1,000 days of war have devastated Ukraine and transformed life in Russia, as President Vladimir Putin expands nuclear threats amid the escalating conflict. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists are sentenced under a sweeping national security law. And, President-elect Donald Trump promises sweeping tax cuts, but experts warn his plans could deepen the national debt. 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 Kevin Drew, Ryland Barton, Rafael Nam, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Milton Guevara.We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. And our technical director is Zac Coleman. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
It's been a thousand days since Russia began its full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war has devastated Ukraine and transformed life in Russia.
How much further could it escalate as Moscow warns that U.S.
missiles could trigger a nuclear response?
I'm Leila Fadel.
That's Michelle Martin.
And this is up first from NPR News.
In Hong Kong, dozens of pro democracy activists are sentenced to prison under a national security law that critics say has crushed dissent.
Why was a political poll considered a threat?
And what message is China sending with these verdicts?
And President Elect Trump is laying out big promises for tax cuts.
We will have no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security predators.
Sounds appealing, but could his plan blow a hole in the federal budget?
Stay with us.
We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
This message comes from Wise, the app for doing things in other currencies.
Send, spend or receive money internationally and always get the real time mid market exchange rate with no hidden fees.
Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com teas and seas apply.
This message comes from NPR sponsor the NPR Wine Club, a place to explore the exciting world of wine, including wines inspired by popular NPR shows like Weekend Edition Cabernet.
Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, all purchases help support NPR programming and fund quality reporting developed to connect people to their communities and the world they live in.