President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role

Summary

Up First from NPR – May 3, 2025

Hosts: Ayesha Rascoe, Scott Simon, Aisha Harris, and others
Episode Title: President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role

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1. President Trump's 2026 Budget Proposal

Overview:
President Trump unveiled his first budget proposal since returning to the White House, aiming to significantly reduce federal spending while increasing allocations for defense and border security. The budget, however, faces anticipated strong opposition from Congress, which holds the authority to approve any spending changes.

Key Points:

• Spending Cuts: The proposal seeks to slash non-defense spending by nearly 25%. Specific agencies targeted for reductions include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), with proposed cuts exceeding 50% at both.

  Notable Quote:
  Daniel Kurtzleben (02:32): "Trump is proposing some really deep cuts to a few agencies. He proposes cuts of more than 50% at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation."

• Increased Defense and Homeland Security Funding: Defense spending is slated for a 13% increase, reaching $1 trillion annually. Homeland security funding is proposed to surge by 65%, earmarked for mass deportations and the completion of the border wall.

  Notable Quote:
  Daniel Kurtzleben (02:32): "He’s proposing a 65% boost to homeland security spending and that would go in part to mass deportations and completing the border wall, his signature issues."

• Cultural and Political Motivations: The budget contains numerous references to cultural issues, with terms like "DEI" (31 mentions) and "woke" (12 mentions). Justifications for cuts to agencies like NOAA are based on claims that their programs "radicalize students against markets."

  Notable Quote:
  Daniel Kurtzleben (04:04): "The budget says that some programs, quote, radicalize students against markets. So in that way, the budget is very Trumpy."

• Fiscal Conservatism vs. Deficit Impact: While some fiscal conservatives appreciate the shift of federal programs to state levels, the overall impact may increase the budget deficit due to reduced IRS efficiency and increased defense spending.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (04:55): "There’s no deficit reduction here. And if one accounts for the revenue losses from cutting IRS staff, one could argue that the net effect of this proposal would be to increase budget deficits."

Expert Insights:

• Daniel Kurtzleben (02:25): Emphasizes that the budget is an outline and does not encompass mandatory spending like Medicare and Medicaid. The detailed full budget is expected in the coming months.
• Brendan Duke (05:36): From the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, suggests that Trump's aggressive budget proposals are unprecedented and could lead to significant changes without congressional approval.

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2. Gloomy Economic Outlook Amid Mixed Signals

Overview:
The U.S. economy shows conflicting indicators: while job growth remains robust, GDP contracted in the first quarter, reflecting underlying economic challenges exacerbated by President Trump's tariff policies.

Key Points:

• Job Market Resilience: In April, employers added 177,000 jobs, surpassing expectations, and the unemployment rate remained low at 4.2%. Wage growth continues, supporting consumer purchasing power.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (06:39): "Employers added 177,000 jobs in April... And the unemployment rate held steady at a low 4.2%."

• Economic Contraction: GDP shrank in the first three months of the year, primarily due to a slowdown in consumer spending. The economy exhibits a "two-speed" dynamic, with affluent individuals maintaining spending levels while the broader population becomes more financially constrained.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (07:16): "Gross domestic product... contracted in the first three months of the year... consumer spending slowed down."

• Impact of Tariffs: President Trump's tariff policies have introduced economic uncertainty, affecting both domestic manufacturers and international trade relations. Companies like General Motors project significant financial losses ($5 billion) due to tariffs, leading to job cuts and reduced factory output.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (08:33): "GM projected that the president's tariffs could cost the company as much as $5 billion this year."

• Consumer Behavior Shifts: Companies such as McDonald's report declining sales as budget-conscious consumers reduce discretionary spending. Efforts to attract customers include expanding discount menus.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (07:09): "McDonald's US sales had dropped more than three and a half percent in the early months of this year."

• Stock Market Response: Despite negative economic indicators, the stock market ended the week positively, reflecting investor optimism or selective focus on favorable data points.

  Notable Quote:
  Scott Horsley (09:40): "For the moment, investors are drinking from the half-full glass, but that could easily change next week."

Expert Insights:

• Tim Fiore: Monthly survey of factory managers indicates that tariffs are driving up costs and deterring business, further straining the manufacturing sector.

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3. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Expanded Role

Overview:
In a significant cabinet reshuffle, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as the National Security Advisor, succeeding Mike Waltz. This consolidation of roles raises concerns about the feasibility of effectively managing both positions amid global tensions.

Key Points:

• Reshuffle Details: Mike Waltz is being nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations following criticisms over security lapses, including inadvertently adding a journalist to a military strike discussion group chat.

  Notable Quote:
  Greg Myhre (10:56): "Trump wouldn’t be doing this if he wasn’t unhappy with Waltz’s performance in some way."

• Challenges of Dual Roles: Rubio will now juggle responsibilities as both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, roles traditionally requiring full-time attention due to their demanding nature.

  Notable Quote:
  Greg Myhre (12:19): "Rubio seems to have Kissinger beat. He has two other jobs as well, the acting head of USAID and the acting head of the National Archives."

• Historical Precedent: The last instance of one individual holding both positions was under President Nixon with Henry Kissinger, highlighting the rarity and potential inefficiency of such an arrangement.

• Policy Implications: With Rubio overseeing both diplomatic and security strategies, there is concern over potential conflicts of interest and overextension, which could impact U.S. foreign policy effectiveness.

Expert Insights:

• Greg Myhre (13:55): Notes the high turnover in Trump's national security team, comparing it unfavorably to previous administrations and suggesting instability in policy direction.

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4. Ongoing Global Conflicts and U.S. Involvement

Overview:
The episode highlights several international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas truce collapse, and U.S. military actions in Yemen. These situations place additional strain on the restructured national security apparatus.

Key Points:

• Russia-Ukraine War: President Trump advocates for a ceasefire, yet progress remains stagnant. A recent agreement on natural resources between the U.S. and Ukraine may increase Trump's engagement in the conflict.

  Notable Quote:
  Greg Myhre (14:02): "Trump still wants a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. That’s proving elusive."

• Israel-Hamas Situation: The truce between Israel and Hamas has failed, leading to ongoing conflict and a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

• Yemen Bombing Campaign: The U.S. has been conducting military strikes against the Houthis for seven weeks, with significant equipment losses including drones and a jet fighter.

  Notable Quote:
  Greg Myhre (14:49): "The US has lost at least a half dozen drones at $30 million a piece. And a jet fighter... sank in the Red Sea."

Expert Insights:

• The consolidation of Rubio's roles comes at a critical time, potentially hindering the U.S.'s ability to effectively respond to these global challenges.

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5. Interactive Segment: "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" Quiz

Overview:
Listeners were invited to participate in a news quiz from NPR's "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" This segment serves as an engaging way to test knowledge of the week's events, reinforcing key points discussed in the episode.

Highlights:

• Questions covered topics such as President Trump's budget moves, economic indicators like S&P 500 and Dow Jones performances, and current events like the Biden administration's policy changes.

Quotes from Hosts:

• Aisha Harris (15:03): "Fill in the blank... This is why you have to be specific when you order a burger with everything on it."
• Scott Horsley (21:29): "Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon Prime members can listen to Up First Sponsor free through Amazon Music."

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Conclusion

This episode of NPR's Up First delves deep into President Trump's 2026 budget proposal, outlining significant cuts to non-defense spending while advocating for increased funding in defense and border security. The economic landscape presents mixed signals with strong job market performance juxtaposed against a contracting GDP and challenges posed by tariff policies. Additionally, the recent cabinet reshuffle, appointing Marco Rubio as both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, raises concerns about the capacity to manage critical global issues effectively. The episode combines expert analysis with interactive segments to provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current political and economic climate.

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For more detailed discussions and updates, subscribe to NPR's Up First+ and support your local NPR station at donate.npr.org.

Transcript

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump proposes major cuts to federal.

[Scott Simon]

Spending, part of the White House's budget plan for next year.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

But any spending will have to be approved by Congress. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon. And this is up first from NPR News.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The budget plan was announced after the economy shrank during the first three months of this year.

[Scott Simon]

The job figures announced this week were better than expected. What do these mixed signals tell us about the state of the economy? We'll have the latest.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added a new role to his portfolio. He's now the national security advisor after Mike Waltz was moved aside.

[Scott Simon]

How could one official holding two top posts affect foreign policy? Please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.

[Aisha Harris]

Hey, it's Aisha Harris from Pop Culture Happy Hour. If you love NPR podcasts, you'll want.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

The new NPR Podcast Bundle.

[Aisha Harris]

Enjoy an all you can eat selection.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Of NPR podcasts with sponsor free listening and bonus episodes. Plus, you'll be supporting public radio. Check it [e-mail] does the idea of listening to political news freak you out? Well, don't sweat it. The NPR Politics podcast makes politics a breeze. Every episode will break down the day's headlines into totally normal language and make sure that you walk away understanding what the day's news might mean for you. Take a deep breath and give politics another chance with the NPR Politics podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Aisha Harris]

When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from npr.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump has issued his first budget proposal since returning to the White House.

[Scott Simon]

He wants to slash spending for many federal agencies but increase spending for defense and border security.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The president's spending plans are expected to run into strong opposition in Congress, which will need to approve any budget.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben joins us. Danielle, thanks for being with us.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Thank you, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

What do you see standing out in this budget?

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Well, first off, it would make some big cuts to non defense spending. It would cut those by nearly one quarter. Now, that is a big category. It includes education, transportation, scientific research. So it's a deep and broad swath of cuts. And then in turn, there are some big spending additions. Trump wants to boost defense spending by 13% to a trillion dollars per year. And not only that, but he's proposing a 65% boost to homeland security spending and that would go in part to mass deportations and completing the border wall, his signature issues. I should add though that this is not a full budget. It's an outline and it doesn't include mandatory spending. That's those big social safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid. A more detailed full budget that's coming in the coming months.

[Scott Simon]

Tell us please more about those cuts to non defense spending. Specifically. What?

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Well, Trump is proposing some really deep cuts to a few agencies. He proposes cuts of more than 50% at the environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation. He also proposes cuts at the Internal Revenue Service at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, or noaa. I mean, really, if it's an agency that doesn't do immigration or defense, there's a good chance that Trump wants to cut it. He also proposes some cuts to education, although the administration did take care to specify that they don't propose cutting Head Start funding.

[Scott Simon]

Why does the administration want to cut spending at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration or spending for scientific research?

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Well, that's because there's a lot of culture war in this budget and a lot of programs are argued against on those grounds. Now, in this short document, the phrase DEI, for example, shows up 31 times, woke, shows up 12 times, and so on. Cuts from Noah are justified because of that agencies climate work. The budget says that some programs, quote, radicalize students against markets. So in that way, the budget is very trumpy. But that said, there are some traditionally fiscal conservative moves in here. For example, the budget proposes moving a bunch of federal programs like rental assistance out of the federal government and to the state and local level. I talked to Jessica Riedle. She's a budget expert at the right leaning Manhattan Institute. And as a fiscal conservative, she likes some parts of this budget. But she said the cuts should be going to deficit reduction and instead, instead they're going toward defense.

[Scott Horsley]

There's no deficit reduction here. And if one accounts for the revenue losses from cutting IRS staff, one could argue that the net effect of this proposal would be to increase budget deficits.

[Scott Simon]

Danielle, it's Congress that ultimately makes spending decisions. How much attention should we pay to this document?

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

You're right. This is just the starting point of a conversation with Congress. And presidents don't usually get to call the budget shots. But the fact that Trump keeps trying to cut spending on his own changes things. I talked to Brendan Duke at the left leaning center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Here's how he put it, I certainly think that they're shooting with live ammo.

[Aisha Harris]

In a way with their budget in.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

A way that is not true of.

[Aisha Harris]

Most budgets because they have shown their willingness to try to do these sorts.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Of cuts without congressional sign off. There have been some court challenges to Trump's attempted cuts so far, but congressional Republicans, they haven't really pushed back on those moves. So this budget could be a roadmap for things to come from the TRUMP White House.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben, thanks so much.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

Thanks, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

President Trump's tariff policy has generated enormous economic uncertainty at home and abroad.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The US Economy is shrinking, consumer confidence is faltering, and yet the job market still appears to be strong.

[Scott Simon]

We're joined now by NPR's Scott Horsley. Thanks for being with us, Scott.

[Scott Horsley]

Good morning. Good to be with you.

[Scott Simon]

Let's begin with this positive note because even with the backdrop of the president's trade war, employers continued to add a lot of jobs last month. This sounds encouraging.

[Scott Horsley]

Yes, that's right. Employers added 177,000 jobs in April, not quite as many as the month before, but more than forecasters had expected. And the unemployment rate held steady at a low 4.2%. That suggests that even with all the tariff chaos of the recent weeks, employers are still hiring. Wages are also still going up. So with more people working and paychecks getting bigger, that should provide some juice to keep the economy moving forward.

[Scott Simon]

But we also learned this week that the economy went backwards a little bit, January through March. What do those numbers disclose?

[Scott Horsley]

Right. Gross domestic product, which is the broadest measure of the economy, contracted in the first three months of the year after fairly strong growth in the waning months of the Biden administration, gained in particular, consumer spending slowed down. And it's really a two speed economy here. Wealthy people are still spending pretty freely, but the rest of the country is tightening its belt. One example is McDonald's. A lot of customers there are budget conscious lower middle income people. This week the chief financial officer, ian Borden, said McDonald's US sales had dropped more than three and a half percent in the early months of this year. The big thing is people are just visiting less and that speaks to, I think, the pressure on consumers, consumer sentiment, obviously the things that we've been talking about for a while now, inflationary pressures, interest rates that are weighing obviously particularly on lower consumers and that spilling over into middle income consumers. Right now McDonald's is expanding its discount menu to try to bring more customers through the doors. But you know, as an economic indicator. That drop in sales at my old employer, McDonald's is not such a happy Meal.

[Scott Simon]

Well, and they miss you still. General Motors, another iconic US Company, also had some sobering economic news this week. What did they say?

[Scott Horsley]

GM projected that the president's tariffs could cost the company as much as $5 billion this year. The company hopes to mitigate some of that by ramping up production at a truck plant in Indiana, shifting where some of its parts come from. But this is a reminder that a lot of domestic manufacturers rely on imports for parts and for raw materials, and they are struggling with Trump's tariffs. Automakers cut almost 5,000 jobs in the US last month. Factories overall are in a slump right now. Tim Fiore conducts a monthly survey of factory managers for the Institute for Supply Management, and he's hearing a lot of complaints about how the trade war is driving prices up and driving business away. This is not good. This is just another confirmation that tariffs are probably taking this in the wrong direction. We could be in a growth profile here if not for the administration trying to change the way the entire world does business. As the trade war heated up last month, we saw factory orders, factory output and factory employment all come down.

[Scott Simon]

Yet the stock market ended the week on a high note. What are investors figuring?

[Scott Horsley]

Yeah, this is one of those weeks when you can see the economic glass as half full or half empty, depending on which of the indicator numbers you look at and where you think the trade war is going. For the moment, investors are drinking from from the half full glass, but that could easily Change next week.

[Scott Simon]

NPR, Scott Horsley, thanks so much.

[Scott Horsley]

You're welcome.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump's former national security advisor, Mike Waltz lasted barely 100 days in his post.

[Scott Simon]

He was widely criticized for accidentally adding a journalist to a chat group that was discussing military strikes on Yemen.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

He's been replaced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will now add the title of national security advisor to his growing roster of roles.

[Scott Simon]

But in a time of global tensions, will he have the ability to do both jobs? NPR's National Security Correspondent Greg Myhre joins us. Greg, thanks for being with us.

[Greg Myhre]

Good to be here, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Let's start with the latest. National security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed, or should we say relocated from his role. What was the stated reason? Where did he go?

[Greg Myhre]

So Trump plans to nominate Waltz to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Now, Vice President J.D. vance tried to downplay any sense of turmoil in an interview on Fox News. He said Waltz was being given a new position for which he seemed better Suited.

[Aisha Harris]

The media wants to frame this as a firing.

[Greg Myhre]

Donald Trump has fired a lot of people. He doesn't give them Senate confirmed appointments afterwards. So still, Trump wouldn't be doing this if he wasn't unhappy with Waltz's performance in some way. And this UN Job is seen as a bit of a consolation prize. Now, Waltz took responsibility for accidentally adding a journalist to that now infamous Signal Group chat back in March, and that was probably one contributing factor to his move.

[Scott Simon]

And yet did he make the same misstep this week?

[Greg Myhre]

At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, a Reuters photographer was there. He took a photo sort of over the shoulder of Waltz, and it showed Waltz using Signal on his phone. And in addition to this, Waltz has had some policy positions that seem a bit out of sync with Trump. Before he joined Trump's team, he was very tough on Russia and supportive of Ukraine, in contrast to Trump. So this was probably a factor as well.

[Scott Simon]

The President is replacing Waltz, at least temporarily, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will also keep his job as Secretary of State. This is a lot of work, isn't it?

[Greg Myhre]

Yeah. I think the first thing Rubio is going to need to do is clone himself because he's going to have to be in two places at once. The Secretary of State is in constant motion, traveling from one foreign capital to the next. In contrast, the National Security Advisor is usually quite close to the President. His natural habitat is the White House and the Situation Room. In particular, his job is to work with various agencies, the Pentagon, the CIA, the State Department, and help the President sort through policy options. So it's not a natural fit to do both jobs simultaneously. This is likely a temporary arrangement, and it does suggest Trump is putting a lot of trust in Rubio for now. One other note, the last time this happened was under President Nixon when he put Henry Kissinger in both those roles. Rubio seems to have Kissinger beat. He has two other jobs as well, the acting head of USAID and the acting head of the National Archives.

[Scott Simon]

Before this shakeup, it seemed that the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, might be the Cabinet member most likely to lose his job. Does Secretary Hegseth seem safe for now?

[Greg Myhre]

Well, given Trump's unpredictability, nothing is certain. But Hegseth looks to be safe for the moment. He's still facing a lot of criticism. His hand picked advisors have been dismissed. So it seems there's still some turmoil at the Pentagon. And as you noted, Scott, there's unprecedented churn in Trump's national security team. In his first term, he had four separate national security advisors. The first one, Mike Flynn, lasted less than a month. He also had four defense secretaries and four directors of national intelligence.

[Scott Simon]

Of course, all of this is occurring at a moment when there are a number of conflicts and challenges abroad. Bring us up to date.

[Greg Myhre]

So Trump still wants a ceasefire in the Russia Ukraine war. That's proving elusive. He's been more supportive of Russia in general, but this week the US Signed an agreement with Ukraine on natural resources. So this may keep Trump a bit more engaged with Ukraine. Trump came into office just as the Israel Hamas truce was taking effect that's now collapsed. The war in Gaza grinds on amid a major humanitarian crisis. And today marks seven weeks since the US Launched a bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. And we're still getting minimal information. We do know the US has lost at least a half dozen drones at $30 million a piece. And a jet fighter, which cost more than 60 million, fell off the deck of an aircraft carrier this week and sank in the Red Sea.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Greg Myhre, thanks so much.

[Greg Myhre]

Sure thing, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And that's up first for Saturday, May 3rd, 2025. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon.

[Aisha Harris]

Hold up.

[Scott Simon]

One more thing for you. Today here at up first, we take keeping you informed seriously.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Meanwhile, our friends at NPR's Wait, Wait, don't tell me. Take making fun of the news very seriously. Each week they create a news quiz and we want to give up first listeners the chance to play along.

[Scott Simon]

Test your knowledge of the week's news against the show's panelists by listening every weekend. Here is this week's Lightning Fill in the blank news quiz.

[Aisha Harris]

Now onto our final game, Lightning Fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Joyel and Hari each have three. Peter has two. All right. So Peter, you are in second place. That means that you are going to go first. Here we go. Fill in the blank. In response to the signal texting scandal, Trump announced he was reassigning national Security advisor Blank, whoever that guy is. Yes, his name is Mike Waltz and he is going to be UN Ambassador. At the end of April, both the S&P 500 and the blank closed in the red. The other one, the Dow Jones. Yes, the Dow Jones. This week, Canada and Mexico reported outbreaks of blank. Oh, are we exporting measles? Yes, we are exporting things. Trade continues On Tuesday, lawmakers in Florida signed a bill to ban Blank in the state's drinking water.

[Scott Horsley]

Fluoride.

[Aisha Harris]

Fluoride, yes. This week, a highway in Texas was shut down for 12 hours after a truck spilled $800,000 worth of blank. Oh, I heard about this. Dimes. Yes, dimes. On Wednesday. Not dime bags, dimes. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Martin Scorsese filmed one of the Blank's final interviews. One of the Blanks. Yes. That is a clue. Oh. Oh. A pope. The Pope, Yes. On Monday, Blank kicked off her Cowboy Carter world tour in Los Angeles. The Pope for black women. Beyonce.

[Scott Simon]

Yes.

