Up First from NPR

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned after months of pressure and a collapse of support within his own party, with popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham his likely successor and on track to become Britain's seventh prime minister in just ten years.  The first round of U.S.-Iran talks wrapped in Switzerland with mediators announcing encouraging progress and a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, though Iran says the real test remains whether the ceasefire holds in Lebanon. And President Trump is struggling to sell the Iran deal to his own party, his MAGA base is angry he went to war

Who are the workers behind the global scam industry?  In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where many of them had been trafficked, held against their will, and forced to work for little pay. The Cambodian government’s recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025. But how did these workers end up in Cambodia, and what was the promise that drew them there? In this two-part series for The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani

PART 2: With the Cambodian government’s ongoing crackdown on the scam industry, tens of thousands of former scammers are stranded on the streets of Phnom Penh. Are they being treated as criminals or as victims themselves of a global industry designed to extract their labor? In part 2 of our series on The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani continues the story of one Ugandan scam worker as he tries to make his way home. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Priva

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah renew their ceasefire while Iran and the U.S. try to push ahead with negotiating a broader deal. We'll also look at how the preliminary agreement is being viewed domestically, and at President Trump's G7 appearance. Plus, we'll have the latest on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where aid is starting to arrive. 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

The deal to end the war with Iran is already looking shaky, with Vice President Vance delaying his trip to Switzerland to start negotiations and Israel still bombing Lebanon even though the deal says that has to stop. Vance is supposed to lead difficult negotiations with Iran, but he has limited diplomatic experience with a 60 days goal of going through a long list of tough issues still left to settle. And the Obama Presidential Center opens to the public in Chicago today, where Obama used the dedication to tell people not to miss the past, but to remember what is still possible. Want more a

President Trump and Iran’s president have signed an initial agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Israel was left out of the negotiations and Trump is openly criticizing its continued attacks in Lebanon. President Trump is once again putting Senate Republicans in a tough spot, he's holding back his pick for Director of National Intelligence until his demands are met, leaving his temporary pick Bill Pulte to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies, with Trump threatening to block a key spy tool until he gets his way. And a new NPR/PBS News/ Marist poll finds Americans st

The U.S. and Iran have a deal to end the war but the text remains secret with Israel denied a look and Congress asking to see it, as big questions linger over billions in frozen Iranian funds and the fighting in Lebanon.  President Trump wraps up the G7 summit in France today, saying Iran is now in the rearview mirror as he criticizes Israel over Lebanon and turns his attention to ending the war in Ukraine. And primary runoffs in Georgia delivered a split for President Trump, whose backing helped Mike Collins win the Republican Senate nomination to face Jon Ossoff while his pick for governor l

The U.S.-Iran deal is set to be signed Friday, but Israel finds itself completely sidelined from the agreement and future talks, with none of its core goals on Iran's nuclear program met. President Trump is holding a flurry of meetings on the first full day of the G7 summit in France, huddling with Gulf leaders over the Iran deal and with G7 leaders on how to ramp up pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine.  And it's primary day again, with Georgia's Republican Senate runoff exposing a rift in the party as President Trump and the outgoing governor back opposite candidates to take on Democra

President Trump says a deal has been reached to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the agreement is set to be signed Friday in Switzerland and leaves out Israel, whose opposition is calling it one of the country's worst failures. Just hours after announcing the deal, President Trump hosted a UFC fight on the White House lawn on his 80th birthday for the nation's 250th. And right after the fight, Trump headed to the G7 summit in the French Alps, where he is expected to arrive in triumph and lean on the same allies he berated for refusing to join the war. Want more analy

In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to be part of the racial justice movement. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved. Today on The Sunday Story, we bring you the first episode of a new series from NPR’s Embedded podcast that investigates Mays’ death. 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

The stalemate in Iran continues to vex the president, the merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery gets an all-clear from Washington, and the Knicks and Spurs fight for the NBA title. 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

