NPR Up First: "Middle East At War, Congress Briefed On War, Texas and North Carolina Primaries"

Date: March 3, 2026
Hosts: Amy Martinez, Layla Fadel
Correspondents: Daniel Estrin, Barbara Sprunt, Ashley Lopez

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR's Up First focuses on three major news stories: the expanding war in the Middle East involving Israel, Iran, and now Lebanon; U.S. congressional responses and debates over presidential war powers; and high-stakes primary elections in Texas and North Carolina that could offer insights into broad political trends for the upcoming midterms. The episode features on-the-ground updates, analysis from NPR correspondents, and notable perspectives from key political figures.

1. Middle East War Expands: Israel, Iran, and Lebanon

(00:02 – 05:29)

Key Developments

• Warnings for Americans: The State Department is urging Americans in the Middle East to evacuate due to intensifying hostilities.
• Widening Conflict: Israel has launched airstrikes into both Iran and Lebanon. Iranian retaliation includes strikes on U.S. positions and allies in the region, marking a dangerous expansion of the conflict.
• Ground Troops in Lebanon: Israel confirms deployment of troops just inside southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah incursions.
• Unusual Escalations: Qatar shot down Iranian warplanes—the first instance of a Gulf Arab state engaging Iranian aircraft.

Notable Insights from Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv

• Israeli Military Targets in Iran:
  "Yesterday, Israel focused on targeting regime symbols in Iran, so it bombed the Iranian intelligence ministry headquarters, the state broadcaster, the presidential office, the building of the National Security Council." (01:57)
• Focus on Missiles:
  "Today, Israel's military says its focus is on Iran's missiles and missile launchers. And already Israel says it has destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles and dozens of missile launchers." (02:16)
• Duration of Conflict:
  • President Trump suggests war could last "four or five weeks or maybe even a little bit longer."
  • Israeli military preparing for prolonged conflict, but an official claims goals could be achieved within two weeks (02:48).
• Regime Change Confusion:
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu stated on Fox News, "regime change is the goal," yet U.S. officials downplay this, stating regime change “would be nice,” but is not a stated war goal (03:13).
  • Daniel Estrin notes, "On the ground in Iran, we are not seeing Iranians under bombardment, pouring into the streets, protesting against their government..." (03:25).
• US Messaging Shifts:
  President Trump initially urged Iranians to "stay sheltered" and later encouraged them to "take over their government," signaling mixed messages (03:52–03:59).
• Regional Impacts:
  • "Hezbollah and Lebanon opened fire at Israel and Israel is striking back."
  • "What is happening in the Gulf, however, is huge. Iran is pounding U.S. positions in the Gulf. Several U.S. service members have been killed...Qatar says it shot down Iranian warplanes." (04:10–05:15)
  • Watching closely if additional Gulf Arab countries get directly involved.

2. Congressional Briefings and the Debate Over War Powers

(05:30 – 09:06)

Congressional Briefings and Reactions

• Briefing Led by Secretary of State Rubio:
  "Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the US attacked Iran because Israel was going to attack Iran and Iran would retaliate." (00:13, restated at 06:10)

• Speaker Mike Johnson (House Republican):
  "They gave us operational details. They gave us the rationale for what was done. And I was very satisfied with the briefing." (05:41)

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat):
  "That briefing raised many more questions than it answered." (05:50)

• Senator Mark Warner (Democrat, Senate Intelligence):
  "Now, a week ago, it was about the Iranian nuclear capacity. A few days later, it was about taking out the ballistic missiles. It was then about regime change. And now we hear it's about sinking the Iranian fleet." (06:50)

Legislative Situation

• Measures to Limit Presidential Authority:
  Both House and Senate are preparing votes on proposals to rein in the president’s unilateral war powers—requiring Congress’ express approval for further military intervention in Iran.
• Partisan Divide:
  • Votes are expected to be mostly along party lines, though there are a few crossovers: "A small number of Republicans who say they'll vote to curb the president's actions, and some Democrats who say that the resolution could actually restrict the flexibility that's needed to respond to threats in real time." (07:35)
• Historical Context:
  • Continuing trends of executive overreach in military matters.
  • Previous similar resolutions (e.g., Venezuela) have failed.

DHS Shutdown Connected

• The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, complicating counterterrorism efforts. Republicans argue for immediate funding, while Democrats are holding out for changes to immigration enforcement (08:28).

3. Texas and North Carolina Primaries: Early Indicators for the 2026 Midterms

(09:15 – 12:42)

Why These Races Matter

• Few competitive House races due to recent redistricting, so the Senate primaries are particularly telling about party direction.
• The contests serve as litmus tests for both Democrats and Republicans at the onset of the midterm cycle.

Texas Senate Primary

• Democratic Race:
  • Jasmine Crockett (Congresswoman):
    "She's been known for, like, verbally sparring with Republicans in the House...Crockett has positioned herself as a fighter." (10:06–10:32)
  • James Talarico (State Lawmaker):
    • Known for flipping a Republican district, references Christian faith in his campaign outreach—seeking to appeal to independents and conservatives.
    • "I think just in terms of personalities and the way these two candidates talk are pretty different, but I don't think what they are actually saying is all that different, because when it comes to most issues and policies, Crockett and Talarico largely agree." (10:36–11:09)
• Republican Race:
  • Sen. John Cornyn (incumbent):
    • Criticized by opponents as representative of an older, less-Trump-aligned conservatism, though he "often points out that he votes with Trump consistently."
  • Ken Paxton (Attorney General):
    • Facing legal troubles but remains popular, echoing Trump’s claims of political persecution.
  • Wesley Hunt (Congressman):
    • Polling in third, but strong enough that a runoff is likely.

North Carolina Senate Primary

• Open Seat:
  • Incumbent Thom Tillis (GOP) retiring after criticizing Trump—another example of party orthodoxy enforcement in the Trump era.
• Key Candidates:
  • Democrat Roy Cooper (former Governor):
    • "Got a lot of name recognition and has proved he can win statewide multiple times." (11:56–12:38)
  • Republican Michael Watley (former RNC Chairman):
    • Leading GOP candidate.
• Implications:
  • "If Democrats want to win back power in the Senate, this is one of their better shots as well as a must win for them." (12:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On shifting war aims:
  • Sen. Mark Warner: "A week ago, it was about Iranian nuclear capacity... It was then about regime change. And now we hear it's about sinking the Iranian fleet." (06:50)
• On political divides in the war briefing:
  • Speaker Mike Johnson: "I was very satisfied with the briefing." (05:41)
  • Sen. Chuck Schumer: "That briefing raised many more questions than it answered." (05:50)
• On Israel's war aims:
  • PM Netanyahu (via Daniel Estrin): "We're going to create the conditions first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government, which will make Iran a different Iran altogether." (03:13)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Middle East Update with Daniel Estrin: 01:35–05:25
• Congressional Briefing & War Powers Debate: 05:30–09:06
• Texas and North Carolina Primaries Overview: 09:15–12:42

Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR’s signature concise, objective yet accessible tone, highlighting complexity and nuance in geopolitical and domestic politics without alarmism but with clear concern about ongoing conflicts and political polarization.

Conclusion

This episode of Up First delivers succinct, high-impact reporting on the major stories of the moment: a rapidly escalating war in the Middle East with reverberations for U.S. foreign policy and regional stability, rising tensions within U.S. governance over war powers, and pivotal state primaries hinting at shifts within both political parties as the country heads toward consequential midterms.