Up First from NPR

President Trump chose Saudi Arabia - again - for the first state trip of his second term. What does that say about his foreign policy? Hamas says it will release the last living American hostage held in Gaza, Edan Alexander. And as Republicans look for massive budget cuts, what could happen to Medicaid? Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subs...

Sean Combs who was once at the forefront of hip-hop music and fashion is now on trial for sex trafficking. The hip-hop mogul launched the careers of numerous stars and grew his business empire to a reported $1 billion dollars in 2022. A fortune that has since shrunk considerably as he faces multiple civil lawsuits, a crumbling media empire and the prospect of years behind bars. With his trial set...

India and Pakistan agree to a full and immediate ceasefire. It follows US-led talks. Plus, NPR learns that the Department of Agriculture is demanding states hand over the personal data of those receiving food stamps. Critics fear the information could be used to carry out deportations. Also, the Trump administration tightens its control over the independent agency regulating America's nuclear reac...

People traveled to the Vatican from all over the world to witness the election of a new pope. What more do we know about the life of the Chicago-born pontiff who also holds Peruvian citizenship? Also, negotiators from the US and China will meet this weekend in Switzerland for talks about the trade war between the two countries. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day...

Pakistan's defense minister warned that hostilities between his country and India could escalate into a nuclear confrontation, the White House plans to add Libya to the list of countries where it sends deportees, and the Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates unchanged, for now. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up Fir...

India struck multiple targets across Pakistan in the most extensive strikes in more than 50 years, the papal conclave to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic church begins today, and the Supreme Court has allowed a ban on transgender people serving in the military. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter...

President Trump will meet with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won his election on an anti-Trump platform. In a surprise move, the Justice Department asked for a lawsuit against the abortion medication mifepristone to be dismissed, and the global film industry is reeling after President Trump announced plans to hike tariffs on movies produced outside of the U.S. Want more comprehensive an...

President Trump says he "doesn't know" if it's his job to defend the US Constitution when it comes to providing immigrants due process. Israel approved a plan to take control of the distribution of food aid inside Gaza, and the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering begins today. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a litt...

In Syria during the 14-year civil war, many children were detained with their mothers. Then, security forces separated them. Thousands of these children have never been found. Since the fall of the Assad regime, parents of disappeared children have continued to search for answers. In this episode of The Sunday Story , NPR correspondent Diaa Hadid investigates: what happened to the disappeared chil...

President Trump proposes major cuts to several federal agencies in next year's budget, but he wants defense and border security spending to increase. The budget plan comes after the economy shrank during the first three months of this year. We'll have the latest on the state of the economy. Plus, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added the title of national security adviser to his growing roster...

A new executive order aims to cut federal subsidies to PBS and NPR. President Trump is nominating national security adviser Mike Waltz as his ambassador to the United Nations, and a federal judge ruled that the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants from the US is "unlawful." Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe...

Steve Inskeep speaks with War Room Podcast Host and Trump ally Steve Bannon about the changes the U.S. President has introduced in his first months in office in 2025 and where he sees things heading. 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 Reena Advani and produced by...

The US economy shrank in the first three months of the year and economists say the months ahead could also be challenging. Ukraine signed a deal with the US to jointly invest in Ukraine's minerals and natural resources, and tensions are high between India and Pakistan after last week's deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the da...

President Trump celebrated 100 days of his second term at a rally in Michigan and called his policy changes the "most profound" in generations. Steve Bannon weighed in on the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, and Congressional Republicans return from recess aiming to pass the President's so-called "big beautiful bill" before Memorial Day. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most importan...

In a new poll, voters graded President Trump's first 100 days in office. An NPR analysis finds more than 100 people and groups the President targeted for retribution in his second term, and NPR traveled to Vermont to speak with a Columbia University student detained by the Trump administration. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to...

The Trump administration continues to crack down on US immigrants without legal status. The Canadian election has been dominated by President Trump's trade war and threatening rhetoric, and a measles outbreak is especially bad in Texas, where two of every three Americans with the virus live. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the...

NPR's cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin recently broke a story about a whistleblower inside the federal government who says DOGE representatives appear to have taken sensitive data, then covered their tracks. Daniel Berulis works for the National Labor Relations Board and he has shared evidence that DOGE engineers disabled security protocols, exported reams of sensitive data and used a...

We report live from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, where Pope Francis's funeral is taking place. Plus, the U.N.'s food agency says it is running out of food to distribute to people in Gaza two months into an Israeli blockade. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Ukraine says a ceasefire must be in place first before it will accept a peace deal with Russia, President Trump claims it's not possible for all of the people he wants to deport to get a trial, and after two years of brutal fighting, Sudan's once-vibrant capitol city of Khartoum is in ruins. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the...

President Trump is now saying tariffs on China will come down substantially, striking a very different tone from the tough talk of a few weeks ago. The President lashed out at Ukrainian President Zelenskyy after he rejected U.S. terms to end the war with Russia, and in a series of executive actions President Trump targeted foreign funding and DEI initiatives at universities and K-12 schools. Want...

Economists warned about an economic slowdown on the horizon for most countries around the world in the wake of century-high US tariffs. European, Ukrainian and U.S. officials meet in London for peace talks on Russia's war on Ukraine, and crowds began lining up at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican to pay their last respects to Pope Francis. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to find himself mired in controversy. Also — tributes have poured in from around the world remembering Pope Francis as a leader who advocated for the poor and the dispossessed, and the Supreme Court considers a case brought by parents who want to pull their kids out of public school classes because of objections to some learning materials. Want more compreh...

Pope Francis has died at age 88. He was one of the most popular popes in decades and lent his voice to almost every modern issue facing the world, often taking the side of the marginalized and vulnerable. A look at funeral plans, the selection process for the next Pope, what happens next in Rome, and the reaction from South America. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of th...

Before Roe v. Wade , when a young, unmarried girl got pregnant, she was often sent away – to a place called a maternity home. There, she would give birth in secret, surrender her baby, and return to her life as if nothing had happened. That shadowed history is the setting of Grady Hendrix's latest horror novel, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls . Today on The Sunday Story from Up First , Ayesha Rascoe...

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelans. Also, President Trump this week raised the possibility of sending US citizens convicted of crimes to prison in El Salvador. And we'll hear the latest on the second round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...