Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Middle East War Latest, Venezuela-US Diplomacy

Summary

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NPR Up First – March 6, 2026

Main Theme:
A fast-paced roundup of the day’s biggest stories: President Trump’s firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the intensifying Israel-Iran-Hezbollah conflict, and rapid developments in US-Venezuela relations.

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1. Trump Fires Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary

Segment Start: 01:38

Key Points:

• President Trump abruptly fired Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, marking the first major cabinet shakeup of his second term.
• Noem had become the face of mass deportations and was recently scrutinized for a multimillion-dollar ad campaign allegedly promoting herself rather than policy.
• Congressional hearings saw bipartisan concerns about misuse of agency funds, particularly a contract awarded to a politically connected firm.
• Further controversy followed her handling of an incident in Minnesota where two US citizens were killed during an immigration operation. Her labeling of a deceased individual as a “domestic terrorist” drew intense bipartisan criticism.
• Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma Senator and Trump ally, will be the nominee to replace Noem, pending Senate confirmation.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator John Kennedy questioning Noem’s ad spending:
  “He asserted that this contract was for hundreds of millions of dollars and that they basically promoted Noem rather than administration policy.” (NPR Immigration Analyst paraphrasing, 03:01)
• NPR Immigration Analyst: “She was featured in many promotional social media videos, including standing in places like El Salvador's notorious prisons and on the front lines of many individual immigration arrests themselves. … She always defended the actions of the agency. But that backfired after events in Minnesota.” (03:22)
• Markwayne Mullin on his appointment:
  “It came at a little bit of a surprise for us. ... I look forward to working with [Trump] in his cabinet. Of course, we still got to go through this little thing called confirmation.” (04:30)

Contextual Insights:

• The DHS is now in its third week without funding, leading to mass furloughs.
• Recent polling (NPR/PBS/Marist) indicates nearly two-thirds of Americans think ICE has gone too far, following the Minnesota incident.
• Immigration enforcement remains a political flashpoint as the midterms approach.

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2. Middle East War Expands – Israel, Iran, Lebanon

Segment Start: 05:36

Key Points:

• Israeli forces launched major strikes against Beirut’s southern suburbs, described as Hezbollah strongholds, prompting massive civilian displacement.
• At least 100 killed in Lebanon since the escalation; over 95,000 people are now displaced, some for the second or third time.
• Lebanon’s government is attempting to distance itself from Hezbollah and Iran—unprecedented moves include arrest warrants for Hezbollah members who launched rockets into Israel.
• The Iran-backed Hezbollah first justified their rocket attacks as solidarity with Iran, later citing Israeli strikes as provocation.
• Broader regional fallout: Tehran bombarded, US drone attacks thwarted in Qatar, Bahrain struck by Iranian missiles, and historic US-Israel military cooperation pledged.

Notable Quotes:

• Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR (from Beirut, describing the humanitarian situation):
  “The sidewalks are packed here with displaced families, mothers and children huddled under blankets to stay warm, men sitting around little fires to keep warm, also smoking cigarettes. … Officials say over 95,000 people are now displaced.” (06:01–07:14)
• Al Shalchi, on Lebanon’s internal politics:
  “Earlier in the day, I sat with Lebanon’s Justice Minister, Adel Nassar. He instructed the Lebanese security authorities to issue arrest warrants for the Hezbollah members who launched those rockets into Israel this week, which is kind of unprecedented.” (07:31)
• Al Shalchi, on the mood in Beirut:
  “Beirut itself is just crowded with the displaced. Those with money are able to afford hotels or rent apartments... but then those who can't afford hotels are sleeping in their cars and on the streets.” (06:01)

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3. Venezuela-US Diplomacy: From Hostility to Business Deals

Segment Start: 09:30

Key Points:

• Two months after US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the US and Venezuela are swiftly normalizing relations.
• Oil agreements have been finalized; talks are underway for US access to Venezuela’s critical minerals. Diplomatic relations are being re-established.
• On the ground: A sense of relief and political openness is palpable among Venezuelans, though divisions remain.
• Some celebrate new freedoms and Amnesty Laws (excluding those seeking foreign intervention); others mourn former President Hugo Chávez and resent US interference.
• A highly symbolic meeting took place between US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Diosdado Cabello (wanted by US authorities for narcoterrorism), focusing strictly on business.
• The US seeks to reduce Chinese control over critical minerals, positioning Venezuela as a potential linchpin.

