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🎧 The White House and Democrats have been trading offers, but multiple roadblocks stand in the way of an agreement, NPR’s Sam Gringlas tells Up First. Democrats say Republicans' proposals to reform immigration enforcement tactics are insufficient. The GOP calls Democrats' demands, including judicial warrants for some enforcement operations, unreasonable. Based on how quickly lawmakers left Washington, D.C., on Thursday for a weeklong recess, Gringlas concludes that both sides stand far from a deal. Americans are not expected to notice the impacts of the partial shutdown unless it really drags on. 

🎧 The Kremlin claims it prefers diplomacy over conflict, but insists that Russia’s victory is inevitable. NPR’s Charles Maynes says that Russia uses these talking points in its negotiations with the White House, aiming to convince the U.S. that Ukraine’s mission is hopeless. The Kremlin suggests that once the war is settled, the U.S. and Russia can resume business, opening up major investment opportunities. Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up territory. Ukraine counters Russia by arguing against giving up territory that Russia hasn’t been able to claim during the war. 

🎧 Figure skater Ilia Malinin, who fell repeatedly in his figure skating program on Friday, informed reporters that his preparation for the Olympics unraveled. Dr. Sahen Gupta, a sports performance psychologist at the University of Portsmouth, studies this phenomenon, known as the "yips" or "twisties." Gupta says that while athletes train to handle pressure with techniques like meditation to quiet the brain, the unique Olympic pressure can sometimes overwhelm this training. NPR’s Brian Mann says experts have told him that athletes often learn from Olympic setbacks and return stronger.