Trump Fires Kristi Noem, Middle East War Latest, Venezuela-US Diplomacy
Up First from NPR
NPR
4.6 • 59K Ratings
🗓️ 6 March 2026
⏱️ 15 minutes
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Summary
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is widening again, with Israel striking Beirut’s southern suburbs as Lebanon says tens of thousands have been displaced.
And two months after U.S. forces seized Venezuela’s president, Washington and Caracas are suddenly cutting deals on oil and critical minerals and moving to restore diplomatic relations.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Hannah Bloch, Tara Neill, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Trump Fires Kristi Noem
(05:50) Middle East War Latest
(09:44) Venezuela-US Diplomacy
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Support for NPR and the following message come from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, |
| 0:05.4 | investing in creative thinkers and problem solvers who help people, communities, and the planet flourish. |
| 0:11.1 | More information is available at Hewlett.org. |
| 0:16.4 | President Trump tries new leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. |
| 0:20.2 | Christy Noem oversaw an operation that killed two Americans in Minnesota. She lost her job when lawmakers |
| 0:25.5 | questioned her spending on ads that promoted her. I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steven Ski, |
| 0:30.7 | and this is up first from NPR News. |
| 0:34.9 | The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is widening. Israel ordered residents to flee the southern suburbs of Beirut. |
| 0:41.4 | Israelis described the area as a stronghold of Hezbollah. Our correspondent saw roads choked with people fleeing before bombs fell on their neighborhoods. |
| 0:49.0 | And two months after U.S. forces seized Venezuela's president, the two countries are cutting deals. |
| 0:55.5 | What is Washington won from Caracas? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day. |
| 1:05.6 | Support for NPR and the following message come from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, investing in |
| 1:11.9 | creative thinkers and problem solvers who help people, communities, and the planet flourish. |
| 1:17.0 | More information is available at Hewlett.org. |
| 1:20.3 | President Trump has fired his Homeland Security Secretary. |
| 1:24.0 | Christine Owen became the public face of the administration's mass deportations project. |
| 1:28.4 | Now she is a casualty in the first cabinet shakeup of Trump's second term. The president announced |
| 1:33.4 | her firing in a truth social post on Thursday and said Mark Wayne Mullen, a senator from Oklahoma, |
| 1:38.3 | would replace her. Let's talk this through with NPR immigration policy correspondent Hema |
| 1:42.5 | Bastillo. Jimenez, good morning. Good morning. How'd this come about? Well, we didn't know Trump would fire her, |
| 1:48.5 | but during two congressional hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week, |
| 1:54.3 | I did notice that both Republicans and Democrats had questions about her leadership, including |
... |
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