NPR's Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — in 10 minutes. Available weekdays at 6:30 a.m. ET, with hosts Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin and A Martinez. Also available on Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET, with Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon. On Sundays, hear a longer exploration behind the headlines with Ayesha Rascoe on "The Sunday Story," available by 8 a.m. ET. Subscribe and listen, then support your…
Four hundred years ago, the last of Britain’s native beavers were hunted to extinction. But in 2009, scientists began a grand experiment to bring the furry, buck-toothed rodents back. They relocated a pair of Norwegian beavers to a remote rainforest in Scotland, hoping they’d become the Adam and Eve of a new line of British beavers. Today on The Sunday Story , NPR’s Lauren Frayer travels from the…
Paychecks aren't keeping pace with rising prices, and households are feeling the squeeze. Sailors on the ships deployed to the Middle East are straining without enough clean water and fresh food. In the thick of primary season for the midterms, how reliable is polling? Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free…
Lawmakers want the Pentagon to investigate reports of food shortages, poor sanitation and lack of mental health care for sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been out at sea for nearly 9 months. And the Trump administration says it’s gearing up for economic warfare against Iran. What will it mean for ordinary Iranians already suffocating under high inflation? Plus, Ukraine is using…
Congressman Ro Khanna says America needs an “economic realignment.” Fresh off a tour through his birthplace of Pennsylvania, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he is “thinking seriously” about running for president in 2028 — a race he called a “breaking point in America” that could lead to a destructive revolution or a new economic order. “If we don't do something dramatically different, we may…
Recent primary results were supposed to offer clues on voters’ appetite for progressive candidates. But the results — so far — paint a muddled picture. What does that mean for the party’s midterm strategy? And new inflation numbers are out and lettuce was a highlight. How are the leafy greens impacting the cost of living? Plus, rescue teams in Colombia are racing to find the nearly 500 earthquake…
Results are in from primary races in six states. How did progressive candidates fare against more moderate Democrats in this run-up to the midterm elections? And President Trump has confirmed he secretly swapped planes as he left a NATO summit in Turkey last month. How unusual was this ruse? Plus, Iraq’s new leader wants to disarm the country’s Iran-backed militias that have hit U.S. military…
A self-described democratic socialist is shaking up the race for Wisconsin governor and a progressive is up against a moderate in Minnesota. How much of an appetite do voters have for non-mainstream candidates going into the midterm elections? Primary races in six states today will offer clues. And Iran’s demand for war reparations has prompted President Trump to make a reparation demand of his…
Negotiations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz are dragging. Is Iran stalling to sabotage the midterm elections for President Trump and his party? And new data about the cost of living comes out this week. It's expected to show the cost of living is rising faster than wages. What can the Federal Reserve do about it? Plus, a new report reveals decades of sexual misconduct at an elite arts school…
Rates of black lung disease amongst Appalachia’s coal miners are at the highest they’ve been in 50 years. Recent data shows that a third of veteran miners have the disease. The epidemic is also striking younger workers, too. On The Sunday Story, Howard Berkes investigates the devastating human cost on Appalachian families, decades of regulatory failures, and why life-saving protections from toxic…
Todd Blanche squeaks past a confirmation vote from the Senate. Private prison companies are making record profits from ICE detentions. Regal Cinemas announces support for the mega merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See…
The Supreme Court struck down the last attempt by the president to limit birthright citizenship. Now President Trump is trying again. This time with two executive orders that are narrower in scope. Iran has released details of an agreement it is finalizing with Oman, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The critical waterway wouldn’t be open to American and Israeli ships. And Trump’s public messaging…
President Trump has claimed several times that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is close. Now Iran is saying it too, but in a deal that is being negotiated directly with Oman. Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed eked out a primary victory for a Michigan Senate seat. He now faces former GOP Congressman Mike Rogers in November. And President Trump traveled to Las Vegas, where he claimed the…
Votes in Michigan’s highly anticipated Democratic Senate primary are still being counted. But what do the results in Tuesday's other races tell us about November's election? The U.S military is running short of ammunition. NPR has learned that the Army is running out of long-range attack missiles. And the Food and Drug Administration is deciding whether to approve the first flu vaccine using mRNA…
The Senate Judiciary Committee votes today on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general. What concerns lawmakers about the record of the president’s former personal lawyer? And five states hold primaries today. Voters in Michigan must decide between two Democrats vying for a Senate seat. What does the race reveal about the direction of the Democratic party? Plus, a man is arrested on arson…
Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, is rescinding an order to create a $1.8 billion fund for Trump’s political allies. Is that enough to persuade senators who blocked his nomination to back him? And President Trump is backing off additional attacks on Iran as negotiations resume today. Why is Trump willing to give diplomacy another go? Also, are progressive candidates…
President Trump has repeatedly warned that the communists are coming for America. And he’s not talking about China or North Korea. He’s talking about Democratic Socialists like Zohran Mamdani and recent Congressional candidates. This week on The Sunday Story, we bring you a conversation from our colleagues at The NPR Politics Podcast . They argue that as the midterms near, crying “communism” may…
