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🎧 The U.S.’ threats against Iran and the possibility of Iranian retaliation have raised the risk of a wider war, putting the entire region on high alert, NPR’s Jane Arraf tells Up First. Ahead of the two countries' meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that there is a basis for an agreement with the U.S. on the nuclear issue, but made it clear that ballistic missiles are off the table. Arraf says no breakthroughs are expected today; however, scheduling more talks would signal progress. Meanwhile, several countries in the Middle East, such as Lebanon, are advising citizens to leave while they still can because of the risk of the conflict widening if Iran is attacked. 

🎧 Summers maintained communication with the late financier even after Epstein’s first conviction in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution, Suevon Lee from NPR’s network station WBUR says. The professor’s personal correspondence with Epstein continued until 2019, shortly before Epstein’s arrest on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. Summers hasn’t faced any criminal accusations, but the emails demonstrate his closeness to Epstein, Lee says. Lee says that some staff members have applauded Harvard's decision to reopen investigations into Epstein's ties to professors since the emails came to light in November. Harvard is not the only academic institution with ties to Epstein. Lee says among the names in the Epstein files are at least a handful of professors and one college president. 

🎧 The government confirms that the men on the boat were known to them. They were Cubans living in the U.S., and the Cuban government had designated some of them as terrorists, NPR's Eyder Peralta says. Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez, who runs Auto Defensa del Pueblo, or the people’s self-defense group, is one of the survivors, according to the Cuban government. Gonzalez’s friend Kiki Naranjo told Peralta that they run the organization and have been recruiting Cubans from the island over the past few years to build a clandestine society to sabotage the Cuban government from the inside. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would investigate the matter, but wouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Michael Bustamante, who studies Cuba at the University of Miami, tells Peralta that he believes the Trump administration wants to escalate things with Cuba beyond a point, but doing so could lead to mass migration or regime change, triggering a U.S. military intervention that Trump doesn't want.