So, will prices rise or not?: President-elect Donald Trump said in a televised interview that tariffs “cost Americans nothing”; but when asked about estimates they could raise prices, he said, “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow.” (NPR)
Most rural hospitals lack maternity wards: More than 500 hospitals have closed their maternity wards since 2010, leaving most rural hospitals and a third of urban hospitals without obstetric care, said a study published in the journal JAMA. (New York Times)
Perdue as China ambassador: David Perdue, who served on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that as U.S. ambassador to China, he would implement “President Trump’s strategy to make the world safe again.” (Perdue)
Food index is highest in 19 months: Vegetable oil prices rose steeply for the second month in a row and helped push the FAO Food Price Index to its highest level since April 2023. But prices are still 20.4-percent lower than at inflation’s peak in March 2022. (Food and Agriculture Organization)