Up First from NPR

The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16 additional teams competing this year, it will be the biggest World Cup to date. But in Trump’s America, visa issues and geopolitical tensions are creating additional challenges for the teams and the fans. 
Today on The Sunday Story, we bring two of NPR’s biggest soccer nerds onto the show to talk about the competition, the entertainment, and the cultural significance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Decisions are coming in several major Supreme Court cases, from birthright citizenship and immigration to the president's power to fire federal officials. Posts about prediction markets are latest way for influencers to sow doubt about election results in California. Mexican host city of Guadalajara wrestles with welcoming tens of thousands of tourists to the World Cup, when violence permeates daily life.

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Senate Republicans worked through the night to pass President Trump's $72 billion immigration enforcement bill, but voted not to block the president’s anti-weaponization fund.
A handful of Republicans are breaking with President Trump over the war in Iran, his anti-weaponization fund, and his pick to lead national intelligence, raising the question of whether his grip on the party is starting to slip after a decade of dominance.
And former national security adviser turned Trump critic John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of mishandling classified information, a case that prosecutors and intelligence officials say has real legal merit unlike other cases against the president's perceived enemies.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Rebecca Metzler, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Taylor Haney.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Immigration Bill Passes
(05:51) Trump's Grip On Republicans
(09:16) John Bolton To Plead Guilty

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President Trump says he'll nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice, even as his now-scrapped anti-weaponization fund continues to complicate a major immigration enforcement bill in Congress.
President Trump confirms he cursed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called him crazy in a heated call that halted planned strikes on Beirut, exposing growing tension between the two longtime allies over the direction of the war.
And Russia's political and business elite have gathered in St. Petersburg for President Putin's showcase economic forum, which Ukrainian drones struck just hours before it began.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kelsey Snell, Tina Kraja, Tara Neill, 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 deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:01) Trump's Party Problems
(05:53) Trump & Netanyahu Tension
(09:57) Russia Economic Forum

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Republican voters in Iowa rejected President Trump's pick for governor in last night's primary, a rare moment of pushback as voters in six states set up key November matchups including House races that could decide control of Congress.
The Justice Department is scrapping President Trump's nearly $1.8 billion dollar anti-weaponization fund after sustained bipartisan backlash, though the DOJ says part of the IRS settlement shielding Trump and his family from past tax investigations still stands.
And President Trump has named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence despite his complete lack of intelligence experience, drawing skepticism even from Senate Republicans.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Anna Yukhananov, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy and Lindsay Totty.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:59) Primary Results
(05:58) DOJ Scraps Anti-Weaponization Fund
(09:40) Trump Appoints Acting DNI

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