Republican leaders must find a fragile balance in the reconciliation bill between making deep cuts and protecting programs for the vulnerable. Also, an overwhelming majority of Americans say democracy is under serious threat, and USAID officially ends today.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Dana Farrington, Rebecca Davis, Janaya Williams and Lisa Thomson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy