Special Series Up First Newsletter All Up First Stories Up First Podcast Morning Edition LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Sign up for the [TITLE] Newsletter Get perks with [Podcast Title]+ Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.
By
Brittney Melton
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.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his bid for reelection on Saturday. He is one of seven Republican senators who voted to remove President Trump from office after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Cassidy finished last in a three-way primary. His failure to advance further illustrates Trump's strong influence over the Republican Party.
A two-term Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his reelection bid in Louisiana after voting to convict President Trump after the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Annie Flanagan for NPR hide caption
The World Health Organization yesterday declared a new Ebola outbreak in Central Africa to be an international public health emergency. More than 80 people have died. The outbreak started in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread to Uganda. Nearby countries are now on alert. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that the declaration "does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency" and advised countries against closing their borders. Ebola is harder to transmit than airborne diseases like COVID.
A jury in California begins deliberations today in a case involving two of Silicon Valley's biggest names: Tesla's Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The two founded OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit to develop artificial intelligence to help humanity. Musk left the company after a power struggle. Musk is suing OpenAI, Altman, and others, claiming that they "stole a charity," as his attorney put it.
Four Navy pilots were "found safe" and are in stable condition after a midair collision at an air show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. A bystander video shared on Facebook showed two jets colliding in mid-air, and four parachutes were visible above the crash site. Following the incident, the base canceled the remainder of the two-day Gunfighter Skies Air Show and announced that an investigation is underway.
Mike Durglo Jr. has devoted his life to preparing his home and his people for climate change. As the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes climate change coordinator he wrote one of the first tribal climate action plans in the country over 15 years ago. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption
NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are moving forward on climate solutions despite significant political headwinds. As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap by cutting climate pollution and adapting to extreme weather.
Under Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, Montana recently shelved its climate plan, which was drafted in the early 2000s. State lawmakers passed legislation preventing Montana from regulating planet-warming emissions unless the federal government does so first. But as sovereign nations, Native American tribes can advance their climate initiatives independently of state and federal progress. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes have launched a plan that includes projects such as wind energy development, water conservation and ecosystem restoration to enhance climate resilience. This year, their focus is on reducing wildfire risks and creating safe havens from smoky air for the reservation's 33,000 residents. Mike Durglo Jr., former chairman of the EPA's Regional Tribal Operations Committee, says that Indigenous peoples have long cared for the natural world before the term "climate change" existed. Durglo said that he and other tribal leaders share knowledge on how to help communities become more resilient and restore a healthy ecosystem.
Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, speaks to NPR's Steve Inskeep for a Newsmakers interview. Bronson Arcuri/NPR hide caption
Go face-to-face with the person of the moment. NPR's Newsmakers video podcast brings the biggest names in politics, business, sports, arts, and culture out of the headlines and into the interview chair to discuss the mark they're making on the world. Follow the Newsmakers podcast or subscribe to NPR's YouTube channel to get new episodes as soon as they're available.
Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is bringing cage matches to the White House's South Lawn. The event is scheduled for June 14, President Trump's birthday. A known supporter and friend of Trump, White said that "America is a country of immigrants" during an NPR interview, despite the president's mass deportation promises.
As part of NPR's Newsmakers video podcast, White and NPR's Steve Inskeep sat down in Newark, N.J.,'s Prudential Center after White held a press conference to introduce the fighters for the White House matchups. The competitors hail from the U.S., Germany, the nation of Georgia, Brazil, France and Canada. White views the diverse lineup as a representation of a nation of people that "all came from somewhere else." The two also discussed the UFC's place in American culture, the health of its fighters and more.
Watch the conversation on YouTube, listen to the interview or read the article about their discussion.
Stephen Colbert during a taping of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report in December 2014. Andrew Harrer/Pool/Getty Images hide caption
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Sponsor Message
Become an NPR sponsor