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--:-- Leila Fadel: President Trump says India is taking advantage of the U.S. when it comes to tariffs. The biggest charger of all is India. He and Prime Minister Modi will meet today in Washington. Will a dispute over trade drive a wedge in their close relationship?
--:-- Michelle Martin: I'm Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Trump also had a long phone call with Vladimir Putin, and afterwards he said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin immediately. I think we're on the way to getting peace. How did the leader of Ukraine respond?
--:-- Michelle Martin: And will Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Education work herself out of a job?
--:-- Leila Fadel: I believe abolishing the Department of Education is definitely a big part of the solution. Senators questioned Linda McMahon later today. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
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--:-- Leila Fadel: To get matched with a therapist, visit BetterHelp.com slash NPR for 10% off your first month.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from Lisa. Lisa mattresses are meticulously designed and assembled in the USA for exceptional quality. And each mattress is designed with specific sleep positions and feel preferences in mind. Plus, they back it all up with free shipping, easy returns, and a 100-night sleep trial. Visit Lisa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code NPR.
--:-- Leila Fadel: That's L-E-E-S-A.com, promo code NPR.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Support for NPR and the following message come from USPS. With USPS Ground Advantage Service, it's like your shipment has a direct line to you. It leaves the dock, you know about it. It's on the road, you know. And when it reaches your customer, you guessed it, you're still in the know.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Here's the real game changer. It's one journey, one partner, total peace of mind. Check out USPS Ground Advantage Service at USPS.com slash in the know. Because if you know, you know.
--:-- Michelle Martin: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with President Trump here in Washington, D.C. today. In Trump's first term, the two men seem to have a natural camaraderie. But these days, Trump is focused a lot on trade and immigration, two issues that could put a dent in the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and India.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Joining us now to talk more about this is NPR White House correspondent Asma Khaled. Asma, good morning.
--:-- Asma Khaled: Good morning.
--:-- Leila Fadel: So let's start with trade. We've heard a lot in recent days about tariffs. How does India factor into that?
--:-- Asma Khaled: Well, the president has been talking a lot about reciprocal tariffs. And that's the idea that if a foreign country charges, say, a 20 percent tariff on U.S. imports, then the U.S. ought to slap a 20 percent tariff back on them.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Trump was actually talking about this idea even months ago during his campaign last fall. He accused India of being a, quote, big abuser of tariffs.
--:-- Asma Khaled: Take a listen. The biggest charger of all is India. India is a very big charger. And we have a great relationship with India. I did. And with especially the leader, Modi.
--:-- Leila Fadel: And, you know, they're known to have similar populist styles. They went on to host these joint mega rallies together, first in Texas and then later in India with tens of thousands of supporters.
--:-- Asma Khaled: So if India has high tariffs on U imports and Trump as you say as he certainly says repeatedly wants more fair what he considers more fair trading relationships What is the room for negotiation there?
--:-- Leila Fadel: Well, trade is certainly the number one priority for the Trump administration in this relationship The U.S. is in a trade deficit with India. Ahead of this visit, India announced that it was lowering tariffs on motorbikes. And that opens the door for more exports of Harley-Davidson's, which is something that has been important to President Trump.
--:-- Asma Khaled: Lisa Curtis was in Trump's National Security Council during his first term. She told me that Prime Minister Modi understands Trump, and he's also offering to increase imports of American oil and gas to avoid a broader fight over trade issues. But she also knows from experience that India is a tough negotiator.
--:-- Leila Fadel: I think there's a greater risk that a failed trade negotiation this time around could really sour the overall U.S.-India relationship. I think the expectations of the Trump team of India are higher.
--:-- Asma Khaled: So Asim, before we let you go, are there other issues that you expect these two leaders to discuss?
--:-- Leila Fadel: Certainly immigration. Illegal immigration is a big priority for Trump. And according to estimates from the Pew Research Center, the third largest group of people in the United States without legal status are actually Indians.
--:-- Asma Khaled: Earlier this month, the Trump administration flew a group of Indians back to India on a military plane, and it caused some domestic political backlash for Modi. But I would say it's not just illegal immigration. I mean, India is very concerned about maintaining pathways to legal immigration, especially work visas.
--:-- Leila Fadel: So I do expect immigration and trade, of course, to be major issues because these are major fixations for President Trump. But other issues, I would say, Michelle, that are likely to come up are technology and defense cooperation.
--:-- Asma Khaled: India has had a very strong bipartisan relationship and bipartisan support over the last several administrations, Republican or Democrat. And we've seen that especially as the United States has worked to counter China's influence in the region.
