Up First

From NPR — Up First

NPR’s morning news briefing.

Episodes

Trump's Whiplash Foreign Policy, Iran War Escalates, Graham Platner Drops Out 2026-07-09
President Trump keeps swinging between threats and flattery, calling Iran's leaders rational and smart three weeks ago and scum this week, and he's…
Iran Ceasefire Over, Platner Replacements Emerge, Olympic Committee Lifts Russia Ban 2026-07-08
President Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran over at the NATO summit this morning, after the two sides traded heavy strikes overnight. Maine…
Platner Pressured To Drop Out, NATO Summit In Turkey, US Out Of World Cup 2026-07-07
Maine Democrat Graham Platner is facing growing calls to drop out of his Senate race after Politico published a former girlfriend's allegation of…
Holiday Weekend Politics, Iran Mourns Supreme Leader, US Vs Belgium World Cup Drama 2026-07-06
America celebrated its 250th birthday against a backdrop of deep division, with white nationalists marching in Washington DC, counter protesters…
The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state 2026-07-05
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the birth of a new nation. But if you read the Declaration…
July 4th Events Curtailed, The Week in Politics, A Funeral For Iran’s Supreme Leader 2026-07-04
President Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore turns dark. Despite the heat, Americans are finding ways to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Two…
July 4th Heat Wave, Russian Strikes On Ukraine, Future Of Democratic Party 2026-07-03
The United States turns 250 tomorrow, but a brutal heat wave is already forcing cities to cancel parades and fireworks, and Washington D.C. will…
Trump's Crypto Earnings, Democratic Socialists Rising, USA Advances In World Cup 2026-07-02
President Trump and his family brought in more than a billion dollars last year, much of it from cryptocurrency ventures that have dwarfed his real…
SCOTUS Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Colorado Primary Results, World Cup Heats Up 2026-07-01
The Supreme Court closed out its term with a major loss for President Trump, upholding birthright citizenship, though the justices handed him plenty…
Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, issues final rulings of its term 2026-06-30
The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its term with three consequential decisions, upholding birthright citizenship guarantees, striking down campaign…
US & Iran In Qatar For Talks, SCOTUS Birthright Ruling, Colorado Primary Preview 2026-06-30
The U.S. and Iran are set to meet in Qatar today after a weekend of trading fire that strained their fragile ceasefire, though the two sides can't…
US-Iran Strikes Test Talks, Venezuela Quake Search & Rescue, Trump's Immigration Wins 2026-06-29
The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is barely holding after a weekend of strikes, with the U.S. hitting Iran and Iran firing back at American…
The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh 2026-06-28
What happens to famous works of art when they are stolen from museums and private art collections? In the Netherlands, museums and collectors reach…
Search and Rescue in Venezuela, Election Security, Free Childcare 2026-06-27
Three days after twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, rescue teams race against time, President Trump's interest in overhauling elections is not shared…
Venezuela Earthquakes Aftermath, SCOTUS Immigration Rulings, Trump Offers Farmers Aid 2026-06-26
Rescuers in Venezuela are racing to reach thousands still missing after two powerful earthquakes struck seconds apart, with at least 235 people…
Venezuela Earthquakes, Trump Senate Fight, Pentagon Shuffles 2026-06-25
Venezuela got hit by two of the most powerful earthquakes in its history, striking seconds apart near the capital and collapsing buildings as the…
Trump Vs Thune, Road To Housing Act, Democratic Socialist Win In New York Primaries 2026-06-24
President Trump is having lunch on Capitol Hill today with Senate Republicans, after four GOP senators broke with him to advance a resolution…
US Lifts Oil Sanctions On Iran, Trump Shifts To Economy, MN Subpoenas Thrown Out 2026-06-23
The U.S. has lifted oil sanctions on Iran for the first time in decades, letting Tehran sell its oil openly at higher prices meant to push Iran to…
UK PM Starmer Resigns, First Round Of US-Iran Talks, Iran Deal Scrutiny 2026-06-22
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned after months of pressure and a collapse of support within his own party, with popular Manchester…
Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1 2026-06-21
Who are the workers behind the global scam industry? In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where…
Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 2 2026-06-21
PART 2: With the Cambodian government’s ongoing crackdown on the scam industry, tens of thousands of former scammers are stranded on the streets of…
Broken Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire ; Latest on U.S. Politics; Ebola Update 2026-06-20
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah renew their ceasefire while Iran and the U.S. try to push ahead with negotiating a broader deal. We'll also look at…
US-Iran Talks Delayed, Vance Peace Architect, Obama Presidential Center Opens 2026-06-19
The deal to end the war with Iran is already looking shaky, with Vice President Vance delaying his trip to Switzerland to start negotiations and…
Trump Signs Initial Deal With Iran, Trump Withholds DNI Nominee, Trump Approval Poll 2026-06-18
President Trump and Iran’s president have signed an initial agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Israel was left out of the…
Big Questions About US-Iran Deal, Trump Wraps G7 Summit, Georgia Primary Results 2026-06-17
The U.S. and Iran have a deal to end the war but the text remains secret with Israel denied a look and Congress asking to see it, as big questions…
Israel Reacts To Iran Deal, Trump Meets World Leaders At G7, Georgia Primary Preview 2026-06-16
The U.S.-Iran deal is set to be signed Friday, but Israel finds itself completely sidelined from the agreement and future talks, with none of its…
Iran Deal, UFC Event At White House, Trump Heads To G7 2026-06-15
President Trump says a deal has been reached to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the agreement is set to be signed Friday…
How an anti-police violence protest ended in a teen’s death 2026-06-14
In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to be part of the racial justice movement. He arrived in Seattle…
Trump's Iran Negotiations, Entertainment Mergers, NBA finals 2026-06-13
The stalemate in Iran continues to vex the president, the merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery gets an all-clear from Washington, and…
Trump Touts Progress In Iran Talks, UFC White House Freedom 250, DNI Nomination 2026-06-12
President Trump canceled planned strikes on Iran citing progress in negotiations and says a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz could be signed…
Escalating Attacks Between US & Iran, Inflation Hits Three-Year High, World Cup Opens 2026-06-11
The U.S. unleashed a second straight night of strikes on Iran with President Trump saying Iran is taking too long to negotiate, as Iran fires back…
US & Iran Trade Retaliatory Strikes, Primary Results In Four States, ICE Funding Bill 2026-06-10
Iran launched attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan overnight after the U.S. struck Iranian targets in retaliation for an Iranian attack that downed…
Israel And Iran Pull Back, Primaries In Four States, Trump's Election Fraud Claims 2026-06-09
Israel and Iran both pulled back after trading missile fire at the urging of President Trump, but each side is setting conditions that could quickly…
Israel-Iran-Lebanon Escalation, Trump Walks Out Of Interview, Ebola Outbreak In DRC 2026-06-08
Israel and Iran trade direct strikes following an Israeli attack on Beirut's southern suburbs that defied a U.S. request to stand down, further…
How America is shaping the World Cup 2026-06-07
The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16 additional…
Supreme Court, California Elections, The Missing in Mexico 2026-06-06
Decisions are coming in several major Supreme Court cases, from birthright citizenship and immigration to the president's power to fire federal…
Immigration Bill Passes, Trump's Grip On Republicans, John Bolton To Plead Guilty 2026-06-05
Senate Republicans worked through the night to pass President Trump's $72 billion immigration enforcement bill, but voted not to block the…
Trump's Party Problems, Trump & Netanyahu Tension, Russia Economic Forum 2026-06-04
President Trump says he'll nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice, even as his now-scrapped…
Primary Results, DOJ Scraps Anti-Weaponization Fund, Trump Appoints Acting DNI 2026-06-03
Republican voters in Iowa rejected President Trump's pick for governor in last night's primary, a rare moment of pushback as voters in six states…
DOJ Pauses Anti-Weaponization Fund, Iran Deal Complications, California Primary 2026-06-02
The Justice Department says it will abide by a court order temporarily blocking President Trump's anti-weaponization fund, even as Senate…
