This week on Up First, the State of the Union address is a civic ritual and a political event.

We'll be watching to see how a president with low approval ratings handles the moment.

We are also watching the United States confrontation with Iran.

Listen each morning for overnight developments.

Up first on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Former Secretary of State and

First Lady Hillary Clinton was deposed by the House Oversight Committee today as part of the

committee's investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton released the transcript of her opening statement on social media. NPR's Sage Miller reports.

Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, flew on Epstein's private jet and has taken many photos with him. But Clinton stands firm that she has no insight into Epstein's criminal history. Instead, she

criticized the committee for what she sees as a lack of transparency. She accused the Republican-led

committee of working to protect, quote, one political party and one public official rather than

to seek truth and justice. Despite the Clinton's calling for their testimony to be public,

it is happening behind closed doors. Bill Clinton will face the committee tomorrow. Sage Miller,

NPR News. Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Wall says a move to defer $259 million in Medicaid funding

to the state is not helping combat fraud. Minnesota Public Radio's

Dana Ferguson reports. Governor Tim Walls responded to Vice President J.D. Vance's announcement

that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services would halt the funds to ensure the state is a good

steward of taxpayer dollars. In announcing a new package of fraud prevention measures, WAL said the state has already complied

with federal investigators and that the Trump administration's actions set back efforts

to fight fraud in the state.

The governor asked for cooperation.

We're tackling this.

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