July 3, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. The costs of having a baby in the U.S. can be difficult to predict. NPR wants to hear your stories and questions about navigating the system. Here’s the news we’re following today:

Today’s top stories

President Trump stands on a stage with a flag resembling the American flag but where the stars are it says “250” with stars in a circle around that number.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Tomorrow marks the 250th birthday of the United States, with Independence Day celebrations planned across the country. But many events are being affected by the intense heat wave stretching from Texas to the East Coast. Some communities have already chosen to cancel or reduce their festivities, including Philadelphia, which shortened its annual Fourth of July parade route.

🎧 It’s still unclear what will happen in Washington, D.C., where President Trump has made the anniversary a major focus. NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas tells Up First. Capitol Police said they'll decide this morning whether the public can attend the Capitol Fourth concert and fireworks. Forecasts call for temperatures near 102 degrees, with a heat index as high as 113. A couple of days ago, Trump mentioned at a public event that he plans to deliver a “really long” speech on the night of the Fourth, when it is expected to be nearly as hot as it will be during the day.

➡️ The heat isn't just the forecast. Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released a 55-page report yesterday accusing Freedom 250 of helping Trump transform America's milestone into a "hotbed of corruption and self-enrichment" through tactics that potentially constitute criminal fraud.

Rescue workers in Kyiv recovered more bodies from an apartment building overnight after it was crushed by a Russian missile yesterday. Officials say that 30 people were killed in the missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s capital, which Russia launched in response to Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries.

🎧 Residents are deeply shaken, according to NPR’s Joanna Kakissis, who is in Kyiv. A massive crater now sits beside a kindergarten where a missile struck. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack exposed Ukraine's shortage of missile interceptors and renewed his call for Europe to strengthen its own defenses.

Congress is on its July 4th recess, but lawmakers will soon turn their focus to this fall’s midterm elections. Democrats are searching for ways to energize their base, and several primaries have revealed growing frustration with the party establishment. In Denver and New York City, democratic socialists have successfully unseated incumbent Democrats who they believe are not left-leaning enough.

🎧 Some candidates were able to unseat Democrats during the primaries by focusing on a core set of issues, NPR's Elena Moore says. In large part, they are calling on the Democratic Party to adopt more ambitious economic policies to tackle the affordability crisis. They are also vocal about the influence of money in politics and criticize elected Democrats for accepting donations from corporate PACs and pro-Israel groups. Even though Democrats broadly agree on key economic issues, there is concern that the positions held by more leftist candidates could muddy their overall message. As Democrats try to regain control of the House, appealing to moderate voters will require a balancing act, Moore says.

🎧 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York discusses the Democratic Party's midterm future with Morning Edition's Michel Martin.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

Living better

People sit on steps by the water at Washington Square Park.

SelÃ§uk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

It is a scorcher of a holiday weekend, with large swaths of the Midwest and the Eastern U.S. under heat advisories. Heat can be dangerous: hundreds of people in the U.S. die from heat-related illnesses each year. Here are a few tips from NPR’s reporting to help you stay safe.

🥵 Check your medications: Some prescriptions, including certain blood pressure drugs, can increase your risk of heat-related illness by making dehydration worse.
🥵 Know the signs of heat illness: Heat exhaustion can cause fatigue, intense thirst and rapid breathing. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and may include vomiting, seizures and slurred speech.
🥵 Limit time outdoors and stay hydrated: If possible, go outside in the morning or evening when it is cooler, stay in the shade, and bring plenty of water. Water is the best choice, though electrolytes can help if you've become overheated or are doing strenuous activity.

Weekend picks

Martina Navratilova, left, and Chris Evert, right, holding up their trophies at the French Open in 1986.

Trevor Jones/Getty Images Europe

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

🍿 Movies: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were the defining women's tennis champions of their generation. Now, they are reflecting on their friendship, battles with cancer and retirement in the Netflix documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set.

📺 TV: Craig Ferguson, the Scotland-born comedian who hosted The Late Late Show from 2005 to 2014, has returned to TV with a five-part documentary series on CNN called American On Purpose. The series showcases his quirky humor and his appetite for the unpredictable.

📚 Books: In Paul Tremblay's Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, a woman must use a video game-like controller to get a man, who is stuck in a vegetative state, across the country.

🎵 Music: To celebrate the midpoint of the year, a dozen members of NPR Music's team have each selected one song and one album they can’t stop listening to.

Read It. Listen to It. Explore the World of Planet Money.

Whether you prefer turning pages or pressing play, Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life brings the curiosity and storytelling you love from the podcast into an entirely new format. The audiobook, recently named one of Spotify's Best Audiobooks of 2026 (So Far), is narrated by members of the Planet Money team, while the book has also been recognized by both Amazon Editors' Best Nonfiction Books of the Year So Far 2026 and Barnes & Noble's Best Books of 2026 So Far. Whether you're curious about AI, housing, work, sports, or the hidden economic forces shaping our everyday lives, there's a format for everyone. Get your copy, or start listening today.

Shop the Book & Audiobook

3 things to know before you go

Via Geoffery Powell/Photo courtesy of Geoffery Powell

1

As more people form friendships online, the evangelical organization Cru is bringing its ministry to VRChat. The social platform lets millions of users interact through avatars resembling anime characters, animals, robots and humans.

2

Swimply, an Airbnb-style company, is letting people rent out pools and other private spaces, such as tennis and basketball courts. The company says private pool reservations have topped 275,000 this year, up 50% from last year.

3

Americans were drinking coffee long before they dumped tea into Boston Harbor or fought a war for independence. Colonial coffeehouses served as a hotbed for brewing up plans for revolutionary acts. Here's what to know about America's early history of coffee.

Get headlines from your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station.

Enjoying this newsletter

Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

LOOKING FOR MORE GREAT CONTENT?

Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more!

This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.

Download the NPR App

Get in touch

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions on today's newsletter. Reach the Up First team at [email protected]

Unsubscribe Manage your preferences Privacy Policy

You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002