned town halls and debates sponsored by Bank of America, will launch early next year. CBS News and The Free Press launch town hall and debate series...

46+ min ago (197+ words) December 18, 2025 / 8:00 AM EST / CBS News CBS News and The Free Press are partnering to revive honest debate on the issues that matter most " and are often the hardest to talk about." "Things That Matter," a series of planned town halls and debates sponsored by Bank of America, will launch early next year. The lineup includes town halls with the people shaping politics, culture and technology, and will be held across the country in front of audiences who have a stake in the topics under debate. Vice President JD Vance will join the next town hall, followed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The series will also feature debates on feminism, religion and more. "Things That Matter" will center around the most important issues shaping Americans' lives, including immigration, public health, foreign policy, AI, and the state…...

46+ min ago (197+ words) On Thursday's show: When an elected official leaves office, what happens to their campaign funds? It turns out many Texas politicians are using those funds on some surprising things. Houston Matters begins at 9 a.m. CT on 88.7FM. You can also listen online or watch live on YouTube. Join the discussion. Call or text 713-440-8870. Email [email protected] or tag us @HoustonMatters. On Thursday's show: When an elected official leaves office, what happens to their campaign funds? Well, it turns out many Texas politicians are using those funds on everything from luxury hotels, to steakhouse dinners, to salaries for political operatives. Taylor Goldenstein of the Houston Chronicle tells us what her reporting uncovered. Also this hour: We get a better understanding of municipal utility districts, or MUDs, which are entities formed for handling water services and other utilities in unincorporated areas across the state. People…...

1+ hour, 46+ min ago (1073+ words) Millions of dollars in federal funding for the suicide prevention hotline is set to expire next year. Millions of dollars in federal funding is set to expire next year for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It launched in 2022 as an easy-to-remember three-digit number for people experiencing a mental health crisis anywhere in the U.S. to call and be connected with a counselor. The adoption of a shortcut to reach the suicide prevention hotline " which could previously only be contacted using a 10-digit number " and the accompanying public awareness campaign led to a surge in calls. Jennifer Battle is the vice president of community access and engagement at the Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, which operates one of five 988 call centers in Texas. "We've been watching the data over the last three years, and we know that data…...

1+ hour, 51+ min ago (770+ words) December 18, 2025 / 6:55 AM EST / CBS/AP Washington" The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China. The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak about China or Taiwan at all. The tension between the U.S. and China, the world's two largest single economies, has ebbed and flowed during Mr. Trump's second term, largely over trade and tariffs but also over China's increasing aggressiveness toward Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to reunify with the mainland. President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the use of force to make that a reality. If approved by Congress, it would be the largest-ever U.S. weapons…...

1+ hour, 56+ min ago (502+ words) December 18, 2025 / 6:50 AM EST / CBS News Authorities investigating the Bondi Beach terrorist attack have been looking into a month-long trip taken by the suspects, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, to the Philippines, where there's been a decades-long Islamist insurgency in the south of the country. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this week that the attack was inspired by ISIS, and there is an ISIS-affiliated militant group operating in a remote area of the Philippines. But a receptionist at a hotel in Davao City said the attackers never left their room for more than a day. Jojo, who works at at the GV Hotel in Davao, told CBS News on Thursday that Sajid and Naveed Akram, the elder of whom was killed during the Sunday attack, checked into the hotel on Nov. 1 and then left on Nov. 28. He said…...

2+ hour, 31+ min ago (577+ words) December 18, 2025 / 6:15 AM EST / CBS/AFP Ecuadorian police said on Wednesday that Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old Barcelona de Guayaquil defender and former national team player, was shot dead in an apparent attack as violence escalates in the Andean nation. Another person who police did not identify was also killed in the incident, and a third was wounded. Ecuador's Interior Ministry confirmed Pineida's death without providing details. Barcelona de Guayaquil said in a statement its fans are saddened by Pineida's death. "Rest in peace," the team wrote in a separate social media post paying tribute to Pineida. Pineida played eight games for Ecuador but was not involved in the team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. His last game for Ecuador was at the 2021 Copa Am'rica, as a late substitute in a group-stage game against Brazil. He also went to the 2017 edition. Pineida…...