The president’s media company is offering investors early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month. Arizona, California, and Nevada share steep cuts to Colorado River water over the next decade. FIFA's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup collapses. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening.…
President Trump claims to have reached a breakthrough in efforts to disarm Hamas in Gaza. Hamas says it will only give up its weapons if Israel withdraws first. On the domestic front, Trump floated the idea of temporarily withdrawing his nominee for attorney general until two Republicans holdouts leave office. And a new report from the Commerce Department shows that economic growth slowed in the…
The U.S. launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran overnight. This was in retaliation to a foiled surprise attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a contentious Senate hearing on Wednesday. And a new Trump administration rule is making it even harder to seek asylum. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun?…
President Trump hosted two foreign leaders at the White House on Tuesday. Both, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are dealing with war at home. While Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu has been increasingly strained, his ties with Zelenskyy have steadily improved. And in France, raging wildfires have force hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Want more…
President Trump is meeting with two world leaders separately at the White House on Tuesday. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu are seeking Trump’s support amid ongoing conflicts. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians and thousands of Syrians who are in the U.S. legally are facing deportation. And new research shows that an increasing number of Americans say corruption is a…
At least three people are dead after a shooting at a food festival in Seattle. Four others are injured, including a 2-year-old boy. Police say a suspect is in custody, while another is on the loose. After nearly two weeks of intense airstrikes, the U.S. and Iran have paused their attacks and started exchanging messages again. And with fewer than 100 days left until election day, some key races…
Thirty-six years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, guaranteeing civil rights for millions of Americans. But the movement that made that day possible began years earlier. One pivotal victory was won by a small, often-forgotten group of activists in Denver known as the "Gang of 19." On The Sunday Story , NPR’s Joseph Shapiro and Colorado Public Radio’s Stephanie Wolf…
A recap of President Trump’s hour-long speech at the rescheduled White House Correpondents’ Dinner. Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia’s airfields and oil refineries and are now going after Wildberries, Russia’s large e-commerce retailer. Young people’s protests in India over entrance exams have resulted in the resignation of the country’s education minister today. See pcm.adswizz.com for…
Oil topped $100 a barrel for the first time in two months after Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, opening a new front in the shipping war as President Trump says he's weighing a massive attack on Iran. One of Trump's global tariffs expired overnight and he replaced it within the hour with a new one hitting 59 countries and the European Union, built on a different…
Saudi Arabia is getting American nuclear reactors and a path to enrich its own uranium, the same technology the U.S. has spent months bombing Iran to stop, which has Israel warning about a nuclear arms race. President Trump is asking Americans to be patient about what the war is costing them, promising Iran will pay for itself the way he claims Venezuela has, but his own supporters are getting…
President Trump travels to Dover Air Force Base today to receive the bodies of service members killed in the Iran war, as he insists Iran is desperate for a deal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth got a grilling from both parties on Capitol Hill as he asked for billions more to fund a war Congress never voted to authorize, with 18 troops now dead and nearly 500 wounded. And Arizona has picked its…
The war between the U.S. and Iran keeps widening as Yemen's Houthi rebels announce a blockade of Saudi Arabia that would choke off another key oil route, even as Iran signals it may be open to talks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth heads to Capitol Hill today to ask lawmakers for a nearly 90 billion dollar funding boost for the war with Iran, in a rare chance for senators to question him after the…
A third U.S. service member has been killed since Friday as the U.S. bombs Iran for a ninth straight night, with Iran vowing not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the attacks continue. House Republicans have one week left before the August recess as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to advance defense funding, a stock trading ban for lawmakers, and President Trump’s election…
What defines a family? For a group of strangers, that question took on a profound, unexpected meaning after DNA tests revealed a hidden, decades-old deception. They discovered they were all half-siblings conceived through artificial insemination in the mid-20th century. Their biological father was not the man who raised them, but Dr. Charles Charny, a Philadelphia fertility specialist. In this…
Hunter Biden says he has nothing left to hide. He’s been all over the internet in recent months, including appearances with some of his harshest critics, such as ultra-conservative podcasters Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes. In May, he reactivated his long-dormant X account, writing, “You've never actually heard from me.” Since then, he’s posted an average of 23 times per day — weighing in on…
The latest on two fatal shootings involving federal immigration officers in Texas and Maine. An unprecedented rescue mission to save a valuable space observatory before it burns up in Earth's atmosphere. A preview of the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey between Spain and Argentina. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage…
President Trump gave a primetime address on election integrity, releasing documents he said proved widespread fraud in the 2020 election, but experts say there’s nothing new, just a rehash of old claims. Trump used his speech to pressure Congress on a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote, while also laying the groundwork to question the legitimacy of the midterms if Republicans…
