Up First from NPR
Trump In The Middle East, Hamas Hostage Release, Mulling Medicaid Cuts
12 May 2025
President Trump chose Saudi Arabia - again - for the first state trip of his second term. What does that say about his foreign policy? Hamas says it will release the last living American hostage held in Gaza, Edan Alexander. And as Republicans look for massive budget cuts, what could happen to Medicaid? Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Ryland Barton, Krishnadev Calamur, Carrie Kahn, Kelsey Snell, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ana Perez, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas. We get engineering support from David Greenberg, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Full Episode
President Trump is heading to the Middle East. It'll be the first state visit of his second term. Will he focus on peace in Gaza or other matters like the luxury jumbo jet the Qatari royal family is offering him?
I'm Michelle Martin with Leila Fanel, and this is Up First from NPR News. As President Trump makes his way to the Middle East, Hamas says it will release the last living American hostage held in Gaza, 21-year-old soldier Idan Alexander. Israel's government says they'll provide for Alexander's safe passage, but that his release does not guarantee a ceasefire deal.
And Republicans are looking to cut $1.5 trillion from the budget to pay for Trump's domestic agenda. What could that mean for Medicaid? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.
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President Trump leaves this morning for a four-day trip to the Middle East, the first big state visit of his administration.
The trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates comes as the administration tries to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. But Trump is expected to focus less on the quest for peace and more on making business deals, deals that apparently include the Qataris' offer of a new plane for the president.
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