A major government reshuffle is underway in Ukraine as intensifying Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities kills dozens and injures hundreds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure from protesters and political rivals accusing him of prioritizing his political survival over Israel's security. And, a longtime New York political aide is accused of secretly working for the Chinese government, sparking concerns over foreign influence in U.S. policymaking.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today's episode of Up First was edited by Carrie Kahn, Rebecca Rossman, Luis Clemens, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Jan Johnson.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis.
And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy