Up First from NPR

As the death toll reaches 50,000 Palestinians killed, Israel is considering a full-scale ground invasion and military occupation of Gaza. U.S. officials are meeting with Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in Saudi Arabia to negotiate a potential ceasefire. And, China's premier is calling for open markets and global investment amid the country's economic slowdown. Want more comprehensive analysis of t...

With the recent arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity, a spotlight is again on actions taken during his presidency. Even years after Duterte declared his war on drugs, the reverberations continue to tear through the country. The loved ones of those killed are still left seeking justice and the extra-judicial killings, commonly called EJKs, that defined D...

The Department of Homeland Security makes cuts to its office for civil rights and civil liberties and other oversight offices, saying these offices slow down enforcement. Immigration officials at checkpoints are detaining travelers to the US over what were once minor visa violations. Sudan's military has retaken the seat of the country's government after nearly two years. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

President Trump shuts down the Department of Education, leaving federal funding for schools in limbo. A judge demands answers from the Trump administration after Venezuelan migrants were deported despite a court order. And, Maryland failed to inspect the Francis Scott Key Bridge before its collapse last year, raising concerns about other bridges nationwide. Want more comprehensive analysis of the...

The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady despite rising inflation, while President Trump calls for rate cuts as tariffs take effect. A federal judge rules against blocking the government's takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace, despite concerns over heavy-handed tactics. And, Israel launches a new ground offensive in Gaza after breaking the ceasefire with Hamas, resulting in hundreds of d...

A federal judge rules that President Trump's administration likely violated the Constitution when it shut down USAID, but Trump vows to appeal. Hours after Trump and Putin announced a limited ceasefire, Russia and Ukraine launched new attacks, raising doubts about the deal. And Israel breaks the ceasefire with Hamas and resumes airstrikes on Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians. Want more compre...

Hundreds of Palestinians were killed or injured in surprise Israeli strikes, threatening a tenuous ceasefire. A federal judge ordered the Department of Justice to explain why it ignored a ruling not to deport hundreds of Venezuelans, and the US Institute of Peace was the scene of a hostile takeover by the Trump administration's government efficiency group. Want more comprehensive analysis of the m...

The Trump Administration invoked a wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of Venezuelans accused of being gang members, several legal immigrants living in the US were denied reentry into the country, and a powerful storm system killed dozens in the Midwest and South. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up...

Anas Baba is NPR's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. He's also one of the only Palestinian journalists working full time for an American news organization in Gaza. Israel has banned international journalists from independent access to the territory throughout this war. But Baba is from Gaza City, and he chose to stay and report when the war began. Today on The Sunday Story, what it's like to co...

The partisan, Republican stopgap budget was narrowly passed by the Senate with the help of a few Democrats. Some Congressional Democrats view that vote as a betrayal. Plus, we look at how the conservative news media, often favorable of President Trump, is covering the economic consequences of his policies. Plus, we hear from Noor Abdalla, wife of Palestinian student and activist Mahmoud Khalil, wh...

Congress faces a shutdown deadline today as Senate Democrats weigh whether to back a Republican spending bill or risk being blamed for closing the government. President Trump makes a rare visit to the Justice Department, delivering a speech on law and order while his administration purges career prosecutors. And, federal judges order thousands of fired government workers to be reinstated, but lega...

President Trump's special envoy is in Moscow for talks as Russia reviews a U.S. backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. The White House is rolling back more than two dozen environmental protections regulations, a move critics warn could lead to more pollution and health risks. And, Iran's Supreme Leader rejects President Trump's effort to start nuclear talks, calling it a deceptive at...

The U.S. is resuming military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after negotiators agree to a 30-day ceasefire, which Russia is now reviewing. The Trump administration is cutting nearly half of the Education Department's workforce. And, the House passes a stopgap funding bill with just days until a potential government shutdown, now it's headed for a vote in the Senate. Want more comprehens...

As Ukraine begins ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration signals that aid could resume if Ukraine makes concessions. A steep sell-off on Wall Street followed new tariffs from China and Canada, as investors worry that Trump's trade policies could tip the U.S. into a recession. And, after an ICE arrest at Columbia University, the U.S. Education Department is warning 60 univ...

Canada's ruling Liberal Party has a new leader, Mark Carney, a former central banker who now faces the challenge of steering the country through economic turmoil and a tense trade relationship with the United States. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, has been arrested by ICE agents. And, House Republicans unveil a stopgap funding bill to keep the...

On the first day of his second term as President, Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. whose parents are in the country illegally. The Trump Administration asserts that the children of noncitizens are not "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" and therefore are not entitled to citizenship. But birthright citizensh...

President Trump says that his Cabinet secretaries are actually supposed to be the ones to make staffing decisions, not Elon Musk and his DOGE entity. Also, we hear from employees at the Veterans Health Administration about how they feel about DOGE emails asking them to spell out what they did last week. Plus, a look at where things stand on the treatment of Long COVID. See pcm.adswizz.com for info...

President Trump has shaken up America's global alliances with policy reversals and realignments being felt around the world. How are writers, analysts, and leaders making sense of it all? 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 Lisa Thomson, Arezou Rezvani, Reena Adva...

The Labor Department is expected to show a modest uptick in hiring as part of its monthly jobs report card, but layoffs could cast a chill over the job market in coming months. The White House meets with founders and investors in the crypto industry to discuss how to grow the sector. And, rival ceasefire plans create uncertainty in Gaza, the Trump administration is demanding Hamas release hostages...

European leaders are meeting for an emergency summit to find ways to raise billions for defense and aid to Ukraine after after the U.S. cut military support. President Trump has granted a one-month exemption on new auto tariffs for Canadian and Mexican imports. And, a federal board has ordered the USDA to reinstate nearly 6,000 fired workers, ruling their dismissals were likely unlawful. Want more...

In his first address to Congress of this term, President Trump criticized Democrats and highlighted his administration's policy achievements. Trump used his address to Congress to highlight his administration's aggressive immigration policies, including designating certain gangs as terrorist organizations. And, China's premier outlined the nation's economic priorities and Beijing's retaliation aga...

The White House put a pause on military aid to Ukraine after a heated Oval Office exchange with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump will address Congress tonight, outlining his agenda on immigration, tax cuts, and his approach to Ukraine. And, Trump's new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China have sparked retaliation, escalating a trade war that could impact the global economy. Want more comprehen...

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a warm welcome in London from the British prime minister and other European leaders, after a contentious meeting with President Trump in Washington. Israel and Hamas are at loggerheads over the next phase of the six-week-old Gaza ceasefire. And, an NPR investigation finds gaps in the systems to report misbehavior by federal judges and a widespread c...

Tonight, big blockbuster films Dune: Part Two and Wicked are competing against critic favorites like The Brutalist, Nickel Boys and The Substance at the Academy Awards. With so many films out there it's hard to keep up, but the team at Pop Culture Happy Hour has seen them all and they are joining us today to share their predictions for who will be the big winners at this evening's ceremony. See pc...

Ukrainians react to the stunning events in the Oval Office that ended not with a signed minerals deal, but with shouting. Trump's Department of Justice demotes career lawyers who were involved in prosecutions of Trump allies and January 6th rioters. The Department of Agriculture announces plans to fight bird flu and high egg prices. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...