Up First from NPR

Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections

17 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Deadly storms and tornadoes tore through several states overnight. In Kentucky, a local mayor says more than 20 people were killed. Also, the Supreme ...

Birthright Citizenship Arguments, Trump's Mideast Trip, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Supreme Court seemed divided as justices heard arguments debating how lower courts should handle President Trump's executive order on birthri...

Syria's Relationship With Israel, Birthright Citizenship, Trump's Big Bill

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump did not make normalizing relations with Israel a condition for dropping sanctions against Syria, raising questions about how the two n...

Trump Meets Syria's President, Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, RFK Jr. On Capitol Hill

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is meeting with Syria's new leader as the administration prepares to lift sanctions on the country. Could he also participate in Ukrai...

Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Companies are rushing to import merchandise while a temporary trade deal between the U.S. and China is in place, but what happens after the 90-day arr...

Trump In The Middle East, Hamas Hostage Release, Mulling Medicaid Cuts

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

The Trial of Sean Combs

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sean Combs who was once at the forefront of hip-hop music and fashion is now on trial for sex trafficking. The hip-hop mogul launched the careers of n...

India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog

10 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India and Pakistan agree to a full and immediate ceasefire. It follows US-led talks. Plus, NPR learns that the Department of Agriculture is demanding ...

Scene From Vatican City, Life Of Pope Leo XIV, China Trade Talks

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People traveled to the Vatican from all over the world to witness the election of a new pope. What more do we know about the life of the Chicago-born ...

India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pakistan's defense minister warned that hostilities between his country and India could escalate into a nuclear confrontation, the White House plans t...

India And Pakistan Conflict, Papal Conclave Begins, Transgender Military Ban

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India struck multiple targets across Pakistan in the most extensive strikes in more than 50 years, the papal conclave to elect the next leader of the ...

Canada's Prime Minister Meets Trump, Abortion Lawsuit Surprise, Film Tariffs

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump will meet with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won his election on an anti-Trump platform. In a surprise move, the Justice De...

Trump And The Constitution, Gaza Food Aid Plan, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Begins

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump says he "doesn't know" if it's his job to defend the US Constitution when it comes to providing immigrants due process. Israel approv...

Syria's Missing Children

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Syria during the 14-year civil war, many children were detained with their mothers. Then, security forces separated them. Thousands of these childr...

President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role

03 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump proposes major cuts to several federal agencies in next year's budget, but he wants defense and border security spending to increase. ...

Public Media Cuts, Waltz Out As National Security Advisor, Alien Enemies Act Ruling

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new executive order aims to cut federal subsidies to PBS and NPR. President Trump is nominating national security adviser Mike Waltz as his ambassad...

Steve Bannon on Trump's First 100 Days

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Inskeep speaks with War Room Podcast Host and Trump ally Steve Bannon about the changes the U.S. President has introduced in his first months in...

Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US economy shrank in the first three months of the year and economists say the months ahead could also be challenging. Ukraine signed a deal with ...

Trump Marks 100 Days, Steve Bannon On Trump's Presidency, The "Big Beautiful Bill"

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump celebrated 100 days of his second term at a rally in Michigan and called his policy changes the "most profound" in generations. Steve ...

Grading Trump's First 100 Days, Presidential Retaliation, Detained Student Speaks

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a new poll, voters graded President Trump's first 100 days in office. An NPR analysis finds more than 100 people and groups the President targeted ...

Continued Crackdown on Illegal Immigration, Canada Votes, Measles Outbreak

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration continues to crack down on US immigrants without legal status. The Canadian election has been dominated by President Trump's ...

A Whistleblower Takes on DOGE

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

NPR's cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin recently broke a story about a whistleblower inside the federal government who says DOGE representa...

Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade

26 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We report live from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, where Pope Francis's funeral is taking place. Plus, the U.N.'s food agency says it is running ...

Ukraine-Russia Peace, Noncitizens And Due Process, Khartoum Destroyed

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine says a ceasefire must be in place first before it will accept a peace deal with Russia, President Trump claims it's not possible for all of th...

Trump Changes Tone On Tariffs, Russia And Ukraine, Education Executive Orders

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is now saying tariffs on China will come down substantially, striking a very different tone from the tough talk of a few weeks ago. Th...

Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Economists warned about an economic slowdown on the horizon for most countries around the world in the wake of century-high US tariffs. European, Ukra...

Defense Department Leak, Mourning Francis, SCOTUS Considers Opting Out

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to find himself mired in controversy. Also — tributes have poured in from around the world remembering Pope...

Pope's Life And Legacy, What Happens Now In Rome, Reaction From South America

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pope Francis has died at age 88. He was one of the most popular popes in decades and lent his voice to almost every modern issue facing the world, of...

The Girls Who Were Sent Away

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Before Roe v. Wade, when a young, unmarried girl got pregnant, she was often sent away – to a place called a maternity home. There, she would give b...

Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks

19 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelans. Also, President Trump this week raised the p...

US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A US Senator from Maryland met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the man illegally deported by the Trump administration — in El Salvador. Two people wer...

Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is feuding with Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. This all comes as Americans are feeling gloomier about the economy. Also, a ju...

Hearing For Wrongly Deported Man, Prescription Drug Prices, Harvard Battle Continues

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A federal judge in Maryland questioned the Trump administration about its continued refusal to retrieve a mistakenly deported man from an El Salvador ...

Wrongly Deported, DOGE And Agency Data, Harvard Defies The White House

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele says he has no plans to return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, an NPR report details unusual data...

China Tariffs, El Salvador President In DC, Meta Antitrust Trial

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China calls new U.S. tariff exemptions a "small step", but urges President Trump to heed rational voices and abolish all reciprocal tariffs, El Salvad...

The State of Free Speech in America

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The first amendment is a cornerstone of American democracy. This week on The Sunday Story, we hear from people who feel their right to free speech mig...

China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations

12 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China's 125 percent tariffs will hit U.S.-made goods today. We'll look at the view from China on President Trump's trade war. Plus, we'll hear from Am...

Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wall Street's relief rally didn't last long as investors took stock of the latest developments in President Trump's trade war. House Republicans appr...

Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has hit pause on nearly all new tariffs for 90 days. Businesses struggle to plan for the future amid economic uncertainty. And Preside...

Trump's Tariff Talks, China's Tariff Response, SCOTUS Probationary Workers

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's new tariffs went into effect just after midnight as U.S. trade partners seek negotiations. President Trump has raised the import tax...

Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump faces questions on whether tariffs will remain in place as he welcomes trade negotiations with other countries. Forecasters warn of a ...

Global Markets Plummet, Wrongful Deportation Deadline, Second Measles Death

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's trade war has prompted further market declines. The Trump administration has a midnight deadline to return a man deported to El Salv...

Fear and Dreaming in the USA

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fear is consuming many immigrant communities since the nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR Immigration Cor...

Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey

05 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With some of President Trump's hefty tariffs in place, Americans will see the prices of some grocery items rise - we'll tell you which items might get...

Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steep new tariffs are set to take effect at midnight on nearly everything the U.S. imports. Big businesses are losing market value and small businesse...

Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has announced plans to tax virtually all foreign goods coming into the United States. Leaders across the world react with dismay and c...

Trump's 'Liberation Day', Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Mistaken Deportation

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is set to impose sweeping tariffs on an array of countries. Liberal judge Susan Crawford was elected to the state Supreme Court in Wis...

Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A Wisconsin Supreme Court election has become the most expensive judicial race in American history. Democrats are vying to pick up Congressional seats...

President Trump Third Term, Smithsonian Executive Order, Myanmar Earthquake

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump declines to rule out the possibility of serving a third term in office as the Constitution stipulates a two-term limit. The executive ...

Gambling with Memes

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Moo Deng the pygmy hippo, social media sensation Hawk Tuah, and the President of the United States all have in common? They've all inspired hi...

Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts

29 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A powerful earthquake struck Southeast Asia Friday, killing more than 1,000 people. New tariffs come into effect in days, with American consumers like...

ICE Student Arrests, HHS Cuts, Stefanik Nomination Pulled, China Trade City

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has revoked hundreds of visas of foreign students, including PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk who was detained on the street by ICE...

Intelligence Officials Testify, Trump's Auto Tariffs, DOGE Access

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A group chat among top U.S. national security officials discussing airstrikes in Yemen has been made public, sparking outrage and raising questions ab...

Intel Hearing On Group Chat, Return To Office Mandate, Black Sea Deal

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's top intelligence officials face tough questions from lawmakers after a group chat security breach involving secret war plans and a j...

War Plans Group Chat, Alien Enemies Act, U.S. Greenland Visit

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A national security breach reveals that U.S. military plans were accidentally shared in a group chat on a commercial app, including a journalist. The ...

Occupy Gaza Plan, Ukraine Ceasefire Talks, China Economy

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the death toll reaches 50,000 Palestinians killed, Israel is considering a full-scale ground invasion and military occupation of Gaza. U.S. officia...

The Long Shadow of Duterte's Drug War

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the recent arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity, a spotlight is again on actions taken during his pr...

DHS job cuts, Travel troubles under Trump, Sudan Civil War latest

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Homeland Security makes cuts to its office for civil rights and civil liberties and other oversight offices, saying these offices sl...

School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump shuts down the Department of Education, leaving federal funding for schools in limbo. A judge demands answers from the Trump administr...

Fed Rates Pause, USIP Loses Case, Israel Restarts Gaza Ground Invasion

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady despite rising inflation, while President Trump calls for rate cuts as tariffs take effect. A federal ...

USAID Ruling, Ukraine On Trump Putin Agreement, Gaza Ceasefire Collapse

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A federal judge rules that President Trump's administration likely violated the Constitution when it shut down USAID, but Trump vows to appeal. Hours ...

Israel Strikes Gaza, Trump And The Courts, Takeover At US Institute Of Peace

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of Palestinians were killed or injured in surprise Israeli strikes, threatening a tenuous ceasefire. A federal judge ordered the Department o...

Alien Enemies Act, Legal US Immigrants Denied Entry, Deadly Storm System

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump Administration invoked a wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of Venezuelans accused of being gang members, several l...

A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 organ...

Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks

15 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The partisan, Republican stopgap budget was narrowly passed by the Senate with the help of a few Democrats. Some Congressional Democrats view that vot...

Congress Budget Vote, Trump Speaks At DOJ, Federal Workers Reinstated

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Congress faces a shutdown deadline today as Senate Democrats weigh whether to back a Republican spending bill or risk being blamed for closing the gov...

Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ukraine Ceasefire Talks, Education Department Layoffs, Spending Bill

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Ukraine Ceasefire Talks, Stock Market Slide, Columbia University Arrest Latest

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Ukraine begins ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration signals that aid could resume if Ukraine makes concessions. A steep...

Canada's New Leader, ICE Arrest Columbia Student, Congress and The Budget

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 econo...

Who gets to be an American?

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

BONUS: America's Shifting Alliances

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has shaken up America's global alliances with policy reversals and realignments being felt around the world. How are writers, analysts...

Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 jo...

EU Leaders On Ukraine, Auto Tariffs Paused, USDA Workers Return

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

What Trump Said Last Night, Trump On Immigration, China Tariff Confidence

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In his first address to Congress of this term, President Trump criticized Democrats and highlighted his administration's policy achievements. Trump us...

Ukraine Funds Paused, Trump Addresses Congress, Tariffs Begin

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The White House put a pause on military aid to Ukraine after a heated Oval Office exchange with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump will address Cong...

