Up First from NPR

A visit to the remote Pacific island ecosystem losing protections

August 23, 2026·26 min·6-min readnarrativenews
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
NPR's Lauren Sommer reports from Palmyra Atoll, a remote U.S. marine national monument in the Pacific, where pristine ecosystems are under threat from President Trump’s move to open protected waters to commercial fishing. The decision reignites a high-stakes clash between conservationists

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Guest

L

Lauren Sommer

narrative on Up First from NPR

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Lauren SommerAyesha RascoeChris RyanAlex WegmanJoe PollockAlan FriedlanderKeikuewe Kiki LoyEric Kingma

Books

Pulitzer Center

Companies

The Nature ConservancyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Topics

Climate ChangeLong Form JournalismPolitical News

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