Up First from NPR

House Republicans blocked an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but lawmakers still have other ways to challenge the administration over the Iran war and its push for more defense spending. House Republicans chose Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan to lead them in the minority, signaling a more combative approach as the party prepares to face a Democratic majority next year. Federal prosecutors say three Iran-backed operatives were involved in nearly twenty attacks or attempted attacks across Europe and the United States, while a separate case involving a U.S. soldier accused of spying for Russia is raising new security concerns in Britain. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Tara Neill, Miguel Macias, 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 and Patrick Murray. Our technical director is Margaret Luthar. And our Supervising Producer is Reena Advani. (0:00) Introduction (01:58) Hegseth Impeachment Blocked (05:59) House Leadership Change (09:48) DOJ Charges Terror Suspects See 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

The House could vote this week on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over allegations that he violated federal law and Congress’ war powers, even as President Trump continues to stand by him. Trump says U.S. allies in the Middle East want him to hold off on more strikes against Iran while talks continue, even as he warns the U.S. remains “locked and loaded” if that changes. Congress is demanding answers from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as scrutiny grows over his relationship with a woman tied to a company reportedly investigated over whether restricted Nvidia chips were reaching China. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Emily Kopp, Rebekan Metzler, 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 and Patrick Murray. Our technical director is Margaret Luthar. And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson. (0:00) Introduction (02:16) Hegseth Impeachment Push (06:04) Trump Holds Off Iran Strikes (09:43) Congress Summons Nvidia's CEO See 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

President Trump says his immigration crackdown may have gone too far even as he elevates Stephen Miller, one of its chief architects, to run the White House after Republicans lost Congress. Republicans are returning to Washington for a lame-duck session with a shrinking House majority and a short list of priorities, including funding the government, passing military spending and confirming Trump nominees. Nvidia is investigating reports that CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with a woman suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence, raising new questions about one of the most important companies in the U.S.-China technology race. Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Emily Kopp, Mohamad ElBardicy and Adam Bearne. It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and Patrick Murray. Our technical director is Margaret Luthar. (0:00) Introduction (01:58) Trump's Post-Midterm Changes (05:46) Lame-Duck Congress (09:24) Nvidia Huang Investigation See 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

What drove the Democratic blue wave at the polls and what happens now? This week on The Sunday Story, we dive into the lessons from the midterms and talk about where the country goes from here. See 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

What the big win for Democrats in the midterm elections means for the Supreme Court and lower courts. Big tech companies sue California to block the enforcement of a state law meant to protect children from getting addicted to social media. Life in Cuba gets harder as the United States increases economic pressure on the island country. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See 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