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
68 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 13min
Middle East War Week 3, Trump Messaging 'Winning', Voting Act
Daniel Estrin, NPR’s Tel Aviv correspondent, tracks a widening Middle East conflict, from attacks beyond Israel to pressure in Lebanon. Franco Ordonez, NPR’s White House reporter, follows Trump’s push to frame the war as “winning” amid rising skepticism and costs. Miles Parks, NPR’s voting correspondent, unpacks a Senate fight over proof of citizenship for voter registration.
37 snips
Mar 15, 2026 • 45min
Emotional Abuse in College Sports
Elizabeth Santos, an investigative reporter who co-led the series, and Julia Haney, her reporting partner, discuss alleged emotional abuse in college athletics. They outline patterns like verbal attacks, manipulation, and controlling behavior. They share reporting methods, case narratives including scholarship threats and humiliation, systemic gaps in reporting and accountability, and contrasts with positive coaching.
142 snips
Mar 14, 2026 • 15min
Iran War, Political Violence in US, New Action on Housing Affordability
Carrie Kahn, Tel Aviv-based foreign correspondent reporting on strikes in Iran and regional fallout. Odette Youssef, domestic extremism reporter tracing recent U.S. political attacks and online radicalization. Stephen Basaha, personal finance reporter explaining housing shortages, mortgage uncertainty, and new executive actions. They discuss Iran’s oil-vulnerable targets, U.S. political violence trends, and policy moves on housing affordability.
167 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 13min
Israel Bombs Beirut, Attacks In Michigan And Virginia, Housing Bill
Coverage of Israeli strikes on central Beirut and unprecedented evacuation orders amid escalating conflict. Reporting on two violent attacks in Michigan and Virginia that the FBI is treating as terrorism. Explanation of a major bipartisan Senate housing bill aimed at curbing corporate home buying and boosting construction.
143 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 14min
Strait Of Hormuz Crisis, Gas Price Politics, Iranian School Strike Investigation
Tamara Keith, NPR senior White House correspondent covering energy policy and political impacts. Greg Myrie, NPR national security correspondent reporting on the Iran war and regional military moves. They discuss attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and how Iran is choking a vital waterway. They cover Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases and political pressure over gas prices. They examine a Pentagon probe into a deadly missile strike on a girls school.
226 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 14min
Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff
Stephen Fowler, Georgia politics reporter, breaks down a tight special election runoff. Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor, walks through a new poll and its implications for the president and midterms. Ayah Batraoui, reporting from Dubai, gives on-the-ground accounts of intense strikes in Iran and regional energy effects. Multiple short takes on voting, polling, and escalating regional conflict.
150 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 14min
Trump Declares Early Victory, Lebanon Asks Israel To Talk, New York Protest Attack
Hadil al-Shalchi, Beirut-based reporter on Lebanon and regional conflict, and Mara Elias, NPR national political correspondent, dissect high-stakes news. They discuss Trump's early victory claim and mixed messaging. They explore Lebanon's call for direct talks with Israel amid strikes. They cover a New York-area protest attack tied to alleged ISIS inspiration.
166 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 14min
Iran War Escalates, Kurds Stay Out, Global Shipping Crisis
Leila Fadel, NPR correspondent in Iraqi Kurdistan, offers frontline context on Kurdish areas. Daniel Estrin, reporting from Tel Aviv, analyzes Israel-Iran military moves and regional escalation. They cover Iran’s leadership shift and strikes on oil infrastructure. They also discuss Kurdish refusal to join the fighting and a growing shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, with tankers and trade routes stalled.
52 snips
Mar 8, 2026 • 30min
The Human Egg Sellers
Diaa Hadid, an NPR correspondent who traced India’s underground egg trade across cities, and Shweta Desai, co-reporter who translated interviews and provided on‑the‑ground reporting. They follow women driven to sell eggs, explore clinic procedures and health risks, reveal how the 2021 law pushed the market underground, and expose agents, weak oversight, and exploitation in the supply chain.
63 snips
Mar 7, 2026 • 15min
Iran One Week On, Oil Prices Spike, Latin America Meeting
Franco Ordonez, NPR White House correspondent covering U.S. foreign policy and Latin America. Camila Domenoski, NPR energy reporter tracking oil markets. Paris Kahn, field reporter in Tel Aviv on the Iran-Israel conflict. They discuss Iran’s week of strikes and regional fallout. They cover the sharp rise in oil and gasoline prices from Strait of Hormuz disruptions. They report on a Miami summit focused on U.S.-Latin America ties.
