October 1, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

One year ago today, Congress stripped away more than $1 billion in federal funding for public media. Yet this service did not go silent. We continue to report the news because you stand with us. Support a free press by making a donation today. — Brittney Melton, Writer, Up First newsletter

Today’s top stories

A flyDubai plane soaring through the air.

Erik Marmor/Getty Images

A flydubai plane headed to Tel Aviv yesterday made an emergency landing after one pilot stabbed the other in a possible attempt to crash the plane. Most of the roughly 170 passengers were Israeli. Some passengers entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker after the injured pilot unlocked the door. Another flight crew on board then helped land the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The motive remains unknown.

🎧 NPR's Kat Lonsdorf was at the Tel Aviv airport as passengers returned. She tells Up First the arrivals area was packed with journalists and family members as passengers came through: some crying, some smiling and many looking exhausted. One passenger told Lonsdorf he tried to keep his young son calm during the ordeal. Another, a plumber, said he helped subdue the attacker and pulled up on the plane’s controls after remembering something he had seen on TV. The incident comes less than a month before Israel’s national election and is likely to become part of the campaign conversation in the weeks ahead.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he wants fewer generals and admirals — and a military built around drones, AI and what he calls a “warrior ethos.” In a speech at Quantico yesterday, Hegseth said he has already cut the number of senior officers by about 10% and wants to reach 20%. He also announced a new military command focused on drones and other emerging technologies, even as the U.S. remains at war with Iran.

🎧 NPR’s Quil Lawrence says the issue is less about shrinking the top ranks than about who Hegseth is removing and why. Hegseth has blocked some colonels from becoming generals without publicly explaining the decisions and has fired several senior officers. Lawrence also notes that the Pentagon has not held a news briefing since May, which is a stark contrast to the previous two decades of sometimes intense warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The FBI says it is "aggressively" investigating a cyberattack claimed by ShinyHunters after the group said it stole sensitive FBI employment data. It is still unclear how much information was taken or whether hackers got in through third-party software or the bureau’s own systems. Some current and former employees told NPR the stolen files may include job applications, promotion records, family details and medical information.

President Trump is traveling to Oklahoma today — not a battleground state but a place where he can test-drive his midterm message with a friendly crowd. Trump promised to campaign for Republicans in 35 competitive races, but his first stops are in reliably red states like Oklahoma and Alabama.

🎧 NPR's Franco Ordoñez says that the trips are partly about energizing voters who reliably turn out for Trump but may be harder to motivate when he isn’t on the ballot. Oklahoma also gives Trump a lower-risk place to try out campaign lines before heading to more competitive states, where his presence could just as easily motivate Democrats and independents.

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Deep dive

In an aerial view, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage at the Bryan Mound site is seen on Oct. 19, 2022, in Freeport, Texas.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America

The U.S. has drawn heavily from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve since the war with Iran began, shrinking the stockpile by more than 30% in six months. The reserve, stored in underground salt caverns in Louisiana and Texas, is one of the government’s main tools for easing pressure on gas prices. Here’s what to know:

🛢️ Rapid drawdowns can damage the reserve itself, putting stress on the salt caverns and other infrastructure.
🛢️ The Trump administration is exploring a possible oil swap with Venezuela, though much of the crude under discussion is heavy and difficult to extract.
🛢️ China has also tapped its reserves, but less aggressively as electric vehicles make up a larger share of transportation there.

Behind the story

GEOFF BRUMFIEL

NPR’s senior editor and correspondent

Tristan Buckmaster, mathematician at New York University, poses for a portrait in his office in Manhattan. He is wearing a white button-down shirt and dark slacks. Behind him is a blackboard and a window. In front of him is a desk with a computer, keyboard and some papers.

Karsten Moran/for The Washington Post/Getty Images

OpenAI says its AI helped solve one of math’s hardest problems. The catch? Mathematicians weren’t quite sure how it got there.

That’s what I discovered when I started talking to mathematicians about what was supposed to be one of the biggest discoveries this century. It turned out OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra model was not some machine supergod that outstripped human intellect – it was just that it was really bad at showing its work.

Suddenly, a very abstruse and vague math story felt pretty relatable. Who hasn’t been scolded by a teacher for skipping the steps? And who hasn’t gotten an AI answer that sounds impressive but leaves you wondering what on earth it just said?

Mathematicians believe the answer is correct, but the AI-generated proof runs 166 pages, and they say it may take weeks to untangle what actually matters. Despite the lack of clarity, they’re excited about the possibility of using AI to solve more problems in the future.

You can read my full reporting here. And if you come across an AI story you think I should be following, feel free to send it my way via Signal at gbrumfiel.13.

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3 things to know before you go

A Swiss glacier shows the effects of years of ice loss, with exposed rock replacing ice that once covered the landscape.

Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences

1

Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice in 2026, another stark year in a long-running decline driven by global warming.

2

A year after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit disappeared, here’s how electric and hybrid vehicles have fared in the market.

3

Postcard from Damascus: NPR’s Emily Feng visits a glassmaker working through Syria’s punishing summer heat.

Get headlines from your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station.

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This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Suzanne Nuyen contributed.