Up First Podcast Summary – January 14, 2026

Episode Title: Minnesota Prosecutors Quit, Trump in Detroit, Inflation Report
Hosts: Steve Inskeep, A Martinez
Reporters/Guests: Matt Sepik (Minnesota Public Radio), Tamara Keith (NPR), Scott Horsley (NPR)
Duration: ~13 minutes of core content

Episode Overview

This episode covers three major national news stories:

1. The resignation of six federal prosecutors in Minnesota amidst controversy over an investigation into the shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent.
2. President Trump's efforts to promote his economic record during an event in Detroit, including his sometimes off-script and combative style.
3. The newest inflation report from the Department of Labor, what it actually means for American households, and how the administration is responding.

1. Minnesota Federal Prosecutors Resign Under Political Pressure

Timestamps: 02:24 – 06:07
Key Points:

• At least six longtime federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned due to Justice Department pressure to redirect investigations following the fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
• Political leaders have pushed for scrutiny of Good’s widow, Becca Good, for alleged activist ties (which aren’t illegal), rather than focus on the agent who fired the shot.
• These resignations have disrupted other ongoing federal probes, most significantly large-scale fraud investigations like the "Feeding our Future" case.
  • Prosecutor Joe Thompson led a probe involving $300 million in stolen federal child nutrition funds during the pandemic; 58 have been convicted so far.
  • Massive Medicaid fraud was also uncovered, estimated last month at $9 billion.

Notable Quotes:

• “Taxpayers deserve to know the truth of the fraud. The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated.” – Matt Sepik (04:37)
• “The people pushing to prosecute Renee's widow are monsters.” – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, quoted by Matt Sepik (05:11)
• “The first way they did it was cutting out the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. That was such a bad sign that there was more bad to come...” – Sen. Amy Klobuchar (05:28)
• DOJ claims there is currently “no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation” and that ICE is handling its own parallel probe, a claim disputed by local sources.

2. President Trump in Detroit: Economic Messaging and Off-the-Cuff Moments

Timestamps: 06:16 – 09:56
Key Points:

• President Trump visited the Detroit Economic Club, focusing his speech on the economy, but frequently veered off-topic, including personal boasts and political insults.
  • Trump claims: grocery prices "starting to go rapidly down," even as government data shows a spike.
  • He attributes high prices to actions of Democrats, repeatedly calling "affordability" a "fake word."
• Policy Teasers:
  • Promised to unveil plans to “bring back affordability,” mentioning potential initiatives to curb home prices by removing private equity from the housing market and capping credit card interest rates at 10% (as voluntary actions).
  • Trump reportedly called Sen. Elizabeth Warren to discuss these ideas, which echo some Democratic proposals.

Notable Moments:

• Trump interrupted himself for an impersonation of his predecessor, Joe Biden, including mock coughing and facial expressions:
  “Remember the speeches Joe would make? First of all, they'd last a matter of seconds. You know, thank you very much. You ever noticed Joe would always cough before a speech...” – Donald Trump (07:16)
• At a Ford plant tour, Trump responded to hecklers (who shouted "pedophile protector") by giving the middle finger, captured on TMZ.
  “In response, Trump appeared to mouth an expletive, then gave the middle finger to the person who was shouting.” – Tamara Keith (09:27)
  • The White House called it “an appropriate and unambiguous response.”

3. Inflation Report Deep Dive: The Real Story Behind the Numbers

Timestamps: 09:57 – 13:23
Key Points:

• Department of Labor's latest report: Inflation was unchanged from November to December; overall cost of living up 2.7% year-over-year.
  • Gasoline prices fell, but utility costs (natural gas) and grocery prices continue to climb.
  • Many families, including working-class households, are struggling to afford utility payments; one in six households is behind on utility bills.
• President Trump touts strong GDP growth and claims “almost no inflation,” a view that contradicts lived reality for many Americans.
  • Manufacturing jobs are down: the auto industry lost 28,000 jobs last year; manufacturing overall lost 75,000.
• Federal Reserve Update:
  • The Fed is under pressure from the Trump administration to lower interest rates, but with inflation still high, a rate cut is unlikely in the next meeting.
  • DOJ has launched a criminal investigation into the Fed, seen as an intimidation tactic—Fed Chair Jerome Powell and banker Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan Chase) have both warned of the dangers to Fed independence.

Notable Quotes:

• “We're hearing from families that we helped last year that need more help because the bill isn't going up then. Secondly, we're hearing from working class families who earn too much money to qualify for help but are now finding these bills unaffordable.” – Scott Horsley (10:52)
• “We have quickly achieved the exact opposite of stagflation. Almost no inflation and super high growth.” – Donald Trump (11:35)
• “Dimon warned the White House pressure campaign could actually backfire if people start to think the Fed’s independence is in jeopardy. It could ultimately lead to higher inflation and higher interest rates.” – Scott Horsley (13:09)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Minnesota Prosecutors: Background and Implications — 02:24–06:07
• Trump’s Detroit Economic Speech — 06:16–09:56
• Trump’s Ford Plant Incident — 09:19–09:54
• Inflation Data and Economic Outlook — 09:57–13:23
• Federal Reserve and Interest Rates — 12:10–13:20

Tone & Style

• The episode balances clear news reporting with conversational banter, especially in segment transitions and in discussing Trump’s off-script moments.
• The tone moves between urgency (prosecutor resignations), skepticism (president’s economic claims), and dry wit (Trump’s speech antics, middle finger incident).

Summary

This “Up First” episode offers a snapshot of the day’s most consequential news: political fallout and resignations in Minnesota’s federal prosecution office linked to a controversial shooting and pressure from the Trump Justice Department; President Trump's Detroit economic pitch, replete with partisan rhetoric, unique policy teasers, and a highly publicized profane gesture; and a fact-check on claims about inflation, with expert context and data showing ongoing challenges faced by American households. The episode wraps up with a look ahead at Federal Reserve decisions, highlighting growing political pressure and its risks to economic stability.