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
23 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 13min
Iran Deadline, Middle East War Escalation, Artemis II Trip Home
Franco Ordonez, White House correspondent, tracks Trump’s Iran deadline and ceasefire wrangling. Daniel Estrin, international correspondent in Tel Aviv, follows Israel’s expanding strikes on Iran’s economy, railways, and the Strait of Hormuz standoff. Brendan Byrne, space reporter and science podcast presenter, joins the Artemis II trip home as Orion returns from a record-setting swing around the moon.
99 snips
Apr 6, 2026 • 13min
Trump Issues Profane Threats, Trump's War Politics, Artemis II Lunar Flyby
Carrie Kahn, NPR’s Tel Aviv correspondent, tracks rising Middle East tensions, Iran’s response, and fears of wider conflict. Mara Liasson, veteran NPR political analyst, digs into Trump’s war rhetoric, shifting strategy, and political risks. Brendan Byrne, science reporter and space podcaster, follows Artemis II’s lunar flyby, record distance, moon mapping, and tests shaping NASA’s next missions.
39 snips
Apr 5, 2026 • 24min
The Americans caught in ICE’s web of surveillance
Kat Lonsdorf, NPR correspondent, and Meg Anderson, NPR reporter on law and accountability, dig into how Americans and lawful residents are getting swept into ICE surveillance. They explore DNA collection, street-level intimidation, facial recognition and location tracking, anonymous online critics being unmasked, and the legal fights over speech, privacy, and protest.
96 snips
Apr 4, 2026 • 15min
Jet Down in Iran, Voter Privacy, Dietary Guidelines
Greg Myrie, NPR national security reporter, digs into U.S. warplanes downed over Iran, stalled diplomacy, Trump’s uncertain war plan, and fears of a messy endgame. Jude Joffe-Block, NPR elections and voting rights correspondent, unpacks the Justice Department’s push for voter-roll data, privacy alarms, and why the effort is raising eyebrows before the midterms. Plus, new heart health eating guidance gets a spotlight.
88 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 13min
Pam Bondi Out, Iran Charges Strait Tolls, International Meeting on Hormuz
Pam Bondi’s sudden exit sparks drama over the Epstein files, failed prosecutions, and turmoil inside the Justice Department. Iran tries to charge massive tolls for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz as cargo piles up and the energy crunch worsens. Meanwhile, more than 40 countries scramble for a diplomatic path to reopen one of the world’s most vital waterways.
94 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 13min
Trump's Speech On Iran, Reactions To Trump's Remarks, SCOTUS Birthright Case
Deepa Shivram, NPR’s White House reporter, tracks Trump’s shifting Iran message. Aya Batrawy, an NPR correspondent in Dubai, follows Gulf tensions and threats around the Strait of Hormuz. Nina Totenberg, legendary Supreme Court reporter, covers a dramatic hearing on birthright citizenship. They dig into strike talk, regional fallout, and sharp questioning from the justices.
77 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 13min
Trump's Iran Endgame, War Economy, SCOTUS Birthright Citizenship Case
Scott Horsley, NPR’s chief economics correspondent, tracks how Iran tensions push up gas, shipping, and food costs. Nina Totenberg, veteran Supreme Court reporter, breaks down the high stakes birthright citizenship fight. The conversation also follows Trump’s shifting stance on Iran and the ripple effects of a war economy.
126 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 13min
Iran War Week 5, Trump's Mixed Messages, TSA Back Pay
Deepa Shivaram, NPR White House correspondent, tracks Trump’s shifting rhetoric as the Iran war stretches into week five. Joel Rose, NPR transportation correspondent, breaks down TSA back pay after weeks of missed checks. They dig into Gulf attacks, stalled diplomacy, troop buildups, voter backlash, legal questions around DHS funding, and the strain still hanging over airport security.
159 snips
Mar 30, 2026 • 13min
Lebanese Warfront, US Troops Deployed To Middle East, TSA and Travel
Greg Myre, NPR national security correspondent, and Lauren Frayer, NPR international correspondent in Beirut, track a fast-moving Middle East crisis. They cover Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon, the killing of journalists, fresh U.S. troop movements, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and why unpaid TSA workers are triggering chaotic airport delays.
52 snips
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.
