Up First

Up First is NPR's daily morning briefing, and it does exactly what the name promises. Three stories, roughly ten minutes, ready to go by 6:30 a.m. Eastern every weekday. A Saturday edition lands at 9 a.m. for anyone who wants a weekend catch-up. The rotating host lineup includes Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A Martinez, each bringing a slightly different interviewing style but all sharing that distinctly NPR ability to distill complex stories without condescending. The format is ruthlessly efficient. Each story gets a correspondent's report -- someone who actually covered it, not a studio anchor reading a summary -- followed by a few lines of host context, and then you move on. No extended banter, no filler segments. It respects your time in a way that few shows do. That tight structure is what makes it perfect for mornings. You can listen while brushing your teeth and walk out the door knowing the three things everyone will be talking about that day. NPR's global correspondent network means you're getting real reporting from real places, not repackaged wire copy. The production is clean and professional without being flashy. With well over a thousand episodes and tens of thousands of positive reviews, this is one of the most popular podcasts in America for a reason. There's a paid Up First+ tier that removes sponsor messages, but the free version works perfectly fine. If you want headlines with substance before your first cup of coffee, this is the gold standard.