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### Today’s Top Stories

**The White House Responds to Newly Released Jeffrey Epstein Documents**

The White House says the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents don’t prove any wrongdoing by President Trump. Among more than 1,000 mentions of Trump in the documents, one email notes that Trump spent hours at the convicted sex offender’s home with a victim.

Republican strategist Alex Conant suggests these documents may not necessarily change voters’ minds in the next election but acknowledge it makes for a difficult week for the president.

🎧 Conant also states that the White House should have handled the Epstein story differently by releasing all the information they had. While the White House claims it has been transparent, Trump has avoided answering questions about Epstein, NPR’s Deepa Shivaram tells *Up First*.

Conant points out that Trump’s strategy is to deflect, attack, and then change the story. However, due to the slow drip of new Epstein-related information, overcoming this scandal has been more challenging for the president.

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**Immigration Crackdown Moves to Charlotte, North Carolina**

The Trump administration has selected Charlotte, N.C., as the next city for its immigration crackdown, according to Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden. The sheriff said federal officials contacted him and could arrive as early as tomorrow.

This comes as some Border Patrol agents are leaving Chicago, following weeks of aggressive raids there.

🎧 Charlotte drew national attention this fall after a fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian woman on public transit. The suspect was not an immigrant, but Republicans and the White House criticized the city’s Democratic mayor over the crime, says Nick de la Canal with NPR’s WFAE.

Violent crime in Charlotte is down 20% over the past year, but there have still been calls for the National Guard to deploy. It is currently unknown how many agents will arrive, and the community has reacted with fear despite advocacy groups urging calm.

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**Trump to Travel Nationwide Addressing Economic Hardship**

President Trump will soon travel across the U.S. to address the economic hardships many Americans are feeling, a senior administration official told NPR.

Trump’s message will highlight that while some things have improved, there is still more work to be done. This comes as he revives the talking point of “making America affordable again” — a pledge that helped him win the White House but has not been a major focus over the past eight months.

Currently, voters rank the economy and cost of living as their top concerns in polls, and many blame Trump’s policies for exacerbating these issues.

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### Today’s Listen

Exercise appears to be more popular than ever in the U.S., from fitness influencers sharing gym tips on social media to fitness becoming a focus in politics. Data shows more Americans are exercising than before.

But what caused this shift?

*It’s Been A Minute’s* Brittany Luse explores this question with guests Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s *Explain It to Me* podcast, and Shelly McKenzie, author of *Getting Physical: The Rise of Fitness Culture in America*.

[Listen to the discussion](#) or [read the transcript here](#).

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### Weekend Picks

Here’s what NPR is watching, reading, and listening to this weekend:

– **🍿 Movies:** *Nuremberg* explores the relationship between Nazi Germany’s number two, Hermann Göring, and Douglas Kelley, the psychiatrist assigned to monitor him. Morning Edition host Leila Fadel spoke with writer-director James Vanderbilt about why this story feels relevant today.

– **📺 TV:** If you like *The West Wing*, check out *Death by Lightning*. This four-part miniseries pits President James Garfield against Charles Guiteau, the disgruntled would-be political operative who assassinated him.

– **📚 Books:** Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, talked with *All Things Considered* about his new memoir, *Unfettered*, which recounts his 2022 Senate campaign during which he suffered a stroke and battled deep depression. Plus, find five more new releases from this week.

– **🎵 Music:** With the end of 2025 nearing, *All Songs Considered* has updated its running playlists of this year’s best songs.

– **❓ Quiz:** I scored a decent 7/10 — not bad, but I know I could do better. Luckily, I have you to avenge me. Good luck!

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### 3 Things to Know Before You Go

– Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated yesterday that the entertainment conglomerate is in talks with AI companies to develop tools Disney+ subscribers could use to generate their own content on the platform.

– Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” climbed up Billboard’s Hot 100 during spooky season, marking the sixth consecutive decade in which he has achieved at least one top 10 hit — an all-time chart record.

– This week’s NPR Far-Flung Postcard series takes you aboard the *CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent*, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, where you can spot a polar bear.

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Thanks for reading. Have a great day!
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/14/g-s1-97813/up-first-newsletter-white-house-epstein-charlotte-federal-agents-trump-economy