Up First from NPR

Episode Title: Ukraine-EU Meeting, National Guard Deployment Cases, Pentagon Press Corps
Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Steve Inskeep, Amy Martinez
Reporters: Terry Schultz, Kat Lansdorf, David Folkenflik

Episode Overview

This episode of Up First dives into three of the day's top stories:

1. The European Union’s controversial plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine amidst faltering U.S.-Russia peace efforts.
2. Landmark court cases testing the legal limits of the president’s authority to deploy National Guard troops in American cities like Portland and Chicago.
3. The transformation of the Pentagon press corps after most major outlets walked out, objecting to a new restrictive media policy.

Key Discussion Points & Analysis

1. EU Plan to Use Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine

[02:04 – 05:33]

• The Plan:
  The EU is considering granting Ukraine a large loan, guaranteed by about €140 billion ($160 billion) in Russian central bank assets immobilized in Europe, mostly held in Belgium.

  • If Moscow pays Ukraine this amount post-war, Ukraine repays the loan and Russia gets assets back.
  • Intended to relieve EU taxpayers from the financial burden.

• Controversy Among EU Leaders:

  • Belgium is hesitant, fearing Russia might demand the assets back and the liability would fall on them unless all EU states share responsibility.
  • The proposal is likely to be greenlit for more detailed planning, but divisions remain.

• Zelenskyy’s Position:
  "We need the decision on frozen assets... Russia will do everything not to give us possibility to have such decision" – President Zelenskyy (in Sweden), [03:54 - 04:07]

• Further Measures:

  • U.S. announced sanctions on Russia's two biggest oil companies, as peace talks have seen little progress.
  • EU’s 19th package of sanctions, including a gradual ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports, is set to pass after Slovakia secured concessions for its car and energy sectors.
  • A 20th sanctions package is already in discussion.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “So it seems like a very creative way to get a lot of money to Kyiv without it coming out of European taxpayers' pockets.” — Steve Inskeep, [03:37]
  • “The Belgians fear that… it would all be on the Belgians. So they want each of the other EU countries to sign a pledge sharing in backing this loan.” — Terry Schultz, [04:15]

2. Presidential Authority and National Guard Deployments

[05:41 – 09:13]

• Legal Questions in the Courts:

  • Key issue: Whose facts about the necessity for military deployments in U.S. cities the courts should trust — the president's or local officials'.
  • The rulings are expected to help set standards for when and how the military can be used domestically, though broader decisions could be years away.

• Portland Case:

  • The Ninth Circuit overruled a temporary restraining order, siding with the administration and theoretically allowing troop deployment, though another order still blocks it.
  • Ongoing hearings could overturn that block, while the Ninth Circuit may rehear the case with more judges.

• Legal Expert Perspective:

  • “It authorized blindness to facts. It said, you can decide that there's a war when there's nothing but bluebirds.” — Justin Levitt, Loyola Law School, [07:47 - 07:54]

• Chicago Case:

  • Administration appealed to the Supreme Court after losing in lower courts; this is the first such deployment case to reach the Supreme Court.
  • Supreme Court emergency rulings may be swift but brief and would apply only to Chicago, setting no binding precedent.

• Recent Supreme Court Trends:

  • The Court has often sided with presidential authority in recent emergency decisions but typically offers minimal rationale.
  • “They have generally deferred to the president and generally not said why.” — Amy Martinez, [08:59]

3. Pentagon Press Corps Shake-up

[09:22 – 13:08]

• New Policy:

  • The Pentagon, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, required news outlets to sign a restrictive agreement, stating they cannot even ask for information not explicitly authorized for release by the Pentagon.

• Mass Walkout:

  • Major outlets—across the political spectrum (NPR, The New York Times, WSJ, Fox News, Washington Post)—refused and relinquished their credentials.
  • Only right-wing, pro-Trump outlets (like Gateway Pundit, One America News, Lindell TV, Tim Pool) signed on.

• Impacts on Journalism:

  • The new rules bar reporting anything not officially cleared, which NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik described as “prior restraint.”
  • “You heard Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sean Parnell, his top press aide, say that Pentagon reporters are wandering all over the Pentagon and now they'll be required to wear badges. They were always required to wear badges…” — David Folkenflik, [11:20]

• Consequences for Public Information:

  • The press corps now primarily rebroadcasts administration-vetted narratives without independent reporting.
  • “The so-called independent journalists touted by the Pentagon right now don't feel that independent at all.” — David Folkenflik, [12:29]

• Memorable Insight:

  • “It's about who gets information and who controls it.” — Amy Martinez, [12:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the EU’s Plan:
  “Many EU leaders think this is a great idea. Others, particularly Belgium…don't necessarily want it to go ahead.” — Terry Schultz, [02:42]

• On Presidential Authority:
  “The court's rule will at least start to set the bar… and help define what constitutes a situation where the military can be deployed.” — Kat Lansdorf, [06:03]

• On Pentagon Press Corps Shift:
  “News outlets publish national security secrets all the time after weighing it with due care. But nonetheless, here's the Pentagon essentially saying we have to have a rubber stamp of yes or no, what you can publish.” — David Folkenflik, [12:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:04] EU's plans to transfer Russian assets to Ukraine
• [03:54] Zelenskyy presses for decision on frozen assets
• [04:49] New US and EU Russian sanctions
• [05:41] Legal challenges to National Guard deployments
• [07:47] Legal expert: “It authorized blindness to facts”
• [08:06] Emergency appeal on Chicago deployment to Supreme Court
• [09:22] Shakeup in the Pentagon press corps
• [11:20] Analysis of new restrictive Pentagon media policy
• [12:29] Impact on public access to military information

Conclusion

This episode unpacks EU strategies to support Ukraine without direct taxpayer cost and escalating global sanctions on Russia; clarifies the unsettled national legal landscape on the president’s ability to deploy military forces domestically; and dissects the sweeping shift in Pentagon coverage, raising concern about the future of military transparency and independent journalism.

The hosts maintain a clear-eyed, inquisitive tone throughout—balancing breaking news, context, and expert analysis, while foregrounding the stakes for democratic accountability both at home and abroad.