President Trump canceled planned strikes on Iran citing progress in negotiations and says a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz could be signed within days, capping a week of whiplash that saw the U.S. bomb Iran three nights in a row and Trump threaten to seize an Iranian island. The UFC holds seven fights on the White House lawn Sunday for America's 250th birthday, one of a growing list of side projects taking up President Trump's time as a watchdog group sues over his stake in UFC's parent company. President Trump named federal prosecutor Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National

The U.S. unleashed a second straight night of strikes on Iran with President Trump saying Iran is taking too long to negotiate, as Iran fires back at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan and Trump reveals U.S. efforts to help oil tankers slip past the Iranian blockade.  Inflation jumped to its highest level in more than three years last month, largely driven by soaring gas prices since the war with Iran began, leaving many families like Emily Inlow in Kentucky struggling as wages fail to keep pace with rising costs. And the 2026 World Cup kicks off today in Mexico City, the world’s biggest

Iran launched attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan overnight after the U.S. struck Iranian targets in retaliation for an Iranian attack that downed a U.S. helicopter, raising fears of an escalation spiral that could derail any deal. Primary results are in from Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina, with Maine's high-stakes Senate matchup now set between Democrat Graham Platner and Republican Susan Collins, and Trump's endorsed candidate for South Carolina governor headed to a runoff. And Congress approved 70 billion dollars in immigration enforcement funding that will carry ICE and B

Israel and Iran both pulled back after trading missile fire at the urging of President Trump, but each side is setting conditions that could quickly reignite the fighting and derail U.S. efforts towards a deal with Iran. It's primary day in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina, with Maine Democrats picking a candidate to challenge longtime Senator Susan Collins in a race critical to control of the Senate and South Carolina offering another test of President Trump's endorsement power. And California is still counting votes almost a week after election day, drawing fraud claims withou

Israel and Iran trade direct strikes following an Israeli attack on Beirut's southern suburbs that defied a U.S. request to stand down, further complicating U.S. efforts to reach a deal with Iran. President Trump abruptly walked out of an interview on Meet the Press after being pressed on his anti-weaponization fund and his repeated false claims that the 2020 election and last week's California primaries were rigged.  And the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an unprecedented pace, with Africa's CDC warning it could rival the worst outbreak on record. Want more

The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16 additional teams competing this year, it will be the biggest World Cup to date. But in Trump’s America, visa issues and geopolitical tensions are creating additional challenges for the teams and the fans.  Today on The Sunday Story, we bring two of NPR’s biggest soccer nerds onto the show to talk about the competition, the entertainment, and the cultural significance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us

Decisions are coming in several major Supreme Court cases, from birthright citizenship and immigration to the president's power to fire federal officials. Posts about prediction markets are latest way for influencers to sow doubt about election results in California. Mexican host city of Guadalajara wrestles with welcoming tens of thousands of tourists to the World Cup, when violence permeates daily life. 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

Senate Republicans worked through the night to pass President Trump's $72 billion immigration enforcement bill, but voted not to block the president’s anti-weaponization fund. A handful of Republicans are breaking with President Trump over the war in Iran, his anti-weaponization fund, and his pick to lead national intelligence, raising the question of whether his grip on the party is starting to slip after a decade of dominance. And former national security adviser turned Trump critic John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of mishandling classified information, a case that p

President Trump says he'll nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice, even as his now-scrapped anti-weaponization fund continues to complicate a major immigration enforcement bill in Congress. President Trump confirms he cursed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called him crazy in a heated call that halted planned strikes on Beirut, exposing growing tension between the two longtime allies over the direction of the war. And Russia's political and business elite have gathered in St. Petersburg for President Putin's showcase econom

Republican voters in Iowa rejected President Trump's pick for governor in last night's primary, a rare moment of pushback as voters in six states set up key November matchups including House races that could decide control of Congress. The Justice Department is scrapping President Trump's nearly $1.8 billion dollar anti-weaponization fund after sustained bipartisan backlash, though the DOJ says part of the IRS settlement shielding Trump and his family from past tax investigations still stands. And President Trump has named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting Director

