Up First from NPR
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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
Mentioned books
Mar 29, 2026 • 30min
RFK Jr lauds Italy's addiction treatment. Can it work here?
Deborah Becker, a WBUR senior correspondent covering addiction and public health, reports from Italy on San Patrignano, a vineyard-based recovery community. She explores its village-like design, long stays, work-centered routine, and reported sobriety results. She also digs into U.S. rehab limits, relapse, regulation gaps, and the program’s troubling past and critics’ warnings.
69 snips
Mar 28, 2026 • 14min
Iran War, TSA Funding, No Kings Marches
Carrie Kahn, NPR international correspondent, tracks a widening Iran war, missile threats, and regional fear. Ron Elving, veteran political analyst, follows Trump’s slipping numbers, gas-price pressure, and a TSA funding standoff. Meg Anderson, NPR reporter in the Upper Midwest, reports on nationwide No Kings marches, Minnesota tensions, and the chilling effect of ICE operations.
97 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 36min
Gov. Wes Moore on Iran, pardon power, and his future | NPR's Newsmakers
Wes Moore, Maryland’s governor, combat veteran, and author, talks through big questions with national stakes. He digs into Iran, what wartime leadership should explain to the public, and why diplomacy matters. He also gets into the Baltimore bridge rebuild, AI’s risks, philanthropy’s role in fighting poverty, Democratic strategy, and why he is thinking more about 2029 than 2028.
50 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 14min
Trump Cabinet, DHS Funding, CPAC, Trump and Iran
Elena Moore, NPR political reporter on campaigns and conservative activism, joins Tamara Keith, senior White House correspondent, and Sam Greenglass, congressional reporter. They dig into the Senate deal to reopen most of DHS, Trump’s shifting Iran deadline and unclear path forward, and the mood at CPAC as Republicans rally behind him while weighing the political risks.
49 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 13min
Iran Rejects US Peace Proposal, Troop Deployment, Social Media Trial
Daniel Estrin, NPR’s Tel Aviv correspondent, tracks Iran’s rejection of a U.S. peace proposal, Tehran’s counteroffer, and Israel’s war aims. Jackie Northam, an international affairs reporter, explains troop deployment and why Karg Island matters. Bobby Allen, a tech correspondent, takes listeners inside a landmark trial over Meta and Google’s addictive app design.
54 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 13min
82nd Airborne Deployment, Israel Threatens Lebanon Invasion, DHS Funding Negotiations
Quill Lawrence, NPR national security reporter, tracks the 82nd Airborne heading to the Middle East and the uncertainty around its mission. Lauren Frayer, NPR correspondent in Beirut, follows Israeli strikes, mass displacement, and invasion threats in Lebanon. Barbara Sprunt, NPR Capitol Hill reporter, covers the messy DHS funding talks, ICE tensions, and Trump stirring up the endgame.
69 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 13min
Negotiations With Iran, Trump On Deal With Iran, ICE Impact On Airport Lines
Aya Batrawy, NPR’s Dubai-based Middle East reporter, tracks secret diplomacy with Iran and the fragile push to cool tensions. Franco Ordoñez, an NPR White House correspondent, follows Trump’s deal talk, political timing, and gas price pressure. Sophie Gratas, a Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter, heads to Atlanta’s airport, where ICE is visible but long security lines still snarl travel.
129 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 13min
Trump's Hormuz Deadline, Congress DHS Funding, ICE In Airports
Emily Fang, NPR international correspondent, reports from Turkey near Iran's border as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz raise fears of wider conflict and energy shock. Claudia Grisales, NPR Capitol Hill reporter, unpacks the DHS funding standoff and voting demands. Luke Garrett, NPR homeland security reporter, follows ICE agents at airports, mixed messaging, and growing travel chaos.
38 snips
Mar 22, 2026 • 30min
The Betrayal of Trans Troops
Lauren Hodges, an NPR producer and reporter on transgender service members, follows how military policy turned medical paperwork into a tool for removing trained troops. She traces the shift from open service to forced separations. She also looks at secrecy, lost benefits, legal fights, and fears that the purge could hurt military readiness.
68 snips
Mar 21, 2026 • 16min
On the Iranian Border, More Military on the Way, Warm Western Winter
Emily Fang, NPR international correspondent, reports from the Turkish border as Iranians flee with conflicted feelings and daily life grows more dangerous. Greg Myre, NPR national security reporter, tracks Marines heading to the region, air power shifts, and Strait of Hormuz fears. Kirk Siegler, NPR Western correspondent, looks at a record warm winter, weak snowpack, rising fire risk, and Colorado River strain.
