Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Subscribe to NPR's Up First Email National Guard Members walk near a replica of President Trump's proposed arch at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in July. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Trump's D.C. arch is now a military complex. Here's how that complicates things September 22, 2026 • The future of Trump's D.C. arch was already fraught. Then he rebranded it as a military complex. Experts say that only raises more legal and logistical questions. Introducing Incendiamoeba cascadensis , which translates to "fire amoeba of the Cascade mountain range." This single-celled organism can replicate at temperatures up to 145°F, a new record for a complex organism. Felix Mikus hide caption This 'fire amoeba' pushes the limit of what's possible for complex life September 22, 2026 • Scientists have found a species they've named the fire amoeba, which is capable of reproducing at 145°F and continuing to move up to temperatures of 147°F — a record for complex eukaryotic life. A police commando stands guard at the High Court complex ahead of a verdict related to the 2019 Easter bombings in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Eranga Jayawardane/AP hide caption Sri Lanka court convicts 15 over deadly 2019 Easter bombings September 22, 2026 • The Islamic State group-inspired attacks were among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history, killing 42 foreigners. The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House is seen in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21, 2026. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Up First Newsletter CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump. And, Paramount settles in massive merger lawsuit September 22, 2026 • CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued Trump after the networks were suspended from the White House. And, Paramount makes concessions to resolve a lawsuit over its massive Warner Bros. Discovery merger. News Outlets Protest Trump's Media Bans, Trump At UNGA, Paramount Merger Settlement Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-144512/nx-s1-mx-5977558-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Yemen's Houthi armed forces patrol as Yemeni prisoners loyal to the Houthi authorities arrive in the capital Sanaa on Sep. 12, after being released on the west coast where they were being held by Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces. Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Middle East conflict Houthis try to push deeper into western Yemen, upending life, witnesses tell NPR September 22, 2026 • As the U.S. conflict with Iran drags, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have opened a new front, taking new territory and displacing more than 100,000 people. The capture of Western Yemen is making the country's humanitarian crisis worse Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-144261/nx-s1-9933483" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Then-CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta talks with reporters as he returns to the White House after his press pass was restored on Nov. 16, 2018, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption A journalist once barred from the White House says this media ban is different September 22, 2026 • Jim Acosta has already been through a White House press-pass fight. Now, three news organizations are barred, and he says the press is showing solidarity that should have come sooner. Former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta on White House's ban of 3 media outlets Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5976755/nx-s1-9935562" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> A clipping of hair labeled as Thomas Jefferson's in the collections of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, his primary home and plantation. Hugh Talman/Smithsonian hide caption New DNA analysis adds evidence Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings September 22, 2026 • A lock of hair, 15 years of sleuthing and a 200-year-old question. In History by a Hair , Smithsonian Institution scholar Richard Kurin follows the DNA trail back to Thomas Jefferson. New DNA analysis adds evidence Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5791513/nx-s1-9935403" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Tristan Buckmaster is a mathematician at New York University. He poses for a portrait in his office in Manhattan on September 11, 2026. Buckmaster and his collaborator Levent Alpöge have been working on the Navier-Stokes equations. They are clashing with OpenAI, which claims to have cracked the equations. Karsten Moran/for The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption Understanding AI AI solved one of math's hardest problems. Humanity learned nothing (so far) September 22, 2026 • OpenAI beat humans to solving the Navier-Stokes problem, but mathematicians say the AI's solution isn't telling them much. In Missouri, a "yes" vote on Amendment 3 in 2024 supported adding abortion protections to the state constitution. But in 2026, a "no" vote on Amendment 3 would keep those protections. Kelly McCoomb altered her sign from 2024 with duct tape and placed it back in her yard in Maplewood, Missouri. Bram Sable-Smith/KFF Health News hide caption Abortion is on the ballot again as post-Roe policies continue to evolve KFF Health News September 22, 2026 • Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November. The measures follow the Supreme Court's "Dobbs" decision, which upended federal abortion protections. Rob Crisp, a peer support specialist with the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team (HEART) program, responds to a call for a wellness check at a parking lot in Durham, N.C., on Sept. 14. Cornell Watson for NPR hide caption How unarmed 911 teams are reshaping public safety in nearly 100 cities September 22, 2026 • Alternative response programs, where mental health clinicians respond to 911 calls instead of police, have proliferated since George Floyd's murder. What does it take to do this work well? Silent Hill: Townfall , Control Resonant , and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Konami, Remedy Entertainment, Nintendo hide caption Video Game Reviews The best and biggest games of September September 22, 2026 • From Silent Hill: Townfall to Control Resonant to Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave , we review the best new games to play as autumn begins, ahead of the titanic GTA6 release. Where is Austin Tice?: The video September 22, 2026 • A video appears online titled: “Austin Tice Still Alive”. It shows Austin bound, blindfolded and terrified, surrounded by armed men. But as Josh and Sara dig deeper, the story begins to change. They uncover a trail that leads to the door of the most powerful man in Syria. Austin’s case is like no other. Where is Austin Tice?: The video Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5974112/nx-s1-mx-5974112-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., spoke to reporters alongside other members of the Freedom Caucus in March amid tense negotiations over government funding. Samuel Corum/Getty Images hide caption

