Reckoning with the Assad Regime's 'Machinery of Death'
The fall of Syria's leader in December opened the doors to a vast network of detention centers and prisons across the country, uncovering further evidence of the true scale of killings under former president Bashar al-Assad. On this episode of The Sunday Story, NPR's Ruth Sherlock takes us to a notorious prison where thousands were detained and killed, and she visits a suspected mass gravesite outside Damascus. She meets former prisoners and those forced to play a role in what has been called the regime's "machinery of death."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Hamas releases four Israeli soldiers as part of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The U.S. State Department halts most foreign aid. Physicians line up against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for health secretary.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Trump Visits Disaster Zones, DEI and the Military, London Hacking Hearing
President Trump visits disaster zones; the Trump administration wants to end the military's diversity and anti-extremism programs; and an Israeli private eye is wanted by the U.S. for hacking.For 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 Jason Breslow, Diane Webber, Clare Lombardo, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Milton Guevara and Claire Murashima. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Immigration Crackdown, Health Officials Muted, Oscar Nominations
Congress passes an immigration crackdown in President Trump's first legislative win, the Trump administration temporarily silences health officials and the Oscar nominations are announced.For 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 Jason Breslow, Diane Webber, Clare Lombardo, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Chris Thomas, Milton Guevara and Claire Murashima. We get engineering support from Zachary Coleman, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
New ICE Policies, Hegseth Claims, West Bank Attacks
Immigration enforcement will now be able to arrest migrants at sensitive locations like schools and churches ; new misconduct allegations emerge against Pentagon chief nominee Pete Hegseth; and Israel launches a military operation on the occupied West Bank.For 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 Roberta Rampton, Anna Yukhananov, Robert Little, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Chris Thomas, Milton Guevara and Claire Murashima. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Inauguration Day, Israel-Hamas Ceasefire, TikTok
Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States; the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is in effect; and TikTok is back after going offline temporarily, but will it stick around?For 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 Anna Yukhananov, Denice Rios, Jerome Socolovsky, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Can Old Age Be a New Beginning?
Americans are living longer than ever. For some, these extra years offer a chance at reinvention and the possibility of a third act in life. Today on the show, WBUR reporter Anthony Brooks talks about the people he's met who've made big life-altering changes later in life often with the hope of doing some good before it's too late. To hear more of Anthony's reporting on people who reinvented themselves late in life check out his series The Third Act.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Israel's war cabinet gave final approval to a ceasefire deal with Hamas overnight. Five years after the first COVID-19 case in the U.S., there is concern about how well the nation in positioned for the next pandemic. The Federal Trade Commission says Pepsi gave unfair deals to a major retailer.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Gaza Ceasefire Deal Reached, Next Steps For TikTok, Anger Over Private Firefighters
Negotiators have reached a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A law banning TikTok starts Sunday, but the Supreme Court is poised to rule on whether it is legal or not, and if it will be delayed. Plus, the wildfires in Los Angeles surfaced an industry that is attracting scorn: private firefighting.For 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 Kara Platoni, Jerome Socolovsky, Ally Schweitzer and Lisa Thomson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Iman Ma'ani and Lilly Quiroz. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
The Contours of a Ceasefire in Gaza, Preventing Future Wildfires In LA
Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting after 15 months of war. What's in the current ceasefire deal President Biden announced Wednesday, and how are people in Israel and Gaza reacting to it? Plus, Los Angeles has some of the strictest wildfire rules in the country. Why weren't they enough to prevent catastrophe?For 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 Neela Banerjee, Jerome Socolovsky, Ally Schweitzer and Lisa Thomson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Iman Ma'ani and Lilly Quiroz. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and our technical director is Zac Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Smooth Sailing For Trump's Nominees?, LA Fire Outlook, South Korea President Arrested
Senate Republicans are promising no drama for Trump's cabinet nominees in hearings this week. Do Democrats have anything to say about that? Plus, L.A. neighborhoods remain on lockdown after wildfires, and anti-corruption officials arrest South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.For 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, Jason Breslow, Gigi Douban, Ally Schweitzer and Lisa Thomson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Iman Ma'ani and Lilly Quiroz. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Dozens Dead in L.A. Fires, Middle East Ceasefire Talks, Homeland Security Chief
At least two dozen deaths are attributed to the L.A. Wildfires, as more extreme fire weather is in the forecast. Ceasefire negotiations have resumed in Qatar with Israel and Hamas appearing to close in on a deal. As Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas prepares to leave office, he says the incoming Trump administration will face hard choices on immigration.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Theocrats on the Doorstep of Power
If you've been following the news over the last year, you've likely heard about the rise of the Christian nationalism movement. Today on The Sunday Story, Ayesha Rascoe sits down with journalist Heath Druzin, creator of the Extremely American podcast series, to take a closer look at one group of Christian nationalists. Druzin interviewed leaders of an influential far-right church in the small town of Moscow, Idaho: Christ Church. There, Pastor Doug Wilson has been building what Druzin and his co-reporter James Dawson call a "Christian industrial complex." And its influence reaches far beyond the boundaries of Moscow, Idaho.You can listen to the latest season of Extremely American here, or download the full series wherever you listen to podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
New evacuations were ordered overnight as the Palisades fire expanded in Southern California. New reports find 2024 to be the hottest year on record for reasons scientists do not fully understand. At the Supreme Court, lawyers for the video app TikTok argued against a law mandating it be sold or shut down in the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
LA Fires Latest, Trump's Sentencing, TikTok At The Supreme Court
Many evacuated residents in Los Angeles returned to find entire neighborhoods wiped out by destructive wildfires, President-elect Donald Trump will attend his criminal sentencing today in Manhattan, and lawyers for TikTok will be arguing their case before the US Supreme Court.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 Gigi Douban, Anna Yukhananov, Kara Platoni, Janaya Williams and Lisa Thompson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lilly Quiroz. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Our Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
LA Wildfires, Carter's State Funeral, Trump's Agenda
Devastating wildfires in the LA area have leveled entire neighborhoods as firefighting resources are stretched thin, a state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter will be held at Washington's National Cathedral, and President-elect Trump met with Senate Republicans to help chart a course for his top legislative priorities. 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 Gigi Douban, Roberta Rampton, Kelsey Snell, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lilly Quiroz. We get engineering support from David Greenberg. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Facebook And MAGA, Winter Virus Season, LA Palisades Fire
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, is ending a fact-checking feature, the annual winter respiratory virus season is in full force, and the Palisades Fire in Southern California is rapidly spreading.For 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 Kara Platoni, Scott Hensley, Denice Rios, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lilly Quiroz. 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
Trudeau Resigns, Guantanamo Prisoner Release, Minneapolis Police Reform
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he is resigning, only 15 detainees remain at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay and the Minneapolis Police Department is now under federal oversight, nearly five years after the murder of George Floyd. For 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 Nick Spicer, Barrie Hardymon, Cheryl Corley, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Ben Abrams. 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
Ex-U.S. Capitol Police Officer Remembers Jan. 6, CNN Defamation Trial, Golden Globes
After protecting the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, retired Capitol Police officer Aquilino Gonell says Donald Trump's re-election feels like a "betrayal." CNN goes to court to fight a defamation lawsuit filed by a security contractor. Reviewing the highlights from the 2025 Golden Globe Awards.For 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 Barrie Hardymon, Emily Kopp, Clare Lombardo, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Ben Abrams. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott, and our technical director is Zac Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Does the Military Have an Extremism Problem?
As Congress meets tomorrow to certify the results of the 2024 election, it also marks the 4-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol. The participants of the riot on January 6, 2021 intended to disrupt the certification process of the 2020 election results. When it was all over four people were dead, 140 law enforcement officers were wounded and there was nearly $3 million in damage.There were people from all walks of life at the Capitol that day, but one thing that many of them had in common? Military ties. That reality is something that the military is still grappling with today. On this episode of The Sunday Story from Up First, we are joined by NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Lauren Hodges, who were both at the Capitol reporting that day. Last year they released a new investigation with NPR's Embedded podcast called "A Good Guy," about an active duty Marine who participated in the Capitol riot.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy