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Trump In China, Hegseth Requests Wartime Budget, FDA Commissioner Resigns May 13, 2026

Show notes

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.
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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
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Stakes of Trump's China Trip, Inflation Report Shows War Impact, Hantavirus Science May 12, 2026

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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.
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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
(09:27) Hantavirus Science
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US-Iran Responses, Trump's Trip To China Amid Iran War, Congress To Do List May 11, 2026

Show notes

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.
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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
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Why more women are choosing to be single mothers May 10, 2026

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So you want to be a mother, but you don’t have a partner. More women are shedding the stigma of single motherhood and choosing to have children on their own. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR’s Pallavi Gogoi brings us stories from her conversations with more than 60 women who have embraced this new vision of what motherhood can be.
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NATO Friction, Florida Detention Center, Public Corruption May 09, 2026

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President Trump's continued criticism of NATO allies is bringing relations within the alliance to historic lows. The controversial immigration center in the Florida Everglades may be closing. New reporting on the second Trump administration's posture toward corruption by public officials reveals alarming attitudes.
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US and Iran Trade Fire, Tennessee Redistricting, US Boat Strikes In Caribbean May 08, 2026

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President Trump insists the ceasefire is holding even after the U.S. and Iran traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz for the second time this week.
Tennessee is the first state to redraw its congressional map after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, joining other Southern Republican-led states in redrawing districts ahead of the midterms.
The U.S. military is facing growing scrutiny over its campaign of airstrikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which has killed nearly 200 people and raised new allegations of mistreatment of foreign fishermen.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Acacia Squires, Tara Neill, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adriana Gallardo.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) US and Iran Trade Fire
(05:45) Tennessee Redistricting
(09:40) US Boat Strikes In Caribbean
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Trump's Iran Progress Claims, Oil Industry Profit From Iran War, Rubio Meets Pope Leo May 07, 2026

Show notes

President Trump is once again claiming the U.S. is on the cusp of a deal with Iran and that the Iranians are desperate to negotiate, even as Tehran has shown no sign of agreeing and U.S. gas prices remain above four dollars and fifty cents a gallon.
Big oil companies are benefiting from high prices caused by the war in Iran, but many are wary of producing more oil.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Pope Leo the Fourteenth at the Vatican today after weeks of sharp public attacks by President Trump on the first American pope.
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, Tina Kraja, Kara Platoni, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adriana Gallardo.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Trump's Iran Progress Claims
(05:37) Oil Industry Profit From Iran War
(09:30) Rubio Meets Pope Leo
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Project Freedom Paused, Ohio & Indiana Primary Results, Poll Shows Dems Advantage May 06, 2026

Show notes

President Trump claims “great progress” toward an agreement with Iran as he ended the short-lived U.S. effort to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, while keeping the naval blockade in place and Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring combat operations over.
In Indiana, several Republican state senators who defied President Trump on redistricting lost their primaries last night, while Ohio saw stronger-than-expected Democratic turnout in its primary election.
A new poll shows Democrats leading Republicans by 10 points in the generic congressional ballot with significantly higher voter enthusiasm six months before 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 Rebekah Metzler, Megan Pratz, Dana Farrington, Mohamad ElBardicy and Arezou Rezvani.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:51) Project Freedom Paused
(05:32) Ohio & Indiana Primary Results
(09:06) Poll Shows Dems Advantage
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Strait Of Hormuz Tension, Trump Primaries in Indiana, Mifepristone Court Reprieve May 05, 2026

Show notes

President Trump launched “Project Freedom” to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran immediately attacked the first vessels with missiles, drones and small boats on day one of the operation.
In Indiana, President Trump is pouring millions into state senate primaries to punish Republican lawmakers who blocked his push for new congressional maps, testing his hold over the party ahead of the midterms.
The Supreme Court has granted the abortion pill mifepristone a one-week reprieve, allowing it to continue being mailed while a major legal challenge from Louisiana plays out.
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 Andrew Sussman, Megan Pratz, Diane Webber, Mohamad ElBardicy and Jan Johnson.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Strait Of Hormuz Tension
(05:54) Trump Primaries in Indiana
(09:45) Mifepristone Court Reprieve
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

Project Freedom Strait Of Hormuz, Louisiana Redistricting, Senate Midterm Landscape May 04, 2026

Show notes

President Trump announced the U.S. military will begin escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in an operation he calls Project Freedom, even as he reviews a new offer from Iran and keeps the option of renewed strikes on the table.
Louisiana’s governor suspended U.S. House races so lawmakers can draw new congressional maps after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, part of a broader Republican push for aggressive redistricting ahead of the midterms.
With President Trump’s approval ratings near new lows, Democrats see a narrow but real opportunity to flip the Senate this fall in several key races including North Carolina, Ohio and Alaska.
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 Kelsey Snell, Susanna Capelouto, Mohamad ElBardicy and Arezou Rezvani.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Kaity Kline.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(02:52) Project Freedom Strait Of Hormuz
(07:39) Louisiana Redistricting
(11:01) Senate Midterm Landscape
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

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