October 7, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. Thirty years ago today, a lovable, yellow-sweater-clad aardvark named Arthur Read and his snarky little sister, D.W., burst onto our screens, becoming childhood favorites. Take a look back at the beginnings of this character. Here’s the news we’re following today:

Today’s top stories

F15's maneuver at RAF Lakenheath in Lakenheath, England.

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

New information reveals that, over the weekend, the U.S. removed all long-range bombers from the British air base near where five men were arrested last week in a suspected terror plot. A U.S. official who is not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the decision to abruptly send home a dozen B-1 bombers from Royal Air Force base Fairford was due to a "credible threat" from Iran, which potentially involved a drone attack.

🎧 The war with Iran has shown that U.S. military bases, both at home and abroad, are now seen as more vulnerable, NPR's Greg Myre tells Up First. Iranian drones and missiles have targeted U.S. bases across the Middle East since the start of the conflict. For the past three decades, the U.S. has established these bases to protect its allies, but the rise of drone threats has changed this perspective. Now, the U.S. must defend a network of military bases — a task that is complicated and costly, Myre says.

High school students in France are blocking schools today, after hundreds of thousands of them marched across the country yesterday. They are joined by teachers, parents and labor union members. The movement, which began in a particularly run-down high school facing teacher absenteeism, aims to improve learning conditions and address inequalities in the French education system.

🎧 The French school system plays a crucial role in shaping the national identity, promoting the idea that anyone can achieve their goals if they apply themselves in l'école de la Republique, or the school of the republic, NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley says. She adds that this concept is at the heart of France's democracy and vision of itself as a meritocracy and egalitarian society. Even elite public schools in Paris are joining the movement. French news reports show clashes between youth and police and cars, trash cans and schools burning. Initially, the far-right condemned delinquency, but many also saw police aggression. Critics argue that the government responded too late and then framed the issue as urban violence instead of addressing the students' demands.

A former head of Germany's foreign intelligence agency will appear before a federal judge today to face charges of espionage and attempted treason. Federal prosecutors accuse August Hanning of using classified information to brief a foreign intelligence agency. He served as the head of Germany's CIA equivalent for seven years from 1998 to 2005. Prosecutors allege he shared sensitive political information for 12 years after leaving office. They have not yet disclosed who Hanning's alleged clients were.

🎧 NPR’s Esme Nicholson says that categorizing Hanning's alleged actions as a major setback to Germany's security apparatus is putting it mildly. Prosecutors allege that a former aide to Hanning leaked documents intended for high-level briefings, raising concerns among Germany's western allies about the credibility of its intelligence agencies and whether their own agents have been compromised. This arrest coincides with a warning from Martin Jaeger, Germany's new foreign intelligence chief, that Russia is waging a "shadow war" in Germany through sabotage, cyber attacks, and disinformation campaigns. Nicholson says the consequences of this conflict are not only humiliating but also potentially dangerous.

As Israel marks three years since Hamas' surprise Oct. 7 attacks, new reports in Israeli and U.S. media say regional allies warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas was planning to attack. Four people in the Middle East with direct knowledge of the warnings told NPR that Netanyahu was personally informed about the potential attacks and his security agencies were notified multiple times in the weeks and days leading up to Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu has denied this, labeling the reports "fake news" and recently filing a defamation lawsuit against the news outlets that first published the information. He and his defense minister now warn that Hamas might attempt to attack again on this Oct. 7 memorial day and leading up to Israel's national elections later this month.

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Living better

An illustration of a boy in a light blue shirt sitting on the grass and using a smartphone in a park.

Malte Mueller/Getty Images

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

Parental monitoring plays a key role in shielding kids from the dangers of social media and excessive screen time. Parents can empower their children to navigate the digital world confidently and safely by establishing clear boundaries early and having open conversations about online habits. Here are some ways guardians can help their kids use their devices more safely:

📱 Put the phone away during meals and bedtime. This will help protect sleep and reduce the risk of eating disorders.
📱 Apply rules around screen time to the whole family, including parents and guardians.
📱 Ask children open-minded questions about what they are doing online. Open communication helps kids feel comfortable sharing what they experience online.
📱 Establish early communication with children about cyberbullying, online scams, Instagram filters and privacy issues for their awareness.

On the ground

NPR

The results of the 2026 midterm elections will shape the final two years of President Trump's second term and serve as a precursor to the 2028 general election. This month, Morning Edition is reporting from six states that could change the balance of power in Washington.

Morning Edition's Leila Fadel traveled to the battleground state of Maine to discover what issues are energizing voters. Maine residents could play a crucial role in deciding which political party controls the Senate. One of the most significant U.S. Senate races features Republican incumbent Susan Collins, who is seeking re-election against Democrat Troy Jackson. The race has been closely watched, especially after Jackson was nominated by the Maine Democratic Party after Graham Platner withdrew because of a sexual assault allegation. Listen to what has been happening in that contest.

Fadel was also on the ground with residents, figuring out what they cared about. Hear more about:

🎧 How the Trump administration's immigration enforcement has divided residents.
🎧 Whether Democratic policies and candidates are resonating, and why so many men voted for Trump in 2024.
🎧 How the economy and other key issues are influencing voters' decisions in the midterm elections.

Follow the reporting: Texas coverage airs Oct. 13, followed by reporting from North Carolina and Georgia, and Ohio and Michigan. You can follow along on Morning Edition, NPR.org, in the NPR app and in the Up First newsletter.

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3 things to know before you go

NPR

1

The 2026 National Book Awards finalists are here, showcasing a diverse range of literary works, from nonfiction on the prison system to a novel about a patient navigator at a gender-affirming care center.

2

Avengers: Endgame has reclaimed the number one position on Hollywood's all-time worldwide box office chart following its recent re-release in cinemas. It first became the highest-grossing film in history in 2019.

3

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have earned the 2026 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their contributions to optogenetics, a field of neuroscience that examines the links between neuron activity and specific behaviors. Soon after learning of his win, Deisseroth spoke with Here & Now. (via WBUR)

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