Up First from NPR
Intense Strikes On Iran, Trump Approval Poll, Georgia Special Election Runoff
March 11, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read🎙️ The Voices & The Context
- The Format: This is a fast-paced, hard-hitting news briefing from NPR's Up First podcast. It's a structured, professional news roundtable designed to deliver the day's most critical stories in a concise, digestible format.
- The Key Players:
- Steve Inskeep & Layla Falden: The veteran NPR hosts who anchor the show, providing a steady, authoritative, and slightly conversational tone as they guide listeners through the news.
- Peyzaya Batrawi: An NPR correspondent reporting from the region, delivering on-the-ground details about the escalating conflict with Iran.
- Domenico Montanaro: NPR's senior political editor and correspondent, who breaks down the political fallout and polling data.
- Stephen Fowler: An NPR reporter in Georgia, providing granular analysis of a special election and its implications for the midterms.
- The Vibe: Intense & Educational. The tone is serious, urgent, and fact-driven. There's a palpable sense of crisis as the hosts and reporters dissect a rapidly unfolding war, its economic consequences, and its political shockwaves. It's the audio equivalent of a breaking news ticker.
🗝️ Key Themes & Topics
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:02) **Escalation of US-Israel Strikes on Iran**
- 2 (03:09) **Impact on Global Energy Markets & Gas Prices**
- 3 (04:23) **Unknowns & Reporting Challenges in the War**
- 4 (05:37) **Public Opinion Polling on the Iran War**
- 5 (08:36) **Midterm Election Implications & Enthusiasm Gap**
- 6 (09:32) **Georgia Special Election Runoff Results**
- 7 (11:54) **Analysis of Trump’s Endorsement Power in 2026**
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet on Iran as residential buildings in Tehran come under fire and Iranian forces target naval ships in the Gulf.
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds a majority of Americans oppose the war and President Trump's approval rating on the economy has hit a record low, raising questions about what the conflict means heading into the midterm elections.
And in Georgia, the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is heading to a runoff, with Trump's endorsed candidate falling short of an outright win as a Democrat closes in.
Want more 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 Hannah Block, Dana Farrington, Megan Pratz, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange
Our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Intense Strikes On Iran
(06:08) Trump Approval Poll
(10:05) Georgia Special Election Runoff
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See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds a majority of Americans oppose the war and President Trump's approval rating on the economy has hit a record low, raising questions about what the conflict means heading into the midterm elections.
And in Georgia, the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is heading to a runoff, with Trump's endorsed candidate falling short of an outright win as a Democrat closes in.
Want more 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 Hannah Block, Dana Farrington, Megan Pratz, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange
Our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Intense Strikes On Iran
(06:08) Trump Approval Poll
(10:05) Georgia Special Election Runoff
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
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