Up First NPR

Can Democrats do anything to prevent a government shutdown? And now that R&B star R. Kelly has been convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering, what kind of prison sentence is he facing? Plus, why did murder rates in the U.S. surge during the pandemic?

What do Germany's preliminary election results tell us about where the country's headed? And will Democrats be able to avoid a government shutdown and avert a debt crisis? Plus, what's the roll-out plan for Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot?

This week's bonus episode of Up First comes from NPR's Consider This. After a year away, Broadway's lights are back on. Some of the biggest productions have returned for vaccinated and masked audiences. From "Wicked" to "Chicago" to "Hamilton," theaters in New York are open at 100 percent capacity. Three industry veterans get ready to return.

After deliberation and disagreement, federal regulators have endorsed COVID boosters for some groups, making millions of people eligible across the U.S. And a widely-discredited Republican-led review of Arizona's Maricopa County 2020 election has concluded after months. Plus, an upcoming election in Germany will decide who succeeds long-standing Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Why did the director of the CDC override her agency's advisory panel and rule in favor of COVID-19 booster shots? And what do lawmakers hope to learn from former Trump aides they have subpoenaed? Plus, President Biden meets with the leaders of India, Japan and Australia today. How can they push back against China, a major trading partner?

Who is eligible to get Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shots? And why are certain Haitian migrants detained along the US-Mexico border being released while others are deported? Plus, new documents reveal the extent of Ethiopia's hunger crisis.