Up First from NPR

Nvidia founder Jensen Huang is out as CEO after allegations involving multiple affairs, leaving longtime CFO Colette Kress to steady the company as it faces questions about leadership, investor confidence and its dominance of the AI chip market.
Huang’s close relationship with President Trump is drawing scrutiny in Washington, with lawmakers asking whether his access influenced U.S. chip policy toward China and what administration officials knew about the national security concerns surrounding him.
U.S. envoys say European governments could join the next round of Russia-Ukraine talks after meetings with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as ne...

Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed says Americans “temporarily” put their trust and hope in Democrats.

But he adds that if his party doesn’t act boldly when it takes control of Congress, it may lose that trust.

El-Sayed is the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Senate. The 42-year-old progressive from Michigan is now calling for new Senate leadership and urging President Trump to meet and discuss how they can “figure out what we can work on and get done.”

El-Sayed, a former Detroit public health official, even floated the idea of naming major heal...

Democrat Scott Colom won Mississippi’s Senate race by fewer than 5,000 votes, becoming the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction and ending a more than 40-year stretch without a Democrat in the seat.
The White House is warning Democrats that their planned investigations could cross into “blatant criminality,” previewing a legal and political fight over congressional oversight when Democrats take control next year.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a major prisoner exchange after two days of U.S.-mediated talks, as American envoys meet Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to explore whether a broader European security agreement could he...

House Republicans blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but lawmakers still have other ways to challenge the administration over the Iran war and its push for more defense spending.
House Republicans chose Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan to lead them in the minority, signaling a more combative approach as the party prepares to face a Democratic majority next year.
Federal prosecutors say three Iran-backed operatives were involved in nearly twenty attacks or attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, while a separate case involving a U.S. soldier accused of spying for Russia is raising...

The House could vote this week on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over allegations that he violated federal law and Congress’ war powers, even as President Trump continues to stand by him.
Trump says U.S. allies in the Middle East want him to hold off on more strikes against Iran while talks continue, even as he warns the U.S. remains “locked and loaded” if that changes.
Congress is demanding answers from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as scrutiny grows over his relationship with a woman tied to a company reportedly investigated over whether restricted Nvidia chips were reachi...

President Trump says his immigration crackdown may have gone too far even as he elevates Stephen Miller, one of its chief architects, to run the White House after Republicans lost Congress.
Republicans are returning to Washington for a lame-duck session with a shrinking House majority and a short list of priorities, including funding the government, passing military spending and confirming Trump nominees.
Nvidia is investigating reports that CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with a woman suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence, raising new questions about one of the most important companies in the U.S.-China technology...

What drove the Democratic blue wave at the polls and what happens now? This week on The Sunday Story, we dive into the lessons from the midterms and talk about where the country goes from here.

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What the big win for Democrats in the midterm elections means for the Supreme Court and lower courts. Big tech companies sue California to block the enforcement of a state law meant to protect children from getting addicted to social media. Life in Cuba gets harder as the United States increases economic pressure on the island country.
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The October jobs report will show whether hiring picked up after a weak September, even as inflation continues to outpace wages and markets reel from a sharp selloff.
Democrats are promising relief from high fuel prices, but Congress has limited power to lower them quickly and analysts say prices could stay elevated for months even if the war with Iran ends.
A federal judge blocked construction on President Trump’s 250-foot D.C. arch for 14 days, setting up a broader fight over his efforts to reshape the capital and the checks courts and a new Democratic Congress may im...

Democrats are preparing an ambitious opening agenda for their new congressional majority, including efforts to restore health subsidies, reverse Medicaid cuts, rein in tariffs and challenge the war with Iran.
Two Senate races remain undecided as Democrats continue gaining ground in places Republicans once considered safe, underscoring how dramatically the electorate shifted in the midterms.
President Trump says the war with Iran hurt Republicans at the polls but insists he would make the same decision again, even as he rejects the idea that the losses were a repudiation of him.

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Democrats swept control of Congress with historic Senate victories in Texas, South Carolina and Kansas, giving the party new momentum even as its broader brand remains unpopular.
President Trump’s hand-picked candidates suffered major losses, leaving Republicans to wrestle with how closely to stay tied to him as he prepares for two years of divided government.
Democratic control of the House and Senate will give the party new power to block Trump nominees and launch investigations, with Hakeem Jeffries poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House.

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Election Day is here, with control of Congress hinging on unexpectedly competitive races in states including Iowa, Arkansas and Mississippi.
President Trump sounded unusually subdued in his final campaign appearance, acknowledging the historical odds against the president’s party in midterm elections.
Iran has spent months using the Strait of Hormuz and high gas prices to pressure President Trump back toward negotiations, but Election Day could instead mark the start of another round of war.

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Michigan Democrats are in open conflict on the eve of the election after Haley Stevens revoked her endorsement of Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and backed his Republican opponent.
Republicans are defending unexpectedly competitive races across traditionally red territory, from Alaska to Kansas and South Carolina, as the political map continues shifting toward Democrats.
Qatar is pushing a new diplomatic plan to stop Iranian attacks on ships and reopen talks with the U.S. as Gulf states try to prevent another round of war.

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Millions of Americans have already cast their votes early ahead of Tuesday’s midterms. On this episode of The Sunday Story, NPR’s senior political correspondent Tamara Keith discusses the turbulent and unpredictable political landscape of this years’ midterm election. Rising costs and unpopular foreign policy decisions have some experts anticipating a blue wave. President Trump is predicting the opposite. But voters on both sides of the aisle share one commonality: they’re not happy. How will a dissatisfied electorate decide the future of America?

