Good morning.You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.It is the final stretch before Election Day on Tuesday and candidates are making final campaign stops and delivering closing arguments.
President Trump has been campaigning for at-risk Republicans, but he has abruptly switched to virtual rallies.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed Army Lt.Gen.
Brett Sylvia, who oversaw planning at the Pentagon.Sylvia was also part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
His removal comes as the U.S.and Israel prepare for a new potential round of attacks against Iran.
Although Sylvia held a senior position in strategy, planning and policy, he was not directly involved in day-to-day operations regarding the Iran conflict.Thousands of military veterans with VA-backed mortgages have faced higher interest rates and monthly payments since last year, after the Trump administration shut down a key part of the VA's home loan program.Before it was shut down, the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program, created under the Biden administration, helped tens of thousands of veterans who had fallen behind on their payments by rolling missed payments into a new, low-interest mortgage.
The mortgage industry and housing groups warned the administration not to kill the program without first creating a viable replacement.Without one, vets had to modify loans at higher interest rates.
An NPR investigation found that more than 15,000 veterans experienced monthly payment increases of at least $150 after their loans were modified due to financial hardship.More than 700 veterans saw their payments rise by $1,000 or more.by Rob Stein, NPR's science desk correspondent and senior editorI've been doing stories about the organ transplantation system for decades.
One of the most fundamental guiding ethical principles in organ donation has long been the "dead donor ...