Up First from NPR - Israeli Embassy Employees Killed, Israel’s Occupation Plans, Trump Bill Latest

Officials in Israel and Washington are condemning the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Plus, Israel seeks full control of Gaza as a condition to end its war with Hamas, and Republicans close in on passage of a massive bill at the heart of President Trump's domestic agenda.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Gigi Douban, Kevin Drew, Carrie Kahn, Kelsey Snell, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zac Coleman and Josh Sauvagvau. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.


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Marketplace All-in-One - Farm workers head back to school to upskill in agtech

This week, we hit the road to check out California’s Central Valley, where the future of agricultural innovation is taking shape. We visited a farm that’s piloting next-gen tools and a university research center that’s helping develop that tech. Today, we’re at an AgTEC Workforce graduation, a community college program in this region that helps upskill farm workers.

Headlines From The Times - Trump’s Beautiful Bill, California’s Quake Risk, and AI’s Next Frontier

Trump’s sweeping 1,000-page bill proposes permanent tax breaks, deep cuts to social programs, and new financial benefits for newborns. In California, $33 million in federal earthquake retrofit funding just vanished, jeopardizing safety upgrades to vulnerable buildings. And OpenAI just made a $6.5 billion deal, teaming up with former Apple design chief to build what they’re calling the future of computing.

Bay Curious - How Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs Became Iconic Bay Area Street Food

If you've ever walked around Pier 39 in San Francisco or made a late-night exit from a concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, you're probably familiar with the bacon wrapped hot dog. But who are the vendors behind these savory snacks? And what's with the bacon and onions? Bay Curious listener Olivia Godfrey wanted to find out more.


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This story was reported by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and everyone on Team KQED.

Curious City - Car towed? Listen to this on your way down to Chicago’s Central Auto Pound

If you’ve had your car towed in Chicago, there’s a decent chance you had to journey down to Lower Lower Wacker Drive — likely not in the best of moods — to open your wallet and recollect your vehicle. “It's supposed to be a happy process,” said Michael Lacoco, the deputy commissioner of the city’s bureau of traffic services. In our last episode, we answered some of your many questions about Lower Wacker Drive, a.k.a. Chicago’s basement. Today, we try to demystify a notorious Chicago landmark within: the Central Auto Pound. Lacoco is a 33-year veteran of this department, the perfect person to help us on this journey. He explains why you shouldn’t try to steal your own car from the lot, why that white inventory number they draw on your window is so hard to wash off, and what you can do if you think you were wrongfully towed.

WSJ What’s News - Two Israeli Embassy Staffers Shot Dead in Washington D.C.

A.M. Edition for May 22. A man shouting “Free Palestine” fired shots near a Jewish museum in the U.S. capital, with President Donald Trump suggesting the killings were driven by antisemitism. Plus, WSJ’s Quentin Webb says it's a new, golden era for crypto as Bitcoin jumps to a fresh, record high. And Oasis fans look set to outspend Swifties as the British band’s summer reunion tour gears up. Azhar Sukri hosts.


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The Daily - A Conversation With Vice President Vance

Vice President JD Vance met with the new pope a few days ago. He then sat down with The Times to talk about faith, immigration, the law and the partisan temptation to go too far.

Ross Douthat, an opinion columnist and the host of the new podcast “Interesting Times,” discusses their conversation.

Guest: Ross Douthat, an Opinion columnist and the host of the “Interesting Times” podcast.

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The Intelligence from The Economist - Suspicious mines: Putin-proofing the Baltics

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia know their borders may be the next front for Russian aggression. They do not want to deploy mines and razor wire—but they must. Our correspondent visits the American city of Baltimore to investigate a national drop in violent crime (9:46). And a sweeping new biography of Mark Twain, who created a uniquely American style of fiction (17:19).


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