Laurel Wamsley
Appearances
Apple News Today
Top Trump officials leaked war plans to a journalist by mistake
I mean, it's hard as a company to know how much Things are going to cost you if these tariffs are going into place and they're going away or it's completely unclear at what level they're going to be. You know, all of that uncertainty can just make things more expensive and drive up costs for U.S. consumers.
Apple News Today
Top Trump officials leaked war plans to a journalist by mistake
Say you're weighing buying a washing machine that's built and manufactured in the United States or one that's built and manufactured in China. If with these tariffs in effect, that should raise the cost of the Chinese washing machine. But, you know, the U.S. manufacturer of the washing machine might also raise their prices, you know, because now they can't.
Apple News Today
Top Trump officials leaked war plans to a journalist by mistake
The other washing machine is more expensive.
Apple News Today
Top Trump officials leaked war plans to a journalist by mistake
So if there is a big ticket item that you've been eyeing and the price is something you can currently pay but wouldn't want to see a big price hike on, you know, maybe go ahead and get it sooner than later.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-26-2024 8PM EST
Sales of new single-family homes were more than 9% lower than they were a year ago, according to October data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales dropped more than 17% from a month earlier. Analysts said sales figures were much lower than expected and showed Hurricanes Helene and Milton taking a large toll in the south.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 11-26-2024 8PM EST
High mortgage rates have hurt affordability, though many large home builders offer buyer incentives to bring down the cost. The median sales price of new houses sold last month was about $437,000. Economists are predicting a small decline in mortgage rates over the next year. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
His position standing in stark contrast to his prior record in the U.S. Senate as a strong advocate for USAID's mission. He's been quoted saying that foreign aid as part of the country's overall budget accounts for less than 1% of the total amount the U.S. government spends.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
The White House says President Trump's not committed to sending troops to the Gaza Strip, but it's facing backlash from Trump's remarks, suggesting Gaza's Palestinian residents relocate to other parts of the Middle East and the U.S. control of the Gaza Strip. During a meeting today with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his support.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Protests are being held today in the Washington, D.C. area as the Trump administration prepares to put many federal employees on administrative leave. Today, a large crowd gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to protest billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's efforts to shut down the United States Agency for International Development. Here's NPR's Luke Garrett.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
That's Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. U.S. households stand to see increased costs for goods. This after the administration proceeded with 10 percent tariffs on China and more than double that still looms for Mexico and Canada. NPR's Laurel Wamsley has the latest.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
NPR's Laurel Wamsley reporting. U.S. stocks ended the day higher. The Dow closed up more than 300 points. It's NPR News. A former Georgia prosecutor has been acquitted of felony charges that she abused her power to protect the white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, in 2020.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
Today, a judge threw out the remaining charge that former District Attorney Jackie Johnson violated her oath of office. Senior Judge John Turner granted a defense challenge that the indictment used to charge Johnson had technical errors. The judge told attorneys it was a decision he did not want to make, and he expressed condolences to Arbery's mother, who was also in the courtroom.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
The FireAid benefit concert held in Los Angeles last week featured performances from more than 30 artists, including Billie Eilish and Joni Mitchell. Organizers say the concert raised more than $100 million. NPR's Isabella Gomez-Armiento has details.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-05-2025 4PM EST
As acting administrator for USAID, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is defending Trump's directive upending thousands of employees around the globe.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-22-2025 6PM EDT
Many had hoped that home sales would rebound during what's supposed to be the busy spring season. But instead, last month's existing home sales were the slowest April in 16 years. Still, the median existing sales price continued to climb to $414,000, an all time high for the month of April. Adding to the affordability challenges are high interest rates, which show no signs of falling.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-22-2025 6PM EDT
Inventory is up more than 20 percent over a year ago. Many Americans want to buy a home but can't afford to. Some had hoped to buy a home this spring, but have been stymied by possible job loss, mortgage rates, and market volatility. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-09-2025 6PM EST
CFPB staff were told of the closure in an email obtained by NPR. No reason was given for the building's closure. Representatives of Elon Musk's government efficiency team were seen at the headquarters on Friday, according to the CFPB union. Musk's team has been granted access to key systems, stirring concerns about the fate of vast amounts of sensitive information maintained by the bureau.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-09-2025 6PM EST
Over the weekend, Russell Vogt took over as acting director at the agency and issued a directive for staff to cease virtually all of its work. Vote posted on X that he will not ask for the agency's next round of funding from the Federal Reserve. CFPB staff warn that without the agency doing its job, American families are left exposed to fraud and financial abuse.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-29-2024 8PM EST
Because so many people aren't selling, we're on track for 2024 to have the fewest existing home sales since 1995. That's almost 30 years ago when the country's population was more than 20 percent smaller than it is now.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-19-2025 9AM EDT
For a long time, buying and selling a home was pretty straightforward. The seller paid a commission to both the buyer's and seller's agent, totaling 5% to 6% of the sales price. For Jim Hsiao, a homebuyer in Georgia, it was just too much money going to the realtors. When you try to negotiate, you're basically just told, nope, that's our rate.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-19-2025 9AM EDT
But following the realtor's settlement, agents must now tell their prospective clients that their rates are fully negotiable. So Hsiao found an agent who agreed to a flat fee to help him buy a new home. And he got $14,000 back to put toward the closing. Despite the new rules, commissions for buyers' agents overall have barely budged.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-19-2025 9AM EDT
Hsiao says consumers just need the confidence to ask for options beyond the status quo. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-09-2025 8PM EST
CFPB staff were told of the closure in an email obtained by NPR. No reason was given for the building's closure. Representatives of Elon Musk's government efficiency team were seen at the headquarters on Friday, according to the CFPB union. Musk's team has been granted access to key systems, stirring concerns about the fate of vast amounts of sensitive information maintained by the bureau.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-09-2025 8PM EST
