RFK Jr. Testifies Before Senate, Fed Confirmation Hearing, Harvard's Legal Victory
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify in the Senate today following a week of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Senate committee holds a hearing on President Trump’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. And, a federal judge in Boston has handed Harvard University a win, ruling the Trump administration unlawfully froze billions of dollars in research funds. 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 Diane Webber, Rafael Nam, Lauren Migaki, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Lawmakers Call For Epstein Files, Trump's Crypto Token, China's Military Parade
Members of Congress are trying to force a vote to make the Trump administration release more of the Epstein files. The cryptocurrency World Liberty Financial co-founded by the President and his sons started trading publicly this week. And, China held a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.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 Megan Pratz, Rafael Nam, Ryland Barton, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Government Shutdown Looms, Brazil's Ex-President on Trial, Earthquake in Afghanistan
Congress returns to Washington following the August recess as a deadline to avoid a government shutdown looms. The former President of Brazil is on trial for attempting to overthrow the government. And, the Taliban is calling for international aid as rescue efforts continue following a deadly earthquake in Afghanistan. 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 Anna Yukhananov, Tara Neill, Ryland Barton, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
European Troop Coalition, Heads of State Meet in China, Trump and Labor Day
European leaders are drafting plans to send a coalition of troops to Ukraine as part of a possible post-war security guarantee. China's President Xi Jinping is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit with the leaders of Russia and India gathering in a challenge to US influence. And, how The Trump administration is faring with workers as the President marks his first Labor Day since returning to the White House. 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 Kevin Drew, Miguel Macias, Emily Kopp, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Thomas Marchitto. And our technical director is Zach Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
A CLEAR Path to the Front of the Line
Air travel is stressful enough–and then there are people who can pay to jump the queue. How do some people get ushered straight to the front of the airport security line, while others find themselves waiting? The answer lies in the rise of a private company, CLEAR. Today on The Sunday Story, we look at how CLEAR inched its way into airport security. What actually happens when public and private interests try to coexist?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Trump Tariff Ruling, Texas Abortion Medication Bill, New Dietary Guidelines
A federal appeals court ruled that most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, but is holding off enforcing the decision until October. Also, Texas lawmakers are on track to pass further restrictions aimed at reducing the use of abortion medication. The bill would allow members of the public to file lawsuits against the medicine’s providers. And Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will release new dietary guidelines, but will they change the nation’s eating habits?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Minneapolis Shooting Latest, New Acting CDC Director, North Korean Leader to Beijing
The father of the eight-year-old boy who has killed in the shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis has spoken publicly about his son. A top advisor to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been selected to serve as acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, the leaders of North Korea, China and Russia will gather together for the first time at a Chinese military parade in Beijing next week.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 Daniel Burke, Diane Webber, Kate Bartlett, Lisa Thomson and Adam Bearne. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.And our special thanks to our colleagues at WWNO for hosting us this week, especially operations director Garrett Pittman and news director Ryan Vasquez.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Minneapolis Mass Shooting, CDC Director Fired, Biden Admin and Gaza Aid
Investigators in Minneapolis are working to determine why a heavily armed 23-year-old opened fire at a Catholic school on Wednesday morning. The new Director of the Center for Disease Control has been fired less than a month after being sworn into the job. And, NPR reporters spoke with more than two dozen former senior Biden administration officials for a behind the scenes look at the discussions that shaped U.S. policy towards Israel’s war in Gaza.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 Cheryl Corley, Jane Greenhalgh, Andrew Sussman, Lisa Thomson, and Adam Bearne. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Ukraine Ceasefire Talks, Stock Market Slide, Columbia University Arrest Latest
As Ukraine begins ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration signals that aid could resume if Ukraine makes concessions. A steep sell-off on Wall Street followed new tariffs from China and Canada, as investors worry that Trump's trade policies could tip the U.S. into a recession. And, after an ICE arrest at Columbia University, the U.S. Education Department is warning 60 universities they could face penalties over antisemitism investigations.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 Kevin Drew, Rafael Nam, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, our technical director is Stacey Abbott.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Canada's New Leader, ICE Arrest Columbia Student, Congress and The Budget
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 economic turmoil and a tense trade relationship with the United States. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, has been arrested by ICE agents. And, House Republicans unveil a stopgap funding bill to keep the government running through September, but with Democrats opposing it, passing the bill will require almost every GOP vote.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 Tara Neill, Kevin Drew, Krishnadev Calamur, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas.We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is David Greenberg.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Who gets to be an American?
