Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today's top stories
At least four people are dead and eight others have been hospitalized after a man drove his truck into a Mormon church and began shooting in Michigan yesterday morning. He then set the building on fire. An unknown number of people are unaccounted for, and authorities are searching the burnt shell of the church for more victims. The gunman, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, was killed after exchanging gunfire with two law enforcement officers.
- 🎧 Sanford, a former U.S. Marine, lived in a small town about 20 minutes from the church, Michigan Public reporter Steve Carmody tells Up First. At this point in the investigation, a possible motive for the attack is unknown, as well as whether Sanford had any relationship with the church or someone who was attending the service, Carmody says. Today, more information is expected to be released about the victims and when the first funerals will be held. Carmody says people in the community have expressed shock and have been overwhelmed by the news.
Four top congressional leaders, two from each party, are scheduled to meet with President Trump today at the White House. This meeting comes ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government. Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Democrats are needed to help clear a 60-vote threshold in the Senate and avoid a government shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were supposed to meet with Trump last week, but the president canceled, saying that he thought their demands were unreasonable.
- 🎧 Schumer and Jeffries, along with their Republican counterparts, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, will attend the meeting with Trump. NPR's Barbara Sprunt says she doesn't believe that Democrats' demands have shifted since last week's canceled meeting. Democrats want to undo some cuts to healthcare programs and make some expanded tax cuts from the Affordable Care Act permanent. If a shutdown were to happen, the White House has instructed agencies to prepare to lay off workers permanently.
Trump is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today at the White House. The president has proposed a 21-point peace plan for Gaza. The U.S. is still negotiating the details with Israel and Arab countries.
- 🎧 The proposal calls for Hamas to release all 48 of its remaining hostages, living and dead, a person briefed on the plan confirmed to NPR's Daniel Estrin. Once that demand is met, the plan calls for a gradual process where a multinational Arab and Muslim peacekeeping force enters Gaza while Israeli forces withdraw. Estrin says this is the most serious effort yet since Trump entered office to end the war and plan a postwar future for Gaza. There are some difficult points left to resolve, such as disarming Hamas and the role of the Palestinian Authority after the war. Notably, this is an Israel-U.S. negotiation and not an Israel-Hamas one, Estrin says. Next week will mark two years of the war in Gaza.
Cost of living
NPR's series Cost of Living: The Price We Pay is examining what's driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation.
Home prices surged during the pandemic, and they have remained elevated. The median monthly payment for a home purchased in 2024 was $2,207, compared to $1,525 for a home bought in 2021, according to an analysis by Bankrate. The first two years of the pandemic saw low mortgage rates and work-from-home policies create a rush in homebuying, which led to a significant increase in home prices. In 2022, mortgage rates shot up and homebuying slowed significantly. Here's how the high housing prices have impacted people:
- 🏠 Some Americans have opted to have smaller families than they once envisioned to be able to make the price of housing and day care work.
- 🏠 Homeowners who bought a house before rates increased in 2022 locked in super low interest rates that they can keep forever. This has caused them to feel stuck in place, in a home that might not fit their needs anymore.
- 🏠 Some people who have bought homes in the last few years feel squeezed by monthly payments that leave little cash left over.
- 🏠 Many people who haven't bought a home are unsure when they will be able to afford one. High rents make it hard to save for a down payment.
Read more about how housing prices are impacting people's plans for the future. Plus, here's why some friends are teaming up to buy homes. This week, the series will cover how travel has changed. Stay up-to-date on the latest stories here.
How are higher prices changing the way you live? Fill out this form to share your story with NPR.
Life advice
Understanding the fundamentals of road safety may seem straightforward, but they are crucial for saving lives. In 2024, approximately 7,100 pedestrians were killed on the road, and more than 1,000 cyclists were hit and killed annually in recent years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ryan Sharp, a transportation consultant, and Julia Kite-Laidlaw, a pedestrian and cyclist safety advocate with the National Safety Council, share their top dos and don'ts for walkers and bikers with Life Kit:
- 🚲 Look in all directions and turn around before walking or biking across a road. A driver might not see you in a crosswalk when turning into an intersection.
- 🚲 Always walk on the sidewalk or a walking path. If neither is an option, walk on the shoulder of the street against traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles and vice versa.
- 🚲 If biking at night, put white lights at the front and red lights at the back of your bike so cars can see you.
- 🚲 No listening to music or podcasts in your headphones or looking at your phone. This can distract and prevent you from hearing or seeing oncoming traffic.
- 🚲 Use turn signals when cycling. The easiest rules to remember are to keep the left arm straight out for a left turn and the right arm straight out for a right turn.
For more walking and biking safety tips, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you go
- Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl 60 halftime show on Feb. 8. The NFL announced the performance during last night's Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys game.
- National Coming Out Day is celebrated on Oct. 11 to recognize the courage of LGBTQ+ individuals who come out publicly. This year, NPR is inviting people to share their coming out stories. Your submission could be featured in an upcoming edition of this newsletter.
- Actress and comedian Heather McMahan stepped down as emcee for the Ryder Cup after she was heard heckling and cursing at golfers during the championship game over the weekend.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
Copyright 2025 NPR