Up First from NPR

The Trump administration is eying more cities even as it builds up a National Guard presence near Chicago and fights a lawsuit by Los Angeles. Federal immigration authorities arrested nearly 500 workers they said were in the U.S. illegally at a South Korean battery maker's Georgia construction site. An Idaho pastor is gaining influence among national Republicans and expanding his presence in Washi...

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has defended his actions on vaccines in a contentious Senate hearing. European leaders have finalized a commitment to provide post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, including troops. And, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration calling the use of the National Guard in the Dis...

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify in the Senate today following a week of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Senate committee holds a hearing on President Trump’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. And, a federal judge in Boston has handed Harvard University a win, ruling the Trump administration...

Members of Congress are trying to force a vote to make the Trump administration release more of the Epstein files. The cryptocurrency World Liberty Financial co-founded by the President and his sons started trading publicly this week. And, China held a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the...

Congress returns to Washington following the August recess as a deadline to avoid a government shutdown looms. The former President of Brazil is on trial for attempting to overthrow the government. And, the Taliban is calling for international aid as rescue efforts continue following a deadly earthquake in Afghanistan.  Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a...

European leaders are drafting plans to send a coalition of troops to Ukraine as part of a possible post-war security guarantee. China's President Xi Jinping is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit with the leaders of Russia and India gathering in a challenge to US influence. And, how The Trump administration is faring with workers as the President marks his first Labor Day since re...

Air travel is stressful enough–and then there are people who can pay to jump the queue. How do some people get ushered straight to the front of the airport security line, while others find themselves waiting? The answer lies in the rise of a private company, CLEAR. Today on The Sunday Story , we look at how CLEAR inched its way into airport security. What actually happens when public and private i...

A federal appeals court ruled that most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, but is holding off enforcing the decision until October. Also, Texas lawmakers are on track to pass further restrictions aimed at reducing the use of abortion medication. The bill would allow members of the public to file lawsuits against the medicine’s providers. And Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wi...

The father of the eight-year-old boy who has killed in the shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis has spoken publicly about his son. A top advisor to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been selected to serve as acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, the leaders of North Korea, China and Russia will gather together for the first time at a...

Investigators in Minneapolis are working to determine why a heavily armed 23-year-old opened fire at a Catholic school on Wednesday morning. The new Director of the Center for Disease Control has been fired less than a month after being sworn into the job. And, NPR reporters spoke with more than two dozen former senior Biden administration officials for a behind the scenes look at the discussions...

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook’s attorney has plans to file a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s bid to remove Cook from her position. The Democratic National Committee wraps up its first major gathering since President Trump’s return to the White House. And, music superstar Taylor Swift is engaged to football player Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. Want more comprehensive analysis o...

President Trump has moved to fire a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. The President has also taken action to eliminate cashless bail and expand the role of the National Guard as part of his crackdown on crime in Washington, DC. And, Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been taken into custody and faces deportation to Uganda.  Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news o...

President Trump threatens to send the National Guard to Chicago. The Justice Department has released transcripts of an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime accomplice of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And, President Trump will meet with the president of South Korea in Washington for a summit on trade and security.  Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, state officials in Louisiana saw an opportunity to transform New Orleans public schools, many of which they considered "failing." Twenty years later, we look at one of the biggest experiments in U.S. public education and whether the move to charter schools was a success. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for spo...

The Justice Department released transcripts and recordings of their recent talks with convicted sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein partner Ghislaine Maxwell yesterday. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signals the Fed may start interest rates cuts soon. After nearly two weeks of stepped-up arrests and federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital, many immigrants are afraid to atte...

A UN-backed panel of experts says there is famine in northern Gaza, the Justice Department is expected to deliver a first batch of files from its Jeffrey Epstein investigation to the House Oversight Committee and California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a California redistricting plan today to counter Texas Republicans. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a...

Israel plans to call up 60,000 reservists for a new Gaza City offensive, even as Hamas says it has accepted a ceasefire deal.  U.S. and European officials are drafting security guarantees for Ukraine. And Hurricane Erin is flooding North Carolina's Outer Banks and forcing evacuations as it tracks up the East Coast. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a litt...

Six governors are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to back President Trump's crime crackdown there. European leaders weigh the options for a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine. And the Texas Legislature appears on the verge of redrawing congressional districts that will help Republicans in the midterm elections, as requested by Trump. Want more comprehensive analysis of...

President Trump plots his next steps to broker an end to Russia's war on Ukraine after White House meetings. We look at the Kremlin's view on the peace talks. And California lawmakers seek to overhaul the state's congressional map to counter a Trump-backed move in Texas to gain an edge in the 2026 midterms. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? ...

President Trump will host Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House. Israelis protest to demand a hostage deal as the military and government leaders pursue plans to occupy Gaza City. And growing number of National Guard troops are on their way to the nation’s capital. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun?  Subscribe...

Maintaining a long-term romantic relationship is hard work. There are good times and there are bad and sometimes couples just grow apart over time. But in the new horror movie Together , growing apart is not an option for Millie and Tim. Starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, Together explores the idea of codependency in a horrific way as the couple becomes literally attached to ea...

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than three hours after landing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday for a summit on Ukraine. Now Trump returns to continuing controversy over his attempts to clamp down on Washington, D.C.,; Democratic pushback against his redistricting demands; and ongoing questions about his relationship with Jeffrey E...

President Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet in Anchorage today for a high-stakes summit about Ukraine. We take a look at how the talks are being perceived from Moscow, and from Kyiv. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun?  Subscribe  to the Up First newsletter.  Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Ryland...

Military escalations have taken place in Ukraine in recent days, even as President Trump prepares to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A new El Paso immigration detention center billed as the country's largest will start accepting migrants this weekend. And President Trump will host this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news...

The White House tempers expectations of a breakthrough during the Trump-Putin summit. The Trump administration says unhoused people who refuse to leave "encampments" or accept mental health help could be fined or jailed. And U.S. core inflation remains high. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun?  Subscribe  to the Up First newsletter.  Today's e...