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More Epstein Files Released; Government Shutdown; New Winter Storm Jan 31, 2026

Show notes

The Justice Department has released its final tranche of the Epstein files - we'll look at what they have and haven't included. And, the U.S. in a partial government shutdown again, although this is one is expected to be shorter than the record-breaking shutdown that happened during the fall. Plus, another winter storm is hitting the U-S this weekend, this time, hitting parts of the Southeast.
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Senate Funding Deal, Border Czar Homan In Minnesota, Georgia Election Ballots Seized Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

Senate leaders strike a short-term funding deal to keep most of the government running, but a partial shutdown now looks imminent as the House remains out until next week.
Border Czar Tom Homan suggested a possible drawdown of federal immigration agents in Minnesota, only for President Trump to later say there would be no pullback at all, as arrests and protests continue on the ground.
And the FBI seizes hundreds of thousands of ballots and election records from Fulton County, Georgia, as the Trump administration escalates scrutiny ahead of the midterms.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Gigi Douban, Ben Swasey, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Ava Pukatch and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Senate Funding Deal
(05:38) Border Czar in Minnesota
(09:51) Georgia Election Ballots Ceased
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Senate Funding Vote, ICE Family Detention Protest, Fed Holds Interest Rates Jan 29, 2026

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Senate Democrats are threatening a partial government shutdown unless Republicans agree to new limits on immigration enforcement by Friday's deadline.
A protest at an ICE family detention center in South Texas turned confrontational as demonstrators demanded the release of a five-year-old boy and his father taken from Minnesota and held at the facility hundreds of miles away.
And despite pressure from President Trump to lower interest rates, the Federal Reserve is holding steady to fight lingering inflation and rising prices.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Susanna Capelouto, Rafael Nam, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Ava Pukatch and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Senate Funding Vote
(05:41) ICE Family Detention Protest
(10:28) Fed Holds Interest Rates
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Trump's Economic Message, DC Helicopter Crash Report, New Nuclear Regulations Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

President Trump takes his economic message to Iowa, trying to refocus on affordability after weeks of distractions ranging from Greenland to Venezuela and fallout from federal shootings in Minnesota.
Nearly a year after a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., investigators say deep, systemic failures at the FAA allowed known risks to go unaddressed until it was too late.
And NPR has obtained documents showing the Trump administration quietly loosened nuclear safety and environmental rules to fast-track new reactors, raising concerns about oversight and public trust.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Russell Lewis, Brett Neely, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Ava Pukatch and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Our Supervising Producer is HJ Mai.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Trump Economic Message
(05:43) DC Helicopter Crash Report
(10:02) New Nuclear Regulation
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Bovino Out Of Minnesota, Trump Refocusing On Economy, Social Media On Trial Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, the public face of the Trump administration’s immigration operations, is no longer leading enforcement efforts in Minnesota after two fatal shootings and escalating legal battles over who gets to investigate them.
President Trump heads to Iowa trying to sell his economic agenda, even as backlash grows from within his own party over his immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
And a landmark trial begins in Los Angeles that will test whether major social media companies knowingly designed their platforms in ways that harm kids, a case that could force the tech industry to rethink how its apps are built.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Andrea de Leon, Rebekah Metzler, Brett Neely, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Ava Pukatch and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Bovino Out of Minnesota
(05:57) Trump Refocusing on Economy
(09:38) Social Media on Trial
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Minnesota ICE Shooting Aftermath, Senate DHS Funding Vote, Icy Weather Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

Protests and a general strike continue in Minneapolis after federal immigration agents fatally shot 37 year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a crackdown, the second ICE related killing in the state this month.
Senate Democrats threaten to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans agree to new limits on immigration enforcement, a standoff that could trigger a partial government shutdown.
And across the country, states are digging out from a major winter storm that left deadly ice and snow, widespread power outages, and thousands of canceled flights.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Eric Westervelt, Krishnadev Calamur, Alfredo Carbajal, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adam Bearne.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Ava Pukatch and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Simon-Laslo Janssen. And our technical director is David Greenburg.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Minnesota ICE Shooting Aftermath
(05:44) Senate DHS Funding Vote
(09:26) Icy Weather
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Challenger at 40: Lessons from a tragedy Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

Forty years ago, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. Seven astronauts were killed, including teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. It was a devastating blow to the U.S. space program and a national tragedy for the country. In the days after the explosion, the search for answers began. Two NPR reporters, Howard Berkes and Daniel Zwerdling, focused their reporting on the engineers who managed Challenger’s booster rockets. On February 20, 1986, Berkes and Zwerdling broke a major story, providing the first details of a last-minute effort by those engineers to stop NASA from launching Challenger.

In this special NPR documentary, Howard Berkes unfolds an investigation spanning forty years, from those desperate efforts in 1986 to delay the launch, to decades of crushing guilt for some of the engineers, and to the lessons learned that are as critical as ever as NASA’s budget and workforce shrink.

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U.S. Preparing for Winter Storm; Trump's Use of Military; U.S Consumer Spending Jan 24, 2026

Show notes

At least half of the U.S. population will be hit by a powerful winter storm this weekend - we'll tell you how Oklahoma, and other states, are preparing. Plus, a look at how President Trump is using the military overseas as well inside the U.S. during his second term. Plus, a look at consumer spending in the U.S. and how sustainable it is at present levels.
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Minnesota Protests, Zelenskyy Slams Europe In Davos, Winter Storm Approaches Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

In Minnesota, protests and business closures spread as immigration operations continue and confrontations with federal agents intensify.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukraine’s president delivers a blunt message to Europe, warning that the continent must stop relying on the U.S. and prepare to defend itself as Russia’s war grinds on.
And across the U.S., states are bracing for a massive winter storm threatening millions of people with dangerous weather conditions.
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 Eric Westervelt, Willem Marx, Russell Lewis, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Minnesota Protests
(05:28) Zelenskyy Slams Europe In Davos
(09:00) Winter Storm Approaches
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Rahm Emanuel on 2026 Midterms and Politics in the Trump Era Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Rahm Emanuel has held many political jobs, and he's considering a run for President. In a wide-ranging interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, he critiques democrats and offers advice for the upcoming midterms.
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
This bonus episode of Up First was edited by Reena Advani. It was produced by Barry Gordemer and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez. Our Deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens and our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
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