July 17, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

One year ago, Congress eliminated over one billion dollars in funding for public media. Yet we haven’t backed down. We continue to deliver the facts and keep you informed. Donate now to sustain this essential public service.

— A Martínez, Up First and Morning Edition host

Today’s top stories

President Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House.

Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump delivered a primetime address last night where he repeated claims that the country's voting systems are vulnerable to being "rigged and stolen." The president presented no new evidence of a single fraudulent vote in any election. He said he was declassifying intelligence documents that reveal "shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure."

🎧 A team at NPR spent much of the night reviewing these documents, Miles Parks tells Up First. So far, it’s unclear whether any new information has emerged that could affect the security of America's voting systems. They largely highlight existing concerns about voting equipment, such as how dated it is in certain areas. Nearly all U.S. voters use paper ballots, which have undergone audits and investigations by both Republicans and Democrats after the 2020 election. Parks says no evidence of widespread fraud was found.

🎧 Courts have blocked the president's executive actions aimed at changing election administration. Trump has pressed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote, but it lacks enough Senate support. Many Republicans want to focus on issues voters prioritize, such as the cost of living, NPR's Tamara Keith says. Trump spent little time on affordability and the war in Iran in his speech.

Catastrophic flooding in Texas has killed two people and prompted hundreds of rescues after days of heavy rain. The flooding comes just over a year after devastating July Fourth floods killed 130 people, including children and counselors at a summer camp.

🎧 Since last year's disaster, residents may be paying closer attention to evacuation and shelter alerts, Chelsey Zhu of NPR member station KUT says. State lawmakers have also prioritized flood safety measures, including new warning sirens and updated emergency plans for summer camps. Forecasters expect the rain to ease, allowing officials to shift from rescues to recovery.

Several U.S. states are experiencing unhealthy and hazardous air quality as heavy smoke from wildfires continues to spread. Extreme heat and dry conditions in Ontario and northern Minnesota fueled wildfires earlier this week. Today, more than 800 wildfires are burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan face some of the worst air quality levels and millions in large cities like Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore are also impacted. Relief remains several days away.

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Picture show

Cure for Paranoia performs during NPR's Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour.

Jovelle Tamayo for NPR

The Dallas hip-hop group Cure for Paranoia won this year’s Tiny Desk Contest, earning the chance to perform their own Tiny Desk concert after standing out among thousands of independent artists. The group also joined the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, performing alongside 20 other standout entrants. Ten photographers captured some of the tour's most memorable moments.

Weekend picks

Matt Damon is Odysseus in “The Odyssey.”

Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Movies: The Odyssey follows Odysseus as he spends two decades trying to return home to his wife, Penelope, the queen of Ithaca, after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters various supernatural obstacles. You can also hear Pop Culture Happy Hour's Glen Weldon discuss the film on Morning Edition.

📺 TV: Netflix is bringing Little House on the Prairie to life again in a new series. It follows Laura Ingalls Wilder's life in Kansas, where her family’s promise of available land comes at the expense of the local Osage population.

📚 Books: Chef Nephi Craig says eating, cooking and teaching about Indigenous food has saved his life. In his memoir, Our Knives Will Save Us, he discusses cooking, his battle with addiction and his Native American heritage.

🎵 Music: NPR Music reflects on how beabadoobee sheds her ‘90s style with her new single “Switchblade” and shares the best new songs of the week.

❓Quiz: After a two-week vacation, the quiz is back! Get ready for silly questions about Jurassic Park, U.K. politics, wild conspiracy theories and more.

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3 things to know before you go

A rendering from the Trump administration's proposal shows what the fencing would look like, when open, looking south toward the White House from H Street.

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

1

The Trump administration wants to install permanent fencing around Lafayette Park, a seven-acre area outside the White House that has popularly served as a gathering place for protesters.

2

In honor of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's recent nuptials and the rumor mill it caused, NPR's Word of the Week explores the meaning and origins of gossip.

3

Japan's upper house has passed controversial revisions to the law on the succession to the throne. One change allows princesses to stay in the imperial family after marrying commoners.

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This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.

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We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions on today's newsletter. Reach the Up First team at upfirst@npr.org