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Oil companies are reporting sky-high profits this quarter. Hackers stole $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency this week, in the largest digital heist ever. It’s been just over two years since the rise of Make America Healthy Again. Has the Trump administration made good on the MAHA agenda? 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.

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President Trump is changing his final campaign strategy as Republicans try to close an early-voting gap and hold off Democratic gains in competitive races across the country.
Alaska’s tight Senate race is facing new scrutiny after allegations that Democrats helped recruit a spoiler candidate with the same name as the Republican incumbent, while Mary Peltola denies knowing about the effort.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who was briefed on possible new U.S. strikes on Iran, is warning that the plan could trigger a major escalation as American forces continue building up in the region.

Wa...

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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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.

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Israelis will vote in national elections next week. It’s the first vote since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the Gaza war. Many Israelis call it the most important vote in their country’s history.

On this episode of the Sunday Story, NPR’s Daniel Estrin reports on Israelis and how they’ve changed after three years of wars across the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the world’s most controversial and consequential leaders, is seeking a seventh term. A former military chief of staff is his main challenger. 

Now, as Israel faces a global ba...

Authorities say the 16-year-old suspect in a school shooting that killed three children and one teacher at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon was once a student there. Elon Musk has influence across the economy and politics. The major party candidates for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat faced off in a debate Friday on MPR News. Affordability and fallout from the Trump administration’s policies were key points. 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.

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At least three children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, where police say a 16-year-old gunman was killed by an armed community member.
As President Trump increasingly blames Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the failure of peace efforts, Russia is watching the growing divide while beginning to release diesel under its new deal with the United States.
The Justice Department sued California after Los Angeles County refused to investigate a federal list of more than 20,000 voters the government says may be noncitizens.

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President Donald Trump recently called Hasan Piker a “terrible liability” and a “communist.”

The California-based streamer — who describes himself as a socialist — has become the GOP’s political bogeyman ahead of the midterm elections. Piker argues those attacks will backfire, but also says he has played a role in being portrayed as a 'figurehead of the insurgent left.'

“The way that I'm portrayed in the media is an America-hating communist Islamist fundamentalist who wants to secretly do jihad, and then also, at the same time, very woke and gay, so there's this weird inconsistency in their messaging...

President Donald Trump is campaigning across traditionally Republican states as his party tries to turn out voters in an increasingly competitive midterm map.
Ukraine says U.S.-supplied Starshield satellite communications have suddenly been restricted, disrupting the drones it uses to attack Russia and defend against Russian strikes.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck the headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco and are threatening more attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities as the conflict escalates.

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In a sit-down interview with NPR, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the U.S. warned it could cut intelligence sharing over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Pope Leo XIV is recovering from surgery after the Vatican announced he has lung cancer, as doctors wait for more test results to determine what comes next.
President Trump forced out U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of misconduct allegations, raising new questions about his political appointees overseas.

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President Trump is ramping up campaign travel and putting himself at the center of the midterms as Republicans fight increasingly competitive races in states he won easily.
Federal agents searched Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s home as part of a criminal investigation just weeks before the midterms, prompting her to accuse the Trump administration of political targeting.
European allies are pushing back on Trump’s approach to Russia, with the E-U tightening sanctions and NATO’s top commander warning the alliance is ready to fight if attacked.

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President Trump is increasing pressure on Ukraine over its strikes on Russian oil refineries while again calling on Ukrainians to hold wartime elections and threatening to cut off U.S. intelligence support.
President Trump is trying to show voters he is focused on affordability as record fuel prices and a controversial Russian diesel deal collide with his familiar political grievances just weeks before the midterms.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have killed at least 20 people in the past week and repeatedly struck Riyadh’s main airport, raising new questions about the kingdom’s security and the role of its...

Aliksandria Prout had only been at the Central California Women’s Facility for a few days when a male officer stopped her at a checkpoint. “You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,” he said. That was just the beginning. On this episode of The Sunday Story, we feature the first episode of a new three-part series from KQED’s Snap Judgment called “We Are Jane Doe.” It follows thirteen women and their fight for justice against the jailers who sexually assaulted them.

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The first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season strikes the Florida panhandle and drenches the southeast. Trump agrees to import Russian diesel, in the hopes of lowering gas prices. New York City is rattled after ICE shot a man who was driving his 5-year-old son home from school. 
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Hurricane Isaias is expected to strike near the Alabama-Florida state line as communities prepare for dangerous winds, flooding and a life-threatening storm surge.
Ukraine is reclaiming territory in the east with a counteroffensive that uses drones and unmanned ground vehicles to push back Russian forces.
President Trump says the U.S. will not launch new strikes on Iran before the midterm elections as the unpopular war weighs on Republicans heading into Election Day.

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Communities along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast are preparing for Hurricane Isaias as officials warn of flooding, damaging winds and disruptions to weekend events.
Democrats are targeting House districts President Trump won comfortably in 2024, while Republicans spend heavily to defend seats that would normally be considered safe.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico are back in federal court challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict their reporters’ access to the White House.

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The U.S. pulled a dozen bombers out of Britain after officials identified a credible Iran-linked threat, raising new questions about how exposed American forces are to drone attacks overseas.
French students are protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating schools as demonstrations spread nationwide and clashes with police intensify.
Germany has arrested former intelligence chief August Hanning on suspicion of attempted treason after prosecutors accused him of obtaining classified documents for a foreign spy service.

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