Up First from NPR

Up First from NPR is the most efficient way to master the day's top stories in under 10 minutes. Each morning episode averages 9 minutes 12 seconds, and the show has reached 23 million monthly unique listeners as of July 2026. The show condenses breaking news, global affairs, and economic updates into a tight three-story brief without losing NPR's trademark factual rigor. It also publishes a daily companion text summary, which users open 1.4 million times per month. With a 91% listen-completion rate and a 4.7-star average from 410,000 reviews, Up First proves that short can be substantive. For busy professionals who need context before coffee, this is the gold standard — and its morning release time syncs perfectly with commute patterns.