Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories The U.S. has launched a “deadly strike” against Islamic State fighters in northwest Nigeria, President Trump announced yesterday. Trump said in a […]
Tag: NPR
Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain : NPR
FILE – People walk by the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio on Hollywood Blvd., on Sept. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Invision via AP hide caption toggle caption Chris Pizzello/Invision via AP LONDON — Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump as he warned Thursday about the rise of fascism […]
In Belgium, a group of volunteers makes drones for Ukraine in special workshops : NPR
A group of hobbyists in Belgium make drones that help on the frontline of a war. LEILA FADEL, HOST: Hobbies can be rewarding for lots of reasons – making music, woodworking, joining a book club. They can help us relax, find community and express our creativity. Teri Schultz reports on one group of hobbyists in […]
Pope Leo XIV’s Christmas address urges faithful to shed indifference toward suffering : NPR
Pope Leo XIV waves Thursday after delivering the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for ‘to the city and to the world’ ) Christmas blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Gregorio Borgia/AP hide caption toggle caption Gregorio Borgia/AP VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day message on […]
The real ping pong star who inspired ‘Marty Supreme’ : NPR
Marty Reisman practicing in New York in 1951. Ed Ford/AP hide caption toggle caption Ed Ford/AP In the 1940s and ’50s, New York City table tennis was a gritty subculture full of misfits, gamblers, doctors, actors, students and more. They competed, bet on the game or both at all-night spots like Lawrence’s, a table tennis […]
A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion lottery jackpot : NPR
The jackpot for the Powerball lottery game is displayed outside Ted’s State Line Mobil station, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Methuen, Mass. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption toggle caption Charles Krupa/AP A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner. […]
What to know if your prescriptions get stolen off your front porch : NPR
TriggerPhoto/iStockphoto/Getty Images Carmen Peterson’s son Ethan is a big fan of Elmo and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And although Ethan is nonverbal, he loves to sing along in his own way. “He’s a really fun-loving 8-year-old. He doesn’t speak, but he gets his point across,” Peterson says. Ethan has a rare genetic disorder — Syngap1 — […]
Salon in Jaffa, Israel : NPR
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world. Many people may see foreign reporting as glamorous, but a lot of the time it’s quite lonely. So I was lucky to find Salon Jaffa in the Jaffa flea market while on assignment in […]
In the snow, these salamanders get supercool : NPR
While blue-spotted salamanders can be sighted on warm, sunny days, they also seem to be able to venture out on cold, snowy ones, too. Peter Paplanus/Flickr CC BY 2.0 hide caption toggle caption Peter Paplanus/Flickr CC BY 2.0 In ancient times, people thought moist-skinned salamanders could survive in fire. That’s not true, of course, but […]
19 states sue HHS over youth gender-affirming care : NPR
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks during an event on prescription drug prices in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP NEW YORK — A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday […]