Scott Simon
Appearances
Up First from NPR
Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
And the IMF's chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Garincha, says that's going to lead to higher inflation, at least in the short run, and slower economic growth.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
Other countries are also taking a hit from Trump's tariffs. The IMF stopped short of predicting a global recession, but says it expects trade growth to slow sharply in the coming year. So what does this mean then for businesses here and also around the globe? It means a lot of questions.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
You know, we started this month with the president imposing very high tariffs on goods from all around the world. Many of those tariffs have since been suspended, but most imports still face a tax of at least 10%. And of course, goods from China are facing tariffs of 145%. That has brought a lot of trade between the world's two biggest economies to a near standstill.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
I talked with Jonathan Silva, who runs a company in Massachusetts that manufactures high-end board games in China. He's got three or four truckloads of Finnish games that are basically stranded now because of those triple-digit tariffs. And his customers, like Target and Costco, have halted more than $16 million worth of orders in just the last couple of weeks.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
This is the time of year when Silva would ordinarily be placing orders with Chinese manufacturers for games to be delivered before next Christmas. Instead, those plans are stuck in tariff limbo.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
Any sign of those cooler heads? Well, possibly. As you all mentioned, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant has emerged as kind of the administration's good cop on trade. And yesterday, Bloomberg and others reported that Besant was telling investors he sees the current level of tariffs between the U.S. and China as unsustainable and suggesting there could be some de-escalation.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
That was welcome news on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,000 points yesterday. Markets were also probably relieved that Trump said after the closing bell yesterday that he has no intention of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. As big a drag as this trade war is for the global economy, the IMF's Karincha says it doesn't have to be that way.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
That'd be good not only for businesses and consumers in the U.S. who want to buy stuff from China, but for American farmers and factories that want to sell their products around the world. All right.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
You're welcome.
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Global Economic Forecast Dims, Ukraine Peace Talks, Pope Francis Lies In State
How does it look now? Yeah, not so strong. The IMF lowered its forecast for GDP growth in the U.S. by almost a full percentage point as a result of that trade war. Businesses and consumers in the U.S. now have to pay an extra tax on almost everything we import.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
good morning leila good morning just waking up yes i'm so tired today oh i'm so sorry but i sound like this all the time you're the first person i've spoken to though wow i'm touched do you know i run into like listeners who will say that they'll say you're the first person who talks to me in the morning oh that's sweet yeah There might be variants on that.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
Starting today, the tax on the imported metals is 50%, and that is double what it was yesterday. It's the president's latest move and is constantly shifting trade war.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
You're the first person I like who I talked to today.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
How will new tariffs affect the cost of U.S.-made products that use imported aluminum and steel?
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
The president would like Congress to vote down money that it previously voted up. $8 billion are for the U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.1 billion are set aside to support the next two years of public broadcasting, mainly local stations. The process of taking back the money is called rescission. Congress has 45 days to approve these requests or let them die.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
NPR covers itself like anybody else, so we will give you the facts, and no NPR newsroom or corporate executives had any input into this story.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
Domestic businesses consider the cost. I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Fadal, and this is Up First from NPR News. The White House formally asked Congress to claw back some spending it had previously approved. The administration made that request after failing to cut spending very much on its own.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
As with so much else about this war, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Israeli military officials say the troops fired warning shots, quote, near a few individual suspects, but Israel says they did not fire at crowds. Airstrikes continued overnight in Gaza as Israel expands its military campaign and continues to restrict aid into the enclave.
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
What would a vote in Congress mean for public broadcasting and foreign aid?
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Imported Steel Tariffs Double, White House Rescission Request, Gaza Aid Paused
And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen can be Consider This from NPR News. Up First gives you the three big stories of the day. Consider This goes deep into a single story in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Trump's 'Liberation Day', Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Mistaken Deportation
If they're allowed to get away with this, then it means that the immigration laws are meaningless, all of them.
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Trump's 'Liberation Day', Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Mistaken Deportation
I mean, if they're allowed to get away with this, then it means that the immigration laws are meaningless, all of them.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Good morning, Michelle.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Well, investors were thrilled. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared more than 1,100 points yesterday. For the importers I talked to, the reaction was more determination and a feeling that, all right, it's time to get back to work. A lot of importers had been in a holding pattern since those 145% tariffs took effect last month. Now the tariff's been cut to 30%, at least temporarily.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
And for Jonathan Silva, who runs a Massachusetts company making high-end board games in China... That was enough to green light nine truckloads of games that had been parked in China to start their journey to the U.S.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Silva is hoping to bring a lot more merchandise in before the Christmas season, but he's just not sure how much he'll be able to manufacture and ship before this 90-day window closes.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Well, think about it. A huge number of U.S. businesses rely on factories in China. And when those triple-digit tariffs took effect last month, it was like pinching off a garden hose. Now the hose is partially unkinked, and there's a lot of pent-up pressure. Bonnie Ross is a clothing importer who works with a lot of discount chains.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
She says they're all going to be rushing to bring in merchandise, but the capacity of the hose, you know, the factories, the cargo ships, the ports, is still limited.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Shipping costs could certainly go up, and that's on top of the remaining tariffs, which are still 30%. Ross thinks those costs will be shared by factories, retailers, and in the end, yes, consumers. Forecasters at the Yale Budget Lab say the economic damage from these lower tariffs will be less, but they're still projecting the U.S.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
will have higher inflation and slower growth than it would have without this trade war.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Yeah, I think the market reaction suggests this was a bigger drop in tariffs than investors had been expecting. And that's just another sign of how unpredictable the tariff landscape is under the Trump administration. Import taxes can go up or down or sideways, and businesses and consumers just have to try to make the best of it.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
That uncertainty about future tariffs also makes it hard to decide, is it worth moving a factory out of China or running the expense of building a plant in the U.S.? Board game maker Jonathan Silva says no matter what happens to tariffs, he is going to explore those options. He doesn't want the risk anymore of having all his production in China.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
Silva is still bracing for difficult months ahead, but at least now he thinks his business can survive this year, which was very much in doubt when the triple-digit tariffs were in place.
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Seesawing Tariffs, Trump's Middle East Agenda, Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial
You're welcome.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Good morning, Leila.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
It's likely to mean both higher prices and slower economic growth. We've seen a lot of forecasters warn that this could tip the United States into recession. Certainly other countries that rely on exporting to the U.S. are looking at a big economic slowdown.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
That's why markets have nosedived all around the world in recent days and why investors are so desperate for any sign that maybe there's an off-ramp here. Now, Trump did have that phone call yesterday with Japan's prime minister. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says her side is willing to make a deal.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
But as things stand right now, products from the EU are going to be slapped with a 20 percent tariff tomorrow. Japanese goods are facing a 24 percent tariff and imports from China could be looking at tariffs of over 100 percent.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
If we do fall into recession and see a spike in unemployment, the Fed will probably have to lower interest rates. But that's not where we are right now. In fact, the jobs report we got last week showed a stronger labor market than many forecasters had expected. And, of course, we're still not out of the woods on inflation.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Prices are climbing faster than most people would like, and these high tariffs could push prices even higher. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned he and his colleagues could end up caught in a tug of war between higher unemployment and higher inflation.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Right now, the Fed is not inclined to cut interest rates and speed the economy up. It's more likely to keep rates elevated to avoid rekindling inflation. But if we do start to see a lot of layoffs as these tariffs kick in, then that balancing act could change.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
We'll have to wait and see. There is some truth to the president's complaint about other countries making it hard for the U.S. to tap into their markets, although in many cases the tariffs that Trump is levying in response exaggerate the scale of those trade barriers. Supporters say the president is merely employing hardball negotiating tactics, but critics have a different view.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, for example, describes Trump's tactics here as predatory, especially when tariffs are used to bully some of America's closest allies.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Summers told me recently that he had been disappointed there was not more vocal pushback from businesses and political leaders unhappy with the president's approach. A lot of people have been cowed by Donald Trump. We have started to hear some of that pushback this week from people like JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
And if stock prices fall a lot further or if other prices start to climb because these tariffs more people may feel empowered to speak out against this trade policy. We've also seen a handful of lawmakers in the House and Senate who've taken steps to reclaim congressional authority over trade policy, which Congress had delegated to the president.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
Trump has said he'll veto any such legislation, though, so it would take a sizable majority on Capitol Hill to overcome that.
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Trump's Tariff Response, Economics of Tariffs, SCOTUS Rules on Deportations
You're welcome.
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Trudeau Resigns, Guantanamo Prisoner Release, Minneapolis Police Reform
Releasing this many men in just a few weeks makes clear what could have been done over the rest of the last four years had the administration acted then with the same urgency and commitment that it's acting now.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
Well, A, tariffs are taxes. They generally push up prices. They're a potential drag on spending. And they invite retaliation against U.S. exports. On top of that, you've got the unpredictable way the Trump administration has rolled out his tariff agenda on one day, off the next, back on again. All that just adds to the uncertainty and makes it very hard for businesses to plan.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
Since the Second World War, the U.S. has generally pushed to lower trade barriers, not raise them. But there have always been a few domestic industries that have enjoyed special protection, and those offer some clues about how Trump's protectionist instincts might play out in other parts of the economy. One of the most protected industries in this country is sugar. The U.S.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
has high trade barriers against imported sugar. As a result, the price of sugar in this country is usually about twice what it is on the world market. Now, that might not be a big deal if you're just putting a spoonful of sugar in your coffee every morning, but it's a very big deal if you buy sugar by the truckload like Kirk Vashaw does.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
He's the CEO of Spangler Candy, which makes Dum Dums, Bit of Honey, and Candy Canes in Bryan, Ohio. His is one of the last hard candy manufacturers that still operates in this country.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
So lesson one, trade barriers drive up costs. And while that's meant higher profits for U.S. sugar producers, it's been very expensive for all the businesses and consumers who buy sweets. In some cases, it's driven them out of the country.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
Yeah, and a good example of that is the so-called chicken tax. Back in the 1960s, Germany slapped a tariff on imported chickens from the U.S., so the U.S. retaliated with the tax on imported pickup trucks. And that pickup truck tariff is still in place decades later. And the tariff is 25%, 10 times what the U.S. had been charging on imported cars.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
That's why you see a lot of imported cars in the U.S., but very few imported pickup trucks. There's a deep protectionist moat around the U.S. pickup market. And Chief Economist Eugenio Aleman of Raymond James says that's why domestic automakers have put so much of their focus on building pickup trucks and SUVs.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
And so that's a second lesson from these protected industries. Industries that are protected by high trade barriers typically have less incentive to invest and innovate and compete in worldwide markets. And, you know, this week, President Trump is widening that moat around pickup trucks to protect domestic autos with a 25 percent tariff as well.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Race, Florida's Special Elections, Trump's Trade War
You're welcome.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
Good morning, Michelle.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
The stakes here are enormous. The president has imposed the highest tariffs this country has seen since the Great Depression. And while he has backed off on some of those import taxes, the White House maintains he could reimpose them any time with just a social media post. So a dozen states and five businesses challenged the president's authority to unilaterally levy those taxes.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
And last night, a specialized trade court handed those challengers a decisive victory. The unanimous three-judge panel ruled that under the Constitution, it's Congress that has exclusive power to regulate trade and impose tariffs. And the court said the 1977 emergency law that Trump has been relying on does not give the president unfettered power to impose taxes on imports from around the world.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
They rejected Trump's claims that fentanyl trafficking or persistent trade deficits justify taxing nearly everything the U.S. buys from other countries. And in fact, the judges skipped right over issuing a preliminary injunction and gave the plaintiffs a summary judgment.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
You know, investors have never liked these tariffs. Every time the president raises import taxes, the stock market tumbles. Every time he backs down, the stock market soars. So Thank you very much. Oregon is one of the states that brought this case, and Oregon's Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, says striking down these tariffs is a win for working families.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
Rayfield also says this ruling shows that laws still matter and that trade decisions cannot be made on a president's whim. How is the administration responding? Well, the administration wasted no time saying it would appeal this decision. That will go to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit here in Washington.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
The White House also issued a statement saying, quote, it's not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency. I'll note the three judges who ruled against the president here were nominated to the court by Presidents Reagan, Obama, and Trump himself.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
No. The industry-specific taxes on steel and aluminum and cars and car parts remain in place. Those were authorized under a different statute. And Trump has threatened to use that statute to add additional tariffs on imported computer chips and pharmaceuticals and copper.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
But as for the sweeping tariffs on nearly everything we import, from coffee and bananas to French wine and Chinese toys, for the moment at least, those taxes do not pass legal muster.
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Court Blocks Most Trump Tariffs, Trump Grows Frustrated With Putin, CPAC Hungary
Boom.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
Well, President Trump has been urging the Fed for some time to lower interest rates. He always wants to see borrowing costs as low as they can be. But the president's making that more difficult, actually, with his trade war. Chairman Jerome Powell gave a speech in Chicago yesterday where he warned that Trump's tariffs will almost certainly push prices in the U.S. higher, at least in the short term.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
And that suggests interest rates may need to stay elevated in order to avoid rekindling inflation. Now, you know, the president's social media post this morning criticizing that move and saying that the Fed is too late to cut interest rates certainly raises the temperature between Trump and Powell. The Fed chairman's term does run through next May.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
And Powell has been adamant that he plans to serve out that term. He has tried to keep a low profile and avoid antagonizing the president. But that's a favor that Trump has not returned.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
Well, people are spending money in large part to avoid Trump's tariffs. A lot of the spending that we saw in March was at auto dealers. Auto sales were up almost 6% last month. And that suggests people were maybe advancing their car purchases to beat the tariffs that took effect at the beginning of April. And with good reason. The Center for Automotive Research says those new import taxes
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
will add between $4,000 and $9,000 to the price of a new car. So if you can get in early, they can save some serious money. Even domestic cars typically contain a lot of imported parts, so they're going to get more expensive as well.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
Well, you know, if people splurged in March to get ahead of the tariffs, we're likely to see some payback in the months to come with reduced spending. Gene Sirocco heads the Port of Los Angeles, which is one of the busiest container ports in the country. It handles a lot of cargo traffic coming in from Asia. Of course, China's been hit with these triple digit tariffs in the Trump era.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
And Sirocco is projecting at least a 10 percent drop in incoming cargo in the second half of this year.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
The irony here is before Trump launched this trade war, we were seeing real progress on inflation, which might have paved the way for the interest rate cuts that the president says he wants to see. Core inflation last month was the lowest it's been in four years. But hopes that Jerome Powell and his colleagues on the Fed could engineer a soft landing have really been battered by Trump's tariffs.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
Forecasters are now projecting a double whammy of both higher prices and slower economic growth. That's all we seem to be doing, Scott.
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Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
You're welcome.
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Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Hey, I'm Scott Schaefer.
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Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
We host Political Breakdown. With the 2024 election over and President Trump in the White House, there's going to be a lot to keep up with this year.
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Russia Mulls Ceasefire, EPA Rollbacks, Iran Rebuffs Trump
Join us for Political Breakdown every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from KQED, part of the NPR Network.
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Migration and Trade with India, Trump and Putin Chat, Future of Education Department
The irony is not lost on me that we're here to discuss the state of American education while the current administration is actively discussing how to dismantle the main federal agency responsible for ensuring safe, quality education for all students.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
You might even say that he goaded China into into a bad position, they responded, they have shown themselves to the world to be the bad actors.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
Good morning, Layla.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
The message from the market could not be any clearer. The market likes global trade and does not like anything that interferes with that. When President Trump was running interference with his deep tariffs, the market sank. When he suspended some of those tariffs, the market soared. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 2,700 points yesterday. The S&P 500 Index was up more than 8.5%.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
But... Keep in mind, that's only about two-thirds of what the market had lost since the president first announced these tariffs last Wednesday. So even with this partial ceasefire, the trade war has left a mark.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
That's right. There's still a 10 percent tariff on nearly everything the U.S. imports, and that's significantly higher than we were paying a few months ago. But the tariffs Trump has suspended would have been higher still. So let's say you go to the grocery store and you're buying some Italian cheese to put on your pasta tonight.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
This time yesterday, there was a 20% import tax on that Pecorino Romano. Today, the tariff is half of that. So are you grateful you can grate for less or disappointed that the tariff is still higher than it was before Trump took office? I spoke to Philip Marfugi, who runs the Ambriola Company. That's a big cheese importer in New Jersey. He would rather see no tariffs.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
Americans are already unhappy about the cost of groceries. Even a 10% import tax is not going to help with that. Marfuji says some companies may shift to smaller packages to try to mask the cost of these tariffs. And since imported cheese is going to cost more, he suspects domestic dairy producers will raise their cheese prices as well.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
When it comes to China, the trade war is still very much in force. And that is a headache for people like Bonnie Ross. She imports clothing from China to sell at discount stores like Burlington and Deedee's. Ross notes that over the last week, Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods have gone from 20 percent to 54 percent to 104 percent and now 125 percent.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
Aside from the cost, which is significant, there's also just the uncertainty. Bonnie Ross typically places big clothing orders five months out so there's time to make and move the clothes across the ocean. How do you do business in an environment where you don't know what the tariff's going to be this afternoon, let alone during back-to-school shopping season next September?
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
You know, for the moment, at least, investors are relieved by this 90-day pause on at least some of the president's tariffs. But it has been a very rocky seven days. And the roadmap could change at any moment with another stroke of the president's big Sharpie pen.
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Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials
You're welcome.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
It's been just over a month since President Trump ordered worldwide tariffs, effectively dropping a giant rock into the oceans on which global trade flows. And we are still waiting to see where the resulting waves wash up. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says if those tariffs last, they could have a profound effect on the economy.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
But, you know, the Trump administration has already backtracked some. Just this morning, the president is announcing a new trade deal with the UK. So Powell says it's not clear those tariffs are going to stick around.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
Fed policymakers voted unanimously yesterday to keep interest rates where they've been since the end of last year. They'll have another chance to adjust rates, though, in June and then again in July.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
They're watching for any sign of increased pressure on prices, which could rekindle inflation, or any weakening in the job market that could lead to higher unemployment. We know the trade war has taken a toll on consumer confidence. People are clearly worried about higher inflation and the prospect of widespread layoffs. But just last week, we learned that employers added 177,000 jobs in April.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
So Palin and his colleagues just don't feel a great sense of urgency right now to goose the economy by cutting rates.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
Now, one early warning sign we have seen is the drop in cargo traffic from China. Trump's triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods have put a big dent in shipments across the Pacific Ocean. We could start to see some empty store shelves in a few weeks because of that.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
But as we learned during the pandemic, when there's a problem with supply chains, there's not a whole lot the central bank and its interest rate tools can do about that.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
Not really. Trump was back on social media this morning criticizing the Fed for not lowering interest rates. The president highlighted the recent drop in oil prices and called Powell a fool for not moving more aggressively. This is nothing new for this president, who has frequently browbeat the Fed, but the central bank was set up to be insulated from that kind of political pressure.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
And it has a powerful ally in the stock market, which reacted very badly last month when Trump threatened to fire the Fed chairman. Trump has since backed off those threats. He will have a chance to replace Powell a year from now. But until then, the central bank has largely shrugged off kibitzing from the White House.
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India And Pakistan Latest, Libya Deportations, The Fed And Interest Rates
You're welcome.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
I think they're surprised by the magnitude. For example, we're talking about a 20% tax on goods coming in from the European Union, much higher than the U.S. charges today. In other ways, though, this is not surprising.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
Despite the United States' wealth and power, Trump has been complaining for decades that this country is being taken advantage of, and he's determined to fight back with tariffs, even as financial markets have been flashing red, saying, don't do it. Now, Canada and Mexico, two of our biggest trading partners, are being spared these additional tariffs for now.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
But Trump is slapping stiff due taxes on imports from economies around the world, even for products we cannot produce in the U.S., like the coffee and banana you might be having for breakfast this morning.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
Trump calls these reciprocal tariffs, saying they're simply designed to match the trade barriers that other countries impose on U.S. exports.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
But the White House later acknowledged it would be too hard to calculate the actual trade barriers from every other country. So they just picked an arbitrary number they thought would be high enough to chip away at each country's trade surplus with the U.S.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
And the result is a huge tariff increase, a 24 percent tax on imports from Japan, a 34 percent tax on imports from China, in addition to the 20 percent tariffs that were already in place. Now, other countries might absorb some of that cost, but a big part will be paid by businesses and consumers here in the U.S.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
Economists say it will likely mean higher prices and slower growth. Consumers are nervous, so are exporters. Tim Fiore conducts a monthly survey of factory managers for the Institute for Supply Management. He says they're already bracing for retaliation.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
Domestic manufacturers are supposed to be the beneficiaries of this trade war, but factory orders, output, employment were all down last month in anticipation.
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Trump's New Tariffs, Global Tariff Reactions, TikTok Deadline
This is an enormous gamble. The U.S. launched a similar worldwide trade war back in the 1930s. It did not end well. The notorious Smoot-Hawley tariffs are widely considered to have worsened the Great Depression. And economists say Trump's new import taxes are even more draconian than those almost a century ago.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Good morning.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Not so far. The first quarter was all about people bracing for the president's trade war. April, which marks the start of the second quarter, is when those tariffs really started to bite. And that has rattled financial markets. It's also made consumers nervous that prices are going to go up. Consumer spending has not dried up, but
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Chief Economist Greg Daco of EY Parthenon says people are being more careful about their spending, especially when it comes to things like eating out.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
As we know, consumer spending is the lifeblood of this economy. So When families start to cut back like that, it can really put the brakes on economic growth.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
So far, the job market's been very resilient. Unemployment in March was just 4.2%. We're going to get the April jobs numbers tomorrow. Forecasters expect to see some slowdown in hiring. In general, workers say they're feeling a little less confident about job security. Seth Lillevivat is in that camp.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
He's still working for a biotech company in San Diego, but his employer has already had two rounds of job cuts this year.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Lillevivat's also a little worried about the drop in his retirement savings. The S&P 500 index is down about 7% since inauguration day. So Lillevivat's being more conservative about his own spending. That means no more stopping for coffee and pastries after swim practice every week. And he has put off a little home improvement project that he had been planning for this year.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Right now, that boat is getting tossed around a little bit by the economic headwind. So it's no wonder, Michelle, some people are feeling a little seasick.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Not necessarily, although the risk of a recession has certainly increased since the president launched his trade war. We've already seen a substantial slowdown in cargo traffic, especially from China, where those crippling tariffs are in effect. Gene Sirocco, who runs the ordinarily busy port of Los Angeles, says, That's going to hit the paychecks of a lot of transportation and warehouse workers.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
Greg Daco says whether we actually fall into recession could depend on whether Trump's tariffs remain in place or get watered down. Even if the tariffs are rolled back, Daco warns, we'll likely be looking at fairly sluggish growth for the rest of this year.
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Economy In The Next 100 Days, Ukraine Minerals Deal, India And Pakistan Tension
You're welcome.
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Gambling with Memes
You want to follow what's happening in Washington, D.C., but you don't want to be scrolling your phone all day. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms. Stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. They're short, they're focused episodes that tell you calmly, factually, what is happening and what isn't.
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A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City
Israel rained down paper leaflets across parts of Gaza's north, telling residents to leave their homes.
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A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City
Berzea Betraoui is in Jerusalem. Ayo, thanks for being with us.
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A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City
What do you hear from people inside of Gaza?
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A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City
Following the news out of Washington, D.C. can be overwhelming. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms. Stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. Each episode is short, usually around five minutes or so. We keep it calm and factual. We help you follow what matters, and we leave out what doesn't.
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A Palestinian Reporter Returns Home to Gaza City
Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
does not seek to strangle or humiliate China. But he said that China's threat is real. Let's hear what he said.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
Interestingly, he also complained that China has great economic leverage over its neighbors, and this complicates defense calculations for the U.S., How were his remarks received by those there? Well, you know, Scott, U.S. officials have been reassuring China for many years that they don't want to contain it or strangle it.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
China has never really been convinced, and I think they're even less convinced this time. China did not send its defense minister this year, perhaps because they feel the atmosphere is too hostile. The U.S. wants other nations to ramp up defense spending, and many of them are doing that, but perhaps not to the levels that Washington wants.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
Another country that's very concerned is South Korea, because the new alignment could see the U.S. withdraw troops from that country, basically leaving it to North Korea, and they see North Korea as the threat, not China. Is the focus on China going to affect U.S. military presence in the region? Yes, it is doing that. Already the U.S.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
military is reorganizing and downsizing and spreading out some of its military units to make them harder for Chinese missiles to hit. And then it's also putting missiles within the first island chain in the western Pacific to try to control the sea lanes there. Now, Hegseth noted that the U.S.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
has missiles in the northern Philippines, also in Japan's southwest islands, both northeast and southeast of Taiwan.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
Well, there was a lot of domestic focus. He slammed previous administration's defense policies as weak, and he praised President Trump for being a great dealmaker and policymaker. Now, a lot of the admission that the U.S. is going to put its own interests first, I think, is understood by people in the region.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
But when they're given marching orders to fall into line with the U.S., that's where I think many governments seem to chafe at the suggestion. And Pierre's Anthony Kuhn joining us from Singapore.
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Shangri-La Dialogue, Nippon/U.S. Steel Deal, Taylor Swift Gets Her Masters
Well, Secretary Hegseth was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is the region's main annual security forum. A friend described it to me as Davos for men in uniform. And he said that China is intimidating and harassing its neighbors, including Taiwan. It's using gray zone tactics that are short of war but are coercive. And at the same time, he insisted that the U.S.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
What do you hear from people who are heading south?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
How does the truce seem to be holding?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
Thousands of displaced Lebanese citizens return to their homes in the southern part of the country.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
Lauren, let me ask you about the renewed fighting this week in Syria because rebels say they now control much of Aleppo. What do you know about this?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And Paris Lauren Frayer in southern Lebanon. Thanks so much.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
At least two of them will likely have to form a coalition to win a majority in the country's parliament. NPR's Fatima al-Kassab joins us from Dublin. Thanks for being with us.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
What do we know about the results so far?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And I know you've spoken with voters. What did they tell you that was on their minds?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And we'll check in on Texas Republicans who have strengthened their majority in the statehouse.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And did any of the parties in particular campaign on lowering housing prices?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
When do you think we might get a full picture of the vote?
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
NPR's Fatima al-Kassab from Dublin, thanks so much for being with us.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
Those are some of the priorities for Texas state lawmakers for the coming year.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
The Israeli military has ordered Lebanese refugees to keep away from the southern part of the country for now.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And that's up first for Saturday, November 30th, 2024. I'm Scott Simon. And I'm Eric Deggans. Our producer is Fernando Naro, with help from Chris Thomas. Our director is Michael Radcliffe. Our editors are Didi Skanki, Miguel Macias, Acacia Squires, and Matthew Sherman.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
That's what he does. Tomorrow on the Sunday Story from Up First, host Aisha Roscoe speaks with Montana Public Radio's Nick Mott. about the Endangered Species Act that was passed more than half a century ago.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And I'll be listening to you tomorrow morning, Eric. All righty.
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Mideast Ceasefire Continues, Irish Elections, Texas Politics
And here's Lauren Frayer in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatea. Lauren, thanks for being with us.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Historically, Myanmar's military has been suspicious of outside intervention, but have they asked for help now?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
The death toll continues to climb. We're still just two days in. Any idea of how bad it might get?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Sweeping tariffs come into effect in days. What you need to know about who will be footing the bill.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
So we said, of course, you're in Thailand. Thailand got pretty shaken up too, didn't it?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Reporter Michael Sullivan in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Michael, thanks so much.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Next week, President Trump's new tariffs, 25%, go into effect for all imported cars and auto parts. And in a few days, he is expected to announce more tariffs, what he's calling reciprocal tariffs on goods from all over the world. So who's paying for this?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Wherever you live, it is likely that there is a theater or children's museum near you that is being supported in part by the federal government.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
That's because since President Trump took office a couple of months ago, his executive orders relating to gender and DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion have had a profound impact on arts and culture. NPR correspondent Elizabeth Blair joins us. Elizabeth, thanks for being with us.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Give us an overview, please, of all the changes.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
The epicenter of the quake was roughly 10 miles from Myanmar's second biggest city, Mandalay, home to some 1.5 million people. Michael Sullivan is in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and joins us now. Michael, thanks for being with us. Hi, Scott. It's early in the evening where you are. What do we know about rescue efforts?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Let's talk about that executive order because, of course, the Smithsonian Museum, It's a complex of museums. There's Air and Space, American Art, American Indian Museums, also the Cooper Hewitt in New York, and for that matter, the National Zoo. So what else does this executive order say?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
That's after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook Southeast Asia. I'm Scott Simon.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
President Trump also made big changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, what's known as the Kennedy Center, made himself the chair of the board. Do we know what his vision is?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Let's talk about the way President Trump uses that term woke because it's now become a kind of code for disparaging efforts to make organizations more inclusive. Of course, it's often through art that people learn about different perspectives. How is the president's campaign against wokeness affecting the arts?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Elizabeth, there must be so many different answers to this, but what are artists making of these changes?
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Elizabeth Blair, correspondent on the Culture Desk, thanks so much.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Andrew Craig is our director, with support from our technical director, Andy Huther, and engineers David Greenberg, Zach Coleman, and Arthur Halliday-Lorent.
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Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts
Tomorrow on the Sunday Story, meme coins. From a kind of cryptocurrency joke to a speculative frenzy. Find out how it all works.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
But Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay its implementation so he can resolve the issue.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
We're learning more about the roughly 10,000 North Korean soldiers fighting alongside the Russians in Eastern Europe.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic have been in short supply in recent years because of their popularity. But the FDA has declared the official shortage of one of those medications, Zepbound, to be over. And that has caused some mixed feelings, especially among patients prescribed the drug.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
He's asked the Supreme Court to delay implementation of the law banning the app until after his inauguration. I'm Scott Simon. I'm Daniel Estrin, and this is Up First from NPR News. The law forces TikTok to be shut down or sold next month.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
U.S. officials say they're dying in high numbers.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
Our editors are Cara Platoni, Shannon Rhodes, Miguel Macias, Nick Spicer, Fernando Roman, and Matthew Sherman.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Julia Redpath was with us this week as well. Luis Clemens is our deputy managing editor. Tomorrow on The Sunday Story from Up First, we go for a walk in the park.
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
And if you really do go to the park this weekend, why not bring along a portable radio and listen to Weekend Edition? Do those things still exist, portable radios, Scott?
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Trump On TikTok Ban, N. Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, Obesity Drug Shortage Ends
Maybe with that little antenna you put up. You could just bring your smartphone. That might be easier. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Of course, that includes heads of state from all over the world. And Lauren, you're there in St. Peter's Square along with our colleagues Sylvia Poggioli and Ruth Sherlock. Lauren, let's start with you. Tell us, please, what you're seeing.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And Silvia Poggioli, you covered Pope Francis on so many papal trips around the world. What signs did you see of his global legacy there today?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
We'll have more on the ceremony and how it reflects on Pope Francis' legacy.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Sylvia, a solemn religious day, of course, but politics don't take the day off. President Trump was there, so was Ukraine's President Zelensky and former President Biden. How did all that work?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And Silvia Paglioli, you covered this entire papacy from the moment that Pope Francis first stepped out onto the steps to greet the people to today. What are your thoughts?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And Pierre-Sylvia Poggioli with Sherlock and Lauren Frayer. Thank you all.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
It's been eight weeks since Israel's blockade cut off aid to Gaza. That includes medical supplies and food.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Now the UN's Food Agency says that it has run out of supplies to distribute in Gaza, and this has deepened the humanitarian crisis that's faced by roughly two million Palestinians who are there. And Piers Hadil Al-Shulchi joins us. Thank you for being with us.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
No aid since the beginning of March. What's the current situation like?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And Adil, what are you able to hear from Palestinians in Gaza? What are they eating?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Israel is trying to use aid to pressure Hamas into a new deal and return the hostages. Any progress on that?
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
The part have passed away on Monday. At the age of 88, I'm Scott Simon in Washington, D.C.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And this week, a far-right Israeli cabinet member got a very warm reception here in the U.S. Tell us about his visit.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And Piers Adilo Schultz in Tel Aviv, thanks so much for being with us. You're very welcome.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Dee Parvaz is our editor, and she had help from Martha Ann Overland, Tara Neal, and Carrie Connors.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer, and Jim Kane is our deputy managing editor.
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Pope Francis's Funeral Ceremony; Gaza Goes Hungry Under Israeli Blockade
And for more news, interviews, sports and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org and find your local stations.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
This was a very different handover than what we saw last week, wasn't it?
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Greg, are the releases on both sides an indication that the ceasefire is holding, it's working?
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
The mosque releases four female soldiers as the ceasefire with Israel enters its second week.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And here's Greg Myrie in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for being with us, Greg. Sure thing, Scott.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And blocks virtually all new foreign assistance.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And Paraglobal Health correspondent Fatma Tanis joins us now. Fatma, thanks for being with us.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And please tell us about this memo.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
We'll have more on that story also.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
What kind of programs are likely to be affected?
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
What might happen to people who work for these programs?
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
What kind of reaction from aid groups?
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And what's ahead as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces a Senate confirmation hearing next week.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And Pierce Fatima Tanis, thanks so much for being with us.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
President Trump has nominated him as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
The Palestinian group held them as hostages ever since. NPR's Greg Myrie is in Tel Aviv. Greg, thanks for being with us.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And that's up first for Saturday, January 25th, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And this episode was edited by Jerome Sokolofsky, Scott Hensley, Shannon Rhodes, Rebecca Davis, and Matthew Sherman.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Cain, I've got to get his middle name someday, is our deputy managing editor.
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More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
And for more news, interviews, and analysis, you can tune into Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org and find your local station.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
Now the National Security Council, which Rubio oversees in addition to remaining Secretary of State, is undergoing a dramatic restructure. NPR's Greg Myrie joins us. Greg, thanks for being with us. Hi, Scott. Now the Trump administration hasn't made any announcement, but NPR has been reporting this story. What do we know?
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
Another major shakeup at the White House National Security Council.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
And Greg, remind us of the role of the National Security Council.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
But these firings are seen as a way to eliminate bureaucracy and duplication. What might be the impact on national security?
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
Now, there was a lot of reshuffling among the national security team during President Trump's first term. Is this that all over again?
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
Also Friday, Defense Secretary Hegseth announced new restrictions for reporters who cover the Pentagon. What can you tell us about that?
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
And for your national security correspondent, Greg Myrie, thanks so much, Greg. Sure thing, Scott. It was a moment that changed the course of U.S. history. A video showing George Floyd being murdered by a Minneapolis police officer went viral and triggered massive demonstrations across the country.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
But how did a moment of apparent national unity generate a backlash? We'll have reporting on how George Floyd's death fueled conspiracies and political extremism. So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
And I'm Scott Simon. But wait, wait. We've got one more thing for you today here at Up First. We take keeping you informed very seriously.
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National Security Council Shakeup, George Floyd Murder and Political Extremism
Test your knowledge of the week's news against the show's panelists by listening every weekend. And here is this week's lightning fill-in-the-blank news quiz.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. Scott Bessant once had ties to Democrats, but has emerged as a key Trump advisor in the past year.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
What about labor secretary?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Matt Gaetz this week pulled himself out of consideration for attorney general. Of course, he was the subject of a prolonged House Ethics Committee investigation with very serious allegations, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, obstructing government investigations. What does his decision to remove himself from the process tell us now?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Ron, police in Monterey, California, have shared with news organizations, including NPR, the report of the accusation of sexual assault against Pete Hegseth, who, of course, is Mr. Trump's nominee for secretary of defense. Do you see this as affecting his nomination bid?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Plus Trump's nominees for several other top positions.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And Trump has indicated he wants to nominate Linda McMahon to lead the U.S. Department of Education. She is the wife and business partner of Vince McMahon, the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. Mr. Trump says he wants to shut down the Department of Education. How is this nomination being received?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
For more background on Trump's Treasury pick, Scott Bessant, we turn to NPR Chief Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley. Scott, thanks for being with us.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Good morning. Happy to be here.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And what can you tell us about Scott Bessant?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Well, he's not super well-known. He runs a hedge fund, the Key Square Group. He also spent a number of years working for billionaire Democratic donor George Soros. In fact, when he went out and launched his own fund, Soros was an investor. But he has been a big cheerleader for the Trump agenda. He's been writing op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and on the Fox News website.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
That's despite decades of research that shows the mineral helps prevent tooth decay.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
He's also a longtime friend of Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. Trump has described Besson as one of the top analysts on Wall Street and a nice-looking guy, too. He does have a sort of distinguished silver-haired gravitas that Trump often looks for. Besson is originally from South Carolina, and he and his husband spend most of their time there.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
What kind of reception has Scott Besson likely to get in the Capitol?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Well, he'll probably get a friendly reception from the new GOP Congress if he's confirmed. One of his first jobs will be getting an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts, parts of which are set to expire next year. He'll likely be pushing on an open door when it comes to cutting taxes, although...
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
That would probably add to the federal debt, which we learned just yesterday has now surpassed $36 trillion. Besson has also championed Trump's call for deregulation and for increased domestic energy production as a way to bring down costs.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Of course, tariffs are another big part of Trump's economic platform. What has Scott Besson said about that?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Besant has defended Trump's proposal to slap taxes on all imports, even though most economists say that would likely raise prices for U.S. businesses and consumers. Unlike some of the others in Trump's orbit, though, Besant doesn't seem to be a dyed-in-the-wool protectionist.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
In an interview with the Financial Times last month, he suggested that Trump views tariffs as a bargaining chip and said, quote, my general view is that at the end of the day, he's a free trader. So we'll see about that.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Of course, the Treasury Secretary typically works closely with the Federal Reserve. What do you foresee there?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Yeah, that could be a source of some friction. You know, Trump has frequently criticized the Fed chairman, Jerome Powell, even though he appointed him to the chairman's post. Trump thinks Powell and his colleagues were too quick to raise interest rates the last time Trump was in the White House and too quick to lower interest rates in the run-up to this fall's election.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
The Fed is supposed to be insulated from political pressure from the White House, but Trump has repeatedly flouted that norm and And Besson went so far as to suggest that Trump name a shadow Fed chairman to sort of undermine Powell, although he later walked that back. Now, Powell is set to remain as Fed chairman into 2026 and says he's not going anywhere.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Powell is a staunch defender of the Fed's independence. He's also a savvy politician, though, and he's trying very hard not to antagonize the incoming administration.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And Pierre Scott Horsley, thanks so much.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
But yesterday, the Florida Surgeon General issued guidance opposing the practice.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Reporter Stephanie Colombini from member station WUSF in Tampa joins us now. Stephanie, thanks for being with us.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Tell us about what's happened now in Florida.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Scott Bessant, a hedge fund manager, will be expected to try to sell Trump's populism to Wall Street.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
But the president-elect has put forth a replacement.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
As you mentioned, fluoride levels in a lot of these studies have been higher than what's recommended for U.S. drinking water, given that what's been the reaction.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Stephanie, what happens next in Florida?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
NPR senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving joins us. Ron, good to have you.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Stephanie Columbini with Member Station WUSF, thanks so much for being with us.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Our director is Michael Radcliffe.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Hannah Gloven is our technical director, with engineering support from Nisha Hynas, Andy Huther, and Arthur Halliday-Lorenton.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
And Jim Kane is our Deputy Managing Editor.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Several cabinet nominations last night, Treasury, Labor, Moore. Which name stood out to you?
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Felicia, how can you say that? And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune into Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
Oh, that was beautiful.
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Treasury and Other Trump Nominees, Fluoride Policy in Florida
That has my heartwarming endorsement.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Who's General Kane, man set to replace him?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Secretary Hegseth also fired the top admiral of the Navy, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to hold the job. And that's, of course, along with a lot of other firings. Tell us about that.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
More than 5,000 civilians also being let go from the DOD, aren't they?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
The militant group has also returned the body of Sherry Bibas, whose remains were initially misidentified in an earlier handover. We'll have the latest.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, thanks so much for being with us, Tom.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Today, another release of living Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And here's Kat Lonsdorf joins us now. Kat, thanks for being with us.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
What can you tell us about the hostages released today?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And what were today's releases like?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
In exchange for these hostages, and the four bodies returned earlier this week, Israel has agreed to release more than 600 Palestinians from Israeli jails. What details do you have about that?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
President Donald Trump fires the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Kat, there was a mix-up with one of the bodies Hermas released earlier this week. It was supposed to be that of an Israeli mother returned with the bodies of her two young sons who were slain, but it wasn't. What's the latest?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
That's amid protests by corrections officers. Some are on strike. Guards at two prisons walked off the job last week.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
This is the last scheduled release of hostages who are alive from Gaza in the first phase of the agreement. What's next?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And here's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much, Kat.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Inmates say they feel abandoned and unsafe.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
North Country Public Radio's Emily Russell joins us. Emily, thanks for being with us. Good morning, Scott. And what has prompted the prison strikes in New York this week?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
I gather tensions also on the rise of two prisons in northern New York this week. What happened there?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
What are you able to hear from inmates and groups that speak for them?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
He was fired last night by President Trump.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And Emily, please remind us about that incident and how it might figure into this week's arrests.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And how has the governor of New York responded to all this?
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And Parapanagon correspondent Tom Bowman joins us with more details about this and other Department of Defense shakeups. Tom, thanks for being here.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
North Country Public Radio's Emily Russell. Emily, thanks so much for being with us. Thanks, Scott.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
Our editors are eagle-eyed. They really ought to see someone about that. Andrew Sussman, Dee Dee Skanky, Gigi Dubin, Shannon Rhodes, and Melissa Gray. She says eagles are fine, but she's partial to owls.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
In wonder, of course, in wonder. That's the nicest way to say it. And right along with them, the mighty Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.
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Pentagon Upheaval, Hamas Releases More Hostages, NY State Prisons
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday. On your radio, go to stations.npr.org to find your local station.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Tomorrow on the Sunday story from Up First.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio. Just go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station. They're looking for you.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
I'm Scott Simon.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Lawmakers voted late last night to approve the short-term spending package just as the federal government was about to shut down.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
NPR political correspondent Susan Davis joins us. Sue, thanks for being with us. You're welcome. Just after midnight, renegotiated legislation was approved. What's in it?
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
The federal government will stay open at least until mid-March.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And this was something of a political aim for Donald Trump, who isn't, of course, not going to be president for another month. What did the president-elect get out of this legislation?
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
He wanted any spending package to also raise the debt ceiling, but the debt ceiling is going to stay where it is for now.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Let me ask you about the status of Elon Musk following all this. Richest man in the world. Also now one of the most powerful men in politics.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And House Speaker Mike Johnson, up for reelection or replacement on January 3rd? Yeah. Are his prospects good?
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And para-political correspondent Susan Davis, thanks so much. You're welcome.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
They have identified the man as a Saudi doctor who has lived in the country for about two decades. His motive remains unclear. Reporter Rebecca Collard joins us. Thank you for being with us. Hi. And begin, please, by telling us some of the details of yesterday's incident.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And Netflix tries once more to stream major sports events, this time with two NFL games on Christmas Day.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And nothing determined yet about any possible motive, I guess.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And I gather Chancellor Scholz visited the market earlier today. What did he have to say?
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Reporter Rebecca Collard in Berlin, thanks so much.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Netflix will try to bring two live NFL games to viewers around the world.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
And that's up first for Saturday, December 21st, 2024. I'm Scott Simon.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Our producer is Martin Patience, who had help from Andrew Craig, Elena Tworek, and Gabe O'Connor.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Our editors are Kelsey Snell, Nick Spicer, Shannon Rhodes, Will Jarvis, and Matthew Sherman.
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Government Shutdown Averted, German Christmas Market Attack, Netflix And The NFL
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And also along with us this week, Julia Redpath.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The Supreme Court's late-night order to stop the deportation of the Venezuelan men followed an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
We're joined now by NPR's Ximena Bastillo. Ximena, thanks for being with us.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
What's the order say?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And what spurred this order?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The overnight Supreme Court ruling came as the Trump administration was preparing to deport the men being held in Texas under a rarely used wartime act. We'll have the latest.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
In a minute, please remind us what the Supreme Court said when the issue was first brought to them.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
How does the government's latest attempt to remove people using that Alien Enemies Act line up with what the Supreme Court had previously ordered?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
Amanda Bastio, thanks so much.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
That suggestion has been condemned by legal experts as akin to dropping citizens into a black box. NPR's criminal justice reporter Meg Anderson joins us. Meg, thanks for being with us. Thank you for having me. We know that hundreds of immigrants have already been sent to El Salvador. What kind of conditions do they face there?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And the U.S. and Iran are today holding a second round of talks to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And what does that mean for those people?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And Meg, we also know that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are exploring the idea of sending what they call homegrown criminals abroad. Would their situation be any different?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And what does the federal government say about all this?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
NPR's Meg Anderson, thanks so much.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The U.S. and Iran are holding a fresh round of nuclear talks in Rome today.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
Joined now by NPR's international affairs correspondent, Jackie Northam. Jackie, thanks for being with us.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And what's the latest?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
These talks come after President Trump appeared to confirm a report in The New York Times that he'd held off a potential Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear installations. How's that played into this round of talks?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
What does Iran hope to get out of these talks?
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The administration accuses the men of being gang members. I'm Scott Simon.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And here's Jackie Northam. Thanks so much for being with us.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
And that's Up First for Saturday, April 19, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
Hold up. Hold up. Wait, wait. If you're pleased, we got one more thing for you today. Here at Up First, we take keeping you informed seriously.
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Supreme Court Blocks Deportations; Imprisonment in El Salvador; US-Iran Nuclear Talks
Test your knowledge of the week's news against the show's panelists by listening every weekend. Here's this week's lightning fill-in-the-blank news quiz.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
It should bring about a pause in fighting, as well as the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and many more Palestinian prisoners and detainees over the next six weeks. And Piers Hadil El-Shalchi joins us from Tel Aviv. Hadil, thanks so much for being with us.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
What else can you tell us about the agreement?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Ideal efforts have been underway for months. Why a deal now?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Also five years after America's first COVID case, is the country better prepared for the next major public health crisis?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
What's been reaction there so far?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And if the deal holds, what can we expect in coming days?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And Pierce Adiel Al-Shulji in Tel Aviv, thanks so much.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Monday marks five years since the U.S. recorded its first case of COVID-19.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
NPR's Will Stone has been on the story from the beginning and joins us now. Will, thanks for being with us. Sure thing, Scott. You were in Seattle when that first COVID case, January 2020, in the U.S. was confirmed, weren't you?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And five years later, how well prepared is the U.S. for another crisis like COVID?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And what could some of the consequences of that be?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Well, are there some notes of hope when it comes to pandemic preparedness?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And what has the incoming administration said about bird flu?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And para-health correspondent Will Stone, thanks so much. Thank you. Finally, today, the U.S. government versus Pepsi.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
It's a case that gets to the heart of prices we pay at the grocery store, and it's a case that NPR's Alina Silyuk is following closely. Alina joins us in our studio. Thanks so much for being with us. Hello, hello. What's the case the government's trying to make?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
But, I mean, cheaper prices are the whole point of big wholesalers, aren't they? How can it be that they buy more, you pay less, it's somehow illegal?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
The ceasefire, only the second of the ongoing war, officially begins tomorrow. I'm Scott Simon.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Which happens at noon on Monday when Donald Trump takes the oath of office. Is this case high on the new administration's to-do list?
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And Piercelina Seljuk, thanks so much for being with us.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Ed McNulty is our editor, along with Shannon Rhodes, Jerome Sokolofsky, Jane Greenhalgh, and Emily Kopp.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.
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Ceasefire On Track, Pandemic Preparedness, Pepsi Sued
And for more news, interviews, and analysis, you can tune into Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station. Do it now.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And the death toll went up throughout the night. Laurel County, where most fatalities are reported?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Deadly storms and tornadoes tear through several states, leaving devastation.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
For some of the areas that were hit by flooding just last month, also affected by last night's storms.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
President Trump is trying to use a wartime law to deport the detainees who are accused of being gang members.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
WKY's Karen Tzar, thanks so much.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
But the president is facing legal resistance at the highest level, the U.S. Supreme Court. NPR immigration reporter Ximena Bastillo has been covering those legal challenges and joins us. Ximena, thanks for being with us.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Yesterday, the court issued its latest order on Trump's immigration policies. This is related to the Alien Enemies Act. What did they say?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Voters in both Poland and Romania head to the polls to elect new presidents, but what's at stake for the region?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
The Trump administration has criticized federal judges who've taken steps to block its policies. Presidents even called for their impeachment. How did he respond to this latest order?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Justices also heard arguments related to questions about birthright citizenship. How did these play out?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Elsewhere, Jimena, the White House is putting off complying with the orders of two federal judges on big immigration cases. One of those judges again took the administration to task yesterday. Please tell us.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And Pierce Jimenez-Bastillo, thanks so much. Thanks, Scott. Poland and Romania hold presidential elections tomorrow.
Up First from NPR
Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And Pierre Central Europe correspondent Rob Schmitz joins us now from Berlin. Rob, thanks for being with us. Thanks for having me, Scott. Let's begin in Poland, please. The far-right Law and Justice Party, which had chipped away at the country's democratic institutions for years, lost control of parliament a couple of years ago. So how does this presidential race figure into all this?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And why are political analysts calling this one of the most important presidential elections in a generation?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
One of the worst affected areas was the city of London, Kentucky, where there are reports of multiple casualties. We're joined now by Karen Tzar from member station WUKY. Karen, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Rob, let's move on to Romania. Voters there cast ballots tomorrow in the second round of their presidential election. What should we know?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And is there a clear frontrunner? Yeah.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
NPR Central Europe correspondent Rob Schmitz, thanks so much for being with us. Thanks for having me.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Our editor is Martin Patience, and he had help from Jacob Fenston, Nick Spicer, and Ed McNulty.
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
What areas of your state seem to be hit worse?
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Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. E.B. Stone is our executive producer. And Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.
Up First from NPR
Deadly Kentucky Storms, Supreme Court Ruling, European Presidential Elections
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio Saturday and Sunday. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And some of his fellow Democrats view that as wrong.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Another spending cycle, another barely avoided government shutdown after the Senate just managed to pass a partisan stopgap spending bill.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And our congressional correspondent, Barbara Sprunt, joins us. Barbara, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
This was an abrupt shift from the minority leader, Chuck Schumer. What happened?
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
No government shutdown, for now.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Barbara, would it be fair to say that Senator Schumer's colleagues just didn't see this coming?
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Barbara, what's the implication of this rift among Democrats at a time when, after all, Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House?
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Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
That move led to infighting in a party already in turmoil. We'll have more on that.
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Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And here's Barbara Sprint. Thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
But it's been tough to sugarcoat nosediving stocks and consumer confidence, trade wars, and a looming recession.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And we'll hear from the wife of a Palestinian graduate student and activist who faces deportation.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
It's an accusation that rang across the campus of Columbia University last year. Mahmoud Khalil was a prominent part of those protests as a student there.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
His wife, Noor Abdallah, who is pregnant, gave her first broadcast interview to our colleague, Morning Edition co-host Leila Fadl.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Tell us about the scene. Noor Abdallah was with her husband when he was detained last weekend.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
The government is accusing him of supporting Hamas, which could amount to a violation of U.S. law. What does she say about those accusations?
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And Birthe Lafadl, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Our editors are Dee Parvez, Shannon Rhodes, Ed McNulty, Kelsey Snell, and Harizu Razvani.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
And the engineers who help us out, David Greenberg, Zach Coleman, and Arthur Halliday-Lorentz.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Tomorrow on the Sunday Story with Ayesha, what's it like to report on a war in a place that is also your home? We'll hear from NPR producer Anas Baba, who has been covering the war in Gaza and covering events that Israel has banned foreign journalists from seeing firsthand.
Up First from NPR
Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks
Please, we're here waiting for you.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And what's President Zelensky's response been?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for security guarantees in any peace agreement.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And why is unity in Europe such an important theme for Mr. Zelensky?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And here's Joanna Kakisis in Kiev. Joanna, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
This past week, it has taken aim at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And Piers, Laurel Malmsley has been following all the twists and turns at the Bureau. Laurel, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Catch us up. What's been happening with this agency?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And where does that leave events now this weekend?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Laurel, remind us, the Bureau was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, but what does it do?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And more on last month's fatal plane crash outside of Washington, D.C.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Why has the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau become such a target for some now?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
What kind of opposition against this is going on now?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And Parasauro Wamsley, thank you so much for being with us. Take care.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
They're trying to figure out why a Blackhawk military helicopter crashed into a commercial jet above the Potomac River two weeks ago. 67 people were killed.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Aviation reporter David Shaper joins us now. David, thanks for being with us. My pleasure, Scott. I gather this latest information offers some detail on what the Black Hawk helicopter pilots may not have heard.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
President Trump has called for a speedy end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Now that President Trump has abruptly changed U.S. foreign policy toward that country's war with Russia.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
We've also heard that the helicopter may have been flying too high at an altitude that put it near the path of the plane. Any new information on that?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
NPR's Ukraine correspondent Joanna Kakisis joins us from Kyiv. Joanna, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
We've also heard about the speculation that the two pilots just may not have seen each other's aircraft. The crew of the helicopter in particular may have mistaken another plane for the one into which they crashed. What do investigators say about that now?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And this has been a very important few days, the Security Conference in Munich, hasn't it, for Ukraine?
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Aviation reporter David Schaefer, thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Our director, director, director is Danny Hensel.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Our technical director today, David Greenberg. Engineering support from Stacey Abbott, Simon Laszlo Jansen, and Arthur Halliday-Lorentz.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
And for more news, interviews, sports and music. You can tune in to Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday. Why don't they do it Monday and Tuesday, too? It's such a good show. On your radio, go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
Up First from NPR
The Future of Ukraine ... and a US Consumer Agency. More on Black Hawk Crash
It's other people. You answered it.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
South Korean President Yoon Sung-yeol declared martial law 11 days ago, only to reverse his order hours later in the face of public outrage.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And Bears Anthony Kuhn joined us now from Seoul. Anthony, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Parliament has tried to impeach Yoon just a week ago. How did the vote go this time? Why was it different?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
South Korea's president has been impeached.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Anthony, how does South Korea choose a new president now?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Has South Korea's democracy passed a stress test? Is there lasting damage?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
The impeachment has significant implications for U.S. foreign policy. We'll have more on that story.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And how does it affect the U.S.-South Korean relationship and shared policy goals?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
NPR's Anthony Kuhn, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
A new lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenges that practice, as well as the SHIELD laws that blue states pass to protect their doctors. NPR's Alyssa Nadworny covers reproductive rights and joins us now. Thanks for being with us. Good morning. What does the lawsuit say?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And coffee prices soar after a bad drought hits Brazil.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
The patient in question received pills under a shield law. Tell us more about that shield law.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And Alyssa, what is New York's position?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And Alyssa, what do we know about the doctor in this case?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And how could this case potentially affect women in getting access to abortion medications?
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And, Piers, Alyssa Nedworny, thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
To some of us, the only form of water I drink is in coffee, as a matter of fact, Aisha.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And that's it first for Saturday, December 14th, 2024. I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Our producer is Martin Patience, with help from Danny Hensel, Andrew Craig, Chris Thomas, and Gabe O'Connor.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Our editors are Catherine Laidlaw, Emily Kopp, Shannon Rhodes, and Matthew Sherman.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
Really? I wondered what he was doing. Tomorrow on the Sunday Story from Up First.
Up First from NPR
S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio. You can go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
China's countermeasures go into effect today. I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
NPR's John Rewitz joins us from Beijing. John, thanks for being with us. Happy to be here. How did things get to this point?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And a lot of people are certainly wondering any end in sight.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
A raging terror war between the U.S. and a key trading partner, China, is escalating.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
John, is that what you hear from companies and exporters too?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Also, if you're feeling a little anxious about the economy, you've got something in common with some of America's most powerful CEOs. We'll tell you what's making them nervous.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Will it be? I mean, do we know where we go from here?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And here's John Roach in Beijing. Thanks so much, John. You're welcome, Scott.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Might have noticed some people stocking up on things, fearing price hikes are just around the corner.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
NPR business correspondent Maria Aspin joins us now. Maria, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Please catch us up.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
As is everyone right now. How does this ripple through the business world?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And those business spending decisions affect us all, don't they?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And there's Murray Aspin. Thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
The Trump administration's move to deport immigrants who are in this country legally is getting a lot of legal pushback.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
This is not the only high-profile case getting attention this week. NPR's Adrian Florido joins us. Adrian, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And what did Mahmoud Khalil's lawyers say?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
What about Khalil's rights to due process and freedom of speech?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And briefly, Adrian, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison. How does this fit into the question of executive power?
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
And here's Adrian Florido. Thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Thank you. And that's up first for Saturday, April 12th, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Martin Patience produced this podcast with help from Fernando Naro-Roman and Jordan Marie Smith.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Andrew Craig is our director with expert support from technical director Andy Huther and engineers Jay Ciz, Zach Coleman, and David Greenberg.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Tomorrow on the Sunday Story, the First Amendment is a cornerstone of U.S. democracy. And PR's Morning Edition co-host Leila Fadl will share what she's hearing from some who feel right to free speech is changing under the Trump administration.