Notable Quotes:

• Eder Peralta, NPR (from Caracas):
  “It is absolutely surreal because you land at the airport and the signs are in Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese, which tells you just where this country was facing a few months ago. … People here tell you that they feel like a weight has been lifted for the first time in a long time.” (10:00)
• Eduard Ocaliz, Venezuelan former political prisoner:
  “They call us traitors… but look at them now. Son ellos. Now it’s them who are not only kneeling, but sleeping with the United States.” (Paraphrased by Peralta, 11:05)
• Peralta, on pro-Chavez crowd:
  “It was pure defiance at Chavez’s tomb. … At almost the exact time that Chavez’s own party was sitting at the Presidential palace cutting deals with US officials.” (11:15)
• Doug Burgum, US Interior Secretary:
  “One of the highest strategic national security threats to any democratic nation right now is China’s control of critical minerals.” (12:39)

Summary Context:

• The prospect of US companies extracting Venezuelan critical minerals is seen as mutually beneficial, and President Trump touts Venezuela as a regime change “model.”

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Memorable Moments & Quotes by Timestamp

• 03:01 – Senator Kennedy’s pointed questioning of Noem on ad spending
• 04:30 – Markwayne Mullin expresses excitement and surprise at appointment
• 06:01–07:14 – Vivid depiction of Beirut in crisis by Hadil Al Shalchi
• 07:31 – Lebanon’s Justice Minister orders unprecedented arrests targeting Hezbollah
• 10:00 – Eder Peralta describes the surreal atmosphere in Venezuela post-intervention
• 12:39 – Doug Burgum on the critical minerals and strategic US interests

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Recap

This episode delivers sharply focused updates on major global flashpoints: a dramatic cabinet reshuffle in Washington amid domestic turmoil, the deepening regional war in the Middle East with humanitarian consequences and political realignments, and the transformation of US-Venezuela relations—underscored by strategic interests in oil and minerals. Throughout, NPR’s correspondents offer firsthand accounts and context from the ground, blending analysis with the voices of those directly affected.

Transcript

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[Michelle Martin]

President Trump tries new leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.

[Steve Inskeep]

Kristi Noem oversaw an operation that killed two Americans in Minnesota. She lost her job when lawmakers questioned her spending on on ads that promoted her.

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. The U. S. Israeli war with Iran is widening. Israel ordered residents to flee the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israelis described the area as a stronghold of Hezbollah. Our correspondent saw roads choked with people fleeing before bombs fell on their neighborhoods.

[Steve Inskeep]

And two months after U.S. forces seized Venezuela's president, the two countries are cutting deals. What does Washington want from Caracas? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

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[Steve Inskeep]

President Trump has fired his Homeland Security secretary.

[Michelle Martin]

Kristi Noem became the public face of the administration's mass deportations project. Now she is a casualty in the first cabinet shakeup of Trump's second term. The president announced her firing in a truth social post on Thursday and said Mark Mullen, a senator from Oklahoma, would replace her.

[Steve Inskeep]

Let's talk this through with NPR immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bestillo. Jimena, Good morning.

[Ximena Bestillo]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

How'd this come about?

[Ximena Bestillo]

Well, we didn't know Trump would fire her, but during two congressional hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week, I did notice that both Republicans and Democrats had questions about her leadership, including how efficiently the agency distributed disaster relief funds and what she had been spending her agency's money on. One of the most notable moments, comments came during questions from GOP Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. He asked Noem about a multi million dollar immigration related ad campaign that she ran last year. The contract for the ads went to a firm that was created just days before. And according to reporting from investigative news outlet ProPublica, one of the beneficiaries was connected with the husband of former DHS spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin. Now, NPR has not independently confirmed that reporting, but Kennedy did ask Noem if President Trump had asked her to run these ads. And no said and basically confirmed that Trump was okay with it.

[Steve Inskeep]

Kennedy's questioning was interesting because he asserted that this contract was for hundreds of millions of dollars and that they basically promoted Nome rather than administration policy, that they were promotional ads for her and done by a company with political connections to her, although it strikes me that that was her most prominent job, was being the face of immigration enforcement.

[NPR Immigration Analyst]

Right. She was featured in many promotional social media videos, including standing in places like El Salvador's notorious Secoa and on the front lines of many individual immigration arrests themselves. And she always defended the actions of the agency. But that backfired after events in Minnesota. If you remember, two US Citizens were killed by immigration officers there back in January. And after the death of one of them, Alex Preddy, Noem was quick to label him a domestic terrorist. This individual, who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers, committed an

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

act of domestic terror.

[NPR Immigration Analyst]

The facts now that language, although used before, drew immediate bipartisan scrutiny in this case.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so she's out. We haven't even gone through all the different controversies involving her. And she is to be replaced by Mark Wayne Mullen, United States Senator from Oklahoma. When would he start?

[NPR Immigration Analyst]

Trump says that Mullen takes over by the end of March, although, of course, he does need to get confirmed by the Senate to officially take on the post. Here's Mullen speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill after the announcement.

[Mark Wayne Mullen]

I am super excited about this opportunity. It came at a not a complete surprise, but it came at a little bit of surprise for us. And so the president and I, as you guys know, we're great friends and we get along great. I look forward to working with him in his cabinet. Of course, we still got to go this little thing called confirmation.

[NPR Immigration Analyst]

One of his first tasks will be to address the lack of trust in immigration enforcement, which was a big theme this week during those hearings.

[Steve Inskeep]

Where does the agency stand overall?

[Ximena Bestillo]

The agency is now in its third week without funding, which means hundreds of thousands of employees are furloughed or working without pay. Now zooming out. Trump won his election in part due to promises to clamp down on border security. But in the wake of Minnesota, nearly two thirds of Americans say Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gone too far. That's according to a poll from NPR PBS News. And Marist last month. Still, immigration enforcement continues to be a top issue for the president and for Democrats as we enter the midterm cycle.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR Samanavistillo, thanks as always.

[Ximena Bestillo]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Israeli forces struck a suburb of Lebanon's capital overnight.

[Michelle Martin]

Beirut is a city of millions of people now shaking from bombs and filled with evacuees. Israel ordered residents to flee a southern suburb that it describes as a stronghold of Hezbollah. That group had responded to the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi is in Beirut with a report. Hi there, Hadil.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

What's it like where you've been in the last 24 hours?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Well, it was quiet early this morning, but the Israeli military just announced that it is still striking the Tahir neighborhood. It's really actually not that far from downtown Beirut, close to where I am, just about four miles away. And the Lebanese government says that the death toll has now gone up to 100 people since the war with Iran began. Now, Steve, I was out reporting last night right before the strikes yesterday, and roads which are normally not busy at that time of night, were gridlocked. Israel had issued an evacuation, evacuation order for the entire southern suburb and families were fleeing in trucks. You know, the back of them were stuffed with blankets, kitchen products. You know, they stuffed their kids back there, too. And then Beirut itself is just crowded with the displaced. Those with money are able to afford hotels or rent apartments. I found it hard to find a hotel room myself before coming here because they're so full. But then those who can't afford hotels are sleeping in their cars and on the streets. The sidewalks are packed here with displaced families, mothers and children huddled under blankets to stay warm, men sitting around little fires to keep warm, also smoking cigarettes. And Lebanese Officials say over 95,000 people are now displaced and some of those people from the south have had to evacuate their homes multiple times.

[Mark Wayne Mullen]

Wow.

[Steve Inskeep]

I want to understand how we got here. So the US And Israel struck Iran last weekend. Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is allied with Iran. They fired upon Israel. The Israelis fired back. And then how did we get from that initial exchange of fire to this mass evacuation?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

So you have to remember that Israel's actually been striking in southern Lebanon and what it's calling Hezbollah installations for the past 15 months already, even though there was a ceasefire brokered last year. But then it just ramped it up after, like you said, Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel earlier this week. Now, the Iran backed Lebanese militant group first said this was in solidarity with Iran and then it backtracked it and said the rockets were because of ongoing Israeli attacks. But this is still the first time Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in those 15 months. And so now we're seeing the Lebanese government is really trying to distance itself from Hezbollah and from Iran. Earlier in the day, I sat with Lebanon's Justice Minister, Adel Nassar. He instructed the Lebanese security authorities to issue arrest warrants for the Hezbollah members who launched those rockets into Israel this week, which is kind of unprec. Gassar wants to dismantle Hezbollah's military wing. There is a move now in Lebanon to do that. Hezbollah's military wing operates mainly out of southern Lebanon. But look, Hezbollah still enjoys popularity in Lebanon, but I'm hearing more and more people here say that they've dragged them into an unnecessary war. And so Nassar says there are huge challenges.

[Steve Inskeep]

How does this fit into other developments in the war?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Well, earlier this morning in Tehran, there was heavy bombardment in the city center near the supreme leader's old home. Fighter jets flew overhead. There were huge. And then in the Gulf, Qatar's Defense Ministry said it thwarted a drone attack at the biggest US Military facility in the Middle East. And in Bahrain, the government said two hotels and a residential building were targeted by Iranian strikes. In Israel, it was quieter than previous nights with no incoming missile attacks. And the military's chief of staff there said last night that the US And Israel are working in what he called a, quote, historic cooperation.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR, Sadi Al Shalchi in Beirut. Thanks so much.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

You're very welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

This network sends correspondents to get a firsthand view of events. And today we have a report from inside Venezuela.

[Michelle Martin]

Two months ago, U.S. forces swooped into Caracas and seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Since then, the relationship between the US And Venezuela seems to be on a very fast mend. The two countries have made oil deals. They're now talking critical minerals and have agreed to re establish diplomatic relations.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Eder Peralta is in the country. Hey there, Eder.

[Eder Peralta]

Hey, good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

What's it feel like to be in Venezuela?

[Eder Peralta]

It is absolutely surreal because you land at the airport and the signs are in Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese, which tells you just where this country was facing a few months ago. And then you go out on the streets and people here tell you that they feel like a weight has been lifted for the first time in a long time. There are street protests. Opposition groups are holding public meetings. I was at the Justice Department building yesterday, and there was a group of protesters calling for all political prisoners to be released Venezuela has passed an amnesty law, but it excluded anyone who called for a foreign intervention. And I met Eduard Ocaliz there, and he's a former political prisoner. He has faced the wrath of this government. But then, right there in public, he taunted the government. They call us traitors, he said, but look at them now. Sonellos. Now it's them who are not only kneeling, he's saying, but sleeping with the United States. And to be clear, he thinks the US Intervention was regrettable, but he also thinks that something good came out of it, and that allows him to say this in public without being thrown back in prison.

[Steve Inskeep]

Is that the only point of view you've been hearing?

[Eder Peralta]

No. I mean, yesterday was also the 13th anniversary of the death of former President Hugo Chavez. And so hundreds of people came to pay their respects at his burial ground. And in the middle of this crowd was this guy playing the guitar, And he is singing Yankee, Go Home. It was pure defiance at Chavez's tomb. But of course, this is happening at almost the exact time that Chavez's own party was sitting at the Presidential palace cutting deals with U.S. officials.

[Steve Inskeep]

Wow. And the American Secretary of the Interior is visiting. How's that going?

[Eder Peralta]

I suppose it could have been awkward because Interior Secretary Doug Burgum sat for a meeting right in front of Venezuelan Interior Secretary Diosdado Cabello. And that is the man who is wanted in the US for narco terrorism. In fact, they're still offering $25 million for his capture. But what we saw instead of were lots of smiles. Bergam ignored questions about Cabello or democracy. And he made clear that this is about business. The interim Venezuelan government has passed laws that make it easier for U.S. oil companies to do business here. And Burgum says that they're about to do the same for the mining sector. And he explained the real politics at play here.

[Mark Wayne Mullen]

One of the highest strategic national security threats to any democratic nation right now is China's control of critical minerals.

[Eder Peralta]

And those are the minerals in your laptop, for example. And he says Venezuela likely has those minerals. American companies would like to extract them. And Venezuela could suddenly become key in helping the US Break reliance on China. A win. Win, he called it. And yesterday, Trump said, quote, venezuela is working once again. He was framing it as the model for regime change.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, npr, Zeta Peralta reporting from Caracas, Venezuela, with sounds on the streets. Thanks.

[Eder Peralta]

Thank you, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Just a reminder to follow us wherever you get your podcasts. And in addition to the daily news, you get the Sunday story on the up first podcast from npr this weekend, you hear about an open secret in India, women are selling their eggs illegally for ivf.

[Ximena Bestillo]

This is just about providing a part of your body to another person. And once that will work, they will have the babies.

[Steve Inskeep]

We get to hear the story from one of our great storytellers, NPR correspondent Dia Hadid, investigating the black market for human eggs in India. She also meets women who are selling their eggs to survive. And that's a first for this Friday, March 6th. I'm Steve Inskeep.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michele Martin. Today's episode of up first was edited by Anna Yukinanov, Hannah Block, Tara Neal, Mohamed El Bardisi and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Buch and Nia Dub Moss. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zoe Van Genhoven. Our technical director is Carly Strange. Our executive producer is Jay Shaylor. And we hope you'll join us again on Monday.

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