Up First from NPR Podcast By NPR cover art

Up First from NPR

Up First from NPR

By: NPR
Listen for free

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/upfirstCopyright 2015-2026 NPR - For Personal Use Only Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Trump In China, Hegseth Requests Wartime Budget, FDA Commissioner Resigns

    Trump In China, Hegseth Requests Wartime Budget, FDA Commissioner Resigns
    May 13 2026
    President Trump is in Beijing today meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, with American manufacturers hoping for tariff relief even as the war in Iran looms over the high-stakes summit.
    The Pentagon told Congress they estimate the war in Iran has cost $29 billion dollars so far. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked for $1.5 trillion dollars for next year’s Pentagon budget.
    FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has resigned after thirteen months on the job, with the final straw being White House pressure to approve flavored vapes, something he refused to do.

    Want more 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 Miguel Macias, Jason Breslow, Kris Husted, Mohamad El-Bardicy and John Stolnis.

    It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas Our director is Christopher Thomas.

    We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis.

    And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

    (0:00) Introduction
    (01:57) Trump In China
    (05:40) Hegseth Requests Wartime Budget
    (09:26) FDA Commissioner Resigns

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • Stakes of Trump's China Trip, Inflation Report Shows War Impact, Hantavirus Science

    Stakes of Trump's China Trip, Inflation Report Shows War Impact, Hantavirus Science
    May 12 2026
    President Trump leaves for Beijing today for a state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the ongoing war in Iran casts a long shadow over the high-stakes summit.
    A new inflation report out this morning shows prices rising again, driven heavily by higher gasoline costs from the war in Iran, with ripple effects on airline tickets and other consumer prices.
    Public health officials say the hantavirus outbreak that started on a cruise ship is not the next COVID, but it still has no vaccine or specific treatment and can be fatal in some cases.

    Want more 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 Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Gisele Grayson, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Olivia Hampton.

    It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

    Our director is Christopher Thomas.

    We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

    And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

    (0:00) Introduction
    (01:51) Stakes of Trump's China Trip
    (05:31) Inflation Report Shows War Impact
    (09:29) Hantavirus Science

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show more Show less
    13 mins
  • US-Iran Responses, Trump's Trip To China Amid Iran War, Congress To Do List

    US-Iran Responses, Trump's Trip To China Amid Iran War, Congress To Do List
    May 11 2026
    President Trump has rejected Iran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” even as Tehran vows it will never bow to what it calls excessive demands by the United States.
    President Trump leaves for Beijing tomorrow to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as the war in Iran continues to complicate the high-stakes meeting.
    Congress is back with a major push to lock in three years of funding for immigration enforcement, giving the Trump administration long-term resources while limiting congressional oversight.

    Want more 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 Tina Kraja, Rebekah Metzler, Dana Farrington, Mohamad El-Bardicy, Adam Bearne and John Stolnis.

    It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas

    Our director is Christopher Thomas.

    We get engineering support from Maggie Luthar. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

    (0:00) Introduction
    (01:50) US-Iran Responses
    (05:29) Trump's Trip To China Amid Iran War
    (09:04) Congress To Do List

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show more Show less
    12 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Featured Article: Stay Up to Date and Informed with the Best News Podcasts of All Time


In a world where breaking news headlines change hourly and we're inundated with constant notifications, articles, news blasts, and think pieces, it can be difficult to simply keep up with what's going on in the world—let alone make sense of it. That’s where podcasts come in. Ranging from global and breaking news to politics, art, and finance, these shows are hosted by experts in their fields. No matter what your interests, there's a podcast for you.

Featured Article Stay Up to Date and Informed with the Best News Podcasts of All Time
All stars
Most relevant
So much of what people think of as news is just talking heads who try to appease their followers with whatever will make them angry or excited so that they continue to watch. This then feeds the talking head more money and power. There are not many true news channels left. This is one of them. It actually gathers the information and does its research And lets the listener decide.

Actual news not talking heads

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
he title was good enjoyed listening to the audiobook. the story line was interesting. nice

good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I always learn something listening to this program. It is my daily must-listen program to catch up on important news & insightful analysis. I greatly appreciate their fair-minded reporting.

Reporting with honesty & integrity

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Up first is the best way for me to know what fresh hell we are in now. I look forward to better leadership and news that is hopeful and future focused.

What Now??

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am so glad to hear Ayesha Roscoe hosting this show. I have been a fan of her reporting for some time. Up First is my favorite morning news podcast and it is great to hear her as a host.

Yay! Ayesha’s here!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews