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Oklahoma’s governor on Trump, immigration and tribal lands Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt leads a state that gave President Trump 66% of the vote in 2024. He is also charting his own course and has publicly differed with the president. Stitt sat for an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep and talked about his vision for the Republican Party’s post-Trump future.
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This bonus episode of Up First was was produced by Adam Bearne. We get engineering support from Margaret Luthar, David Greenburg and Tiffany Vera Castro.
Our Deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens and our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
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US-Iran Talks, Summers Resigns Over Epstein Ties, Cuba Kills Four In Boat Strike Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

U.S. and Iranian officials are meeting in Switzerland for another round of high-level talks. The talks will focus on Iran’s nuclear program, but the U.S. also wants ballistic missile restrictions.

Harvard professor and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is resigning from his university positions over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Also, Cuban border agents shot and killed four alleged terrorists on a boat registered in the U.S.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by James Hider, Tina Kraja, Elissa Nadworny, Tara Neill, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.

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 Carleigh Strange.

Our Deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:13) US-Iran Talks
(06:02) Summers Resigns Over Epstein Ties
(09:59) Cuba Kills Four In Boat Strike
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Trump Delivers State Of The Union, Economic Focus, Aviation Safety Bill Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

President Trump touted the beginnings of an American revival during his State of the Union address. He talked about a “turnaround for the ages,” in a record-length speech filled with exaggeration.

And a bipartisan aviation safety bill failed to advance in Congress after the Pentagon withdrew its support.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Russell Lewis, HJ Mai and Adriana Gallardo.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heines. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) Trump Delivers State Of The Union
(05:34) What Trump Had To Say About The Economy
(09:34) Aviation Safety Bill
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Trump State of the Union Strategy, Mexico Cartel Violence, Epstein Files Naming Trump Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Republican strategists say President Trump needs a reset in his State of the Union tonight, with new NPR polling showing 60% of Americans think the country is worse off than a year ago.
Mexico is still reeling from cartel violence after a military operation killed the country's biggest drug lord, El Mencho, and triggered a wave of retaliation, raising questions about whether the government can take on the cartels without fueling even more violence.
And an NPR investigation finds the Justice Department removed or withheld dozens of pages from the Epstein files database that include allegations mentioning President Trump, even as the administration says it has released everything.
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, Rebecca Rosman, 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 Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:16) Trump State of the Union Strategy
(05:57) Mexico Cartel Violence
(09:43) Epstein Files Naming Trump
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Trump's New Tariffs, China Reacts To Tariff Ruling, State Of The Union Poll Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

President Trump says he’s raising global tariffs to 15% under a different authority after the Supreme Court blocked his emergency tariff power, forcing Congress to decide how closely they want to own the policy in a midterm election year.
China is weighing what the court ruling actually changes on the ground for exporters and how it could reshape Trump’s leverage ahead of his trip to Beijing in a few weeks.
And a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds most Americans say the state of the union is not strong, as President Trump heads into Tuesday night’s address facing deep divides over the country’s direction.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Vincent Ni, Dana Farrington, 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.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:13) Trump's New Tariffs
(05:55) China Reacts To Tariff Ruling
(09:37) State Of The Union Poll
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Hollywood’s Love Affair with VistaVision Feb 22, 2026

Show notes

Two of this year’s top contenders for the Academy Awards were filmed using a technology from the 1950s: VistaVision. Filmmakers are reviving this visually stunning yet finicky film format at a time when movie theaters are struggling to get audiences back into theaters. Today on The Sunday Story, NPR’s culture correspondent Mandalit Del Barco tells the story of the changing movie industry through the lens of VistaVision technology.
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Court Invalidates Tariffs, Military Options Regarding Iran, Olympic Matchup Preview Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

The Supreme Court says President Trump cannot use the economic emergency he declared as a rationale for his import tax regime. The U.S. military buildup in the Mideast over the past month gives Trump options for striking Iran. The U.S. and Canada will compete Sunday for the gold medal in men's Olympic ice hockey.
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Military Buildup Around Iran, Board Of Peace Meeting, Former Prince Andrew Released Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

President Trump says he will make a decision in ten days on whether or not to attack Iran as the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East is now large enough to support a sustained bombing campaign.
President Trump is widening the scope of his new Board of Peace after a Gaza-focused gathering, pitching it as a tool for other global conflicts as world leaders warn it could sideline the United Nations and the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile.
And British police are searching royal properties after the arrest of former Prince Andrew tied to the Epstein files, investigators are looking into whether he passed government documents to the convicted sex offender.
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, Rebekah Metzler, Tina Kraja, 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.

Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Military Buildup Around Iran
(05:48) Board Of Peace Meeting
(09:38) Former Prince Andrew Released
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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U.S. Men's hockey overtime win and the Olympic sport that produces the best athletes Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

If enjoyed this, check out the Up First Winter Games Video Podcast. You'll find it at youtube.com/npr.
This bonus episode of Up First was edited by Eric Whitney. Our visual editors include Nicole Werbeck, Elizabeth Gillis, Grace Raver and Pablo Valdivia.
It was produced by Lauren Migaki, Brianna Scott, Ana Perez, Barry Gordemer and Elizabeth Baker.
We get engineering support from Jay Czys, Andie Huether, Becky Brown and Josephine Nyounai.
Our Executive Producers are Adam Verdugo, Jay Shaylor and Samantha Melbourneweaver.
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

Trump's Board Of Peace, Former Prince Andrew Arrested, Zuckerberg Defends Meta Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

President Trump convenes the first meeting of his Board of Peace, touting $5 billion in reconstruction pledges for Gaza as Israel gives Hamas 60 days to disarm or face renewed war.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
And Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand in the first-ever social media addiction trial, defending accusations that the company knew kids under 13 were using Instagram and built its platforms to hook young users early.
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 Robbie Griffiths, Miguel Macias, Tina Kraja, Brett Neely, 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
(01:56) Trump's Board of Peace
(06:10) Former Prince Andrew Arrested
(08:30) Zuckerberg Defends Meta
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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