Up First from NPR

As the Russia-Ukraine War heads into its third year, we look at the state of the conflict. Also, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has spent millions in her home state and sharpened her attacks on former President Donald Trump, hoping to chip away at his support.

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Lawmakers in Alabama are working on a legislative solution to a recent state Supreme Court decision which ruled that a frozen embryo has the same rights as a child. How do lawmakers want to fix the issue? Tomorrow will mark the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We'll check with NPR's Joanna Kakissis to hear how people in Ukraine feel about the future. And a data leak from a Chinese technology company is giving the world a glimpse into the Chinese cyber spying ecosystem.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Susanna Capelouto, Mark Katkov, Andrew Sussman and HJ Mai. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Ben Abrams and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez and Phil Edfors, and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is ramping up her attacks on former President Donald Trump, but her path to winning the GOP nomination remains very narrow at best. Why is she staying in the race? A key witness in the Republican-led impeachment inquiry against President Biden has been charged with lying about an alleged bribery scheme. And a new study shows that nearly half of all American adults know someone who died from an overdose. How is this affecting the people who are closest to the crisis?

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Lisa Thompson, Krishnadev Calamur, Andrea De Leon and HJ Mai. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Ben Abrams and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez and our technical director is Hannah Gluvna.

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The Supreme Court today hears a challenge to the EPA's authority to regulate air quality. Three GOP-led states want the court to freeze a plan that limits air pollution that crosses state borders. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has vowed to stay in the presidential race through Super Tuesday. But Saturday's primary in her home state is shaping up to be another decisive victory for former President Donald Trump. What's her case for staying in the race? And Alabama's Supreme Court rules that fertilized eggs have the same rights as children.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Padma Rama, Susanna Capelouto and HJ Mai. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Ben Abrams and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez, and our technical director is Neisha Heinis.

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WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange will be in a London courtroom today. He's trying to stop his extradition to the United States. A planned Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza may force Palestinians into Egypt despite its objections. What will it mean for the more than 1 million Palestinians in Rafah displaced by Israel's war against Hamas? And Louisiana's legislature is in a special session that threatens to undo some of the state's recent criminal justice reforms. Lawmakers will consider over two dozen bills, including a bill that would make state executions easier.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Mark Katkov, Liz Baker and HJ Mai. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Ben Abrams and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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Russia has taken control of a frontline city in Ukraine only days before the war's second anniversary. With supplies running low, will Ukraine's defense forces be able to withstand a Russian assault? Despite international pressure, Israel seems set on a ground invasion of Rafah. Its stated goal is to destroy Hamas, but the city is filled with over a million displaced civilians searching for safety. And Texas plans to build a new military base in the border city of Eagle Pass. It's the latest escalation in the immigration fight between Texas and the federal government.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Mark Katkov, Denice Rios and HJ Mai. It was produced by Claire Murashima, Ben Abrams and Milton Guevara. We get engineering support from Stacy Abbott and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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Mass shootings in America are now regular news. The latest happened days ago, at a Super Bowl parade for the Kansas City Chiefs. After the chaos and shock, the same question gets asked, "How did we get here?" In looking for an answer you can go all the way back to the founding of the nation and the birth of the relationship between the gun industry and the American government.

Today on The Sunday Story producer Andrew Mambo talks to reporter Alain Stevens of The Trace and host of WBUR's podcast The Gun Machine. They talk about the roots of that relationship and how despite being deeply intertwined and often mutually beneficial, it has also led to scenes like the one in Kansas City.

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Family and allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny say he was murdered. A New York judge ordered Trump Organization leaders to pay $364 million for fraud. President Joe Biden's tough words on Israel raise questions over the extent of his influence.

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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison. An Atlanta judge will decide if the prosecutor on Trump's Georgia election interference case, should be removed for a conflict of interest stemming from a romantic relationship. Israel plans to push Palestinians out of Southern Gaza as Israeli forces raid the region's largest hospital. And, two juveniles are in custody related to the Kansas City shooting as public looks for answers.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Ben Swasey, Catherine Laidlaw, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Lilly Quiroz.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Zac Coleman. And our Executive Producer is Erika Aguilar

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22 people were shot including children during the Kansas City Super Bowl parade, at least one person has died. Sources believe National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will brief top lawmakers on the threat of Russian antisatellite nukes. And, migrant crossings at the southern border have dropped by 50% after reaching record numbers in December.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Cheryl Corley, Dana Farrington Alfredo Carbajal, and Mohamad ElBardicy.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Lilly Quiroz.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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