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 the U.S. whose parents are in the country illegally. The Trump Administration asserts that the children of noncitizens are not "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" and therefore are not entitled to citizenship. But birthright citizenship is a Constitutional guarantee, explicitly laid out in the 14th Amendment. On this episode of The Sunday Story, we look at the origins of this right through a 1898 court case that would transform the life of one Chinese American and generations to follow. You can listen to the full episode from NPR's Throughline here or wherever you listen to podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
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. Also, we hear from employees at the Veterans Health Administration about how they feel about DOGE emails asking them to spell out what they did last week. Plus, a look at where things stand on the treatment of Long COVID.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
BONUS: America's Shifting Alliances
President Trump has shaken up America's global alliances with policy reversals and realignments being felt around the world. How are writers, analysts, and leaders making sense of it all?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 Lisa Thomson, Arezou Rezvani, Reena Advani and Olivia Hampton. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Nia Dumas, Chris Thomas, Paige Waterhouse, Adam Bearne, Milton Guevara and Ana Perez.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
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 job market in coming months. The White House meets with founders and investors in the crypto industry to discuss how to grow the sector. And, rival ceasefire plans create uncertainty in Gaza, the Trump administration is demanding Hamas release hostages immediately, while holding secret talks with the group.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 Rafael Nam, Roberta Rampton, Russell Lewis, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, our technical director is Stacey Abbott.And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
What Trump Said Last Night, Trump On Immigration, China Tariff Confidence
In his first address to Congress of this term, President Trump criticized Democrats and highlighted his administration's policy achievements. Trump used his address to Congress to highlight his administration's aggressive immigration policies, including designating certain gangs as terrorist organizations. And, China's premier outlined the nation's economic priorities and Beijing's retaliation against new U.S. tariffs.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 Roberta Rampton, Kevin Drew, Ryland Barton, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, our technical director is Stacey Abbott.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Who Will Win at the Oscars
Tonight, big blockbuster films Dune: Part Two and Wicked are competing against critic favorites like The Brutalist, Nickel Boys and The Substance at the Academy Awards. With so many films out there it's hard to keep up, but the team at Pop Culture Happy Hour has seen them all and they are joining us today to share their predictions for who will be the big winners at this evening's ceremony.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
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 Justice demotes career lawyers who were involved in prosecutions of Trump allies and January 6th rioters. The Department of Agriculture announces plans to fight bird flu and high egg prices.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says She's Fighting President Trump's "Illusion of Power"
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, says she thinks Republicans have begun making mistakes... and her party is resolved to strike back.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 Susan Davis, Kelsey Snell and Reena Advani. It was produced by Adam Bearne. We get engineering support from Neil Tevault and Hannah Gluvna. Our Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Zelenskyy Visits DC, Tate Brothers In Florida, USAID Standoff, AOC and DOJ
The Ukrainian President is arriving in Washington to discuss a deal involving his country's rare earth minerals, social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were charged with human trafficking in Romania and have now arrived in Florida, and the Supreme Court weighed in on a case involving frozen funds at USAID. Also, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez asks the Justice Department if she is under investigation. 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, Russell Lewis, Catherine Laidlaw, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams, Christopher Thomas and Paige Waterhouse. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Our Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
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 two immigrants sent to Guantánamo who allege mistreatment by detainment officers, and a federal judge will hear arguments over the Trump administration's firing of probationary employees.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 Jane Greenhalgh, Anna Yukhananov, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams, and Paige Waterhouse. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy