Russia Rejects Peace Proposal, Hegseth Defends Boat Strikes, Tennessee Election
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Books
- "The Russian Question" by Vladimir Putin - Mentioned as a potential basis for negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine.
Research & Studies
- RootMetrics United States Root Score Report 1H 2025 - Used to support AT&T's claim of being America's fastest and most reliable network.
People Mentioned
- Lauren in Maryland - A listener who donated to NPR and shared her appreciation for NPR news.
- Steve Whitcoff (US Special Envoy) - Referenced for his role in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine and his visit to Moscow.
- Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law) - Mentioned as being in attendance at the talks between Russian and American officials.
- Vladimir Putin (President) - Quoted regarding European interference in peace talks and veiled threats to Europe.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine) - Mentioned for speaking from Ireland and agreeing in principle to an amended peace document.
- Mykhailo Samuz (Director of a geopolitical research network in Ukraine) - Quoted on Putin's intentions regarding peace and territory in Ukraine.
- Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) - Quoted on the conflict in Ukraine not being "our war" and President Trump's other priorities.
- Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) - Discussed in relation to the US attack on an alleged drug boat in September, his statements about the second round of strikes, and his authority.
- Admiral Frank Bradley (Leads US special operations command) - Mentioned as making the decision for the second strike on the boat and having the authority to sink it.
- President Trump - Referenced regarding his statements about the boat strike and his focus on other matters.
- Mike Johnson (House Speaker) - Stated that he backs the review of the boat strikes by armed services committees.
- John Thune (Senate Majority Leader) - Stated that he backs the review of the boat strikes and expressed confidence in the Trump administration's policies, while sidestepping a direct endorsement of Hegseth.
- Chuck Schumer (Senate Minority Leader) - Demanded that Hegseth release video of the attack and testify publicly.
- Matt Van Epps (Republican) - Won a special election for a US House seat in Tennessee.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia Representative) - Mentioned in the context of her upcoming resignation.
- Stephen Fowler (NPR's congressional correspondent) - Reported on the special election in Tennessee.
- Rebecca Rosman - Editor of Up First.
- Jason Breslow - Editor of Up First.
- Megan Pratt - Editor of Up First.
- Mohammed Al Bardisi - Editor of Up First.
- Alice Wolfley - Editor of Up First.
- Ziad Batch - Producer of Up First.
- Nia Dumas - Producer of Up First.
- Christopher Thomas - Producer of Up First.
- Stacy Abbott - Provided engineering support for Up First.
- Carley Strange - Technical Director for Up First.
- Michael Lipkin - Supervising Producer for Up First.
Organizations & Institutions
- NPR - The podcast producer, and the subject of fundraising appeals.
- AT&T - Mentioned as a sponsor.
- Superhuman - Mentioned as a sponsor.
- Amnesty International - Mentioned as a sponsor.
- European Union - Negotiators who amended a peace proposal related to the war in Ukraine.
- Department of War - Mentioned in the context of Defense Secretary Hegseth's schedule.
- US Special Operations Command - Mentioned in relation to Admiral Frank Bradley's authority.
- The Washington Post - Reported on the US attack on an alleged drug boat.
- House Armed Services Committee - Reviewing the boat strikes.
- Senate Armed Services Committee - Reviewing the boat strikes.
- NPR Plus - A subscription service for NPR podcasts.
Websites & Online Resources
- plus.npr.org - The website to sign up for NPR Plus.
- superhuman.com/podcast - The website to learn more about Superhuman.
- amnestyusa.org/podcast - The website to donate to Amnesty International.
- strawberryme.com - The website to find a career coach.
- givewell.org - The website to research high-impact non-profit opportunities.
Other Resources
- Giving Tuesday - A day for charitable donations, mentioned in the context of supporting NPR.
- Giving Wednesday - A humorous extension of Giving Tuesday, used to encourage NPR donations.
- Peace Proposal - Amended by European and Ukrainian negotiators, discussed in relation to Russia's rejection.
- Viral - Mentioned in relation to Leila's good morning greeting.
- Red Square in Moscow - Mentioned as a location where Steve Whitcoff strolled.
- War in Ukraine - The main topic of discussion regarding negotiations and the impact on civilians.
- Drug boat - An alleged drug boat attacked by the US in the Caribbean.
- Special Election in Tennessee - A US House seat election.
- US House of Representatives - The legislative body where a special election took place.
- 2026 Midterms - Mentioned as a future election cycle being tested by campaign messages.
- 2024 Election - Referenced in the context of Democratic Party losses and strategy.