[Aisha Harris]

This week, a priest in Pennsylvania was sentenced to community service after he stole $40,000 from his parish and spent it on Blank. Cowboy Carter ticket. No.1 ticket. Exactly. Power ups in Mario Kart. Hey, that's 40,000. $40,000. The 52 year old priest used the parish credit card to buy thousands of dollars in video game power ups for Mario Kart Tour. Oh, my God. God, can you imagine going to the confession booth saying, bless me, Father, for I have sinned, and hearing it's a me Bill. How did Peter do in our quiz? Very well. Six. Right. 12 more points. 14 is his total. All right, Joyel. Yes. I am arbitrarily choosing you to go next. Here we go. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, to commemorate his first 100 days in office, Blank held a rally in Michigan. Trump. On Monday, Spain and Portugal were hit with a massive 12 hour blank blackout. Yeah. Power outage. This week, severe blanks tore through 12 states. Tornadoes and storms. Yes. On Wednesday, a judge suggested opening a criminal case against Blank for their app store policies. Oh, Apple. Right after the Lakers lost their spot in the postseason, Blank hinted he may retire from the NBA. LeBron. LeBron James. On Thursday, George Clooney, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Snook were all nominated for Blank awards. Tony. Yes. This week, the US Navy lost a. A $60 million F18 fighter jet after the aircraft carrier it was on blanked crashed into the ocean. No, the aircraft carrier turned too quickly and the jet slid off and into the water. The Navy confirmed that a quick turn caused the plane to slide off the ship and into the ocean, which is a real, you know, you had one job aircraft carrier. Also, they are famously the slowest things to turn. Yes, I know. It's like, it's a cliche, right? Well, you know, getting the government to change is like turning an aircraft carrier. Turns out, turn an aircraft carrier, just jerk the wheel really hard. Bill, how did Joyel do on our quiz, six rights, 12 more points, slipping by Peter with a 15. There you are. So you didn't even need it. You didn't even need it. So Hari is left to play. How many does he need to win? Well, six to tie and seven to win. All right, here we go. Hari. This is for the game. Fill in the Blank. Months after tense negotiations began, the US Signed a rare minerals deal with Blank. Ukraine. Right. On Monday, the White House fired all the scientists working on a massive study of Blank's effect on the United States. What are Fruity Pebbles? Climate change. Climate change. In her first major speech since leaving office, Blank sharply criticized Trump's policy. Kamala Harris. Right. During an interview this week, Ben Affleck said he thought that Blank was the best work of his career. What are his children? No. What is. You think this is Jeopardy? Let me. Let me have dreams, Peter. No, no. He said the best work of his career was the DVD commentary track for Armageddon. On Thursday, department store Blank fired their CEO for funneling business to his romantic partner, Macy's. No coals. On Wednesday, officials in Nepal drafted a law requiring anyone who wants to climb Blank to be an experienced climber. Mount Everest. Right. Last week, a woman in South Carolina sued a local restaurant after she took a bite of her sandwich and cracked her tooth on Blank. What is a gold nugget? She cracked her tooth on another person's tooth. Apparently, the woman bit into her sandwich, cracked her molar on something hard, and then discovered it was a tooth. She's understandably traumatized, as I believe you are now. But this is why you have to be specific when you order a burger with everything on it. Bill, did Harry do well enough to win? How dare you? Oh, we gotta read them anyway. 3. Write six more points. Nine means joy. L is the kid. Well done.

[Scott Simon]

Ah, perfect.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

See how closely you followed the week's news. And have some fun by listening to the podcast. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News quiz every Saturday. It's available in the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Scott Horsley]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Up First Sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get up first [e-mail] that's.

[Aisha Harris]

Plus.Npr.Org on the indicator from Planet Money podcast. We're here to help you make sense of the economic news from Trump's tariffs.

[Daniel Kurtzleben]

It's called in game theory a trigger strategy, or sometimes called grim trigger, which.

[Aisha Harris]

Sort of has a cowboy esque ring to it to what exactly a sovereign wealth fund is. For insight every weekday, listen to NPR's the Indicator from Planet Money on the next through line from npr. For the presidency, I'm indebted to Almighty God. I'm in charge of the country, and I need to serve all the American people and not just the political machine. The origins of the modern civil service. Listen to Throughline wherever you get your podcasts.