Up First from NPR

The Pentagon estimates the war with Iran has already cost 25 billion dollars as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the cost of the war in a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he will remain on the central bank’s board after his term ends next month to shield the agency from political pressure. The Supreme Court ruled Wednes...

The Justice Department has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time, accusing him of threatening President Trump with an Instagram post of the numbers 86 47 spelled out in seashells on a beach. King Charles told a joint session of Congress today that the United States and Britain must strengthen their partnership even as President Trump clashes with European leaders over Iran and...

The man who stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is being charged with trying to assassinate President Trump, with new court documents revealing he booked the hotel a month in advance and emailed his motives minutes before the attempt. King Charles addresses Congress today during his state visit to Washington as the royal trip tests whether personal diplomacy can ease sharp tensions betw...

President Trump called for unity after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents Dinner with him and the Vice President on stage, then later returned to attacking the press and Democrats. The suspect in the attempted attack is in federal court today and not cooperating with investigators after his own family warned police just minutes before he tried to storm the ballroom. King Charles an...

There’s a category of special education that stands out from the rest. It’s designed for kids who struggle with their emotions and behaviors, known at the federal level as “emotional disturbance.” More than 300,000 students in the U.S. currently have this label. Often, these students are taught in separate classrooms or even separate schools.  Today on The Sunday Story, reporter Laurie Stern share...

A deadlock between the U.S. and Iran continues over the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have caught the attention of regulators as people profit from privileged information. And the media try to release some pressure through humor at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...

President Trump says he is prepared to wait for the best deal to end the war with Iran, even as he orders the Navy to shoot any boat caught laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The Justice Department is moving marijuana out of its most dangerous drug classification for the first time, a major shift that could open up banking and tax relief for the legal cannabis industry, with a broader review of...

Iran seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz as both the U.S. and Iran claim control of the waterway. The White House insists the ceasefire, which Iran has not officially acknowledged, is holding. In Lebanon, a journalist was killed in an Israeli strike even as Israel and Lebanon meet in Washington today to extend their truce. The Secretary of the Navy is out with no explanation, the latest...

President Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely as Iran calls the extension meaningless and accuses the U.S. of preparing a surprise attack. Virginia voters narrowly approved a ballot measure letting Democrats redraw the state's congressional map, potentially flipping four House seats this fall. And Kevin Warsh told the Senate he wouldn't be the president's sock puppet at the Federal...

The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran expires today as President Trump calls an extension highly unlikely, Vice President JD Vance heads to Pakistan for talks Iran won't publicly confirm it will attend. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid allegations of an affair with her bodyguard, drinking on the job, and using taxpayer money for personal travel, becoming the third cabinet member...

The U.S. fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to break through the naval blockade. Iran calls it piracy and vows to retaliate with the ceasefire set to expire Wednesday. Iran is back to blocking the Strait of Hormuz as both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire and a new round of talks in Pakistan have yet to be confirmed by Tehran. And businesses can finally start app...

Public education used to enjoy strong bipartisan support, but across the country, there’s a growing push to offer students alternatives to traditional public schools. The idea behind “school choice” is that competition improves education. President Trump and Republicans have attacked public education for failing students and for being too “woke,” while Democrats who strongly oppose school choice o...

Iran says it is clamping back down on the Strait of Hormuz, putting the ceasefire at risk. President Trump appeared at a rally at an Arizona megachurch. Businesses are preparing for Monday's launch of an online portal for tariff refunds. 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...

In this special episode of Up First, we’re sharing the latest episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, featuring New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Through his first 100 days in office, Mamdani has focused on “pothole politics” — a blend of high-level legislative wins and intense focus on everyday essential services that keep the city running. The 34-year-old mayor has delivered on progressive campaign promi...

A 10-day ceasefire is now in effect between Israel and Lebanon, but Israel says it is not leaving southern Lebanon and Hezbollah says that gives it the right to resist. The U.S. naval blockade on Iran is firmly in place as Defense Secretary Hegseth compared reporters covering the war to the enemies of Jesus in the Bible, part of a pattern of religious language from the Pentagon that is raising eye...

President Trump keeps saying the war with Iran is very close to over, but peace talks have stalled and Iran is threatening to block Red Sea traffic if the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports continues. Pakistan is trying to restart peace talks between the U.S and Iran, and Trump posted that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak today for the first time in 34 years. Vice President JD Vance told a...

In this bonus episode of Up First, we’re sharing the latest episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, featuring comedian Dave Chappelle. The provocative comedian and architect of Chappelle’s Show is one of the biggest names in comedy. Now in arguably the most successful chapter of his life and career, he views himself not just as an entertainer -- but as a professional processor of events and experiences. He d...

President Trump says new talks with Iran could happen in the next two days, and negotiations with Israel, Lebanon and Hamas all unfold simultaneously across the region. The Iran war is pushing up prices on everything from gas to groceries, with fuel protests spreading across Europe and the IMF warning of a global recession. And a second woman has accused Eric Swalwell of rape, saying she was drugg...

Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell is resigning after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct, just one week after he was seen as a frontrunner in California's governor's race. The U.S. and Iran are both blocking the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices are surging, and virtually every country on earth is feeling the pain.  And President Trump is feuding with the first American-born...

President Trump announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran collapsed, as Iran warns any warship approaching the waterway will face a severe response. Israel continues striking Lebanon despite the ceasefire, killing more than 100 people over the weekend including a Red Cross paramedic, even as ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon prepare to meet in Washington on Tuesday...

Dozens of Tuskegee Airmen went missing in action during World War II. Most of them have not been found. Who were these men and what happened to them? In her book, " Forgotten Souls ," NPR investigative correspondent Cheryl W. Thompson tells their stories. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship prefere...

Delegations from the US and Iran are in Pakistan to negotiate an end to the six-week-old war. Voters in Hungary weigh in ahead of tomorrow’s national election where polls signal trouble for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Congressional lawmakers have a big to-do list when they return to Washington next week.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponso...

Vice President JD Vance is heading to Pakistan this weekend to lead peace talks with Iran, as the ceasefire is already under enormous stress.  More than 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel's massive offensive Wednesday, with Netanyahu telling Israelis the strikes will not stop even as he says he'll open direct talks with Lebanon for the first time in history.  And the Artemis II cr...

President Trump met with NATO's Secretary-General at the White House and blasted the alliance afterward for not helping during the war, as the ceasefire is already showing cracks less than 24 hours after it was announced. Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has started blocking ships in the Strait of Hormuz again, as Iran warns the U.S. it must choose between a ceasefire and continued war via Israe...

President Trump reached a last-minute ceasefire with Iran just before his deadline to bomb the country's bridges and power plants, with Iran agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks while negotiations continue over a 10-point peace proposal. Iran and the U.S. are both claiming victory, but the terms are murky and Israel says the deal does not include Lebanon, even as Hezbollah says it i...