Up First from NPR

Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, the public face of the Trump administration’s immigration operations, is no longer leading enforcement efforts in Minnesota after two fatal shootings and escalating legal battles over who gets to investigate them. President Trump heads to Iowa trying to sell his economic agenda, even as backlash grows from within his own party over his immigration crackdown in...

Protests and a general strike continue in Minneapolis after federal immigration agents fatally shot 37 year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a crackdown, the second ICE related killing in the state this month. Senate Democrats threaten to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to new limits on immigration enforcement, a standoff that could trigger a partial...

Forty years ago, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. Seven astronauts were killed, including teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. It was a devastating blow to the U.S. space program and a national tragedy for the country. In the days after the explosion, the search for answers began. Two NPR reporters, Howard Berkes and Daniel Zwerdling, focused their reporting on the en...

At least half of the U.S. population will be hit by a powerful winter storm this weekend - we'll tell you how Oklahoma, and other states, are preparing. Plus, a look at how President Trump is using the military overseas as well inside the U.S. during his second term. Plus, a look at consumer spending in the U.S. and how sustainable it is at present levels.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...

In Minnesota, protests and business closures spread as immigration operations continue and confrontations with federal agents intensify. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukraine’s president delivers a blunt message to Europe, warning that the continent must stop relying on the U.S. and prepare to defend itself as Russia’s war grinds on. And across the U.S., states are bracing for a massive wi...

Rahm Emanuel has held many political jobs, and he's considering a run for President. In a wide-ranging interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, he critiques democrats and offers advice for the upcoming midterms. 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 edited by Reena Advani. It wa...

European leaders meet for an emergency summit as allies weigh a possible deal with the U.S. on Greenland after President Trump walked back threats of military action and tariffs. Trump’s clashes with Canada and Europe raise fresh doubts about the stability of U.S. alliances, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warns coercion and tariff threats are changing the global order. And Supreme Court ju...

European leaders brace for President Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum, as new tariff threats and talk of acquiring Greenland overshadow talks on affordability. The Justice Department issues subpoenas to Minnesota’s top Democratic leaders, as state officials accuse the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration enforcement and creating fear in immigrant communities. And the Supreme C...

Gretchen Whitmer is in her final year as governor of the swing state of Michigan. The Democratic governor sat for an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep and talked about tariffs, the prospects of a female president, and the security of upcoming elections. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. This bonus episo...

As world leaders gather in Davos, President Trump escalates pressure on allies with new tariff threats, renewed talk of acquiring Greenland, and plans for a sweeping new “Board of Peace” that could reshape global diplomacy. Three people die in six weeks at the country’s largest immigration detention center in El Paso, raising urgent questions about medical care, oversight, and the role of private...

Minnesota braces for a possible escalation as federal troops stand by amid protests against immigration enforcement and renewed threats to invoke the Insurrection Act. Tensions rise with European allies as the White House pressures Denmark and other NATO countries over Greenland, prompting warnings of damage to transatlantic relations. And world leaders are being asked to buy into a new U.S.-led “...

L.A. County Public Defender Noah Cox noticed the disturbing trend. Many of his clients seemed to struggle answering even the most basic questions about the crimes they’d been charged with, questions like, “Where were you that day?” It seemed, Cox said, “like they were having troubles related to some sort of intellectual ability.” But when he dug into their records, Cox could see that while many ha...

The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota's Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging that they conspired to impede the work of ICE agents. Plus, an especially harsh winter hits Ukraine, where Russian strikes have taken out power plants, leaving many without heat and electricity. And, a new study finds that the use of generative AI is harmful to the develop...

Protests intensify in Minneapolis after a second ICE-related shooting, as President Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota. Venezuela’s top opposition leader brings her Nobel Peace Prize to Washington to press her case with President Trump, even as the U.S. signals support for an interim leader. And President Trump unveils what he calls a new healthcare plan, leaning on cheape...

The FBI searches the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation, raising concerns among press advocates about an escalation against press freedom. U.S. talks with Denmark and Greenland end without a deal on Greenland’s future, but a new working group forms as allies push back on President Trump’s security-driven claims. And after widespread confusion and backlash, the Trump...

Veteran federal prosecutors in Minnesota resign after pressure from Justice Department leaders to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent, raising new questions about political interference. President Trump takes his economic message on the road, pitching affordability as voters remain frustrated by high prices. And while gas prices have dipped, rising heating...

Minnesota officials sue the Trump administration, accusing federal immigration agents of unconstitutional conduct, as protests and enforcement intensify after an ICE officer killed 37 year-old Renee Macklin Good. President Trump is weighing options, including military action, as Iran’s largest protests in years grow deadlier as the regime cracks down on nationwide demonstrations. And the Supreme C...

Tension is mounting in Minneapolis as the Trump administration sends hundreds of additional federal agents into Minnesota and anger grows over last week's ICE shooting that killed 37 year old Renee Good. Deadly protests in Iran intensify as President Trump warns the U.S. could strike the regime if the crackdown continues. And the Justice Department subpoenas the Federal Reserve, prompting Chair Je...

Since President Trump’s second inauguration, more liberals, people of color and LGBTQ folks say they are buying guns and getting training. This is the latest in a trend that researchers, gun clubs and trainers say they’ve been watching for years. No longer do firearm buyers fit the old stereo-type of being white, rural and Republican. Today on The Sunday Story , NPR’s Frank Langfitt shares his rep...

Protests continue in Minneapolis after ICE agents kill a local woman, Renee Good, with more protests planned this weekend. Plus, Iranians have been taking to the streets in cities across the country, protesting against the government there. We'll look at what's behind the protests as well as the government's response. Also, the U.S. federal government might want to get involved with upcoming elect...

Protesters in Minneapolis return to the streets as federal agents take over the investigation into the killing of a Minnesota woman by an ICE agent, while Portland officials condemn another immigration-related shooting. A review of immigration related shootings under President Trump shows a rising pattern of violence as federal agents carry out increasingly aggressive and public operations in U.S....

Minnesota state law enforcement officials are working with the FBI to investigate the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer.  U.S. forces boarded a tanker carrying sanctioned oil after a two-week chase across the Atlantic, as the Trump administration expands plans to take control of Venezuela’s oil sales indefinitely. And Health Secretary Robert F...

President Trump talks about next steps for Venezuela, calling for U.S. companies to help rebuild the economy even as much of the existing power structure remains in place. Facing tough midterm elections in 2026, Trump tells House Republicans he’s struggling to understand voters and leans into culture-war issues rather than cost-of-living concerns. And European leaders rally around Greenland, pushi...

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife plead not guilty in New York, after a U.S. military operation brought them out of Venezuela and into a federal courtroom. Lawmakers are divided after a classified congressional briefing on Venezuela, with Republicans insisting the president acted within the law and Democrats asking what comes next. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prev...

President Trump says the United States will run Venezuela after U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas. Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez shifts from defiance to calls for cooperation as the White House ramps up pressure and threatens further action. And Nicolás Maduro is set to appear in a New York courtroom, facing drug trafficking, weapons, and narco-terrorism char...