Can Graham Platner survive another controversy? | NPR’s Newsmakers 2026-06-01
Anti-establishment candidate Graham Platner seemingly came out of nowhere to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate seat in Maine.…
Israel Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon, Immigration Bill Stalled, Anti-Weaponization Fund 2026-06-01
Israeli forces captured a 900-year-old castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in 26 years, complicating U.S. efforts…
How 5 minutes of movement can change your life 2026-05-31
Scientists say that sitting is the new smoking. The average American adult now sits for 9-10 hours per day. What’s the least amount of movement…
Shangri-La Dialogue, Trump's Slush Fund, Gas Prices 2026-05-30
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth talks Pacific security, the government reviews E. Jean Carroll's civil cases against President Trump, Costco and…
Israel Ramps Up Attacks Amid Iran Talks, E. Jean Carroll Investigation, CBS Overhaul 2026-05-29
Vice President Vance says the U.S. is very close to a deal with Iran to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Lebanon remains…
Iran Talks And Strikes, Senate Opportunities For Democrats, Ebola Outbreak Epicenter 2026-05-28
Even as peace talks continue, the U.S. struck Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliated against a U.S. base in Kuwait, while Israel…
Texas Primary Results, South Carolina Rejects Redistricting, Iran Deal Whiplash 2026-05-27
Ken Paxton defeated four-term Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary by nearly two to one, setting up what could be the most…
US Hits Iran Amid Talks, Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies, Texas Primary Runoff 2026-05-26
The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats laying mines, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio says negotiations to…
US-Iran Negotiations, Middle East Reacts To Possible Deal, DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads 2026-05-25
President Trump says a deal with Iran is “largely negotiated” after weekend talks with Gulf leaders and Israel. The preliminary agreement is…
Trump is rolling back climate solutions. What can cities and states do? 2026-05-24
For people working to address climate change in the U.S., the last year has been a hard one. The Trump administration has been rolling back rules…
Cuba Pressure, Abrego Garcia Charges, Cooling Costs 2026-05-23
Washington ratcheted up the pressure on Havana this week. A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia.…
GOP Pushback On Trump, DNC 2024 Election Autopsy Report, Trump's Interest In Cuba 2026-05-22
Republicans left for recess without passing President Trump’s top immigration enforcement package after he pushed for funding for his White House…
Trump Warns GOP Over Ballroom Funding, Trump Gives Iran More Time, Castro Charged 2026-05-21
Republicans in Congress are racing to pass a $72 billion immigration enforcement package using budget reconciliation, but President Trump is furious…
Massie Ousted, Trump, Vance and Iran, San Diego Mosque Shooting Investigation 2026-05-20
President Trump ousted Republican Congressman Thomas Massie in last night's primary in Kentucky, the latest GOP lawmaker to lose his seat for…
San Diego Mosque Shooting, Primaries Test Trump Influence, Trump IRS Suit 2026-05-19
San Diego authorities are investigating a shooting at the city’s largest mosque as a hate crime. Three victims were killed and two teenage suspects…
Dana White on Trump, men and UFC at the White House | NPR's Newsmakers 2026-05-18
In this special episode of Up First , we’re sharing the latest episode of NPR’s Newsmakers , featuring UFC president Dana White. When Donald Trump…
Cassidy Loses Louisiana Primary, Ebola Outbreak, Musk Sues Altman Over OpenAI 2026-05-18
Senator Bill Cassidy became the latest Republican casualty in President Trump’s campaign against disloyal members of his party, losing his primary…
The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa 2026-05-17
For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the…
Cuba Latest, Louisiana Primary, World Cup Travel 2026-05-16
Cuba experienced blackouts and protests this week, and the CIA director made a visit to Havana. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., faces primary voters…
Trump's China Visit Wraps, SCOTUS Mifepristone, Keir Starmer Under Pressure To Resign 2026-05-15
President Trump is heading home from Beijing claiming he made fantastic trade deals with China, including a commitment for 200 Boeing jets and…
Trump Meets With China's Xi, Asia's View Of Summit, Trump Targets Law Firms 2026-05-14
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for more than two hours at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with the CEOs of Apple,…
Trump In China, Hegseth Requests Wartime Budget, FDA Commissioner Resigns 2026-05-13
President Trump is in Beijing today meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, with American manufacturers hoping for tariff relief even as the war in…
Stakes of Trump's China Trip, Inflation Report Shows War Impact, Hantavirus Science 2026-05-12
President Trump leaves for Beijing today for a state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the ongoing war in Iran casts a long shadow over the…
US-Iran Responses, Trump's Trip To China Amid Iran War, Congress To Do List 2026-05-11
President Trump has rejected Iran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” even as Tehran vows it will never bow to…
Why more women are choosing to be single mothers 2026-05-10
So you want to be a mother, but you don’t have a partner. More women are shedding the stigma of single motherhood and choosing to have children on…
NATO Friction, Florida Detention Center, Public Corruption 2026-05-09
President Trump's continued criticism of NATO allies is bringing relations within the alliance to historic lows. The controversial immigration…
US and Iran Trade Fire, Tennessee Redistricting, US Boat Strikes In Caribbean 2026-05-08
President Trump insists the ceasefire is holding even after the U.S. and Iran traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz for the second time this week.…
Trump's Iran Progress Claims, Oil Industry Profit From Iran War, Rubio Meets Pope Leo 2026-05-07
President Trump is once again claiming the U.S. is on the cusp of a deal with Iran and that the Iranians are desperate to negotiate, even as Tehran…
Project Freedom Paused, Ohio & Indiana Primary Results, Poll Shows Dems Advantage 2026-05-06
President Trump claims “great progress” toward an agreement with Iran as he ended the short-lived U.S. effort to escort ships through the Strait of…
Strait Of Hormuz Tension, Trump Primaries in Indiana, Mifepristone Court Reprieve 2026-05-05
President Trump launched “Project Freedom” to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran immediately attacked the first vessels…
Project Freedom Strait Of Hormuz, Louisiana Redistricting, Senate Midterm Landscape 2026-05-04
President Trump announced the U.S. military will begin escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in an operation he calls Project…
'The Bible is not a policy manual’: Christians reckon with immigration under Trump 2026-05-03
Evangelicals in America are divided over immigration enforcement. So who gets to claim the side of God? This week on The Sunday Story , NPR’s…
Spirit Airlines Folds, Abortion Pills, Government Debt 2026-05-02
Spirit Airlines ceased operation overnight, as jet fuel prices are pinching airlines. A panel of federal judges in Louisiana has ended telemedicine…
Stalemate In The Strait Of Hormuz, DHS Shutdown Ends, Trump's Surgeon General Nominee 2026-05-01
President Trump is facing growing political pressure over the war in Iran as gas prices hit new highs and European allies accuse him of being…
Hegseth Defends Iran War, Powell Stays On As Fed Chair, SCOTUS Voting Rights Case 2026-04-30
The Pentagon estimates the war with Iran has already cost 25 billion dollars as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the cost of the war in a…
Comey Indicted Again, King Charles' Message To Congress, SCOTUS Temp Protected Status 2026-04-29
The Justice Department has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time, accusing him of threatening President Trump with an Instagram…
WHCA Shooter In Court, Trump-King Charles Relationship, Lebanon Ceasefire In Limbo 2026-04-28
The man who stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is being charged with trying to assassinate President Trump, with new court documents…
White House Response To Shooting, Shooter Investigation, King Charles State Visit 2026-04-27
President Trump called for unity after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents Dinner with him and the Vice President on stage, then…
The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students 2026-04-26
There’s a category of special education that stands out from the rest. It’s designed for kids who struggle with their emotions and behaviors, known…
Hormuz Deadlock, Presidential Laugh Lines, Prediction Markets 2026-04-25
A deadlock between the U.S. and Iran continues over the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have…