Trump Administration Latest, USAID Ruling, Super Bowl Preview
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What recent legal actions have been taken against the Trump administration?
Early today, a federal judge blocked their access to sensitive Treasury Department records.
I'm Scott Simon.
I'm Ayesha Roscoe, and this is Up First from NPR News.
President Trump wants to close the U.S. Agency for International Development.
But yesterday, another judge blocked his administration from reducing the agency's workforce.
This pause is also temporary and, in a moment, the latest on what's happening to USAID.
And get your chips, get your guac, get your superb owls.
Oh, are your Philadelphia Eagles. Oh, are your Kansas City Chiefs.
We have a preview of the Super Bowl.
So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.
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The moves of the second Trump administration just keep coming, and some are now being met with judicious countermoves.
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.
Another judge blocked the effort to slash the workforce of USAID. More on that in a bit.
And a couple of days ago, a different judge blocked the federal employee buyout effort. All three rulings are temporary.
This news on top of tariff threats and Trump's call to take over Gaza.
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.
Where to start? You first. We expected a lot. of aggressive action from the Trump administration right from the jump, because that's what they told us they would do. And we really are in a place where the fire hose is turned on. And every day, as you said, it is multiple big things.
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?
Now we get the legal battles. A judge ruled that the White House could not do what it did, that there are so many questions unresolved about who has the authority to cut these jobs, where the funding to pay workers comes, through September, as proposed for some would come from. So look for direction from the courts, but that may not stop the administration. And now on top of this comes the judge's order regarding Treasury Department data, overnight data on individual citizens. We are going to see a lot of this, and we still don't know if or how the White House will view orders that they comply with the courts.
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?
And those tariffs were set to go in place this past week. The White House called a 30-day pause on all of that. But yes, the threat really does still exist. And economists will tell you that the tariffs would be very destructive to economies on both sides of the border. Detroit, Windsor, that's the city right across the Detroit River, is the nation's busiest border crossing. Automobile parts flow across that border. Production schedules depend on that. Tens of thousands of jobs depend on that. There are civic and business partnerships of all kinds across the Detroit River. And all of that's just the start of it. So nobody has relaxed at all.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What recent legal actions have been taken against the Trump administration?
0:06–5:26
2
How does the judge's ruling affect USAID's workforce?
5:26–6:35
3
What are USAID employees experiencing under the current administration?
6:35–8:55
4
What are the implications of Trump's accusations against USAID?
8:55
5
How is the Super Bowl preview related to current events?
7:59–9:16
6
What are the potential consequences of the administration's actions on foreign aid?
9:16–17:28
Speakers
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