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Life Inside Iran, Trump and Cuba, Fed Interest Rates Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Iran is retaliating for the killing of its top security chief with strikes across the region overnight, and Iranian are crossing into Iraq just to buy food they can no longer afford at home.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Cuba needs new people in charge, raising questions about what the Trump administration is actually planning for the island.
And the Federal Reserve meets today facing a scrambled economic outlook with energy prices are soaring because of the war and the job market is weakening.
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 Hannah Block, Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
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.
Our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Life Inside Iran
(06:15) Trump and Cuba
(10:10) Fed Interest Rates
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Israel's Incursion Into Lebanon, NATO and Strait Of Hormuz, Cuba's Blackout and Trump Mar 17, 2026

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Israel intensified its air and ground operations in Lebanon overnight, with airstrikes hitting southern Beirut and millions displaced as the war shows no signs of letting up.
President Trump is scolding NATO allies for not doing more to protect the Strait of Hormuz — as European leaders remain hesitant to get involved in the war with Iran.
And Trump says he expects to "take Cuba" just as the island suffers another catastrophic blackout, with nearly 11 million people left in the dark amid a U.S. oil blockade.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Tina Kraja, Tara Neill, Miguel Macias, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.
Our Director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction
(1:57) Iran Lebanon
(5:50) NATO and Hormuz
(9:53) Cuba Grid Collapse
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Middle East War Week 3, Trump Messaging 'Winning', Voting Act Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Israeli officials say the man who attacked a Michigan synagogue last week had family killed in an airstrike in Lebanon, Israel says they targeted a Hezbollah commander in the home.
President Trump is repeating one message as the war enters its third week 'the U.S. is winning', even as gas prices soar and Americans grow more skeptical of the Middle East war.
And Senate Republicans are pushing a bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, but it may not have the votes to clear the Senate.
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 Hannah Block, Dana Farrington, Ben Swasey, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.
Our Director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heiniss. Our technical director is Stacy Abbott.
(0:00) Introduction
(1:52) Middle East War Week 3
(5:53) Trump's Message of Winning
(9:37) Voting Act in Senate
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Emotional Abuse in College Sports Mar 15, 2026

Show notes

March Madness is here. The high-stakes, sudden-death college basketball tournament is a beloved tradition in American sports. For the players, it’s a chance to showcase the skills they’ve developed through years of hard training of the body and mind. In many cases, that push produces incredible feats of athletic performance. But an investigation by reporters Julia Haney and Elizabeth Santos has found instances in which athletes allege that the push from coaches goes too far. Emotional abuse by coaches, some athletes maintain, can cause lasting, even irreparable damage. On this episode of The Sunday Story, we hear from athletes who fought back.
*A warning that today’s story includes mentions of sexual and emotional abuse, suicide, bullying and includes explicit language.
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Iran War, Political Violence in US, New Action on Housing Affordability Mar 14, 2026

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More strikes against Iran, including an island crucial to the country’s oil exports. Three separate domestic attacks in the U.S. do not appear to have direct links to Iran. President Trump signs two executive orders geared toward making housing more affordable, as Congress works on legislation.
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Israel Bombs Beirut, Attacks In Michigan And Virginia, Housing Bill Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

Israel struck central Beirut overnight and issued the first ever evacuation order for part of the capital, as Israel vows it will not stop until Hezbollah is defeated and nearly a million people are displaced in Lebanon alone.
The FBI is investigating two separate attacks as acts of terrorism — an armed man drove a car into a Michigan synagogue, and a gunman with a prior ISIS conviction opened fire in a Virginia university classroom, killing one person.
And the Senate passed the largest housing bill in decades with bipartisan support, including a ban on large corporations buying up single-family homes, but it faces an uncertain path with President Trump.
**Correction: In a previous audio version of this episode we mistakenly stated that car that drove into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan was packed with explosives.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Cheryl Corley, Julia Redpath, Kara Platoni, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
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
Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) Israel Bombs Beirut
(05:30) Attacks In Michigan And Virginia
(09:44) Housing Bill
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Strait Of Hormuz Crisis, Gas Price Politics, Iranian School Strike Investigation Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

Three commercial oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. and Israeli airstrikes continue on Tehran — Iran may be losing the war in the air, but it is strangling one of the world's most vital waterways and shaking global markets.
President Trump, who campaigned on bringing gas prices down, is now tapping the strategic petroleum reserve as the war drives prices up.
And the Pentagon has determined the U.S. is responsible for a missile strike on a girls school in Iran that killed at least 165 civilians on day one of the war — NPR has learned the school had been walled off from a nearby military base years before the strike.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Rebekah Metzler, James Hider, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
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
Our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Strait Of Hormuz Crisis
(06:17) Gas Price Politics
(10:25) Iranian School Strike Investigation
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Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet on Iran as residential buildings in Tehran come under fire and Iranian forces target naval ships in the Gulf.
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds a majority of Americans oppose the war and President Trump's approval rating on the economy has hit a record low, raising questions about what the conflict means heading into the midterm elections.
And in Georgia, the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is heading to a runoff, with Trump's endorsed candidate falling short of an outright win as a Democrat closes in.
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 Hannah Block, Dana Farrington, Megan Pratz, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
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
Our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Intense Strikes On Iran
(06:08) Trump Approval Poll
(10:05) Georgia Special Election Runoff
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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Trump Declares Early Victory, Lebanon Asks Israel To Talk, New York Protest Attack Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

President Trump declared victory in Iran at his first press conference since the war began, but said the U.S. could still go further and compared the endgame to Venezuela, walking back earlier calls for unconditional surrender.
The war is widening as Israel keeps striking Tehran and Beirut, Iran continues to hit back in the Gulf, and Lebanon's president publicly accuses Hezbollah of betraying the country while signaling he's ready for direct talks with Israel.
And in New York City, two Pennsylvania teenagers are charged with terrorism after throwing explosive devices at an anti-Muslim protest, with investigators saying they were inspired by ISIS.
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, Hannah Block, Alfredo Carbajal, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
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
Our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Trump Declares Early Victory
(06:15) Lebanon Asks Israel To Talk
(10:14) New York Protest Attack
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

Iran War Escalates, Kurds Stay Out, Global Shipping Crisis Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Israel struck Tehran's oil facilities as Iran named a new supreme leader, the hardline son of the Ayatollah Israel killed on day one, and a senior Israeli military official tells NPR the war needs three more weeks.
President Trump reversed course on Kurdish fighters entering Iran, and Iraq's Kurdish deputy prime minister tells NPR in his first interview with western media since the war began that the Kurds will not be part of the fight and are not guns for hire.
And the war is strangling the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds of tankers and container ships are now stranded, raising fears of a global energy crisis.
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 Hannah Block, Tina Kraja, James Hider, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ben Abrams.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Iran War Escalates
(5:17) Kurds Stay Out
(10:52) Global Shipping Crisis
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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