Up First from NPR

Country singer and rapper Shaboozey is probably best known for his features on Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album, or for his viral, chart-topping single, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Now he has returned to the scene with a new, star-studded record about an outlaw out to avenge her father’s death.  It’s a genre-defying concept album that fuses hip hop with country, spoken-word and ballads – and that feature...

An unusually strong El Niño is disrupting the weather around the globe, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's anti-vaccination crusade is muddled after two deaths from measles complications, and it's been six ugly months since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free lis...

The flood disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border is far worse than first known, with hundreds now dead and more than a thousand missing, including dozens of Americans, as a lake swelling behind the debris raises fears of a second flood and rescuers race to reach survivors. Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh gives a speech in Wyoming today after disappointing investors last month with talk of curbing...

President Trump has spent the week picking fights with Iran, China, Canada and even his own party, putting Republicans on the ballot in a tough spot ahead of the midterms. Meta has agreed to settle with states that accused it of making its apps addictive for kids, paying up to 17 billion dollars and agreeing to change how Facebook and Instagram work for minors. A glacier collapsed on the border of...

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 after a recent cancer diagnosis. She is remembered as a country legend who became a true American icon. Canada is striking back in the trade war with the United States, putting tariffs on $20 billion of American goods starting September 8 after talks with Washington collapsed. And the Trump administration is moving to revoke nearly 200,000 visas by targeting...

The Trump administration rolled out what it calls the biggest economic offensive ever aimed at a country, naming 60 targets while warning others to cut ties with Iran or face U.S. sanctions of their own, though the toughest measures are still being held in reserve. In the Gulf, the UAE has already cut all trade with Iran while other neighbors remain in a difficult position, and China continues to...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to unveil new economic pressure measures on Iran today as President Trump pushes an “Economic D-Day” aimed at cutting off any country that still provides Tehran a lifeline. Iran is vowing to neutralize the United States' economic war and warning neighbors not to get involved, cautioning it could stop oil from leaving the region altogether. Trade tension...

A thousand miles south of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a series of tiny islands form an atoll, called Palmyra. Palmyra Atoll is part of four protected U.S. marine monuments, forming the country’s largest environmental conservation area. It is also home to a thriving ecosystem of birds, marine life, and one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. No people live on Palmyra full...

The IndyCar Grand Prix comes to the nation's capital. And, Canada's prime minister suspended trade talks with the U.S., bringing new 50 percent tariffs on a host of Canadian imports. Plus, we'll look at the national debt, which hit $40 trillion earlier this week. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship...

President Trump is doubling down on economic pressure against Iran, threatening consequences for any country that provides a lifeline as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prepares to detail the plan next week. The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on President Trump’s White House ballroom project, which a lawsuit argues needed congressional approval and the administration is now framing the bal...

President Trump is warning of economic consequences for any country that supports Iran as he tries to wind down the war, leaving Gulf allies worried about their future with their powerful neighbor. The U.S. national debt has topped 40 trillion dollars, with the government now spending more on interest than on defense and driving up the cost of everything from mortgages to small business loans. U.S...

Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming held primaries last night, with a mixed showing for progressives in Florida, including a surprise win in the Democratic Senate primary. President Trump pushed back new tariffs on Canada by three days after saying the two countries may restart a controversial oil pipeline, though the bigger North American trade deal is still up in the air. A major trial against Meta beg...

Jared Kushner and Prime Minister Netanyahu met for hours in Jerusalem over the future of Gaza and came out sounding hopeful, though Israel still hasn't committed to the U.S. peace plan that Hamas has already agreed to, with an Israeli withdrawal the main sticking point. The war with Iran is draining America's military and it's being felt across the world, as the U.S. runs low on warships and inter...

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is on its way to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at the center of concerns over crew mental health and a lack of fresh food and supplies on the ship. Ukraine launched one of its largest attacks on Russia since the war began, sending more than 800 drones toward Moscow and other areas. At least 20 people have been killed i...

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 listenin...

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 dr...

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 break...

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 inst...

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 ow...

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 pcm.adswizz....

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 a...