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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 Vice President JD Vance is in Israel, where he is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Gaza ceasefire has been in place for almost two weeks. Vance says the deal is continuing to progress despite the fighting between Israel and Hamas over the weekend. The vice president, along with several other U.S. officials in Israel, is working to get the two sides to take…

Politics / October 21, 2025 The latest shutdown’s consequences are hitting California hard. Ad Policy A protester adjusts his American flag as police clear a street after an “unlawful assembly” was declared in Los Angeles, California, during an anti-Trump No Kings Day demonstration on June 14, 2025.(Mario Tama / Getty Images) When Washington shuts down, California has to step up. The latest shutdown may be unfolding thousands of miles away in Washington DC, but its consequences hit us hard here in California. A mom in Fresno waits for her SNAP benefits. A park ranger in Yosemite misses a paycheck. A…

Paul Ingrassia arrives before Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House, June 4, 2025, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ‘s pick to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration Tuesday evening, after his offensive text messages were made public and GOP senators revolted. Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing this week. On Monday, however, Politico reported on a text chat that showed him saying the Martin Luther King…

Activism / October 21, 2025 After the government betrayed them by refusing to enforce a crucial workplace health rule, a group of coal miners traveled to DC to put Trump on notice. Ad Policy Protesters at the coal miners’ rally in Washington on October 14, 2025.(Chelsea Barnes) Last Tuesday, a small group of retired coal miners gathered in front of the headquarters of the Department of Labor with a rather ambitious goal: to get Donald Trump’s attention. Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the streets of downtown Washington, DC, were far from bustling, but a few passersby still stopped to…

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters outside of the U.S. Capitol on Oct.16, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images A man who was pardoned by President Trump after storming the U.S. Capitol in 2021 has been arrested on a charge that he threatened to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. New York State Police say Christopher Moynihan was arrested after they were advised by the FBI that he had made “threats to kill a member of Congress.” Court documents show his arrest came after he allegedly texted that he planned to kill…

Activism / October 21, 2025 The city’s anti-ICE actions and No Kings demonstration have commanded mass attention, but still are no match for the impunity of the MAGA deportation state. Ad Policy Protesters turn out for Portland’s No Kings rally on October 18. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / Getty Images) Last week, perennially trendy Portland sandwich shop Lardo posted an image on its Instagram timeline of a man in a frog costume drinking a beer. On the face of it, it was kind of funny, but the caption told an entirely more nuanced story: If you were to show up at the…

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has worked in politics since 1993 and spent many years in the late Shinzo Abe’s administration. Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool/Getty Images Japan’s first-ever female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is an ultraconservative with a traditional view of gender roles and a penchant for heavy metal music. Japan’s parliament elected Takaichi on Tuesday, several weeks after she was chosen to lead the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has spent much of the last seven decades in power. The LDP is seen as shifting further to the right: It was only…

October 21, 2025 What drives Trump’s politics is nostalgia for the age of coal, when dirty fuel and no environmental regulations created his version of a great America. Ad Policy Smoke from the Hugh L. Spurlock Generating Station in Maysville, Kentucky, as seen from neighboring Ripley, Ohio. The Trump administration announced plans to repeal limits on greenhouse gas emissions and other airborne pollutants from the nation’s fossil fuel–fired power plants.(Jeff Swensen / Getty Images) Arguably, no technology freed the world from the drudgery and cold of premodern times more than coal. It fueled the Industrial Revolution and rising standards of…

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 Many federal workers expect not to get paid this Friday, marking the first full paycheck they will miss due to the government shutdown, which began three weeks ago. So far there has been limited economic fallout. But analysts say that the longer the shutdown continues, the bigger the dent it could leave. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-SD) speaks to members of the press at the…

Activism / Column / October 20, 2025 Millions of Constitution-loving Americans peacefully protested Trump’s authoritarian presidency. The GOP responded with military theatrics, threats, and scatological “jokes.” Ad Policy Protesters rally during the No Kings national day of protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 18, 2025.(Kerem Yucel / AFP via Getty Images) Across the United States this past Saturday, millions of patriotic, Constitution-loving, First Amendment–protecting, immigrant-defending, diversity-embracing, decent, and kind human beings took to the streets to protest Donald Trump’s increasingly authoritarian presidency. The Trumpies responded the only way they know how: by trolling. Taking their cues from House Speaker Mike…