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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.

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All Episodes (552)

Epstein Documents Dump, Government Reopens, Affordable Care Act Limbo

NEW

Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s files include messages linking President Trump to the disgraced financier, as Congress prepares to vote on a bill forcing the release of the full Epstein records. After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history ends with a bipartisan deal that leaves Democrats split over what they gained. And with health insurance subsidies still set to expire, millions of Americans could soon face higher premiums unless lawmakers act before year’s end.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Kelsey Snell, Diane Webber, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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00:12:56•November 13, 2025

House Shutdown Vote, Aviation Challenges, USS Ford In Caribbean

NEW

House Republicans say they have the votes to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a vote today could send the bill to President Trump’s desk by nightfall. The FAA warns that flight disruptions will continue even after the government reopens, as air traffic controller shortages strain the nation’s aviation system. And the U.S. deploys its largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, escalating tensions with Venezuela.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Russell Lewis, Andrew Sussman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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00:13:13•November 12, 2025

House Votes on Funding Bill, Shutdown Deal Dissent, COP30 Global Emissions

NEW

The House returns to vote on a bipartisan bill that could end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and send thousands of federal workers back to their jobs. Democrats face internal backlash after several senators broke ranks to support the deal, raising questions about the impact ahead of next year's midterm elections. And COP30 opens in Brazil with a stark warning on global emissions, new data shows fossil fuels are at record highs, and the world is still far from meeting its climate goals.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Megan Pratz, Neela Banerjee, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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00:13:14•November 11, 2025

Senate Shutdown Breakthrough, SNAP Legal Battle, COP30 Climate Summit Starts

NEW

Senate Democrats break ranks to join Republicans in backing a deal to reopen the government after 41 days, a move that could finally end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. SNAP benefits remain tangled in court battles, as a late ruling orders the Trump administration to fully restore payments while states face threats of federal penalties. And world leaders gather in Brazil for a major climate conference, but the Trump administration says the U.S. won't be at the table.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Kevin Drew, Neela Banerjee, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Join us again tomorrow

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00:14:58•November 10, 2025

Carlson’s War: Part 1

NEW

What does it mean to live through war? And can someone who’s experienced war ever get over it? These are questions NPR’s Quil Lawrence has been asking himself for years. A decade ago, Lawrence did a story on David Carlson, a veteran who’d excelled at being a soldier but struggled at home with PTSD, drugs and finally incarceration. Could Carlson find a way out or would the trauma of war come to define his life?
Listen to Part 2 here.

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00:26:37•November 9, 2025

Carlson’s War: Part 2

NEW

Part 2: In part two of Carlson’s War, we find Dave Carlson locked up in prison while tormented by PTSD from his time serving in Iraq. Alone and in pain, Carlson reverts back to a combat mindset and finds himself in a dark place. From here, Carlson sets out on a mission to turn his life around. What can we learn from one veteran’s journey to recovery?

If you haven’t heard Part 1, listen here.

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00:27:20•November 9, 2025

Who's Been Paying Tariffs, DHS Surveillance Tools, Israel Holds Florida Teen

NEW

U.S. consumers have not borne the full brunt of President Trump's tariffs but that may change if they are held up, all or in part, by the Supreme Court. The Department of Homeland Security is employing powerful new tools to surveil foreigners. A Floridian, arrested by Israel earlier this year at age 15 in a rock-throwing incident, faces 20 years in prison.

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00:14:22•November 8, 2025

FAA Cuts Flights, SNAP Ruling, Trump Focused Abroad

NEW

The FAA directs airlines to cut flights by ten percent as the government shutdown strains the nation’s air traffic system. A federal judge orders the Trump administration to fully restore SNAP food benefits by today, blasting it for ignoring the harm to millions of Americans who rely on them. And President Trump hosts Hungary’s Viktor Orbán at the White House, while some of his allies say he should be paying more attention to the economy at home.

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 Russell Lewis, Catherine Laidlaw, Dana Farrington, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.

We get engineering support from David Greenburg. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor

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00:13:12•November 7, 2025

State Of The Shutdown, SCOTUS Tariff Arguments, Chicago ICE Ruling

President Trump calls on Senate Republicans to end the government shutdown by scrapping the filibuster, even as he admits the standoff hurt the party in this week’s elections. The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether Trump overstepped his authority by imposing tariffs under a decades-old emergency powers law. And in Chicago, federal judges side against the administration in immigration enforcement cases, ordering cleaner detention centers and tighter limits on the use of force.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Krishnadev Calamur Cheryl Corely, Mohamad ElBardicy, 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 David Greenburg.

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00:13:01•November 6, 2025

VA NJ Governor Races, Mamdani Elected NYC Mayor, California Redistricting

Democrats won two governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey, victories they call a rejection of President Trump’s policies and a sign that economic issues are resonating with voters. New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as its first Muslim mayor, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in a race that drew record voter turnout. And California voters approved a new congressional map that could give Democrats up to five more House seats in next year’s midterms.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Larry Kaplow, Acacia Squires, Miguel Macias, Ben Swasey, Mohamad ElBardicy 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.

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00:13:18•November 5, 2025

Four Big Races To Watch, Partial SNAP Funding, Famine In Sudan

Voters in New York, Virginia and New Jersey choose new leaders today, and a redistricting vote in California could reshape the balance of power in Congress. The Trump administration says it will restart SNAP benefits, but only partially, leaving millions of families uncertain about how they’ll eat this month. Aid groups warn of a deepening crisis in Sudan after a paramilitary force accused of genocide seized the last major city in Darfur, killing thousands of people and trapping many more without food or water. And former Vice President Dick Cheney has died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to a statement from his family. He was 84 years old.

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 Ben Swasey, Catherine Laidlaw, Kate Bartlett, Mohamad ElBardicy 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.

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00:14:41•November 4, 2025

Trump's Shutdown Travel, SNAP Benefits Gap, NYC Mayoral Race

President Trump returns to Washington D.C. after a week of international travel and a weekend at his resort in Florida while the government shutdown enters its second month. SNAP benefits ran out over the weekend, leaving millions without food aid as courts press the administration to use emergency funds. And New York City voters head to the polls tomorrow in a heated mayoral race between Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo that could shape the future of the Democratic Party.

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 Krishnadev Calamur, Russell Lewis, Andrea de Leon, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

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.

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00:13:23•November 3, 2025

How Smaller Families are Changing the World

Across the globe, there is a shift in the size of families as birthrates decline. Communities, schools, and workforces are all shrinking at an alarming rate. Even in the wealthiest countries populations are aging and straining key social systems. How are smaller families changing the world and what does it mean for our future? Explore the full series at npr.org/populationshift.

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00:22:05•November 2, 2025

SNAP decision, Open Enrollment, Electricity Prices Increase

Two judges rule that it’s unlawful for President Trump to suspend SNAP food benefits. With higher premiums and a government shutdown, open enrollment for health insurance is different this year. Higher electricity prices are factoring into who voters in New Jersey and Virginia pick as their governors.

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00:13:51•November 1, 2025

Democrats' Shutdown Pressure, SNAP Deadline, Nuclear Testing

Democrats are facing growing pressure to end the government shutdown as millions brace to lose food aid and health care costs surge. A federal judge weighs whether to force the Trump administration to keep SNAP benefits flowing for 42 million Americans as funding runs out. And President Trump says the U.S. should resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in decades, a move experts warn could reignite a global arms race.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Catherine Laidlaw, Kelsey Snell, Brett Neely, Mohamad ElBardicy and Ally Schweitzer.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas

We get engineering support from David Greenberg. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Our executive producer is Jay Shaylor.

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00:12:46•October 31, 2025