The House votes today on whether to force the release of long-awaited Epstein files, a move pushed by a bipartisan coalition despite President Trump’s earlier efforts to stop it. A widening feud between Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene exposes growing cracks inside the MAGA movement over foreign policy and the “America First” agenda. And President Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to the White House as both sides seek deeper security and economic ties.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Megan Pratz, Rebecca Rossman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
The U.S. labor market is stagnant right now, with little hiring and lots of people holding onto their jobs for dear life. In Denmark, there’s a different kind of labor system where it’s easy for employers to hire and fire, but at the same time people have a strong safety net in-between jobs. Today on the show, we learn how “flexicurity” works through the story of a Danish woman who left her job, and we ask how the model could work in the U.S.
What's your favorite apple? Maybe it's the crowd-pleasing Honeycrisp, the tart Granny Smith or the infamous Red Delicious. Either way, before that apple made it to your local grocery store or orchard it had to be invented — by a scientist. So today, we're going straight to the source: Talking to an apple breeder. Producer Hannah Chinn reports how apples are selected, bred, grown ... and the discoveries that could change that process. Plus, what's a "spitter"?
You may have heard of a bog — those wet, mucky environments found mostly in the northern temperate pockets of Canada or Europe — but did you know that bogs can preserve human bodies for thousands of years? Anna North’s Bog Queen, part-history and part-mystery, explores the abiotic relationship between humans and what may be their greatest protector: the moss. In today’s episode, North sits down with NPR’s Scott Simon to discuss her newest novel, and the importance of caring for that which cares for us.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Voters in Ecuador overwhelmingly voted not to allow foreign military bases to return to the country. The Trump Administration had hoped to use Ecuador to support U.S. military activity in the region. And it’s happening against the backdrop of frequent U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats. Supporters of the national referendum wanted help to stem soaring violence from drug gangs using it as a key transit hub. We go to the Ecuadoran coast where fishermen try to make a living in the face of extortion by drug gangs and now contend with the threat of strikes by the U.S. military.
Voters in Ecuador overwhelmingly voted not to allow foreign military bases to return to the country. The Trump Administration had hoped to use Ecuador to support U.S. military activity in the region. And it’s happening against the backdrop of frequent U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats. Supporters of the national referendum wanted help to stem soaring violence from drug gangs using it as a key transit hub. We go to the Ecuadoran coast where fishermen try to make a living in the face of extortion by drug gangs and now contend with the threat of strikes by the U.S. military.
Maine Family Planning clinics treat STDs, bronchitis and tick bites. Because they also provide abortions, they've been hit by a new federal law that cuts them out of Medicaid. Now, they're cutting back on services to try to survive.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Ava Berger, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Diane Webber and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Many Democrats across the country — from Washington strategists to local activists — called the move a surrender. They say the defectors gave up a winning hand right when public opinion was on their side. The loudest criticism came from younger Democrats who called for new party leadership.
In this latest installment of “If You Can Keep It,” our weekly series on the state of democracy, we look at the fractures the shutdown exposed on the left and how a new generation of lawmakers thinks the party should govern in the years ahead.
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
President Trump suddenly reverses course on the Epstein files, urging Republicans to support a House vote on Tuesday that he was previously trying to block. In the Caribbean, a major U.S. military buildup raises new questions about the administration’s strategy toward Venezuela as Trump claims President Maduro “would like to talk.” And in Charlotte, North Carolina, a new Border Patrol operation sparks fear and confusion after immigration enforcement agents fan out across the city with little warning.
Want more comprehensive 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 Dana Farrington, Tara Neill, Kevin Drew, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Martha Ann Overland.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.
We get engineering support from Damian Herring. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Best-selling author Margaret Atwood says she originally rejected the idea of writing a memoir. But she warmed up to the idea after she began to think of a memoir as a recollection of “stupid things you did, near-death events, catastrophes, and surprising highlights and jokes.” Now, at age 85, Atwood is out with Book of Lives. In today’s episode, she joins NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer for a conversation that touches on the difference between memoir and biography, Canadian identity, and writing from the perspective of an “Inner Advice Columnist.”
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
