Ad spending in Kansas’ Senate race has jumped tenfold in weeks as Democrats pour money into Republican-heavy districts in the final days before the midterms.
The economy appears to be growing at a solid pace, but inflation is still running ahead of wages and leaving many Americans feeling worse off financially.
Israel still has no governing majority after its election, leaving Benjamin Netanyahu in office during coalition talks as questions remain about whether the country could launch another strike on Iran.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Rafael Nam, Tina Kraja, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange.

Our technical director is Zac Coleman. 

And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.

(0:14) Introduction
(2:07) Midterm Latest
(5:56) GDP and Inflation
(9:25) Israel Election and Iran

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President Trump rallied for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in Texas, but his personal grievances kept competing with his party’s closing message ahead of the midterms.
Israel’s election remains too close to call, with Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot both short of a governing majority and Arab-led parties potentially holding the balance of power.
Investors expect the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady today, even as prices rise faster than wages and squeeze household budgets.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Tina Kraja, Rafael Nam, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange.

Our technical director is Ariel Lopez. 

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:54) Texas Messaging
(5:39) Israel Election Results 
(9:33) Fed Interest Rates 

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A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll gives Democrats an eight-point lead on the congressional ballot, but lagging enthusiasm among young voters and independents could complicate their push to win Congress.
Democrats are preparing legal and political responses to possible election challenges from President Trump as he offers million-dollar rewards for tips leading to voter fraud convictions.
Israelis vote in a closely fought election that could determine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future, with tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad returning home to cast their ballots.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Tina Kraja, 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 Ariel Lopez.

And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:54) New NPR Poll
(6:09) Democrats and Election Protection
(9:46) Israel Election 

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Republicans redrew 15 House districts hoping to protect their majority, but most have become competitive races as the party’s redistricting strategy falls short of expectations.
Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection after trailing in the first round, but far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro is demanding the result be thrown out.
Youth-led protest movements are reshaping politics across Europe, from mass demonstrations in France to Serbia, where a student-led movement defeated the longtime ruling party in parliamentary elections.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Tina Kraja, Tara Neill, Mohamad ElBardicy and Olivia Hampton.

It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Kaity Kline.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis.

Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:57) GOP Redistricting
(5:52) Brazil Election
(9:33) Europe Protests 

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The Midwest used to be known as an affordable place to live. Lately, though, many people there are having a hard time making ends meet. In this episode of The Sunday Story, Holly Edgell and Daniel Wheaton from NPR’s Midwest Newsroom bring us the voices of Midwesterners. We hear about how people in the region are struggling financially, and how the affordability crisis is impacting their votes in the midterms. 

You can hear more of the “Costly” series here

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AI discovered a vulnerability in part of the internet's architecture, called PHP2SHELL. Security researchers rushed to fix it, but the news leaked and hackers have swooped in. France deploys hordes of police as another wave of protests begin. Netflix is regrouping after the release of its latest quarterly earnings this week.
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The U.S. is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East as oil prices climb and the prospect of another attack on Iran grows.
More than 19 million Americans have already voted, with strong turnout among Democrats and voters of color, but the numbers can’t tell us who will win.
A judge has ordered President Trump to testify in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC, potentially forcing him to answer questions about his finances and January 6.

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Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Megan Pratz, Emily Kopp, 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 Zac Coleman.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:53) U.S. Iran War
(5:38) Early Voting
(9:08) Trump vs. BBC Deposition 

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Democrats are sending former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris into competitive Senate races to help the party win in Republican territory.
NPR has learned the U.S. and Israel are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the midterms, while Americans face settler violence and military arrests in the West Bank.
Tesla and SpaceX are exploring a merger that could create one of the world’s largest companies and give Elon Musk even greater control over his sprawling business empire.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Tina Kraja, Kara Platoni, 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 Zac Coleman.

And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.


(0:00) Introduction
(1:52) Campaign Surrogates
(5:22) Israel Attack Plans
(9:05) Musk Explores Merger

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to repair ties with Washington as President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff carries new peace proposals to Russia.
President Trump is campaigning in North Carolina as Republicans struggle in key races and he ties federal relief promises to the outcome of the midterms.
Britain is sending fighter jets to help Saudi Arabia defend against Houthi attacks as the war disrupts the kingdom’s economy and deepens the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

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Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Megan Pratz, 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 Carleigh Strange.

Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.


(0:00) Introduction 
(1:54) Zelenskyy U.S. Relationship
(5:29) Trump in NC
(9:14) Saudi Yemen Crisis 

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1Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is taking his concerns about delayed U.S. weapons and intelligence directly to Congress as lawmakers in both parties question President Trump’s approach to Russia.
Republicans are spending heavily to defend traditionally conservative territory as Democrats expand the midterm map two weeks before Election Day.
The Justice Department has charged 28 California voters it says are noncitizens while asking a federal judge to stop thousands of other ballots from being counted.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Megan Pratz, Shannon Bond, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange.

Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:54) Trump Russia Ukraine
(5:36) Midterm Latest
(9:20) CA DOJ Election Feud

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NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is easing pressure on Russia by waiving new sanctions as Ukraine continues striking Russian energy targets and tensions deepen between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Democratic candidates are outraising Republicans across many competitive midterm races, while Elon Musk pours hundreds of millions into GOP super PACs.
France is facing one of its biggest political crises in years after nationwide protests erupted into violence, with thousands arrested and the unrest already shaping a presidential election six months away.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Padma Rama, Miguel Macias, Mohamad ElBardicy and Lindsay Totty.

It was produced by Iman Maani and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange.

Our technical director is Zac Coleman.

(0:00) Introduction
(1:56) Russia Ukraine U.S.
(5:33) Campaign Finance Latest
(9:29) France Protests 

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