Zelenskyy in London, Gaza Ceasefire Status, Judicial Accountability

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a warm welcome in London from the British prime minister and other European leaders, after a contenti...

Who Will Win at the Oscars

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, big blockbuster films Dune: Part Two and Wicked are competing against critic favorites like The Brutalist, Nickel Boys and The Substance at t...

Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Justic...

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says She's Fighting President Trump's "Illusion of Power"

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, says she thinks Republicans have begun making mistakes... and her party is resolved to s...

Zelenskyy Visits DC, Tate Brothers In Florida, USAID Standoff, AOC and DOJ

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Ukrainian President is arriving in Washington to discuss a deal involving his country's rare earth minerals, social media influencers Andrew and T...

Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration says it will end more than 90 percent of the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign aid contracts. NPR spoke to...

House Budget Plan, DOGE Resignations, Battle Against Bird Flu

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

House Republicans passed a sweeping new budget plan but disagree on spending cuts. A group of civil servants on Elon Musk's DOGE team resigned, and eg...

Federal Worker Email Confusion, UN On Ukraine, Colorado River, France Surgeon Trial

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Confusion remains after the "What did you do last week?" email that federal workers received, the Trump administration's break with European allies ov...

Federal Worker Confusion, European Leaders In DC, German Election, Greenpeace Lawsuit

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Federal workers are experiencing confusion after receiving an email demanding a list of their work accomplishments, the French President and British P...

Alternate Realities

23 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracy theories are all over social media. For some, that's as far as they go. But for reporter Zach Mack, conspiracy theories have infiltrated hi...

Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons

22 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump fires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plus the Defense Department is set to lose more than 5 thousand personnel. Ham...

Migrants Leave Guantanamo, Israeli Hostages Update, Changes at FEMA

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly all migrants held at Guantánamo Bay have been released, with over 170 Venezuelans flown to their home country. Israeli authorities say a host...

Trump and Zelenskyy Feud, DOGE Savings Claims, Hamas Releases Four Hostage Bodies

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the roots of the difficult relationship between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. DOGE says its saved taxpayers billions of dollars. ...

Measles Outbreak, Foreign Aid Cuts, Bolsonaro Charges

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Health officials are warning about a measles outbreak in Texas. Trump administration efforts to shrink the federal government have temporarily cut of...

Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

American and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration has started makin...

Paris Emergency Summit, Marco Rubio in the Middle East, Trump's First Month

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

European leaders meet in Paris to discuss an emerging transatlantic chasm over security and the war in Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio i...

A Home But Not A Cure

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty years ago, housing activists began an unusual experiment to help people struggling with homelessness and chronic addiction. They decided to get...

The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash

15 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeals to Europe for support as President Trump changes U.S. foreign policy. A tumultuous week at the Consumer ...

Justice Department Shakeup, Guantanamo Migrants Lawsuit, Immigration Crackdown Poll

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Multiple prosecutors have resigned from the Justice Department after refusing to drop a corruption case against the New York City mayor and legal aid ...

Migration and Trade with India, Trump and Putin Chat, Future of Education Department

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump to meet India's Prime Minister after he says the two nations have an unfair trade relationship. After a long call with President Putin, Trump sa...

Federal Worker Surveillance, Trump's Team In Europe, Elon Musk And Mars

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Employees at the General Services Administration are facing massive staff cuts and threats of near-constant monitoring, three top Trump administration...

Jordan's King In Washington, New Tariffs, NYC Mayor's Corruption Charges

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan's King Abdullah will meet with President Trump in Washington after rejecting Trump's plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza. President Trump ann...

Trump At The Superbowl, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turmoil, Air Aid To Gaza

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a pre-Superbowl interview on Fox News, President Trump talked about his plans for the Department of Education and Gaza, the Consumer Financial Prot...