Trump Midterm Pressure, Meta Settles In Social Media Case, Nepal & Tibet Flash Floods

Up First from NPR

This episode of Up First from NPR covers three major news stories: President Trump's escalating political tensions with Iran, China, and Can

Key takeaways

• Trump's aggressive foreign policy moves, including tariffs and threats against allies like Canada, are creating political strain for Republican candidates who must distance themselves from him ahead of the midterms.

Main topics

• Midterm elections and political pressure on Republicans

Notable quotes

Trump is running out of time before the midterms. But what's unclear is how these sanctioned threats might get applied.

Conclusion

As midterm elections approach, political dynamics are intensifying due to Trump's

Transcript preview

Speaker 5 (0:02) Some Republican candidates are having to distance themselves from President Trump's actions. With Speaker 2 (0:06) midterm elections approaching, Trump picked new fights with Iran, China, and Canada, highlighting inflation and an unpopular war. Speaker 5 (0:14) I'm Amy Martinez, that is Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News. Speaker 5 (0:20) Meta agreed to settle a lawsuit. States said the company made its apps addictive for kids. The company denied the allegation but agreed to make changes and pay up to $17 billion. How could Facebook and Instagram be safer? Speaker 2 (0:33) Also, a glacier collapsed on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Floodwaters swept away roads and bridges. Speaker 4 (0:39) So many people lost their lives. So many people lost their families. The Speaker 2 (0:45) missing includes 65 Americans. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day. Speaker 5 (1:00) This message comes from Wise, the smart way to manage your money around the world. With Wise, you can send, spend, and receive money in over 40 currencies at the mid-market rate. Learn more at wise.com. T's and C's apply. Speaker 4 (1:15) Okay, so you're driving to work or you're on a walk or you're at the gym or whatever, and you just need to clear your head. That's the perfect time to hit the play button on NPR's All Songs Considered. It's not the news, it's not work, or whatever else is weighing you down. It's just a good time with good friends and great tunes. Listen to All Songs Considered every Tuesday in the NPR Music Podcast. Speaker 2 (1:39) Republicans facing re-election fights this fall are in the position they often face. They Speaker 5 (1:44) would like to appeal to voters, but are chained to a president who does what he wants. So far this week, President Trump has clashed with Iran, China, Canada, and even some members of his own party, fights that emphasize inflation and war. Speaker 2 (1:57) NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram is covering all of this. Good morning. Good morning, Steve. Okay, so what is the president trying to achieve on some of these issues that A just mentioned? Speaker 1 (2:06) Yeah, well, let's look at Iran, for example. This war is about to hit six months, right? And it was a conflict that when Trump started, said it would last about six weeks. This war continues to be unpopular among voters. It's weakened the economy. And Trump's threats against Iran haven't worked. There's no deal. There's no end in sight to this war. And this has led to a different approach the administration is trying to take, where Trump is now threatening sanctions against Iran. and other countries that do business with Iran, which includes China. Trump's under a lot of pressure to end this war, and he's running out of time before the midterms. But what's unclear is how these sanctioned threats might get applied and how seriously countries like China take them in the next couple of months. And then, you know, you also mentioned Canada. There's a terror fight going on with Canada this week. Curious move from Trump when high prices are already top of mind for voters this year. Trump's tariff tactics aren't new, but it's reignited tensions with an ally, and it's likely to increase prices even more for Americans. Speaker 2 (3:09) Okay, so then relate all of that to the midterm elections, which are coming in November, and early voting is not so far away, really. Speaker 1 (3:16) You're right. So with the tariffs on Canada, that led to some Republicans who are running in some really tight elections, like Senator Susan Collins in Maine, to distance herself from Trump, say that these tariffs are a mistake. And Trump recently also announced that the U.S., this is a different move, would import more beef from abroad. That was an effort to try and lower the