Up First from NPR
China's Counter-Tariffs; CEOs Respond to Market Uncertainty; Trump's Deportations
Please don't waste a minute. Do it now.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
For reasons scientists are still figuring out, I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And yesterday, the state's governor called for an independent investigation into why some fire hydrants have gone dry. NPR's Liz Baker has been covering the fires. Liz, thanks very much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
How do things look right now?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Liz, what's it look like on the ground?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
New reports put a number on a warming planet and point to some, but not all, of the likely culprits.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
NPR's Liz Baker, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Alejandra Barunda from NPR's Climate Desk joins us now to tell us what scientists think is happening. Thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Let's put some numbers on this extraordinary heat.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
But you said last year was actually hotter than scientists had anticipated? Yes.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
So a number of possibilities, but no one thing could be held responsible for those numbers. What else is on the suspect list?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And what did they find?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
So let me understand this. Clearer skies, sunnier skies caused by less pollution... ends up promoting climate change?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Leandra Barunda of NPR's Climate Desk, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And finally, TikTok.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
But the Justice Department says unless TikTok loses its Chinese owner, ByteDance, it must shut down in the United States. And here's Bobby Allen was in court for the arguments and joins us here in our studios. Bobby, thanks for being with us. Morning, Scott. What did TikTok say?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And how did the government respond to the free speech argument?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Bobby, could you discern if the justices seem to be leaning one way or another?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
So, Bobby, the ban's supposed to go into effect in eight days. What do you see between now and then?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And if the law is upheld, any indication ByteDance would sell TikTok?
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Ed McNulty is our editor, along with Matthew Sherman, Eric Whitney, Neela Banerjee, and Cara Platoni.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.
Up First from NPR
Palisades Fire Expands, 2024 Hottest On Record, TikTok Arguments Pro And Con
And for more news, interviews, and analysis, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local station. Do it right now.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
It was some of the most intense fighting between the nations in decades. NPR's Dia Hadid has been following these events from Mumbai and joins us now. Dia, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
What's happened?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Now, this seems pretty remarkable because you and your team just hours ago reported that Pakistan had announced a new military operation against India.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
India and Pakistan agree to a full and immediate ceasefire.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
We want to hear what brought this together so quickly, but also if you could remind us how this conflict began.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
How did the ceasefire come about?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Plus, NPR learns the Department of Agriculture is demanding states hand over the data of those receiving food stamps.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Do you have a sense of why they agreed to a ceasefire?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
NPR's Diya Hadid in Mumbai. Diya, thanks so much for being with us.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Millions of Americans rely on food assistance every month.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
But the move comes as the Trump administration amasses data for immigration enforcement. We're joined now by Jude Jaffe-Block from NPR's Power and Influence team. Thanks for being with us, Jude.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
What kind of data is the USDA asking for?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And the Trump administration tightens its control over the independent agency that regulates America's nuclear reactors. Experts worry the move could put safety at risk.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
How could this data foster the administration's efforts to deport people who were in the country illegally?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And Jude, isn't access to sensitive personal information one of the big legal hurdles that this administration keeps running into?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Where do things go from here, Jude? Does the federal government have access to this data right now?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
NPR's Jude Jaffe-Block, who reported this story with NPR's Stephen Fowler. And you can read a fuller version of their story on NPR.org. Jude, thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
The White House will now sign off on new rules regarding safety.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
We're joined now by NPR science correspondent Jeff Brumfield. Jeff, thanks for being with us.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
This agency, of course, known as the NRC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, what's changing?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Sounds like even more changes might be coming, too, I gather. You've seen a draft of an executive order that President Trump may sign regarding the NRC. What does that say?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Jeff, why does the administration seem so eager to get involved with nuclear safety?
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Certainly a lot of people would be concerned about whether these changes could somehow help make a nuclear emergency more likely.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And there's Jeff Brumfield. Thanks so much.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Martin Patience is our editor. He had help from Ed McNulty, Dee Parvez, and Miguel Macias.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer. And Luis Clemens is our deputy managing editor.
Up First from NPR
India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire, Food Stamps Data, Nuclear Reactor Watchdog
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio, Saturday and Sunday. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local NPR station.
Up First from NPR
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR.
Up First from NPR
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
I'm Scott Simon.
Up First from NPR
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Is the Department of Government efficiency a potential political liability for congressional Republicans? Because after all, federal jobs are getting cut in their states.
Up First from NPR
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Everybody's got a podcast. Now, California Governor Gavin Newsom started one this week. His first guest was not another progressive Democrat, but right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. And they agreed on a few things.
Up First from NPR
Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
President Trump now says his cabinet secretaries will be the ones to make staffing decisions, not Elon Musk and his Doge entity.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
This coming Friday, March 14, is the deadline to avoid a government shutdown. How far apart are the parties?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
It'll be good to talk to you then, too. And Piers Ron Elving, thanks so much.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Federal employees clocking in on Monday could see another email sent at the behest of Elon Musk asking them, quote, what did you do last week?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
We'll also hear how federal employees at one agency feel about those efforts.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
And Pierre's Andrea Hsu joins us now. Andrea, thanks so much for being with us.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Managers ask their employees to keep them up to date all the time, tell them what they've been doing. That seems pretty ordinary, but you've heard from workers at the VA are quite mad about these emails. Why are they so upset?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Andrea, did the mental health workers with whom you spoke answer their emails, list their accomplishments?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
So the stress that mental health workers are feeling isn't all about the emails.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
What does the Trump administration say?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Many of the people with whom you've spoken, mental health workers, thought about leaving.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
And Vera Zandria Hsu, thanks so much for being with us.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Tuesday will mark five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
NPR health correspondent Will Stone joins us now. Will, thanks for being with us. Sure thing, Scott. Long COVID can be debilitating for many people. Are scientists any closer to understanding it? They are.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
What are you hearing from patients, Will? More resources, more funding?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
President Trump said he wants his captain secretaries to work with Elon Musk on staffing decisions.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
NPR health correspondent Will Stone, thanks so much for being with us. Thank you. Thank you.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Our editors are Dee Parvez, Ed McNulty, Melissa Gray, and Scott Hensley.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
And the engineers who helped get this on the air, David Greenberg, Zach Coleman, and Arthur Halliday-Lorent.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
But Izzy, NPR senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving joins us. Ron, thanks for being with us.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
And tomorrow on The Sunday Story with Ayesha, a close look at the origins of birthright citizenship, a constitutional right President Trump wants to end for children born in the U.S. to parents who enter the country illegally.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Don't just sit there. Tune in now.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Hey, I'm Scott Schaefer.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
We host Political Breakdown. With the 2024 election over and President Trump in the White House, there's going to be a lot to keep up with this year.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Join us for Political Breakdown every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from KQED, part of the NPR Network.
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Well, what are we seeing? Are they putting a leash on that doge?
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Limiting Musk's Powers; VA Employees On DOGE Emails; No Cure For Long COVID
Following the news out of Washington, D.C. can be overwhelming. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms. Stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. Each episode is short, usually around five minutes or so. We keep it calm and factual. We help you follow what matters, and we leave out what doesn't.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
I think they don't want to do what we do.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
A federal judge has halted Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from getting access to some Treasury Department records, those containing sensitive personal data for millions of Americans.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
And a couple of days ago, a different judge blocked the federal employee buyout effort. All three rulings are temporary.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
We're joined now by NPR national political correspondent Don Gagne from Detroit. Don, thanks for being with us. I am glad to be here. Hi.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
It's been less than two weeks since over two million federal employees received an email telling them they could resign by February 6th. or stay in those positions without any assurances they would have a job. That deadline's been pushed to Monday, but where do things seem to stand now?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Elon Musk's team has been tearing through a number of federal agencies.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
President Trump wants to close the U.S. Agency for International Development.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Of course, in Detroit, you are on the Canadian border. How have President Trump's threats to place steep tariffs on Canadian goods being received in Canada, even as talks continue?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Tuesday, while meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump had this to say about the future of the Gaza Strip.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Don, you, of course, have been reporting in the Arab American community in Dearborn, Michigan. What reaction has there been there?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
This pause is also temporary and, in a moment, the latest on what's happening to USAID.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
And Pierce, John Gagne, thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
But the Trump administration paused all foreign assistance and put the agency's 13,000 employees on administrative leave.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
NPR Global Health Correspondent Fatma Tanis joins us. Fatma, thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
You've been speaking to many USAID employees. How do they react?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Oh, are your Philadelphia Eagles. Oh, are your Kansas City Chiefs.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
How does yesterday's order from a federal judge about the agency affect USAID and its workers?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
What is the administration focusing on USAID?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Where does this leave many of the aid groups who worked with USAID?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
And Piers Votmatanis, thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
And you do it with great sincerity, Aisha. The Chiefs are playing for history. The Eagles, revenge. Also a chaotic week in the NBA. Meadowlark Media's Howard Bryant joins us. Howard, thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
I'm fine, thanks, my friend. Super Bowl, of course, tomorrow in New Orleans. Kansas City Chiefs going for their third straight title. No team in NFL history has been able to win three Super Bowls in a row. In fact, they began that string two years ago by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, who they coincidentally play tomorrow. Revenge time.
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I mean, maybe it's a cliche, but that defines a great team, doesn't it? They can play not up to their best and still win.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
I have to ask, what do you make of this what I'll call conspiracy theory that seems to have taken hold of so many NFL fans that the league is tipping the scales in favor of the Chiefs?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
I have to ask you about the NBA this week. Trade deadline, a triple team trade between the LA Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz. It's been called one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. How so?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Howard, one last question. Tomorrow, nachos, pizza, or tofu cubes?
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
All right. With your advice, Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media. Thanks so much. Happy Super Bowl. Good to be with you, my friend. Talk to you soon.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
Our director is the mighty Andrew Craig.
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And there's more star power this Super Bowl weekend. Our technical director is Andy Huther.
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Engineering support from David Greenberg, Zach Coleman, and Arthur Halliday-Lorent.
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Heavens to Sarah Lucy.
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Zoinks, zoinks, zoinks.
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And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune into Weekend Edition on your radio. Saturday and Sunday, go to stations.npr.org and find your local NPR station. Track it down.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
We'll tell you what to expect at the store checkout. I'm Scott Simon.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
But shortly after he was elected, the president did admit it would be hard to bring prices down once they have gone up.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
NPR's Scott Newman is looking at which items in our grocery cart might get hit first. Scott, thanks for being with us. Good to be here.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
What food could see the biggest price increases? Seafood. The U.S. imports around 80% of the seafood we consume. That's fish, but also other things like shrimp and scallops. We get a lot of it from Asian countries that have high tariff rates, India with a 26% rate and Indonesia with a 32% rate.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
So if these countries pass along to consumers even a portion of their higher costs, the price of seafood could skyrocket. And what else might be affected? Well, I spoke with food industry analyst Phil Lempert. He also edits a site called supermarketguru.com.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
So another item on my list is coffee. Something like 80% of the coffee consumed in the U.S. each year comes mostly from Brazil and Colombia. They only have 10% tariffs, but as most of us know, coffee prices are already high, and this might force us to rethink our morning routines. Then there's alcohol. The U.S.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
gets a lot of its imported beer from Mexico, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Canada, and a lot of its wine from European Union countries that will now have a 20% tariff.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And I guess it looks like a lot of Asian countries will face higher tariffs also.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Right. We already mentioned seafood, but another major export from Asia is rice. About a third of the rice the U.S. consumes comes from there. Jasmine rice from Thailand, which will have a 36 percent tariff, and basmati from India, which faces a 26 percent tax. Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard economics professor, says some minority communities that rely on imported food are probably going to be affected.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Scott, do you have an idea of how much prices are going to rise because of the tariffs?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
It's too early to say. There are just too many factors at play. For example, you wouldn't immediately think that steel and aluminum tariffs on China would have any impact on groceries. But for canned goods like soup and vegetables, those cans are mostly made out of steel. And of course, beer cans are mostly aluminum. Then there's palm oil. Indonesia, a leading supplier, will have a 32% tariff.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Palm oil is used in everything from cooking oil and snacks to cosmetics and shampoo. Domestic suppliers, too, could see the higher costs of their foreign competition as an opportunity to raise their own prices.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And peer correspondent Scott Newman, thanks so much. Thank you, Scott.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
That was then-candidate Donald Trump on the campaign trail. We'll look at how his new tariffs are going to affect grocery prices.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And our congressional correspondent, Claudia Grisales, has been following the bill's progress. Thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And Senate Republicans unveiled this plan earlier in the week. What can you tell us about it?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Because Republicans control the Senate, but only 53 seats. Could they ultimately pass this plan with a simple majority? I mean, can they get there?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Also, a big hockey record tied and college basketball.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
What are some of the divides between Senate and House Republicans?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
How do Republicans overcome the divide? Is that where President Trump steps in?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And Pierce Claudia Grazales, thanks so much for being with us today.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
A hockey legend's goal record, which many people said was unbreakable, was matched after 26 years. And of course, looking ahead to college basketball finals, Howard Bryant of Metterlach Media joins us. Howard, thanks for being with us. Good morning, Scott. How are you? I'm fine, thanks, my friend. Let's try April Hysteria. Women's tournament, final set after South Carolina beat Texas 74-57, UConn
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throttled UCLA 85-51. Who do you think has the edge in the final tomorrow?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Men's tournament, Final Four tonight. Florida faces Auburn. Houston faces Duke. All the number one seeds in play. First time in the Final Four since 2008. So, I mean, what was March about?
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And, of course, last night in the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals tied the NHL's all-time scoring record held by Wayne Gretzky. He scored two goals last night. 39 years old, still playing at such a high level.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
That's right.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Okay. Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media, thanks so much for being with us.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And that's up first for Saturday, April 5th, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Martin Patience produced this podcast with help from Gabe O'Connor and Elena Twarek.
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Daniel Hensel is our fine director, with expert support from technical director Andy Huther, engineers Jay Sizz, Zach Coleman, and Simon Laszlo Janssen.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
Tomorrow on the Sunday Story, the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants means those communities are living through uncertain times. We'll hear from immigrants in several states on how they're coping.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
But hold up. Wait, wait, so to speak. Before you go, we have one more thing for you today.
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Trump's Tariffs Hit Groceries; GOP Spending Bill; College Basketball and Hockey
And they do it so well. Each week they create a news quiz. We want to give up first listeners the chance to play along.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
$40,000?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
And I'm Scott Simon, and this is Up First from NPR News.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
He wants to slash spending for many federal agencies, but increase spending for defense and border security.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben joins us. Danielle, thanks for being with us.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
What do you see standing out in this budget?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Tell us, please, more about those cuts to non-defense spending. Specifically what?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
But job figures announced this week were better than expected. What do these mixed signals tell us about the state of the economy? We'll have the latest.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Why does the administration want to cut spending at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration or spending for scientific research?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Danielle, it's Congress that ultimately makes spending decisions. How much attention should we pay to this document?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
And there's Daniel Kurtzleben. Thanks so much.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
President Trump's tariff policy has generated enormous economic uncertainty at home and abroad.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
We're joined now by NPR's Scott Horsley. Thanks for being with us, Scott. Good morning. Good to be with you. Let's begin with this positive note, because even with the backdrop of the president's trade war, employers continued to add a lot of jobs last month. This sounds encouraging.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Yes, that's right. Employers added 177,000 jobs in April, not quite as many as the month before, but more than forecasters had expected. And the unemployment rate held steady at a low 4.2%. That suggests that even with all the tariff chaos of the recent weeks, employers are still hiring. Wages are also still going up.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
So with more people working and paychecks getting bigger, that should provide some juice to keep the economy moving forward.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
How could one official holding two top posts affect foreign policy? Please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
But we also learned this week that the economy went backwards a little bit January through March. What do those numbers disclose?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Right. Gross domestic product, which is the broadest measure of the economy, contracted in the first three months of the year after fairly strong growth in the waning months of the Biden administration. In particular, consumer spending slowed down. And it's really a two-speed economy here. Wealthy people are still spending pretty freely, but the rest of the country is tightening its belt.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
One example is McDonald's. A lot of customers there are budget-conscious, lower-middle-income people. This week, the chief financial officer, Ian Borden, said McDonald's U.S. sales had dropped more than 3.5% in the early months of this year.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
McDonald's is expanding its discount menu to try to bring more customers through the doors. But, you know, as an economic indicator, that drop in sales at my old employer McDonald's is not such a happy meal.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Well, and they miss you still. General Motors, another iconic U.S. company, also had some sobering economic news this week. What did they say?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Part of the White House's budget plan for next year.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
GM projected that the president's tariffs could cost the company as much as $5 billion this year. The company hopes to mitigate some of that by ramping up production at a truck plant in Indiana, shifting where some of its parts come from. But this is a reminder that a lot of domestic manufacturers rely on imports for parts and for raw materials, and they are struggling with Trump's tariffs.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Auto makers cut almost 5,000 jobs in the U.S. last month. Factories overall are in a slump right now. Tim Fiore conducts a monthly survey of factory managers for the Institute for Supply Management, and he's hearing a lot of complaints about how the trade war is driving prices up and driving business away.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
As the trade war heated up last month, we saw factory orders, factory output, and factory employment all come down.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Yet the stock market ended the week on a high note. What are investors figuring?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
This is one of those weeks when you can see the economic glass as half full or half empty, depending on which of the indicator numbers you look at and where you think the trade war is going. For the moment, investors are drinking from the half full glass, but that could easily change next week.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
And Pierre Scott Horsley, thanks so much.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
You're welcome.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
He was widely criticized for accidentally adding a journalist to a chat group that was discussing military strikes on Yemen.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
But in a time of global tensions, will he have the ability to do both jobs? And Paris National Security Correspondent Greg Myrie joins us. Greg, thanks for being with us. Good to be here, Scott. Let's start with the latest. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed, or should we say relocated, from his role. What was the stated reason? Where did he go?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
The president is replacing Waltz, at least temporarily, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will also keep his job as Secretary of State. This is a lot of work, isn't it?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Before the shakeup, it seemed that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, might be the cabinet member most likely to lose his job. Does Secretary Hegseth seem safe for now?
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Of course, all of this is occurring at a moment when there are a number of conflicts and challenges abroad. Bring us up to date.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
NPR's Greg Myhre, thanks so much.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
And I'm Scott Simon. Hold up! One more thing for you today here at Up First. We take keeping you informed seriously.
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President Trump's 2026 Budget, Gloomy Economic Outlook, Secretary of State's New Role
Test your knowledge of the week's news against the show's panelists by listening every weekend. Here is this week's lightning fill-in-the-blank news quiz.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Trump had said this deal was key to organizing a ceasefire with Russia. And Paris, Joanna Kakissis joins us now from Kyiv. Thanks for being with us.
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How would you describe the reaction you're experiencing there?
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
And I'm Scott Simon. This is Up First from NPR News.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Have you heard from Ukrainians specifically about the vice president's claim that President Zelensky hasn't shown gratitude to the U.S. ?
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Joanna, based on your conversations, what do Ukrainians seem to hope will happen next?
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And here's Joanna Kikisis in Kiev. Thanks so much.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
But it ended in shouting, we'll have the details and the reaction from Kiev.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
It is the latest punitive action taken by the Trump Justice Department against career prosecutors. NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas joins us. Ryan, thanks for being with us. Thanks for having me. What can you tell us about these demotions?
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What is the reason given?
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Also, the Department of Agriculture's plan to fight bird flu and high egg prices.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
And what could this mean ahead for the Justice Department?
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas, thanks so much.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Since 2022, poultry farmers have culled more than 166 million chickens to prevent the spread of bird flu.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
And to help ease the egg shortage, the U.S. is importing 15,000 tons of eggs from Turkey.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
There is shock and dismay in Ukraine after President Zelensky was berated in the Oval Office by both Vice President J.D. Vance and President Trump.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
And I'm Scott Simon.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Editing. And so happy to be doing so are Krishna Dave Cullimore, Shannon Rhodes, and Melissa Gray, who say they enjoy this perpetual state of bliss because they have such great colleagues, including... Our director, Andrew Craig.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
And the engineers who help us out, David Greenberg, Zach Coleman, and Arthur Halliday-Lorent.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Well, I'm not you, Aisha, but tomorrow on the Sunday Story, Wicked, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, plus seven other movies up for Best Picture. The team at Pop Culture Happy Hour makes their Oscar predictions. You can listen to find out how they compare with your own.
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Zelenskyy-Vance-Trump Blow Up, DOJ Demotions, Feds Plan for Bird Flu
Yeah, yeah, right now.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
The White House says the details are coming out today, and PR Scott Horsley joins us now with the latest. Scott, thanks for being with us.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Certainly a lot of talk about tariffs during the campaign, but there was some feeling among certain analysts that Donald Trump was posturing. Where do things stand today?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
President Trump is expected to take the next step today in imposing steep tariffs on imported goods from three countries.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
So recognizing there's a possibility tariffs could be lifted. In the meantime, what kind of effect are they going to have on prices?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And what are the implications for major U.S. trading partners, especially Mexico and Canada?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
What happened to the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that Trump negotiated just a few years ago?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Scott Horsley, thanks so much for being with us.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Well, for that, we turn to Ron Elving, NPR senior Washington editor and correspondent. Ron, thanks for being with us. Good to be with you, Scott. Donald Trump campaigned on that pledge. That said, other than President Trump, who thinks these big new tariffs are a good idea?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Also, the FAA prohibits most helicopters from flying near Ronald Reagan National Washington Airport.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
What was the political effect of the tariffs that President Trump put in place during his first administration?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Of course, tariffs are just one of a host of executive actions and orders from the Trump White House this week. Which one stands out to you?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
I do recall that President Obama was criticized for relying on executive orders. He said at the time that he had non-cooperative Republican majorities in the House and Senate. President Trump doesn't have to contend with that problem, does he? No.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And Pierre's Ron Elving, thanks so much for being with us on this very important week. Well, I guess they all are, but thanks so much, Ron. Thank you, Scott.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
In the meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration has placed tight restrictions on helicopter flights in the area. NPR transportation reporter Joel Rose joins us. Joel, thanks for being with us. Hi, Scott. Good morning. And what's the latest on the investigation?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Gerald, do you see any indication of what the focus of the investigation might be at the moment?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And what about reports that the air traffic control tower might have been understaffed at the time of the crash?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And Joe, what are the new flight restrictions near Reagan National?
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And Pierce, Joel Rose, thanks so much.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
Andy Huther is our technical director with engineering support from Jay Ciz, David Greenberg, and Arthur Halliday-Lorette.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And Luis Clemens is our deputy managing editor.
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Tariffs Come Due, Chopper Traffic After Crash
And for more news, interviews, sports, and music, you can tune in to Weekend Edition on your radio. Go to stations.npr.org to find your local station. You won't regret it.
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Trump's Cabinet Picks, UN Femicide Report, COP29 Deal
This deal will keep the clean energy boom growing. helping all countries to share in its huge benefits. More jobs, stronger growth, cheaper and cleaner energy.
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Zelenskyy Visits DC, Tate Brothers In Florida, USAID Standoff, AOC and DOJ
Following the news out of Washington, D.C. can be overwhelming. I'm Scott Detrow, and NPR has a podcast that can help. It's called Trump's Terms. Stories about big changes the 47th president is pursuing on his own terms. Each episode is short, usually around five minutes or so. We keep it calm and factual. We help you follow what matters, and we leave out what doesn't.
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Zelenskyy Visits DC, Tate Brothers In Florida, USAID Standoff, AOC and DOJ
Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
Well, there's quite a few things that certain industry standards says they could have done. Those industry standards were started in the early 1990s. And Maryland just really didn't conduct the assessments that they were supposed to in terms of what those industry standards set. That's according to the NTSB. They say that lack of oversight could have been a big factor in the collision.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
The NTSB also noted that it conducted its own survey and found the bridge was 30 times over that risk threshold that was set by those industry standards. And also, just as a reminder, a cargo ship named the Dali rammed into the key bridge this time last year in March, causing its collapse and also the death of six people.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
They look at things like vessel traffic, vessel transit speeds, loading characteristics, a lot of those sorts of attributes. And over the years, ships have gotten bigger and bigger and the bridges have gotten older, which means they need to adapt by putting things up like dolphins, which are these sort of concrete barriers that keep ships from actually getting to the bridge and ramming into them.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
So these industry standards have asked these bridge owners to take these extra precautions to avoid collapse. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homody noted how those changes in vessel sizes have really made the industry completely different and had bridges really have to look at what they're doing in terms of that sort of thing.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
The NTSB noted that Maryland specifically hasn't conducted these assessments on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which spans 17.6 miles. It's the fourth largest bridge in the United States, according to length. It also identified 68 other bridges across the country that weren't built to the needs and specifications of this company.
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School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection
NTSB is strongly urging those bridge owners right now to conduct assessments to report back to the NTSB with remediation plans. And those bridges, they span from California to Washington to New York. They're all over the United States. So this is going to be quite an undertaking for people who own bridges and for different states and departments of transportation.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Trump complains that over in Europe, the central bank has been cutting interest rates. But here in this country, the Fed has been sitting on its hands, keeping rates relatively high. The president is also unhappy about a speech that Powell gave this week in which the Fed chairman warned that Trump's tariffs are likely to push inflation higher, at least temporarily.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Trump stopped short of telling Powell, you're fired, but he made it clear he wouldn't be sorry to see the Fed chairman go.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Powell insists he plans to serve out the remainder of his term as Fed chairman, which runs through May of next year. He also says Trump doesn't have the legal authority to fire him over a disagreement about interest rates. Now, Powell has Supreme Court precedent on his side, but the White House seems willing to test that by firing board members from other independent agencies.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
No. Powell and his colleagues are doing their best to respond to what's happening in the economy. not buckling to political pressure. In fact, the Fed is designed to be insulated from politics. Economist Austin Goolsbee, who also takes part in these interest rate decisions as head of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, says that works better than letting politicians call the shots.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
We saw that in this country during the Richard Dixon era when the Fed did bow to White House pressure to lower interest rates. And the result was stubbornly high inflation that lasted the better part of a decade.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Ultimately, it took another stubborn Fed chairman, Paul Volcker, to wrestle inflation under control using very high interest rates. Now, that was not popular at the time. Construction workers famously sent Volcker protest messages scrawled on two-by-fours. But it worked. And eventually, Volcker was remembered as a hero.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Goolsbee told the Economic Club of New York that Volcker's widow later gave him a piece of one of those two-by-fours as a reminder.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
Now, today, that job of fighting inflation is made even harder by Trump's tariffs, which are pushing up prices and making everything the U.S. imports more expensive. That's a big reason interest rates are staying high for now. You can see the ripple effects of that in the mortgage market, where this week the average rate on a 30-year home loan jumped to 6.8%.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
If it's any consolation, though, mortgages in Paul Volcker's day soared as high as 16%.
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US Senator Visits Abrego Garcia, Florida State University Shooting, Fed Independence
You're welcome.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Good morning. More downs than ups lately.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Yeah, math happened. Analysts crunched the numbers yesterday and figured out that even with Wednesday's rollback, we're still looking at the highest import taxes in well over a century. There's now a 10% tax on everything the U.S. buys from most countries around the world. And the tax on imports from China is even higher than we thought, 145%.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Now, overnight, China punched back with its own triple-digit tariff on U.S. exports. And investors are worried this could really be a drag on economic growth. Speaking at the Economic Club of New York yesterday, Austin Goolsbee used a technical term to describe all this. He called it the freak-out channel. Goolsbee is president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
President Trump's been lobbying the Fed to cut interest rates, but Goolsbee says the central bank's going to take its time. He notes that before this trade war took off last week, the U.S. was actually in solid economic shape with low unemployment and falling inflation.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Yeah, yesterday's report from the Labor Department showed inflation seemed to be coming under control last month. Prices in March were up only 2.4% from a year ago. Prices actually came down a little bit between February and March, thanks to a sharp drop in gas prices.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Now, I should note grocery prices, which are something that the president likes to talk a lot about, were up in March, and retail egg prices continue to climb. Egg farmers have gotten a little bit of a break in recent weeks from avian flu after a really tough winter season. But it's going to take months to rebuild the egg-laying flock.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
And in the meantime, egg prices are up about 60% from a year ago with Easter just around the corner.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Sure, especially with tariffs that could more than double the price on stuff we buy from China, like clothing and furniture and electronics and toys. Up until Wednesday, the president's tariff gun was sort of pointed in every direction. Now it is aimed more directly at China.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
And that does mean there's more opportunity for importers to lower their tariff bill by shopping in countries other than China. But even if that happens, we're still looking at the highest tariffs since the Great Depression in the 1930s. And Austin Goolsbee says that could put the Fed in a tough spot as it tries to decide what to do with interest rates.
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Tariff Fears, Trump Budget Plan Passes House, Deportation Ruling
Right now, markets are betting the Fed will stick with that do-nothing approach and hold interest rates steady, at least for the next couple of months.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
Well, the monthly jobs report is always based on a survey that's taken around the middle of the month. And that timing is important here because a lot of the federal government job cuts began around the 14th of February, a Friday, which some people referred to as the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Yeah.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
People who got their walking papers that Friday are still counted as employed in this February jobs report. The overall report actually shows somewhat more job growth in February than the month before when cold, snowy weather was blanketing much of the country and keeping a lot of construction workers idle, for example.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
But even though the report looks pretty good on the surface, there are some warning signs out there.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
When you look below the surface, what are the warning signs that you see? Yeah, the outplacement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas keeps a running tally of layoff notices, and its count for February shows the biggest job cuts since 2020, which is the early months of the pandemic.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
Andrew Challenger says there were 172,000 layoffs announced last month, and that includes more than 62,000 in the federal government.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
Now, the official jobs report today shows just 10,000 federal jobs cut last month, which we know is a fraction of the real total. We also know the Trump administration is considering much more widespread layoffs as it seeks to radically downsize the federal workforce.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
The administration reportedly wants to cut tens of thousands of jobs, for example, from both the VA and the IRS. The IRS already cut more than 6,000 workers last month. Eddie Walker represents some of those workers at an IRS office in Austin, Texas.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
This is obviously painful for the affected workers. Some context important, though. There are about 2.4 million federal workers, not counting the military and the post office. That's about 1.5% of the overall U.S. workforce.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
Yeah, restaurants and bars cut about 27,000 jobs last month. Temporary services cut jobs as well. There's been a lot of whiplash around the president's trade policy. I mean, just this week, we saw tariffs imposed, then relaxed, then mostly suspended on Mexico and Canada. Andrew Challenger says a lot of private sector businesses are considering their own job cuts.
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Jobs Report, White House Crypto Summit, Gaza Ceasefire Uncertainty
So it's just not an environment that encourages a lot of hiring. NPR Scott Horsley, thanks.
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Trump's Justice Department, Disappearing DEI, Flu Peaks Again
Should you throw out your black plastic cooking utensils? Can we decode whale language? And how do you stop procrastinating? I'm Maiken Scott. Every week, The Pulse digs into health and science issues that matter to you and your life. Listen to The Pulse podcast from WHYY, part of the NPR Network.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
Good morning, Steve.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
Yeah, it's the Congressional Budget Office, which says if all the tariffs in place at the beginning of the week stayed in effect for a full decade, it could cut the federal debt by $2.8 trillion, which is in the ballpark of that big tax cut and spending bill passed by the House. what it's expected to add to the debt over the next 10 years.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
In other words, the tariffs could help to fill the hole that congressional Republicans have been digging with that tax and spending bill. But keep in mind, the tariff revenue isn't just coming out of thin air and is not being paid by foreign countries. It's mostly being paid by Americans, like Patrick Allen. He's a wine importer in Columbus, Ohio.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
And congressional forecasters acknowledge as much. They say while the tariffs will bring in a lot of money for the government, they will also likely lead to higher inflation and slower economic growth.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
Yeah, the CBO projects a fairly small drag, but it's really just a guess because we don't have any recent experience with tariffs of this size. You'd have to go all the way back to the Great Depression to find import taxes this high in the United States.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
So Shia Kabbas, who's been keeping tabs on the tariffs at the Bipartisan Policy Center, says a lot of economists are worried the tariffs will actually do more damage than the CBO is predicting.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
And the tariffs themselves have been really unpredictable as the president tries to negotiate with U.S. trading partners. So that presents another challenge, not only for forecasters, but more importantly, for the businesses and families who are trying to make decisions in this environment.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
It's really challenging. Patrick Allen's wine business, for example, typically works with three-month lead times.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
And right now, Allen should be ordering wine to sell during the fall and the Christmas holidays, but a lot of his customers are sitting on their hands because they have no idea what the tariff is going to be.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
I talked to a customs broker last week who used to advance her clients' money to pay the tariffs. And she could do that when the import tax was 2% or 2.5%. But with today's much higher rates, she's not doing that anymore. Clients have to pay the tariffs up front on their own. So while these import taxes are raising money for the government, they're also gumming up the gears of commerce.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
Alan told me at least he's got some nice French wine to soothe himself with.
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Trump and Musk Break Up, Tariffs Raise $70 billion, ICE Detention Conditions
You're welcome.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
Good morning.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
Yeah, this was a seismic shakeup. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 1,600 points yesterday, or nearly 4%. The Nasdaq dropped nearly 6%. It was the biggest one-day sell-off in the stock market since early in the pandemic. President Trump has ordered a minimum 10% tax on nearly everything the U.S. buys from other countries.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
He's also ordered much higher levies on things we buy from China, Japan, the European Union. Altogether, we are looking at about a nine-fold increase in tariffs now compared to what we were paying last year. And businesses are worried that it's going to cause higher prices for them. For weeks, investors have been waving the caution flag, stating they don't want a wider trade war.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNN the president's not about to change course.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
If these tariffs stick, it's going to upend the global trading system that the U.S. has spent decades building and leave this country more isolated from the rest of the world.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
These tariffs are going to bring higher prices. They're also going to bring slower economic growth, and there could be some fallout in the job market. We're going to get the monthly jobs report later this morning, and that could also start to show the impact of the large-scale layoffs that Elon Musk's team has been carrying out in the federal government.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
And remember, President Trump took over an economy that was in solid shape. Unemployment was low. GDP was growing at a respectable clip. Inflation was a little high, but it was much improved from a few years ago. And Trump made the decision to turn over the furniture and kick up a lot of dust. So where that dust settles now is going to be on him. It's the old pottery barn rule.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
If you break it, you own the results.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
These are high tariffs, and they could bring in a lot of money. That's one way the administration plans to make up for the money that the government stands to lose if it extends the 2017 tax cuts. But this is not a simple matter of taking money out of one pocket and putting it in the other. Tariffs will be paid disproportionately from the pockets of working people.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
That's who's shopping at Walmart and paying higher prices for imported toys and shoes and winter produce. Meanwhile, the savings from the tax cuts will primarily flow to the pockets of the wealthy. So this is a reverse Robin Hood policy, trading taxes for tariffs. It takes money from the poor and gives it to the rich. And how are other countries responding?
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
Other countries will likely buy less from U.S. exporters, which will hurt farmers and factories here. What's more, a lot of countries that depend on exports to the United States will find it harder to sell their goods here, and they may be pushed towards recession. Trump has ordered tariffs that are not only higher, but also broader than those we've seen before.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
He's planning to tax all kinds of things that we do not and cannot produce at scale here, like tropical fruit. Even with global warming, I don't think we're going to start growing a lot of bananas in the U.S., so We're going to import the bananas, but Americans are going to pay more for them, and nervous shoppers have already started to dial back their spending.
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Tariffs Hit At Midnight, Small Business Reactions, National Security Firings
Good to be with you.