Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today's top stories
President Trump has fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as his choice to replace her. On social media, Trump said Noem would move to a role as "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas," a new security initiative he said the administration would announce on Saturday. Mullin, a fairly new face in the Senate, has established himself as a close ally of the president. The Senate will have to confirm Mullin for the DHS role before he can start. Here's what you need to know about Trump's pick.
- π§ Noem's firing comes after both Republicans and Democrats questioned her leadership during two separate hearings this week, NPR's Ximena Bustillo tells Up First. They asked about the agency's efficiency in distributing disaster relief funds and how it spent its money. Throughout her time in the role, Noem has defended the agency's actions, but that backfired after January's events in Minnesota, where immigration officers killed two U.S. citizens. The events in that state are instrumental in why the agency is now in its third week without funding. If approved, one of Mullins' first tasks will be to address the lack of trust in immigration enforcement.
As the war in Iran enters day seven, Israel's military says it detected missiles launched from Iran, and its air defense systems were operating to intercept them. Iran's retaliation comes after Israel said it began a "broad wave" of air strikes on Tehran, with additional attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel has issued an evacuation order for that area of Beirut. The Iranian Red Crescent reports that since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, more than 1,300 people there have been killed. Check out some of the key updates that NPR is reporting on.
- π§ NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Beirut, says the city is crowded with displaced people, and she found it hard to find a hotel room for herself because they are all full. People who cannot find a place to stay are sleeping in their cars or on the streets. More than 95,000 people are currently displaced, according to Lebanese officials. The attacks in Lebanon come after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, launched rockets into Israel earlier this week. Al-Shalchi says the Lebanese government wants to distance itself from the militant group. Yesterday, Lebanon's Justice Minister Adel Nassar told Al-Shalchi that he instructed the country's security authorities to issue arrest warrants for the Hezbollah members who launched the rockets.
- β‘οΈ Oscar-nominated Iranian dissident Mehdi Mahmoudian fears his country faces an endless cycle of violence. He joins Morning Edition host Leila Fadel to discuss his thoughts on this precarious chapter of Iran's history.
- β‘οΈ Israel and Iran have clashed for nearly 50 years. But before that, there was cooperation between the countries. Throughline explores the countries' complex history through the life of Jewish Iranian Habib Elghanian.
It has been two months since U.S. forces seized Venezuelan President NicolΓ‘s Maduro. In that time, the U.S. and Venezuela have quickly mended their relationship. Officials from the two countries have struck oil deals. Now, they are discussing critical minerals and have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations.
- π§ This week, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had a meeting with Venezuelan officials, including Venezuelan Interior Secretary Diosdado Cabello. Cabello is wanted in the U.S. for narco-terrorism. NPR's Eyder Peralta, who is in Caracas, says the meeting could have been awkward, but instead, there were many smiles. Burgum says the Venezuelan government will soon make it easier for the U.S. to do mining in its country. Burgum has said that China's control of critical minerals, which are used for things like computer chips, is one of the highest strategic national security threats. Venezuela is likely to have those same minerals, and the country could be key in breaking the U.S.' reliance on China.
The Justice Department has released additional Epstein files involving sexual abuse allegations against Trump after an NPR investigation found officials withheld dozens of pages. The new 16-page drop includes FBI interview summaries with a woman who accused the president of abusing her when she was a minor. Now that these documents are public, there are still 37 pages that remain missing from the database, according to NPR's calculation.
Deep dive
Ivermectin, the anti-parasitic drug that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, is back in the spotlight. People are embracing it as an alternative cancer treatment. While it effectively fights parasitic infections like roundworms and scabies in humans, and may aid in fighting malaria, its reputation remains politically polarizing. Scientists once hoped it could treat COVID-19, but dozens of studies confirmed it offered no benefit. Despite that disappointing research, misinformation fueled the drug's use during the pandemic. Now, the drug's reputation is continuing to grow in conservative political circles as a form of cure-all for various ailments.
- π State legislatures in Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Texas voted to make the drug available over-the-counter. Doctors express concern that this action may lead people to misuse the drug or substitute it for proven treatment.
- π Oncologist Jonathan Mizrahi said he started seeing interest in the drug for cancer about a year ago, when he noticed nearly half of his new patients asked him about it.
- π Mizrahi's research found that myths began to explode on social media after actor Mel Gibson suggested last year on Joe Rogan's podcast that ivermectin cured three of his friends of advanced cancer.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
πΏ Movies: British actress Lesley Manville discussed her new film Midwinter Break, her role in Oedipus on Broadway, and how she has balanced both stage and screen for decades with Morning Edition host Michel Martin.
πΊ TV: FX's Love Story follows John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's courtship, marriage, and the great strain she experienced as part of one of the world's most closely watched couples.
π Books: March always brings a flurry of new books, and this year is no exception. Skip the doomscrolling and instead mark your calendar for these exciting publishing highlights.
π΅ Music: Mitski describes Nothing's About to Happen to Me as a concept album about a woman living in unkempt solitude who is called a deviant when she ventures outside.
β Quiz: This week's quiz was a little tricky. Don't let the photos fool you. I scored a nine out of 10, so I know you can do the same or better.
3 things to know before you go
- Top Atlanta half-marathon finishers are urging U.S. track officials to secure world championships spots for Jess McClain and two other athletes. Their request comes after an official race vehicle misdirected the runners off the course, jeopardizing their qualification for the international team.
- A Lancet study reveals that pregnant women in emergency rooms used less Tylenol after Trump said in September 2025 that it could raise their babies' autism risk. Scientists deny a proven link.
- For the first time ever, women known primarily for country music topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and the Billboard 200 albums chart simultaneously this week.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2026 NPR