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US-Iran Strikes Test Talks, Venezuela Quake Search & Rescue, Trump's Immigration Wins Jun 29, 2026

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The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is barely holding after a weekend of strikes, with the U.S. hitting Iran and Iran firing back at American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, though talks are still set to resume and Israel and Lebanon have reached a deal of their own.
Search and rescue efforts continue across Venezuela five days after two powerful earthquakes, with the death toll approaching 1,500 and thousands still missing as families dig through rubble themselves.
And President Trump's immigration agenda just got a boost from the Supreme Court, with hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians now told to find new legal status or leave the country, even as a bigger ruling on birthright citizenship is still to come.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Miguel Macias, Tara Neill, Dana Farrington, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adam Bearne.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Zac Coleman.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) US-Iran Strikes Test Talks
(05:36) Venezuela Quake Search & Rescue
(09:24) Trump's Immigration Wins
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The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh Jun 28, 2026

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What happens to famous works of art when they are stolen from museums and private art collections? In the Netherlands, museums and collectors reach out to Arthur Brand, a self-styled art detective who works to track down art that has gone missing and fallen into the criminal underworld.
This week on The Sunday Story, when a famous Van Gogh painting is stolen from a museum, Brand teams up with an unlikely partner – art thief Octave Durham. Together, the pair work to rescue a masterpiece from the underground market and return it to its museum home.
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Search and Rescue in Venezuela, Election Security, Free Childcare Jun 27, 2026

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Three days after twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, rescue teams race against time, President Trump's interest in overhauling elections is not shared by all of his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill, and New Mexico tries to provide free childcare for all residents.
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Venezuela Earthquakes Aftermath, SCOTUS Immigration Rulings, Trump Offers Farmers Aid Jun 26, 2026

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Rescuers in Venezuela are racing to reach thousands still missing after two powerful earthquakes struck seconds apart, with at least 235 people confirmed dead, hundreds still trapped, and U.S. search teams now heading to help.
The Supreme Court handed President Trump two big immigration wins, clearing the way for his administration to strip legal status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants and making it harder for migrants to claim asylum at the border.
And President Trump is trying to win back farmers hurt by his own tariffs and the Iran war, dangling 11 billion dollars in new aid even as many in farm country say they'd rather have good profits than government checks.
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 Tara Neill, Anna Yukhananov, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy, and HJ Mai.
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 Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) Venezuela Earthquakes Aftermath
(05:45) SCOTUS Immigration Rulings
(09:30) Trump Offers Farmers Aid
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Venezuela Earthquakes, Trump Senate Fight, Pentagon Shuffles Jun 25, 2026

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Venezuela got hit by two of the most powerful earthquakes in its history, striking seconds apart near the capital and collapsing buildings as the government braces for a high death toll and the U.S. rushes in aid.
President Trump blew up a popular bipartisan housing bill both parties wanted, refusing to sign it until the Senate passes his own elections bill that doesn't have the votes, it's the latest example of his demand for loyalty from Republicans and allies alike.
And one of the Army's top generals, Chris Donahue, is set to retire in a move that surprised many, drawing more attention to a pattern of Pentagon shake-ups under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tara Neill, Rebekah Metzler, Andrew Sussman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and HJ Mai.
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 deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Venezuela Earthquakes
(05:41) Trump Senate Fight
(09:26) Pentagon Shuffles
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Trump Vs Thune, Road To Housing Act, Democratic Socialist Win In New York Primaries Jun 24, 2026

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President Trump is having lunch on Capitol Hill today with Senate Republicans, after four GOP senators broke with him to advance a resolution pushing to end the war with Iran and Trump's clashes with Majority Leader John Thune over the filibuster, voter ID, and the president's handling of the war with Iran.
Congress passed the largest housing bill in decades last night with strong bipartisan support, aiming to make homeownership more attainable by cracking down on corporate investors buying single-family homes.
And in New York, democratic socialist candidates scored big wins in congressional primaries, including upsets backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, raising new questions about how far left the Democratic Party will go as it tries to retake the House in November.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Kara Platoni, Padma Rama, 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 Producer is Reena Advani.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Trump Vs Thune
(05:42) Road To Housing Act
(09:43) Democratic Socialist Win In New York Primaries
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US Lifts Oil Sanctions On Iran, Trump Shifts To Economy, MN Subpoenas Thrown Out Jun 23, 2026

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The U.S. has lifted oil sanctions on Iran for the first time in decades, letting Tehran sell its oil openly at higher prices meant to push Iran to comply on its nuclear program, even as the two sides are already split over whether Iran agreed to let inspectors back in.
President Trump heads to Pennsylvania today to talk up the economy and his promise that gas and grocery prices will fall now that the war is ending, but his approval is at record lows with even some Republicans unhappy over his handling of the economy.
And a federal judge in Minnesota threw out grand jury subpoenas from the Trump administration, ruling they were used to harass and retaliate against state and local officials who wouldn't help carry out the president's immigration crackdown.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Rebekah Metzler, Cheryl Corley, Mohamad ElBardicy, and John Stolnis.
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
(01:57) US Lifts Oil Sanctions On Iran
(05:23) Trump Shifts To Economy
(09:17) Minnesota Subpoenas Thrown Out
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UK PM Starmer Resigns, First Round Of US-Iran Talks, Iran Deal Scrutiny Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned after months of pressure and a collapse of support within his own party, with popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham his likely successor and on track to become Britain's seventh prime minister in just ten years.
The first round of U.S.-Iran talks wrapped in Switzerland with mediators announcing encouraging progress and a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, though Iran says the real test remains whether the ceasefire holds in Lebanon.
And President Trump is struggling to sell the Iran deal to his own party, his MAGA base is angry he went to war at all and GOP hawks are calling the agreement too weak as the midterm elections loom.
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, Anna Yukhananov, James Doubek, Mohamad ElBardicy, and John Stolnis.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) UK PM Starmer Resigns
(05:28) First Round Of US-Iran Talks
(09:08) Iran Deal Scrutiny
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Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1 Jun 21, 2026

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Who are the workers behind the global scam industry?
In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where many of them had been trafficked, held against their will, and forced to work for little pay. The Cambodian government’s recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025.
But how did these workers end up in Cambodia, and what was the promise that drew them there? In this two-part series for The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani dives into the previously hidden world of the global scam industry. And she follows the story of one Ugandan man, who traveled far from home for a job that was “too good to be true.”
Listen to Part 2 here.
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Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 2 Jun 21, 2026

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PART 2: With the Cambodian government’s ongoing crackdown on the scam industry, tens of thousands of former scammers are stranded on the streets of Phnom Penh. Are they being treated as criminals or as victims themselves of a global industry designed to extract their labor?
In part 2 of our series on The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani continues the story of one Ugandan scam worker as he tries to make his way home.
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