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
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.
147 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 14min
Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Middle East War Latest, Venezuela-US Diplomacy
Jimena Bastille, NPR immigration policy correspondent who covers DHS and congressional oversight, breaks down the fallout from the Homeland Security shakeup and scrutiny over agency spending. She also walks through widening Middle East violence and shifting U.S.-Venezuela diplomacy. Multiple short takes highlight leadership, regional escalation, and surprising diplomatic deals.
123 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 13min
Iran War Expanding, Khamenei Successor, China Mediates Middle East War
Jennifer Pack, NPR China correspondent in Beijing, on why China is sending a special envoy. Jackie Northam, NPR international affairs correspondent, on who could succeed Iran’s supreme leader. Ruth Sherlock, reporting near the Turkey–Iran border, on Iranians fleeing and civilian accounts. They discuss regional spillover, succession contenders, and Beijing’s diplomatic calculations in short, focused conversations.
173 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 14min
Middle East War Intensifies, Trump's Rational For War, First Midterm Primaries
Deepa Shivaram, NPR White House correspondent who explains shifting White House messaging. Carrie Kahn, NPR foreign correspondent reporting from Tel Aviv with on-the-ground updates. They discuss U.S. and Israeli strikes across Iran and Lebanon. They cover Iran’s mourning and succession, Gulf spillover attacks and threats to shipping. They also touch on shifting political messaging in Washington and early primary results.
236 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 13min
Middle East At War, Congress Briefed On War, Texas and North Carolina Primaries
Ashley Lopez, NPR political correspondent on Senate primary showdowns in Texas and North Carolina. Barbara Sprunt, NPR congressional correspondent on Capitol reactions and looming War Powers votes. Daniel Estrin, NPR foreign correspondent reporting from Tel Aviv on the expanding Middle East war. They discuss regional strikes, congressional divisions over the briefing, and high-stakes primaries that could signal midterm trends.
163 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 16min
US Israeli War With Iran, Trump's War Address, Gulf Countries Bear The Brunt
Ayah Batrawi, Dubai-based correspondent covering Gulf impacts; Franco Ordonez, White House reporter on presidential messaging; Jackie Northam, international affairs correspondent on battlefield developments. They discuss widening U.S.-Israeli-Iran fighting, Tehran’s regional strikes and Hezbollah’s front in Lebanon. They cover Trump’s wartime rhetoric and the heavy toll on Gulf cities like Dubai, Bahrain and Doha.
79 snips
Mar 1, 2026 • 27min
Bet on Anything, Everywhere, All at Once
Bobby Allyn, an NPR correspondent covering politics and finance, explains the boom in prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. He walks through how these apps work and who uses them. He discusses niche markets, regulatory fights, insider risks, and why billions have poured in. The conversation looks at rapid growth and uncertain futures for these platforms.
156 snips
Feb 28, 2026 • 14min
US/Israeli Strikes Iran, Iran Retaliates on Israel and other Middle East Countries
Jane Arath, NPR regional correspondent in Amman, offers on-the-ground regional context. Daniel Estrin, reporting from Tel Aviv, shares eyewitness accounts and local reactions. Greg Myrie, NPR national security correspondent, explains military operations and geopolitical stakes. They discuss the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran’s missile retaliation across the region, reports of civilian hits, and wider diplomatic and airspace fallout.
