While the relationship between the United States and Venezuela has been tense in recent decades, things massively escalated earlier this year. The U.S. unilaterally invaded Venezuela, abducting sitting President Nicolás Maduro, along with his spouse, to face drug and terrorism charges. Yet the American public is increasingly skeptical about the official reasoning here. Could this really be about drugs? Oil? Something else? Join Ben and Matt to learn more.
What was Chicago's first art gallery? Curious City investigates. Nowadays, it’s easy to see and experience art all over Chicago. But where did it all begin, and who was allowed to show their art?
NPR has confirmed the U.S. is sending thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne to the Middle East, raising questions about whether this is an escalation in the war or a pressure tactic to force Iran to the negotiating table. Lebanon expelled Iran's ambassador as Israel threatens to move the country's border northward and use the "Gaza model" in the south of Lebanon, with more than a million people already displaced. And Congress is inching toward a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but President Trump says he's probably not going to be happy with it, leaving TSA workers still without pay.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Gerry Holmes, Andrew Sussman, Kelsey Snell, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Since the war in Iran began, President Trump has insisted that rising energy prices would be temporary. But strikes on natural gas facilities in the Persian Gulf last week have made the prospect of a quick recovery seem less and less likely.
Patricia Cohen, the global economics correspondent for The New York Times, explains why the impacts may be felt for years.
Guest: Patricia Cohen, the global economics correspondent for The New York Times.
Members of Congress float - and then quickly toss - a plan to end a government shutdown stalemate. An emboldened Russia launches its largest aerial attack yet against Ukraine. And artificial intelligence firm Anthropic takes the Pentagon to court over a “supply chain risk” designation.
With U.S. consumer debt hitting a record $18.8 trillion, it’s time to see how your balances measure up. In this episode, Laura breaks down average debt by age group and type—from Gen Z’s $35k average to Gen X’s $158k peak—to help you determine if your debt is "healthy" or a hurdle to retirement.
Key Takeaways:
The Big 4: Current averages for mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards.
Debt Rules of Thumb: Learn the 30/30/3 rule for housing and the 20/4/10 rule for car buying.
Know Your Ratios: How to calculate your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio like a lender.
Payoff Strategies: Why high-interest debt is "bad" and how to use consolidation or balance transfers to escape it.
Whether you're looking to buy a home or just sleep better at night, learn how to stop being "average" and start building wealth.
Kelly Maher guest-hosts with Mary Katharine Ham today, tells us about her new adventure in auctioneering, and we talk about all the people who don't understand capitalism— Kathy Hochul, Hasan Piker, Abigail Spanberger, D.C. government.
Ahead of the midterms, several Democrats are trying to seize on the affordability messaging that has been connecting with voters across the country by talking about lowering taxes. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen have introduced separate measures aimed at easing the tax burden on middle- and lower-income people. And Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna released a plan to raise taxes on billionaires. But critics are raising concerns about what these proposals would mean for government funding moving forward. Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen joins the show to discuss his plan.
And in headlines, President Donald Trump sends more mixed messages about the war in Iran, new polling shows the president's approval rating is on the decline, and The Wall Street Journal's March Madness bracket tests whether AI is better than humans at predicting the winning teams.
