Up First from NPR

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Seattle Shooting, Iran War Pause, Midterm Elections Jul 27, 2026

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At least three people are dead after a shooting at a food festival in Seattle. Four others are injured, including a 2-year-old boy. Police say a suspect is in custody, while another is on the loose. After nearly two weeks of intense airstrikes, the U.S. and Iran have paused their attacks and started exchanging messages again. And with fewer than 100 days left until election day, some key races across the country are heating up. We'll take a look at the current state of play.
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 Miguel Macias, Tina Kraja, Ben Swasey, HJ Mai and Ally Schweitzer.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:58) Seattle Shooting
(05:25) Iran War Pause
(09:07) Midterm Elections
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‘We want to ride’: the 1978 protest that sparked the disability rights movement Jul 26, 2026

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Thirty-six years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, guaranteeing civil rights for millions of Americans. But the movement that made that day possible began years earlier. One pivotal victory was won by a small, often-forgotten group of activists in Denver known as the "Gang of 19."
On TheSunday Story, NPR’s Joseph Shapiro and Colorado Public Radio’s Stephanie Wolf trace the history of the disability rights movement—from the protests that secured accessible public transit to the modern-day fight to protect the hard-won right to live independently.
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White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Ukraine hits Russian Retailer, India Protests Jul 25, 2026

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A recap of President Trump’s hour-long speech at the rescheduled White House Correpondents’ Dinner. Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia’s airfields and oil refineries and are now going after Wildberries, Russia’s large e-commerce retailer. Young people’s protests in India over entrance exams have resulted in the resignation of the country’s education minister today.
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Saudi Oil Tankers Attacked, Trump's New Tariffs, Wisconsin Police Shooting Jul 24, 2026

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Oil topped $100 a barrel for the first time in two months after Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, opening a new front in the shipping war as President Trump says he's weighing a massive attack on Iran.
One of Trump's global tariffs expired overnight and he replaced it within the hour with a new one hitting 59 countries and the European Union, built on a different legal argument after the Supreme Court threw out his last batch.
And people in Madison, Wisconsin gathered to remember Corey Ruiz, who police shot and killed Wednesday after they say he pulled a knife during a struggle, though bystander video appears to show him on the ground when the officer fired.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Rebekah Metzler, Gigi Douban, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.
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 Stacey Abbott.
And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) Saudi Oil Tankers Attacked
(05:24) Trump's New Tariffs
(09:19) Wisconsin Police Shooting
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Saudi Uranium Enrichment Deal, Trump Defends Iran War, GOP Congress Out Of Sync Jul 23, 2026

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Saudi Arabia is getting American nuclear reactors and a path to enrich its own uranium, the same technology the U.S. has spent months bombing Iran to stop, which has Israel warning about a nuclear arms race.
President Trump is asking Americans to be patient about what the war is costing them, promising Iran will pay for itself the way he claims Venezuela has, but his own supporters are getting harder to convince as gas prices climb again.
And the House heads home for a month today after cramming in four big bills on the way out, none of which the Senate is likely to take up as written, even though Republicans run both chambers.
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, Rebekah Metzler, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adriana Gallardo.
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 Stacey Abbott.
And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Saudi Uranium Enrichment Deal
(05:26) Trump Defends Iran War
(09:03) GOP Congress Out Of Sync
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Trump Receives Fallen Troops, Hegseth Grilled On The Hill, Arizona Primary Results Jul 22, 2026

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President Trump travels to Dover Air Force Base today to receive the bodies of service members killed in the Iran war, as he insists Iran is desperate for a deal.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth got a grilling from both parties on Capitol Hill as he asked for billions more to fund a war Congress never voted to authorize, with 18 troops now dead and nearly 500 wounded.
And Arizona has picked its candidates for the fall, with Trump ally Andy Biggs, who tried to overturn the 2020 election, winning the Republican nomination for governor and setting up what could be one of the closest races in the country against Democrat Katie Hobbs.
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, Jason Breslow, Miguel Macias, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adriana Gallardo.
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 Stacey Abbott.
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) Trump Receives Fallen Troops
(05:35) Hegseth Grilled On The Hill
(09:15) Arizona Primary Results
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Iran And Yemen's Houthis Blockade, Hegseth On Capitol Hill, Arizona Primary Day Jul 21, 2026

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The war between the U.S. and Iran keeps widening as Yemen's Houthi rebels announce a blockade of Saudi Arabia that would choke off another key oil route, even as Iran signals it may be open to talks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth heads to Capitol Hill today to ask lawmakers for a nearly 90 billion dollar funding boost for the war with Iran, in a rare chance for senators to question him after the Pentagon admitted 100 troops were wounded in the past two weeks and hasn't briefed reporters since May.
And it's the last day of primary voting in Arizona, a swing state that's become ground zero for election denialism, with big fall races taking shape for governor, a toss-up House seat, and secretary of state.
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, Andrew Sussman, Larry Kaplow, 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 Stacey Abbott.
And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Iran And Yemen's Houthis Blockade
(05:31) Hegseth On Capitol Hill
(09:20) Arizona Primary Day
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US-Iran War Escalates, Congress To-Do List, UK Has A New Prime Minister Jul 20, 2026

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A third U.S. service member has been killed since Friday as the U.S. bombs Iran for a ninth straight night, with Iran vowing not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the attacks continue.
House Republicans have one week left before the August recess as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to advance defense funding, a stock trading ban for lawmakers, and President Trump’s election integrity bill amid high voter anxiety over the cost of living.
And the United Kingdom has a new prime minister this morning as Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer, becoming the country’s seventh leader in just ten years.
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, Brett Neely, Tara Neill, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.
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
(01:54) US-Iran War Escalates
(05:24) Congress To-Do List
(09:08) UK Has A New Prime Minister
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Infertility doctor secretly fathered dozens of children: how strangers became family Jul 19, 2026

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What defines a family? For a group of strangers, that question took on a profound, unexpected meaning after DNA tests revealed a hidden, decades-old deception. They discovered they were all half-siblings conceived through artificial insemination in the mid-20th century. Their biological father was not the man who raised them, but Dr. Charles Charny, a Philadelphia fertility specialist.
In this week's episode of The Sunday Story, Frank Langfitt follows this unique family as they piece together their strange creation tale and decide to become a family.
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Hunter Biden on addiction and 'the gift of being publicly shamed' | NPR's Newsmakers Jul 19, 2026

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Hunter Biden says he has nothing left to hide. He’s been all over the internet in recent months, including appearances with some of his harshest critics, such as ultra-conservative podcasters Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes. In May, he reactivated his long-dormant X account, writing, “You've never actually heard from me.”
Since then, he’s posted an average of 23 times per day — weighing in on politics, news and culture. After his private life and struggle with addiction was made public through leaks in the media, congressional investigations and federal prosecutions, Biden now says being ‘stripped naked in the public square’ was, in a way, a gift.
In this episode of NPR's Newsmakers, Scott Simon sat down with Biden, who opened up about that public shaming, why President Joe Biden decided to pardon him after tax and gun convictions and why he didn’t want his father to run for reelection in 2024 – but didn’t tell him at the time.
Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. New episodes drop as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. To stay caught up, follow the show on Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, or find Newsmakers on the NPR app.
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