Soaring Electricity Prices Undercut Trump’s 50% Cut Pledge

Nine months into his second term, President Trump's pledge to slash electricity costs by half is faltering. Electricity prices have risen 6.2% year-over-year through August—more than double overall inflation—despite administration efforts to prop up coal and gas. The full story examines the tangled mix of aging infrastructure, rising demand and policy decisions driving bills higher.

President Trump has ordered federal troops into Portland, calling the sanctuary city "war-ravaged" and directing forces to defend ICE sites from "paid terrorists." Local officials and residents, showcasing peaceful daily life and legal actions, have vowed to uphold sanctuary policies and push back against what they see as an unprecedented federal intrusion.

Nearly half of Americans say calling in the National Guard to patrol U.S. cities is unwarranted. A new NPR-Ipsos survey shows widespread resistance to President Trump's recent deployments—from Los Angeles to Memphis—and even stronger opposition to loosening federal immigration-stop rules. Read on to see how voters weigh crime fears against concerns over executive power.