--:-- Leila Fadel: That is. Asma Khaled. Asma, thank you. Nice to speak with you.
--:-- Asma Khaled: Thank you.
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--:-- Michelle Martin: Donald Trump returned to the White House vowing to end the war in Ukraine, and yesterday he took action. He held his first confirmed talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and he says they went well. I think we're on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelensky wants peace. And I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed.
--:-- Leila Fadel: We want to talk more about this. So we have here with us NPR's Russia correspondent, Charles Maines. Charles, good morning.
--:-- Charles Maines: Morning, Michelle.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Let's start with that Putin call. What do we know?
--:-- Charles Maines: Well, you know, sometimes after calls between leaders, you see the two sides have very different takes on what was discussed, what was agreed upon. That's not the case here. Between Trump's postings on social media and his comments to the press, everything really aligned with what we heard from Moscow.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov may have issued a more formal readout, but one that made clear these two men are in sync.
--:-- Charles Maines: So here Peskov says Putin and Trump spoke for a full hour and a half. He went on to say that Trump reiterated his desire to end the war, and Putin agreed that was possible, provided it was a durable peace that addressed the root causes of the conflict.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Now, the spokesman also said Putin agreed with Trump that it was time for the two countries to work together, and the two men agreed to meet in person. Trump says that may happen soon in Saudi Arabia, but the Kremlin said Putin also invited Trump to Moscow.
--:-- Charles Maines: And what was the reaction in Moscow? Well, you know, there's a sense of celebration. The Russian markets went up this morning. This is a complete reversal by the US, not just from the politics of the Biden administration, which after all spent the past three years trying to isolate Putin, but even from the first days of the Trump administration.
--:-- Michelle Martin: You know, Trump threatened massive new sanctions on Putin to force him to the negotiating table. That more aggressive tone by Trump was gone completely yesterday, and it still unclear what led to the change
--:-- Charles Maines: And of course there another key party here which is Ukraine What do we know about his conversation with President Zelensky?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, you know Trump said he called Zelensky directly after speaking with Putin and brought him up to speed
--:-- Charles Maines: But this was clearly not a good day for Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Europe delivered a speech to NATO allies in which he said the U.S. believed it was unrealistic for Ukraine to regain its pre-war borders. He also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Two key demands Putin has made repeatedly for a negotiated settlement. Meanwhile, it didn't help Zelensky to also hear Trump suggest Zelensky might not be around politically when and if elections are held in Ukraine. It just gave the feeling that Trump thinks Zelensky, not Putin, is the one who's the obstacle to peace here.
--:-- Charles Maines: So, Charles, another issue here, Russia's release of Mark Fogle, an American schoolteacher who was serving a long sentence in Russia on charges he brought marijuana into the country illegally. Do we know more about the trade now, more details about this?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah.
--:-- Charles Maines: In exchange for Fogel, the U.S. is releasing Alexander Vinnick. He's a Russian cryptocurrency trader who'd been convicted of money laundering charges in the U.S.
--:-- Michelle Martin: You know, clearly this is good news for the Fogel family. It's also clearly a diplomatic sweetener. You know, both sides have made clear this was a trust-building gesture as the U.S. and Russia pursue a large deal over Ukraine.
--:-- Charles Maines: But there's plenty that could still go wrong. I mean, particularly, I think, around the optics of seeming weak in negotiations, whether it's Trump appearing to sideline Ukraine and reward Russian aggression, or for that matter, Putin allowing Trump in the U.S. to play sheriff and impose an end of the conflict.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That is NPR's Russia correspondent, Charles Mange. Charles, thank you.
--:-- Charles Maines: Thanks, Michelle.
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--:-- Michelle Martin: Linda McMahon's Senate confirmation hearing for Education Secretary today could be dramatic and unusual.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Yeah, that's because the Trump administration has made clear that it plans to dismantle the department she's been nominated to lead.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And NPR's Janaki Mehta has been following this story. Good morning, Janaki.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: Good morning.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Before we get to what we can expect on the Hill today, would you just start by telling us the latest at the Education Department?
--:-- Janaki Mehta: Yeah, so on Monday, Elon Musk's unit at the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, made severe cuts to the Education Department's independent research arm. I'm talking about the Institute of Education Sciences, or IES.
--:-- Michelle Martin: DOGE eliminated most of the contracts the Institute holds, nearly $9 million worth. And IES is responsible for collecting and sharing massive swaths of data that help shape the education system in this country. And they rely heavily on contractors to do it. Their work is on hold right now.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: President Trump has made it clear that job one for McMahon will be dismantling the department. Will anything be left if she steps in to lead it?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, well, I would say, first of all, the elimination of the department would require an act of Congress. But yeah, if McMahon's confirmed her first order of business will probably be to slim the department down further.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: In fact, on Tuesday, President Trump said he hopes she will work herself out of a job. By the way, this is an agency that has an annual budget of $79 billion, 4,200 employees. It's one of the smallest federal agencies.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And the education department oversees some pretty consequential programs, like one that sends money to schools and low-income communities, another to protect the civil rights of students with disabilities. So hypothetically, McMahon would be charged with overseeing these kinds of programs as long as Congress plans to keep protecting them.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: So what exactly are we expecting at the confirmation hearing today?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, so I think one clue came from a House hearing on education last week. If that's any indication, the line of questioning to McMahon is probably going to be split along party lines.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: Here's a taste from that hearing. The irony is not lost on me that we're here to discuss the state of American education while current administration is actively discussing how to dismantle the main federal agency responsible for ensuring safe quality education for all students
--:-- Michelle Martin: That Democratic Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia
--:-- Janaki Mehta: And here Republican Representative from Missouri Bob Onder arguing the Biden Education Department basically pushed liberal identity politics over learning.
--:-- Michelle Martin: I believe abolishing the Department of Education is definitely a big part of the solution. How can we get back on the focus of educating kids rather than indoctrination and, you know, bloating our school bureaucracies?
--:-- Janaki Mehta: I should say, Michelle, Well, the department doesn't actually play a role at all in shaping school curriculum. The law prevents it from doing just that.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Has McMahon shared anything about her own thoughts about where she stands on what should be done with the Department of Education?
--:-- Janaki Mehta: Yeah, I'll start by saying McMahon doesn't have much of a background in education. She did serve on the Connecticut State Board of Education for a year. She's probably best known for leading WWE for decades, World Wrestling Entertainment.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So she hasn't said anything in recent days about what she'd do with the department, but in December she said on X she would work on, quote, reforming the Department of Education. And we know she supports school choice, for example.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: We tried reaching her for an interview multiple times, and we haven't heard back. So we'll wait and see how she brings those skills to this department if she's confirmed.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That is. NPR education reporter Janaki Mehta. Janaki, thank you.
--:-- Janaki Mehta: Thank you, Michelle.
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--:-- Michelle Martin: And now an update on a story we're following. The Trump administration's offer to let federal workers resign and continue to be paid until September is going ahead. On Wednesday, a federal judge in Boston declined to block the program.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Labor unions had filed lawsuits arguing that the government's offer was rushed and overstepped its authority. But the judge said the complaint should have been brought to the independent agencies that settle labor disputes.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The Office of Personal Management, which can now begin processing the resignations, said more than 65,000 people had accepted the offer, but some of them may not be eligible.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Rich Couture is president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 215 and works for the Social Security Administration. So most field office workers, hearing office workers, teleservice center workers, payment center workers, most of those positions are exempt.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He says many people may have opted to resign before being told they were exempt and that there's still a lot of confusion about the program.
--:-- Leila Fadel: For more on this story, listen to Morning Edition or visit npr.org.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And that's Up First for Thursday, February 13th. I'm Michelle Martin. And I'm Leila Fadel. Your next listen is Consider This from NPR.
--:-- Leila Fadel: We here at Up First give you three big stories of the day. Our Consider This colleagues take a different approach. They dive into a single news story and what it means to you. Learn about a big story of the day in 15 minutes or less. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Today's episode of Up First was edited by Steve Drummond, Roberta Rampton, Ryland Barton, Alice Wolfley, and Ali Schweitzer. It was produced by Zia Duj, Nia Dumas, and Chris Thomas.
--:-- Leila Fadel: We get engineering support from Nisha Hines, and our technical director is Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from NPR sponsor, Capella University. Interested in a quality online education? Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella.edu.
--:-- Leila Fadel: This message comes from the Nature Conservancy. Nature is common ground for everyone, and uniting to protect nature can help solve today's challenges and create a thriving tomorrow for future generations. Discover why at nature.org slash NPR.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from the NPR Wine Club, a place to explore the exciting world of wine, including wines inspired by popular NPR shows, like all things considered Cabernet. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, all purchases help support NPR programming and fund quality reporting developed to connect people to their communities and the world they live in. More at nprwineclub.org slash podcast.
--:-- Leila Fadel: Must be 21 or older to purchase.
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