Venezuela Earthquakes, Trump Senate Fight, Pentagon Shuffles

Venezuela Earthquakes, Trump Senate Fight, Pentagon Shuffles

Venezuela got hit by two of the most powerful earthquakes in its history, striking seconds apart near the capital and collapsing buildings as the government braces for a high death toll and the U.S. rushes in aid. President Trump blew up a popular bipartisan housing bill both parties wanted, refusing to sign it until the Senate passes his own elections bill that doesn't have the votes, it's the latest example of his demand for loyalty from Republicans and allies alike. And one of the Army's top generals, Chris Donahue, is set to retire in a move that surprised many, drawing more attention to a pattern of Pentagon shake-ups under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/news] to the Up First newsletter. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tara Neill, Rebekah Metzler, Andrew Sussman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and HJ Mai. 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. And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens. (0:00) Introduction (01:55) Venezuela Earthquakes (05:41) Trump Senate Fight (09:26) Pentagon Shuffles See pcm.adswizz.com [https://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 [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Trump Vs Thune, Road To Housing Act, Democratic Socialist Win In New York Primaries

President Trump is having lunch on Capitol Hill today with Senate Republicans, after four GOP senators broke with him to advance a resolution pushing to end the war with Iran and Trump's clashes with Majority Leader John Thune over the filibuster, voter ID, and the president's handling of the war with Iran. Congress passed the largest housing bill in decades last night with strong bipartisan support, aiming to make homeownership more attainable by cracking down on corporate investors buying single-family homes. And in New York, democratic socialist candidates scored big wins in congressional primaries, including upsets backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, raising new questions about how far left the Democratic Party will go as it tries to retake the House in November. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/news] to the Up First newsletter. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Kara Platoni, Padma Rama, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Olivia Hampton. 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. And our Supervising Producer is Reena Advani. (0:00) Introduction (01:57) Trump Vs Thune (05:42) Road To Housing Act (09:43) Democratic Socialist Win In New York Primaries  See pcm.adswizz.com [https://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 [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

US Lifts Oil Sanctions On Iran, Trump Shifts To Economy, MN Subpoenas Thrown Out

The U.S. has lifted oil sanctions on Iran for the first time in decades, letting Tehran sell its oil openly at higher prices meant to push Iran to comply on its nuclear program, even as the two sides are already split over whether Iran agreed to let inspectors back in. President Trump heads to Pennsylvania today to talk up the economy and his promise that gas and grocery prices will fall now that the war is ending, but his approval is at record lows with even some Republicans unhappy over his handling of the economy. And a federal judge in Minnesota threw out grand jury subpoenas from the Trump administration, ruling they were used to harass and retaliate against state and local officials who wouldn't help carry out the president's immigration crackdown. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/news] to the Up First newsletter. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Rebekah Metzler, Cheryl Corley, Mohamad ElBardicy, and John Stolnis. 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. And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson. (0:00) Introduction (01:57) US Lifts Oil Sanctions On Iran (05:23) Trump Shifts To Economy (09:17) Minnesota Subpoenas Thrown Out See pcm.adswizz.com [https://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 [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

UK PM Starmer Resigns, First Round Of US-Iran Talks, Iran Deal Scrutiny

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned after months of pressure and a collapse of support within his own party, with popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham his likely successor and on track to become Britain's seventh prime minister in just ten years.  The first round of U.S.-Iran talks wrapped in Switzerland with mediators announcing encouraging progress and a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, though Iran says the real test remains whether the ceasefire holds in Lebanon. And President Trump is struggling to sell the Iran deal to his own party, his MAGA base is angry he went to war at all and GOP hawks are calling the agreement too weak as the midterm elections loom. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/news] to the Up First newsletter. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Anna Yukhananov, James Doubek, Mohamad ElBardicy, and John Stolnis. It was produced by Ziad Buchh. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. (0:00) Introduction (01:57) UK PM Starmer Resigns (05:28) First Round Of US-Iran Talks (09:08) Iran Deal Scrutiny See pcm.adswizz.com [https://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 [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1

Who are the workers behind the global scam industry?  In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where many of them had been trafficked, held against their will, and forced to work for little pay. The Cambodian government’s recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025. But how did these workers end up in Cambodia, and what was the promise that drew them there? In this two-part series for The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani dives into the previously hidden world of the global scam industry. And she follows the story of one Ugandan man, who traveled far from home for a job that was “too good to be true.”  Listen to Part 2 here [http://npr.org/2026/06/21/nx-s1-5862711/cyber-scam-workers-victims-cambodia-humanitarian-crisis]. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://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 [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]