The Justice Department says it will abide by a court order temporarily blocking President Trump's anti-weaponization fund, even as Senate Republicans push the White House to abandon the nearly two billion dollar program entirely amid bipartisan backlash. The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is barely holding as Israel keeps expanding its war in Lebanon, with Gulf states watching nervously as President Trump's diplomatic push faces its biggest test yet. And it's primary day in six states including California, where Democrats hope new congressional maps will help them flip up to five Republ

Anti-establishment candidate Graham Platner seemingly came out of nowhere to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate seat in Maine. But his campaign has been dogged by controversies. There were the old, deleted Reddit posts in which he made racist comments and blamed sexual assault on victims. There was a now-covered tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol. And most recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women early in his marriage. Taken together, they raise a big question. Does he have too much baggage to carry on?

Israeli forces captured a 900-year-old castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in 26 years, complicating U.S. efforts to reach a deal with Iran even as the two sides traded more strikes over the weekend. Congress returns from its Memorial Day break facing a stalled immigration funding bill that has become tangled up with President Trump’s push for an anti-weaponization fund and possible payments to January 6 defendants. And the Trump administration’s anti-weaponization fund is facing new legal hurdles after one judge temporarily blocked it and another judge rai

Scientists say that sitting is the new smoking. The average American adult now sits for 9-10 hours per day. What’s the least amount of movement someone can do to offset the harms of our modern sedentary lifestyle? Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour podcast, has spent the last several years trying to answer that question. After collaborating with Columbia University Medical Center on a major study, she brings Ayesha the answer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Pr

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth talks Pacific security, the government reviews E. Jean Carroll's civil cases against President Trump, Costco and Walmart are selling more gasoline. 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

Vice President Vance says the U.S. is very close to a deal with Iran to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Lebanon remains the main hurdle as Israel bombed Beirut again and is also expanding its control over Gaza.  The Justice Department is investigating writer E. Jean Carroll and the major Democratic donor who helped pay some of her legal bills against President Trump, part of a broader pattern of probes into the president’s perceived political adversaries. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is asserting full control over the network, forcing out the longtime executive

Even as peace talks continue, the U.S. struck Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliated against a U.S. base in Kuwait, while Israel expanded its assault in Lebanon by issuing evacuation orders for the southern city, Tyre. Texas now has one of the most competitive Senate races in the country after Republicans nominated Ken Paxton, giving Democrats an opportunity to flip a seat in the midterms as they map out their path to controlling the Senate. And the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is worsening with more than a thousand suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths, as Canada bans

Ken Paxton defeated four-term Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary by nearly two to one, setting up what could be the most competitive Senate race in the state in decades as Democrats see an opening. South Carolina Republicans blocked President Trump's push to redraw the state's congressional map, with some in the party warning the nationwide redistricting effort is energizing Democrats and independents ahead of the midterms. And President Trump has declared progress on an Iran deal at least six times and still no deal, now as negotiations continue Trump is pushing for more Gu

The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats laying mines, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio says negotiations to end the war could still take a few more days, with Israel warning the emerging deal is a bad one as it escalates attacks in Lebanon. Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Ukraine, hitting every district in Kyiv over the weekend while Ukraine continues long-range drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and warns it desperately needs more air defense systems. Texas Republicans are voting today in the most expensive primary in U.S. histor

President Trump says a deal with Iran is “largely negotiated” after weekend talks with Gulf leaders and Israel. A preliminary agreement expected to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz while leaving the nuclear program for a later round of talks. Some Republican senators are already calling it a disaster. Gulf countries are pressing hard for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Iran as a preliminary 60-day ceasefire extension is discussed, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other regional players react to the latest developments. In eastern Congo, a rare strain of Ebo

For people working to address climate change in the U.S., the last year has been a hard one. The Trump administration has been rolling back rules and regulations aimed at reducing planet-warming pollution. But some cities and states are moving forward on climate action. On today’s episode of The Sunday Story, NPR’s Julia Simon brings us local solutions to this global problem.  To hear and read more reporting from NPR’s Climate Solutions week, visit npr.org/climateweek. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast

Washington ratcheted up the pressure on Havana this week. A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Electricity costs are rising as the U.S. enters warmer weather, likely meaning higher utility bills for consumers. 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

Republicans left for recess without passing President Trump’s top immigration enforcement package after he pushed for funding for his White House ballroom and a controversial anti-weaponization fund, raising new questions about growing GOP pushback against the president. The Democratic National Committee has released its long-delayed 2024 election autopsy report, a nearly 200-page document filled with disclaimers that much of the data could not be verified and containing almost no serious discussion of the economy. President Trump hinted at military action against Cuba after the U.S. indicted

Republicans in Congress are racing to pass a $72 billion immigration enforcement package using budget reconciliation, but President Trump is furious that funding for his White House ballroom was blocked, escalating tensions with GOP lawmakers still recovering from his primary challenges. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense call Tuesday over the direction of the war with Iran as Trump delayed a planned U.S. strike at the request of Gulf leaders concerned about next week’s Hajj pilgrimage. The U.S. has indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro for his all

President Trump ousted Republican Congressman Thomas Massie in last night's primary in Kentucky, the latest GOP lawmaker to lose his seat for crossing the president, and Democratic voters turned out in force across six states that held primaries on Tuesday. President Trump said he was "an hour away" from launching new military strikes on Iran this week before calling them off and he's now giving Tehran a few more days to reach a deal. Police have identified the three victims killed in the San Diego mosque shooting, including security guard Amin Abdullah who is credited with saving 140 children

San Diego authorities are investigating a shooting at the city’s largest mosque as a hate crime. Three victims were killed and two teenage suspects whom police believe carried out the attack were found dead. Primaries in six states today are testing President Trump’s influence over the Republican Party, including a high-stakes congressional race in Kentucky where Trump is trying to defeat a sitting GOP member who has crossed him. President Trump dropped his lawsuit against his own IRS over the leak of his tax returns and instead agreed to create a nearly 1.8 billion dollar anti-weaponization f

In this special episode of Up First, we’re sharing the latest episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, featuring UFC president Dana White. When Donald Trump celebrated his imminent return to the White House on election night in November 2024, a parade of high-profile supporters joined him on stage. They included White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the multibillion-dollar mixed martial arts organization. White calls Trump "a friend." This June 14, UFC will host a fight on the South Lawn of the White House -- commemorating the nation's 250th birthday. That day happens to be

Senator Bill Cassidy became the latest Republican casualty in President Trump’s campaign against disloyal members of his party, losing his primary in Louisiana after voting to convict Trump following the January 6th insurrection. The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency over a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has already killed more than 80 people and spread to neighboring Uganda. A jury in California has begun deliberating in Elon Musk’s high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, with Musk claiming he was misled

For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the government to build luxury condos. The communities are fighting back, but even court injunctions haven’t stopped the bulldozers. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu goes to these sites of destruction and talks to those who have lost everything in this race to develop one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podca

Cuba experienced blackouts and protests this week, and the CIA director made a visit to Havana. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., faces primary voters today. Trump administration travel restrictions are complicating travel plans for World Cup soccer fans. 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

President Trump is heading home from Beijing claiming he made fantastic trade deals with China, including a commitment for 200 Boeing jets and soybean purchases. The Supreme Court kept the abortion pill mifepristone available over telemedicine, putting a hold on an appeals court order that would have required patients to visit a clinic in person to get the medication.  British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion within his own party, with candidates already emerging to replace him after Labour was trounced in local elections and his approval ratings hit historic lows. Want more a

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for more than two hours at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with the CEOs of Apple, Tesla and NVIDIA in the room as both sides look to stabilize a trade relationship that has been on shaky ground for years. The rest of Asia is watching Trump's Beijing visit closely, as allies and rivals in the region try to read what a closer U.S.-China relationship could mean for them. And President Trump's crackdown on big law firms goes before a federal appeals court today, as firms that once employed lawyers who investigated Trump fight back ag

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. Want more analysis of the most important

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. Want more analysis of the most important news of

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. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus

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. 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

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. 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

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. Want mor

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