Up First from NPR

Ken Paxton defeated four-term Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary by nearly two to one, setting up what could be the most competitive Senate race in the state in decades as Democrats see an opening.
South Carolina Republicans blocked President Trump's push to redraw the state's congressional map, with some in the party warning the nationwide redistricting effort is energizing Democrats and independents ahead of the midterms.
And President Trump has declared progress on an Iran deal at least six times and still no deal, now as negotiations continue Trump is pushing for more Gulf countries to join the Abraham Accords.

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 Megan Pratz, Larry Kaplow, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:36) Texas Primary Results
(06:32) South Carolina Rejects Redistricting
(10:06) Iran Deal Whiplash

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

The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats laying mines, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio says negotiations to end the war could still take a few more days, with Israel warning the emerging deal is a bad one as it escalates attacks in Lebanon.
Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Ukraine, hitting every district in Kyiv over the weekend while Ukraine continues long-range drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and warns it desperately needs more air defense systems.
Texas Republicans are voting today in the most expensive primary in U.S. history, with President Trump’s endorsed candidate Ken Paxton challenging longtime Senator John Cornyn in a high-stakes race that could have major implications for the midterms.

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, Tina Kraya, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy and John Stolnis.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) US Hits Iran Amid Talks
(05:49) Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies
(09:44) Texas Primary Runoff

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

President Trump says a deal with Iran is “largely negotiated” after weekend talks with Gulf leaders and Israel. The preliminary agreement is expected to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz while leaving the nuclear program for a later round of talks. Some Republican senators are already calling it a disaster.
Gulf countries are pressing hard for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Iran as a preliminary 60-day ceasefire extension is discussed, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other regional players react to the latest developments.
In eastern Congo, a rare strain of Ebola has killed more than 200 people amid an outbreak complicated by ongoing conflict, misinformation, and severely strained aid efforts.

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 Krishnadev Calamur, Tina Kraja, Tara Neil, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:26) US-Iran Negotiations
(06:18) Middle East Reacts To Possible Deal
(10:08) DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads

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

For people working to address climate change in the U.S., the last year has been a hard one. The Trump administration has been rolling back rules and regulations aimed at reducing planet-warming pollution. But some cities and states are moving forward on climate action. On today’s episode of The Sunday Story, NPR’s Julia Simon brings us local solutions to this global problem. 

To hear and read more reporting from NPR’s Climate Solutions week, visit npr.org/climateweek.

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

Washington ratcheted up the pressure on Havana this week. A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Electricity costs are rising as the U.S. enters warmer weather, likely meaning higher utility bills for consumers.

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