Most senators didn't question Todd Blanche's qualifications to lead the Justice Department at his confirmation hearing, they questioned whether the man who spent years as President Trump's personal lawyer would serve the president or the country. President Trump notified Congress that the U.S. is back at war with Iran, starting a new 60-day clock for military action, though the clock that may…
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will be on Capitol Hill today for his high-stakes confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department permanently. President Trump has talked about the US fully controlling the Strait of Hormuz. But for the US military that means much more than imposing yet another blockade on the key waterway. The third fatal ICE shooting in a week is now prompting a policy…
The US and Iran have resumed hostilities, despite last month's memorandum of understanding. President Trump says the military will once again blockade the Strait of Hormuz. For the second time in a week, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed an immigrant. A 26-year-old Colombian man was killed yesterday in Maine. Some Maine elected officials say the victim wasn't the…
The U.S. and Iran are continuing to fight over control of the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of heavy strikes, with the U.S. hitting dozens of Iranian targets and Iran firing at American bases in the Middle East. Senator Lindsey Graham has died at the age of 71, the South Carolina Republican was a committed advocate of U.S. military intervention abroad and a close ally of President Trump. And as…
From climate change to the rise of AI - it’s hard not to feel like human civilization could be nearing the end. What threats are really worth worrying about? And what can we do to survive a global catastrophe? Today on The Sunday Story , Ben Bradford, host of the new NPR Network podcast Are We Doomed?, tells us what he’s learned about the end of the world. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about…
Kalshi's new plan to prevent political campaign staffers from betting on their own campaigns is hardly foolproof. The disability community has concerns about moving special education oversight from the Education Department to the Department of Health and Human Services. Influencers are questioning the guidance to throw away leftover breast milk in a bottle after two hours. See pcm.adswizz.com for…
It's not clear if peace talks are still on as the funeral for Iran's former supreme leader wrapped up after days of mourning, and the tit-for-tat strikes appear to have stopped in what could be another lull, though Israel says it's ready to go back to war at any moment. More than 300,000 Haitians and thousands of Syrians are about to lose their right to work in this country, and with the work…
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 a similar tactic with NATO allies, going from freeloaders to friends in a single summit. The U.S. struck Iran for a second straight night, hitting some 90 military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran fired back at American bases in Kuwait and…
President Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran over at the NATO summit this morning, after the two sides traded heavy strikes overnight. Maine Democrats appear ready to move on from Graham Platner, who still hasn't said whether he'll drop his Senate bid after an accusation of sexual assault he denies, as party leaders scramble to line up a replacement before a fast-approaching deadline. And the…
Maine Democrat Graham Platner is facing growing calls to drop out of his Senate race after Politico published a former girlfriend's allegation of sexual assault, which he denies, in a blow to a party that saw the seat as key to retaking the Senate. NATO leaders are gathering in Turkey with President Trump among them, as he presses allies to spend more on their own defense while they look for…
America celebrated its 250th birthday against a backdrop of deep division, with white nationalists marching in Washington DC, counter protesters filling the Mall, and President Trump delivering a speech attacking Democrats as communists. Huge crowds are marching through Tehran for the funeral of Iran's former supreme leader as U.S.-Iran talks sit frozen until the mourning ends, while Israel's…
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 closely, it’s not just about creating something new; it’s about ridding itself of something unwanted. It’s a break-up text, announcing secession from the British Crown. Today, that same spirit is fueling a modern-day movement in Illinois. A growing number…
President Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore turns dark. Despite the heat, Americans are finding ways to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Two former Trump allies want to start a new political party. And after four months, Iranians officially mourn Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, killed in Israeli/U.S. airstrikes. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
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 decide this morning whether the public can even attend its July Fourth events. Russia hit Kyiv with one of the deadliest strikes of the war overnight, firing nearly 600 missiles and drones that killed at least 27 people, Moscow says it's payback for…
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 estate business and raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. Democratic socialists scored another big win in Colorado as Melat Kiros upset longtime Congresswoman Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary, the latest in a string of…
The Supreme Court closed out its term with a major loss for President Trump, upholding birthright citizenship, though the justices handed him plenty of power elsewhere over the course of the year. Democratic socialist Melat Kiros pulled off a stunning upset in Colorado's primary, unseating a 15-term congresswoman in the third such win for the left in a week, while an anti-Washington mood also cost…
The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its term with three consequential decisions, upholding birthright citizenship guarantees, striking down campaign finance limits and allowing trans athlete bans. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. This bonus episode of Up First was produced by Ana Perez, Lilly Quiroz, and…