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

February 1, 2026 25 mins

President Trump has a vision for the American workforce. Forget expensive college educations. His eye is on the skilled trades. The U.S. Department of Labor has adopted the slogan “Make America Skilled Again.”

But who gets to be part of this renaissance? 

Since the 1980s, women have made small but meaningful gains in the construction trades. Now there are concerns that President Trump’s campaign...

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The Justice Department has released its final tranche of the Epstein files - we'll look at what they have and haven't included. And, the U.S. in a partial government shutdown again, although this is one is expected to be shorter than the record-breaking shutdown that happened during the fall. Plus, another winter storm is hitting the U-S this weekend, this time, hitting parts of the Southeast.

Learn more about sponsor mess...
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Senate leaders strike a short-term funding deal to keep most of the government running, but a partial shutdown now looks imminent as the House remains out until next week.
Border Czar Tom Homan suggested a possible drawdown of federal immigration agents in Minnesota, only for President Trump to later say there would be no pullback at all, as arrests and protests continue on the ground.
And the FBI seizes hundreds of thousands...
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Senate Democrats are threatening a partial government shutdown unless Republicans agree to new limits on immigration enforcement by Friday's deadline.
A protest at an ICE family detention center in South Texas turned confrontational as demonstrators demanded the release of a five-year-old boy and his father taken from Minnesota and held at the facility hundreds of miles away.
And despite pressure from President Trump to l...
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President Trump takes his economic message to Iowa, trying to refocus on affordability after weeks of distractions ranging from Greenland to Venezuela and fallout from federal shootings in Minnesota.
Nearly a year after a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., investigators say deep, systemic failures at the FAA allowed known risks to go unaddressed until it was too late.
And NPR has obtained documents showing the Tru...
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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 Minneapolis.
And a landmark t...
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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 government shutdown.
And acro...
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January 25, 2026 56 mins

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 r...

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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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adcho...
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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 winter storm threatening millio...
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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...
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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 justices had tough question for...
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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 Court hears a high-stakes case...
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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 episode of Up First wa...
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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 contractors.
And Indiana co...
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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 “Board of Peace” for Gaza an...
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January 18, 2026 28 mins
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 had committed serious crimes, most ha...
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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 development of children.

Learn mo...
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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 cheaper insurance with limited bene...
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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 administration reverses cour...
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