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
A federal judge freed Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention yesterday. Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March due to what Immigration and Customs Enforcement called an "administrative error." He was eventually brought back and detained in the U.S. A federal judge ruled that the government failed to produce a lawful order for his removal from the U.S. This decision came just as lawmakers were questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about President Trump's compliance with court orders.
- 🎧 The White House says it will appeal this decision, according to NPR's Ximena Bustillo. Abrego Garcia's lawyers say the ruling is an extraordinary victory, not only for their client, but also for due process. Democrats invited family members of people who were deported or put in detention to the hearing as examples of the impact of immigration enforcement. Noem said she believes immigrants who entered the U.S. under former President Biden pose the biggest threat to national security. Noem's department is reopening the cases of refugees admitted under the Biden administration and is calling for a review of asylum applications.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the Ukrainian people would need to speak through a referendum for his country to surrender territory, which the U.S. wants Ukraine to do as part of a peace deal with Russia. Zelenskyy and other Europeans are working to offer answers and alternatives to pressure from Trump's bid to end the war.
- 🎧 Zelenskyy is engaging with the Trump administration's most painful proposals to show that Ukraine is negotiating in good faith, NPR's Joanna Kakissis tells Up First. Giving up territory has been a red line for Ukrainians. Zelenskyy says he is examining the possibility of elections over the next 90 days or a referendum on giving up parts of eastern Ukraine to help end the war. Ukraine has not held elections because the country is under martial law due to the Russian invasion, and the constitution forbids elections during wartime, Kakissis says. Public opinion polls show that most Ukrainians think holding elections now is a terrible idea.
The Indiana Senate voted 31 to 19 yesterday against the congressional redistricting that the president called for to help Republicans win next year's midterm elections. The defeat comes in a state where 40 of the 50 members of the Senate are Republicans. It marks the first time members of Trump's own party voted against his redistricting campaign. The nationwide effort to reshape the midterm elections in the GOP's favor has succeeded in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina.
- 🎧 Indiana State Sen. Spencer Deery said redistricting for political gain opposed his conservative values, and he would fight to prevent the federal government from bullying a state. Other state lawmakers said their constituents didn't want the new map. Ben Thorp of the NPR network station WFYI says Republicans still appear to have "tilted a couple more seats their way than Democrats." Texas helped the GOP possibly win five more seats; Missouri and North Carolina's efforts created one more seat each. California Democrats have countered by tilting five seats their way. The question now is whether Republicans in other states will follow suit on Trump's wishes for redistricting, Thorp says.
Life advice
As the new year approaches, you may be considering ways to refresh your home. Interior designer Vern Yip advises getting offline and finding design inspiration in the real world. In his latest book, Color Pattern Texture: The Foundation to Make Your Home Your Own, he encourages readers to take a more hands-on approach to build a room that not only looks good but also feels good.
- 🏡 Online decorating trends like peel-and-stick options may look good in photos, but won't match the feel of real materials. Consider using a great rug or similar option until you can afford a proper redo of the desired area.
- 🏡 Need temporary pieces while you save? Try yard sales and thrift stores for secondhand items that may be less expensive and of higher quality.
- 🏡 When looking for new colors for your walls, make sure to consider your skin tone. Sometimes the light that bounces off certain colors can result in a washed-out appearance.
For tips on how to decorate your home without the help of social media, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: In Jay Kelly, George Clooney plays an aging movie star who travels through Europe while his manager and publicist struggle to manage him. Plus, if you want to head to theaters, check out this roundup of offerings that arrive this week.
📺 TV: The Abandons follows two steely matriarchs who face off on the American frontier in the Western series that's truly a sudsy nighttime soap, according to the hosts of Pop Culture Happy Hour.
📚 Books: With 2025 coming to a close, NPR's Colin Dwyer has gathered some final noteworthy titles publishing this year, including The Sea Captain's Wife and The Rest of Our Lives.
🎵 Music: It's been another great year for mind-bending creativity in Spanish-language music. Here are six artists who caught Alt.Latino's attention. Check out more of NPR Music's coverage of 2025's best music.
🍽️ Food: Whether you want to expand your palate or are looking for a great gift for a foodie in your life, here's a selection of 10 cookbooks from 2025.
❓ Quiz: With a score like 10/11, it feels like Christmas came early. Now it is your turn to test your knowledge from this week.
3 things to know before you go
- The Walt Disney Company has reached a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI, to bring Disney characters and images to Sora, enabling video creation and sharing.
- Archaeologists in Britain claim to have discovered the earliest evidence of humans making fires anywhere in the world. The finding suggests that early humans created fire more than 350,000 years earlier than previously known.
- The day after Gillian Kline's breast cancer diagnosis, she had one day left to decide on a new health insurance plan. She reached out to her company's human resources team and informed Alex Mackey of the situation. Mackey not only took care of everything but also supported her beyond insurance logistics. Kline says her unsung hero helped her understand the meaning of true kindness.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2025 NPR