News
A hidden danger in Gaza; a Haitian gang leader speaks up
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
There has been a dramatic spike in the number of fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills seized by law enforcement, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. The study found that the number of pills seized last year was roughly 2,300 times greater than in 2017. The counterfeit pills look like legit prescription opioid medications — but are often far deadlier. The report highlights the rising threat of cheap and highly potent counterfeit pills, particularly in western states.
This image provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shows suspected fentanyl pills seized at Los Angeles International Airport in 2022.
AP
hide caption
toggle caption
AP
This image provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shows suspected fentanyl pills seized at Los Angeles International Airport in 2022.
AP
Israel has expanded its attacks to central and northern areas of the Gaza Strip. It says it’s trying to prevent Hamas from regrouping there. The attacks are happening as all eyes are on Rafah, where Israel rolled in tanks last week despite pressure from the U.S. and U.N. to halt a planned major ground assault.
- U.S. medical volunteers working at one of the last functioning hospitals in Rafah say they’ve never seen a worse health crisis.
- NPR’s Lauren Frayer tells Up First that the renewed attacks in central and northern Gaza are happening as Israel commemorates its Memorial Day — one of the most somber days of the year. “This is a country where most people do serve in the military, and it’s also a country that’s been attacked by its neighbors many times since its founding,” she reports from Tel Aviv, where sirens wail and traffic stops as people stand at attention. When memorials end at sundown, Frayer says the mood will shift as the country celebrates its Independence Day.
- As some Palestinians venture back into parts of Gaza that have been obliterated by months of combat, a new hidden threat emerges: unexploded ordnance. The U.N. says an estimated 7,500 metric tons of live ammunition litter the Gaza Strip. Even if Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire, these bombs could continue to kill and maim Palestinians returning to their homes for years.
Richard “Rick” Slayman, the first human to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant, has died nearly two months after the procedure. Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement that there was “no indication” his death was the result of the transplant. Slayman’s surgery was a milestone in the field of xenotransplantation, which involves transplanting organs from one species to another. More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are on the waitlist for organs. Thousands die every year before they can get one.
Picture show
Brunswick, Maine: The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse, late Friday, May 10, 2024.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Brunswick, Maine: The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse, late Friday, May 10, 2024.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
The largest geomagnetic storm in nearly two decades hit the Earth last week. A sunspot sent a stream of charged particles toward the planet’s atmosphere, resulting in the beautiful aurora seen in different parts of the world. It’s been keeping satellite and power grid operators busy as they work to prevent disruptions. The last time a similar event occurred in 2003, it knocked out power in some parts of Sweden.
See photos of the Northern lights spotted across the Earth, from Ukraine to Minnesota. If you missed them, you might still be able to see them this week.
Today’s listen
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation.
Odelyn Joseph/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Odelyn Joseph/AP
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation.
Odelyn Joseph/AP
In March, a coalition of gangs in Haiti toppled the country’s Prime Minister, burning down police stations and shutting down ports and the airport in the process. They now control most of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Jimmy Cherizier — known as Barbeque — is the gang leader who convinced a bunch of gangs in Haiti to stop fighting each other and start fighting the government. He used to be a police officer who led operations against these gangs. He tells NPR’s Eyder Peralta that the system made him who he is.
Listen to Barbeque talk about how politicians in Haiti created these gangs, how they use the police to do their “dirty work,” and whether he thinks he will survive the Kenyan-led international security force meant to counter gang violence. You can read more about Barbeque here.
3 things to know before you go
Olivia and Liam were the most popular names for girls and boys in 2023, just as they have been in each of the last five years.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Rock ‘n’ Roll M
hide caption
toggle caption
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Rock ‘n’ Roll M
Olivia and Liam were the most popular names for girls and boys in 2023, just as they have been in each of the last five years.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Rock ‘n’ Roll M
- Liam and Olivia remain the most popular baby names in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row. But watch out: One name is rising in popularity and could topple Liam’s domination.
- Growing up, Joy Diaz’s family dedicated their lives to humanitarian work. They were renters in Mexico City for many years until one day, a man who used to work with them showed up with a bag of money for them to buy a house. She says this unsung hero changed the trajectory of lives for generations of her family.
- Barron Trump will not be a delegate at the Republican National Convention. The office of his mother, former first lady Melania Trump, says he has prior obligations.
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.
Smoke rises from Port of La Guaira in Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026 after U.S. forces seized the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed an indictment against a U.S. Army soldier, accusing him of using his insider knowledge of the clandestine military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January to reap more than $400,000 in profits on the popular prediction market site Polymarket.
The Justice Department says Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, who was stationed at Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, was part of the team that planned and carried out the predawn raid in Caracas earlier this year that resulted in the apprehension of Maduro.
The Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed the actions against Van Dyke, the first time U.S. officials have leveled criminal charges against someone over prediction market wagers.
According to the indictment, Van Dyke now faces counts of wire fraud, commodities fraud, misusing non-public government information and other charges.
Trading under numerous usernames including “Burdensome-Mix,” Van Dyke allegedly traded about $32,000 on the arrest of Maduro, resulting in profits exceeding $400,000.
“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain.”
Van Dyke’s defense lawyer is not yet publicly known. Polymarket did not return a request for comment.
The charges against Van Dyke come at a sensitive time for the prediction market industry, which has been growing exponentially, despite calls in Washington and among state leaders for the sites to be reined in.
Van Dyke is the first to be charged in the U.S. for suspected Polymarket insider trading, but Israeli authorities in February arrested several people and charged two on suspicion of using classified information to place bets about military operations in Iran on Polymarket.
The Senate early Thursday morning adopted a Republican budget blueprint that would pave the way for a $70 billion increase for immigration enforcement and the eventual reopening of the Department of Homeland Security.
Republicans pushed through the plan on a nearly party-line vote of 50 to 48. It came after an overnight marathon of rapid-fire votes, known as a vote-a-rama, in which the G.O.P. beat back a series of Democratic proposals aimed at addressing the high cost of health care, housing, food and energy. The debate put the two parties’ dueling messages on vivid display six months before the midterm elections.
Republicans, who are using the budget plan to lay the groundwork to eventually push through a filibuster-proof bill providing a multiyear funding stream for President Trump’s immigration crackdown, used the all-night session to highlight their hard-line stance on border security, seeking to portray Democrats as unwilling to safeguard the country.
Democrats tried and failed to add a series of changes aimed at addressing cost-of-living issues, seizing the opportunity to hammer Republicans as out of touch with and unwilling to act on the concerns of everyday Americans.
Here’s what to know about the budget plan and the nocturnal ritual senators engaged in before adopting it.
Republicans are seeking a way around a filibuster on D.H.S. funding.
The budget blueprint is a crucial piece of Republicans’ plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end a shutdown that has lasted for more than two months. After Democrats refused to fund immigration enforcement without new restrictions on agents’ tactics and conduct, the G.O.P. struck a deal with them to pass a spending bill that would fund everything but ICE and the Border Patrol. Republicans said they would fund those agencies through a special budget bill that Democrats could not block.
“We can fix this with Republican votes, and we will,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and the Budget Committee chairman. “Every Democrat has opposed money for the Border Patrol and ICE at a time of great peril.”
In resorting to a new budget blueprint, Republicans laid the groundwork to deny Democrats a chance to stop the immigration enforcement funding. But they also submitted themselves to a vote-a-rama, in which any senator can propose unlimited changes to such a measure before it is adopted.
The budget measure now goes to the House, which must adopt it before lawmakers in both chambers can draft the legislation funding immigration enforcement. That bill will provide yet another opportunity for a vote-a-rama even closer to the November election.
Democrats used the moment to hammer Republicans on affordability.
Democrats took to the floor to criticize Republicans for supercharging funding for federal immigration enforcement rather than moving legislation that would address Americans’ concerns over affordability.
“This is what Republicans are fighting for,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the Democratic leader. “To maintain two unchecked rogue agencies that are dreaded in all corners of this country instead of reducing your health care costs, your housing costs, your grocery costs, your gas costs.”
Democrats offered a host of amendments along those lines, all of which were defeated by Republicans — and that was the point. The proposals were meant to put the G.O.P. in a tough political spot, showcasing their opposition to helping Americans afford high living costs. Fewer than a handful of G.O.P. senators crossed party lines to support them.
Republicans blocked Democrats’ proposals to address high living costs.
The G.O.P. thwarted an effort by Mr. Schumer to require that the budget measure lower out-of-pocket health care costs for Americans. Two Republicans who are up for re-election this year, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, voted with Democrats, but the proposal was still defeated.
Republicans also squelched a move by Senator Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico, to create a fund that would lower grocery costs and reverse cuts to food aid programs that Republicans enacted last year. Ms. Collins and Mr. Sullivan again joined Democrats.
Also defeated by the G.O.P.: a proposal by Senator John Hickenlooper, Democrat of Colorado, to address rising consumer prices brought on by Mr. Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran; one by Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, to require the budget measure to address rising electricity prices, and another by Mr. Markey to create a fund to bring down housing costs.
Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat who is up for re-election in Georgia, also sought to add language requiring the budget plan to address health insurance companies denying or delaying access to care, but that, too was blocked by Republicans.
Republicans sought to amplify their hard-line messages on immigration, voter I.D. and transgender care.
While Republicans had fewer proposals for changes to their own budget plan, they also sought to offer measures that would underscore their aggressive stance on immigration enforcement and dare Democrats to vote against them.
Mr. Graham offered an amendment to allocate funds toward a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to the apprehension and deportation of adult immigrants convicted of rape, murder, or sexual abuse of a minor after illegally entering the United States. It passed unanimously.
Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, sought to bar Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and other services, and criticized the organization for providing transgender care to minors. Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, also attempted to tack on the G.O.P. voter identification bill, known as the SAVE America Act. Both proposals were blocked when Democrats, joined by a few Republicans, voted to strike them as unrelated to the budget plan.
The Republicans who crossed party lines to oppose their own party’s proposals for new voting requirements were Ms. Collins along with Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Ms. Collins and Ms. Murkowski also opposed the effort to block payments to Planned Parenthood.
The firing of US Navy Secretary John Phelan is the latest in a shakeup of the American military during the war on Iran, now in its eighth week.
The Pentagon said Phelan would leave office immediately.
list of 3 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
“On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. “We wish him well in his future endeavours”.
His firing comes at a critical moment, with US naval forces enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports and ships, and maintaining a heavy presence around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes during peacetime.
Although the Pentagon gave no official reason for the dismissal, reports indicate the decision was linked to internal disputes, including tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Phelan’s removal is part of a broader pattern of dismissals and restructuring within the US military under President Donald Trump’s administration – including during the current war.
So, who is John Phelan, and what impact could his firing have on US military strategy?
Who is John Phelan?
As the US Navy’s top civilian official, Phelan had various responsibilities, including overseeing recruiting, mobilising and organising, as well as construction and repair of ships and military equipment.
He was appointed in 2024 as a political ally of Trump, despite having no prior military or defence leadership experience.
Before entering government, Phelan was a businessman and investment executive, as well as a major Republican donor and fundraiser — a background that is fairly common among Trump appointees and advisers. The US president’s two top diplomatic negotiators, for instance, are Steve Witkoff — a real estate businessman with no prior diplomatic experience – and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
According to the Reuters news agency, Phelan’s tenure quickly became controversial. He faced criticism for moving too slowly on shipbuilding reforms and for strained relationships with key Pentagon figures, including Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg.
In addition, Phelan was reportedly under an ethics investigation, which may have weakened his standing in the administration.
Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, who was also reported to have a difficult relationship with Phelan, has become acting secretary. Fifty-four-year-old Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who previously ran as a Republican candidate for the US Senate and House of Representatives in 2022 and 2024 respectively, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.
Democrats have criticised Phelan’s removal, calling it “troubling”.
“I am concerned it is yet another example of the instability and dysfunction that have come to define the Department of Defense under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Who else has the Trump administration fired since the war with Iran began?
Phelan’s removal is the latest in a series of senior military leaders being fired or are leaving during the US-Israeli war on Iran, in addition to others since Trump was re-elected.
Among the most notable dismissals was Army Chief of Staff General Randy A. George, in the first week of April. George was appointed in 2023 under former US President Joe Biden.
According to reports, Hegseth also fired the head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, a unit concerned with modernising the army, and the Army’s chief of chaplains. The Pentagon has not confirmed their dismissal.
Why is Phelan’s dismissal significant?
The 62-year-old’s removal comes during a fragile ceasefire with Iran, as the US continues to move more naval assets into the region.
The Navy is central to enforcing Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports to restrict Iran’s oil exports and apply economic pressure on Tehran, as the US president looks eager to wrap up the war, which is deeply unpopular to many Americans.
However, there are no indications that Trump is willing to end the blockade or other naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, as negotiations between Washington and Tehran have come to a standstill.
Tensions have escalated in recent days after the US military seized an Iranian container ship. The US claimed it was attempting to sail from the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
Tehran responded by describing the attack and hijack as an act of “piracy”.
Iran has since captured two cargo ships and fired at another.
-
Politics3 minutes agoTrump Cabinet member scraps Obama-era gender identity housing rule, cites ‘biological reality’
-
Health9 minutes agoRiley Gaines shares 5 wellness tips she swears by as a new mom: ‘Really powerful’
-
Sports15 minutes agoChiefs and Browns make first trade of 2026 draft and both eventually fill needs
-
Technology21 minutes agoHow Florida retiree lost $200K in fake PayPal refund scam
-
Business27 minutes agoSenate committee kills bill mandating insurance coverage for wildfire safe homes
-
Entertainment33 minutes agoFormer Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns
-
Lifestyle38 minutes agoThey set out to elevate karaoke in L.A. — and opened a glamorous lounge that pulls out all the stops
-
Politics45 minutes agoHouse Oversight chair says some members support a Ghislaine Maxwell pardon