The House Freedom Caucus has to transform — it could preview the GOP's post-Trump era September 22, 2026 • The conservative House Freedom Caucus grew in prominence alongside President Trump. Now they are considering what the future of their movement looks like. President Trump speaks about healthcare in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Trump heads to the U.N. looking for wins after a rough week September 22, 2026 • The past couple of weeks have been particularly challenging for Trump with a series of legal and political setbacks. Trump heads to U.N. looking for wins after a rough week Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5976843/nx-s1-9935596" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> California Attorney General Rob Bonta arrives at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., on Aug. 18 for proceedings in a separate case involving allegations that Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms harmed children's mental health. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images hide caption California Attorney General Bonta says states made demands in Paramount-Warner deal September 22, 2026 • The settlement brings a two-month legal fight over Paramount's Warner Bros. Discovery takeover closer to an end. California AG Rob Bonta discusses Paramount's settlement with states over merger plan Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5976894/nx-s1-9935405" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> A man places a photograph of Nolan Xavier Wells in front of the podium before a news conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, on July 22. Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi college student, was found dead after a boat trip with friends on July 4. Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Grand jury finds no evidence of criminal conduct in the death of Nolan Wells Gulf States Newsroom September 22, 2026 • A grand jury found Wells' cause of death "consistent with drowning," and decided not to bring indictments. The teenager was found dead on Horn Island, after he boated there with friends to celebrate Independence Day. FILE - Diana, Princess of Wales waves to the crowd as she leaves the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney Australia, Friday, Nov. 1, 1996. RICK RYCROFT/AP hide caption New book by Princess Diana's brother prompts war of words with King Charles III September 22, 2026 • A new book by the late Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, has made headlines with damning allegations about King Charles III. Buckingham Palace responded with a strongly-worded statement. An aerial view of oil storage tanks are seen at the Sunoco LP Fuel Supply Terminal in Austin, Texas. Oil held in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to its lowest levels since 1983. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption The Indicator from Planet Money How will the U.S. refill its dwindling oil reserves? September 22, 2026 • Whether it’s oil from Venezuela or somewhere else, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve needs to be refilled. The SPR is widely considered critical for energy security. On today’s show, the challenges to refilling the reserves at a time of high federal debt and climbing gas prices. How will the US refill its dwindling oil reserves? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5974239/nx-s1-mx-5974239-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Science shows your sense of self-worth is deeply affected by your memories. In Marisa Franco's new book, she explains why that matters ... and how we can use it. Westend61/Getty Images hide caption The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours) September 22, 2026 • Your self-worth today can be affected by your memories. But you have power over those memories – when you re-experience them. By doing that, you can reshape your self-esteem for the better and change your perspective. That idea and the broader science of self-worth are at the heart of Marisa Franco’s new book Worth. It’s so intriguing to us, we couldn’t pass up the chance to share it with you. That’s why today’s episode is a peek at a conversation Marisa had about self-worth on NPR’s self-help podcast Life Kit . The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours) Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5968850/nx-s1-mx-5968850-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Signs of support for AP, CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO hang on the White House grounds on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. Reporters from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico have been blocked from accessing the White House since September 19th. Finn Gomez/Getty Images hide caption Consider This from NPR What’s at stake in President Trump’s showdown with the press? September 21, 2026 • President Trump's battle with the press has escalated. On Friday, he banned three outlets from the White House. Those outlets are suing the Trump administration over the ban. On Monday, the five networks that coordinate television coverage of the president agreed to suspend that coverage. What’s at stake in President Trump’s showdown with the press? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5976828/nx-s1-mx-5976828-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> A United Nations logo on a security entrance door to the United Nations compound at the start of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at U.N. headquarters. Stefan Jeremiah/AP hide caption State of the World from NPR What role does the United Nations play now? September 21, 2026 • World leaders are again gathering in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. This will be the last meeting of the body for the current U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres. We hear about the challenges he faces in his final months in the job. And we hear from a U.N. insider about what the future of the body may be under the next secretary general. What role does the United Nations play now? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5977036/nx-s1-mx-5977036-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> The sun creates a "Chicagohenge" effect in Chicago, as the sun rises and falls straight down streets such as Kinzie and Madison one or two days each year, as seen here on Sept. 22, 2017. Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption What the equinox 'henge' effect tells us about U.S. cities September 21, 2026 • The fall equinox, which arrives Tuesday in the U.S., brings shorter days, and chances to witness alignment between Earth and the sun. It's a modern version of ancient observances of a celestial shift. An American Eagle plane takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport in October 2025 in Burbank, Calif. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption Aviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspace September 21, 2026 • The Federal Aviation Administration launched an ambitious $875 million push to make the U.S. airspace more efficient. But critics say it won't solve bigger problems with air traffic control. AI Air Traffic Control Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5976816/nx-s1-9934778" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> David Ellison, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Skydance speaks on stage during New York Upfront Partnership Event 2026 at Storied NYC on April 22, 2026 in New York City. Noam Galai/Paramount via Getty Images hide caption Paramount makes concessions to salvage $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal September 21, 2026 • Paramount's owners have made concessions to 12 Democratic state attorneys general to settle a lawsuit that endangered the media company's bid for its larger Hollywood rival, Warner Bros. Discovery. HFR Paramount and AGs settle Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5974909/nx-s1-9934954" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">