Up First from NPR

Up First from NPR

NPR's Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — in 10 minutes. Available weekdays at 6:30 a.m. ET, with hosts Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin and A Martinez. Also available on Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET, with Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon. On Sundays, hear a longer exploration behind the headlines with Ayesha Rascoe on "The Sunday Story," available by 8 a.m. ET. Subscribe and listen, then support your local NPR station at donate.npr.org. Support NPR's reporting by subscribing to Up First+ and unlock sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/upfirst

Episodes

September 28, 2025 27 mins
The Trump administration has moved fast to chart a new course for American policy both here at home as well as internationally. But how are those changes impacting  Americans across the country? 

This week on The Sunday Story, we take a road trip to find out how people are feeling about the policy changes coming out of the White House. From wheat farmers in Washington state to Forest Service workers in Montana to business ...
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President Trump claims not to have a list of people for the government to punish but he has already specified some individuals alongside now-indicted former FBI Director James Comey. Experts question the fees investors are paying the U.S. government to buy TikTok from its Chinese owners. Though they are supposed to be protected from deportation, some DACA recipients have been detained.

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Former FBI Director James Comey is indicted on obstruction and false statement charges after President Trump pressured the Justice Department to pursue a case. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders an unprecedented global meeting of top U.S. military commanders, raising questions about what changes are coming. And Democrats accuse the White House of “mafia-style blackmail” as the shutdown fight intensifies over health care funding ...
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A deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE office leaves one detainee dead and highlights rising violence around immigration enforcement. Ukraine's president warns that Russia’s war is fueling a dangerous new arms race as President Trump signals support for Ukraine reclaiming its territory. And a White House memo orders agencies to prepare mass firings if the government shuts down, with health care premiums still at the center of the stando...
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President Trump cancels a meeting with Democratic leaders as a government shutdown looms, with both sides refusing to budge on health care demands. At the U.N., Trump calls Russia a “paper tiger” and signals Ukraine could reclaim its territory with European help. And Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC after nearly a week off the air, using an emotional monologue to defend free speech and respond to critics of his comments on Charlie Kirk’...
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President Trump promotes unproven links between Tylenol, vaccines, and autism, and moves to change drug labels despite scientists warning the evidence isn’t there. ABC reverses course and reinstates Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after suspending him over comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. And Trump heads to the U.N. General Assembly, where growing recognition of Palestine is testing U.S. diplomacy.

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President Trump and top officials turned Charlie Kirk’s memorial into both a tribute and a political rally, with Trump calling him a martyr and vowing to continue his fight. The president is also pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue prosecutions of his political enemies, while forcing out a U.S. attorney who resisted. And several countries just recognized Palestine as a sovereign state, but in the West Bank many Palestin...
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September 21, 2025 28 mins
President Trump has a long list of grievances against many U.S. colleges and universities. He’s complained about antisemitism on campuses, of gender- and race-based course offerings, even communist indoctrination. To force change, the government has increasingly used the power of money. It’s withheld billions in research funding and clamped down on international student visas. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR Correspondent Elissa...
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Congress leaves for recess without an agreement on government funding, making an October shutdown more likely than not. The First Amendment's free speech protections were tested in the courts and on late-night TV. A vaccine advisory panel wrapped up a week of contentious meetings in Atlanta.

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President Trump is pressuring the FCC to target broadcasters that criticize him, raising new questions about free speech and government power. A CDC vaccine panel, reshaped by RFK Jr.’s appointees, rolls back long-standing childhood vaccine guidance. And the president is moving to label Antifa a terrorist organization after the Charlie Kirk assassination.

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Vaccine advisers to the CDC meet today to decide on COVID boosters and childhood shots, with new members raising doubts about long-settled science. The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by a quarter point to shore up a slowing job market, even as President Trump pushes for deeper cuts. And ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s killing.

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Utah prosecutors charge Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and other crimes in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a case that could carry the death penalty. President Trump is in Britain for a rare second state visit, mixing royal pageantry with talks on trade and foreign policy. And FBI Director Kash Patel returns to Capitol Hill, facing questions about his leadership and his handling of high-profile investigati...
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Vice President JD Vance calls Charlie Kirk’s death personal and political, vowing to target groups he blames for fueling violence. FBI Director Kash Patel faces senators after his tweets during the Kirk investigation raised questions about his leadership. And the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates as President Trump reshapes the central bank’s governing board.

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Authorities in Utah are still searching for a motive in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem after Israel’s strike on Doha put the U.S. at odds with two close allies. And at the Emmys, Adolescence, The Studio, and The Pitt took top prizes.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First new...
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September 14, 2025 17 mins
As a young woman, Kate Riley’s search for meaning led her to a Christian commune. She lived there for a year and embraced collective life – everyone dressed the same and no one owned any private property. Kids growing up there didn’t have contact with cell phones or money. In this week’s conversation, Riley sits down with Ayesha Rascoe to explore what it means to be an individual in a communal place. And she shares what she learned...
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Members of Tyler Robinson's community say they are shocked he is accused of killing Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Colleges are questioning how open their campuses should be to the public. Missouri lawmakers have answered President Trump's call to help maintain the Republican majority in Congress by redrawing the state's voting map for the midterm election next year.

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Police have released video and pictures of a suspect who they believe shot and killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, and authorities are urging the public to come forward with tips. Stocks are surging on hopes of lower interest rates, even as Americans face rising prices at the store and a cooling job market. And in Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro has been found guilty of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 ele...
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Police are still searching for the gunman who killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk during a speech at a Utah college campus. We look back at Kirk’s rise in conservative politics through Turning Point USA and the controversies that defined him. And in Europe, Russian drones crossing into Poland are testing NATO’s limits and raising fears of a wider war.

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JB Pritzker is in a battle with President Trump over crime and immigration--or really, Pritzker says, over a power grab. Pritzker has so far blocked Trump's effort to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, but immigration agents have arrived. As they did, Pritzker sat for a wide-ranging talk with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the president, immigrants, Chicago's development, and his party's future.


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Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar as they were considering a deal to release all hostages, several people were killed but Hamas says none of its leaders were hit. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker spoke with Steve Inskeep as the Trump administration launches “Operation Midway Blitz “ in Chicago— sending hundreds of immigration agents to the city. And, the White House unveils its Make Our Children Healthy Again plan — with more t...
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