Over the weekend, Russell Vogt took over as acting director at the agency and issued a directive for staff to cease virtually all of its work. Vote posted on X that he will not ask for the agency's next round of funding from the Federal Reserve. CFPB staff warn that without the agency doing its job, American families are left exposed to fraud and financial abuse.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-17-2025 6PM EST
There have been reports in recent days of a few wealthy Angelenos hiring private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But more common are crews working on behalf of insurance companies. David Torgerson is executive chairman at Wildfire Defense Companies, which works for nearly three dozen insurers.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-17-2025 6PM EST
Saving more structures means insurance companies can reduce losses, and these services now come standard on some homeowner policies in fire-prone states. But not everyone has this kind of coverage, or any coverage, as rates have skyrocketed in recent years. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
it's quite troubling because the Bureau is the country's consumer finance watchdog, and it's an enforcement agency. I've talked with several CFPB staff and former staff in recent days, and they named a few big concerns. One is that a new stop work order from its new acting director halts the agency's supervision work.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
They said the agency has hundreds and hundreds of employees who go across the country, who go into companies and make sure they're following important consumer protections. As Julie Margetta Morgan, who was CFPB's associate director of research and monitoring until she left the agency last month, put it, They're shutting down literally the cops on the beat.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
They make sure your student loan company is actually processing your payments and that mortgage companies follow the rules put in place after the Great Recession. And there's a second big concern, which is that all of this is happening under Elon Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and has talked about wanting his ex-company to be a whole commerce and payments platform.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
And now it looks like he has access to all of CFPB's records, including company's proprietary information. That'd be a huge competitive advantage to someone like Musk. And of course, there are worries that that sensitive information will be mishandled.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
Yeah, it's been a tumultuous few days. On Friday, staff from Elon Musk's government efficiency team were seen at CFPB headquarters, and they've gained access to those key internal systems. Then over the weekend, Trump tapped Russell Vogt as the new acting director.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
Vogt was an architect of the conservative policy agenda, Project 2025, and he sent an all-staff email ordering a halt to virtually all of their work. Shortly thereafter, Vogt posted on X that he would not be drawing the agency's next round of funding from the Federal Reserve. And then just yesterday, an email was sent to all staff and contractors saying that CFPB's D.C.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
headquarters would be closed for the week and that they have to work remotely.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
Totally. It appears to be the same playbook. I mean, both are independent agencies that this current administration appears to be trying to dismantle. Republicans have targeted the Consumer Protection Agency for years, though. They've often accused its regulators of overreach. And then on Friday, Musk tweeted CFPB RIP.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
Well, staffers are just bracing themselves for whatever comes next. One told me that they went to the D.C. headquarters yesterday just to grab some personal items before the building closed for the week, and they weren't allowed in. And, you know, at USAID, the vast majority of staff were put on administrative leave before a federal judge put a hold on that.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
And last night, CFPB's union filed a lawsuit against Vote, the agency's new head. In terms of that funding being slashed at CFPB, we actually saw the same thing happen during Trump's first term. But then later on, they went back to taking the money. And the thing is that if this whole thing is being done for government efficiency, CFPB isn't really where you'd start.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
It has a relatively small budget. And since its launch in 2011, it's delivered more than $20 billion back to Americans.
Up First from NPR
Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza
You're welcome.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Right. So these are back in the news here in Los Angeles. And a lot of the attention is stemming from this single tweet that's now been deleted. Last week, a resident of the wealthy Pacific Palisades area posted on X asking if anyone had access to private firefighters who could protect his home. as his neighbor's homes were burning. He said he would, quote, pay any amount.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
And of course, there was a lot of blowback to that idea. It struck a lot of folks as unfair and just crummy. And so there have been media reports of billionaires hiring private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But of course, many wealthy people did lose their homes in these fires.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
I found that a much bigger part of this story is actually not the individuals hiring extra fire protection, but that insurers are hiring them as part of people's homeowners policies.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Yeah. So I spoke with David Torgerson. He's executive chairman of Wildfire Defense Companies, and they work on behalf of nearly three dozen insurers, and they're regulated under California law. So when there's a wildfire endangering homes insured by these companies, his crews arrive loaded with water, but most of what they provide is labor.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Embers can get into a house through the dryer vent, so his crews will tape those shut. They'll also come back after the fire passes to make sure there isn't a bush or a fence that's burning that could still ignite the house.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
It's about prevention rather than having to pay for replacing all those lost homes. So more and more insurers are including this as a standard part of their homeowners policies in wildfire prone states.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Well, it's obviously sort of hard to know exactly what happens in the field. When I asked a spokesperson at the Insurer USAA that question, she said the providers that they work with don't just drive on by a house that's on fire, that they're staffed with a lot of retired fire chiefs, and it's just embedded in them to help the community.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
But still, private companies obviously might have different priorities than firefighters who work for the public.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Yeah, I mean, I asked an ethics expert about this, and he said there are a whole host of ethical questions here. For instance, which firefighters get access to limited water supplies? It can be really divisive in society when it feels like even in a crisis, the rich and powerful get insulated from what's happening.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
And I asked Torgerson about this, who runs that company that works for the insurers, and he said, well, in a crisis, we need all the help we can get, and it's better to have more structures survive. They're helping to keep insurance in the marketplace, he says, which has been a huge problem in California in recent years. So these are big questions and there are no easy answers.
Up First from NPR
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
NPR's Laura Walmsley. Thank you, Laura. You're welcome.