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
Today, President Trump is expected to impose sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on various countries in what he calls "Liberation Day." He has promised the tariffs will bring in foreign tariff revenues that will be put toward U.S. tax cuts and deficit reduction. However, these promises gloss over the pain expected for U.S. consumers, who economists believe will end up paying higher prices.
- 🎧 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben tells Up First that Trump and his team were still working on the details of the tariffs yesterday. The Yale Budget lab did a hypothetical model of what the tariffs could look like and found that, in the short run, they'd cost the average household around $3,000 a year. The costs could hit lower-income households harder. The Trump administration says the tariffs would be about fairness and creating manufacturing jobs. If goods from other countries get more expensive, people in the U.S. will buy more U.S.-made products. But, some manufacturers may pay more for materials, which would offset any benefits they get from tariffs, according to Kurtzleben.
Yesterday, in Florida, Republicans held on to two congressional seats in deeply red districts, cementing their slim majority in the U.S. House. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, liberal judge Susan Crawford won the state Supreme Court election, beating conservative Brad Schimel. Schimel ran with Trump's endorsement and some $20 million from Elon Musk and Musk-affiliated groups. The elections were seen as early indicators of voters' feelings about Trump's first months in office.
- 🎧 Even though the Wisconsin court is nonpartisan, the race was a win for Democrats, who are claiming a victory, says Chuck Quirmbach of NPR network station WUWM. The state's GOP says it's disappointed about the election results but is looking forward to 2026 when it will have more opportunities to defend Trump's agenda in more elections.
The Trump administration has admitted to deporting a Maryland man to El Salvador by mistake last month due to an "administrative error." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia will remain in El Salvador and alleges he is a member of the MS-13 gang. His lawyer questioned the government's claim and said Abrego Garcia wasn't convicted of a crime. On Friday, the lawyer plans to ask a court to order Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S.
- 🎧 Abrego Garcia went through immigration courts in 2019 after he was served a notice to appear. At the time, a judge found he could be deported, NPR's Ximena Bustillo says. However, he successfully made a case against his deportation to El Salvador, where he is from. The government appealed and lost. The government is now poised to argue that it's too late to order Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. as he is in the custody of another government. His lawyer says that if courts cannot order his return from a place he legally shouldn't be, eventually, the government could do the same to a U.S. citizen.
Deep dive
The federal student loan system is in disarray, leaving borrowers with pressing questions. Eight million federal student loan borrowers are waiting for the courts to decide whether their repayment plan is legal. Meanwhile, nine million borrowers are behind on their payments and at risk of defaulting. The U.S. Department of Education, which oversees student loans, has been cut in half. Loan management may be transferred to a different federal agency. NPR spoke with student loan experts and sought clarification from the Trump administration. Here's what borrowers need to know:
- 💵 On Oct. 1, 2024, the loan system's master clock resumed ticking toward default for borrowers who fail to make required payments. When a borrower goes over 90 days without a payment, the loan becomes delinquent and is reported to national credit bureaus.
- 💵 A borrower is considered in default after they go 270 days without making a payment. The U.S. government can then seize wages and tax refunds.
- 💵 The Trump administration issued an executive action that seeks to impose restrictions on Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility. They plan to exclude borrowers who work for organizations involved in activities with a significant illegal purpose, including violations of federal immigration law and "supporting terrorism."
- 💵 The federal courts are debating the legality of former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education repayment plan.
Life advice
Understanding the basic rules of the road, like buckling your seat belt and using your turn signal, is essential. But it doesn't equip you for every scenario you might face. You may feel unprepared if your car starts to skid on ice or if it ends up in a body of water. Motor vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., yet many of these incidents are preventable. Hector Carias, an officer with the California Highway Patrol, shares advice on how drivers should respond in these emergencies.
- 🚘 If someone is tailgating you, it is best not to speed up because speeding can make it harder to avoid potential road hazards. Move over one lane and let them pass instead.
- 🚘 If someone is threatening you with a firearm or you believe you are being followed, don't engage and call 911 for help.
- 🚘 If your car stalls or runs out of gas on the road, put your hazard lights on and release the accelerator. Don't slam on the brakes.
- 🚘 It can be safer to sit in the passenger seat while waiting for help in the right shoulder lane. Position yourself as far away from traffic as possible.
Read the rest of Carias' 10 road safety do's and don'ts here, and listen to him speak with Life Kit as part of a special series on emergency preparedness. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you go
- The NFL will retire chain crews and start using camera-based technology this fall to measure the distance for a first down.
- Forbes has released its 39th annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people. They collectively hold an estimated $16.1 trillion in wealth. Here are the top 10.
- When Terry Hill was 4, her father left her and her two younger siblings alone in the car to run into a donut shop. Her brother slid into the driver's seat and played with the gear shift, rolling the car backward. A young man got in the car and stopped it, making a "huge impression" on her life and becoming her unsung hero.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2025 NPR