--:-- [Up First theme music plays]
--:-- Michelle Martin: The website has disappeared and funding has been halted at the U.S.'s main foreign aid agency USAID.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: USAID is a ball of worms. There is no apple.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Elon Musk claims he has the president's approval to close it. Can he legally do that?
--:-- Michelle Martin: I'm Michelle Martin, that's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: President Trump keeps saying he intends for the U.S. to seize the Panama Canal.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So what did Secretary of State Marco Rubio say when he traveled to Panama? Our colleague Ari Shapiro is in Panama City.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C. today.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He is the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in his second term.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Also, cannabis is now legal in half the states.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: A new NPR series helps consumers find safe options.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from BetterHelp.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It's only human to ask others for advice, like turning to your barista, hairdresser, or a taxi driver for life advice.
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--:-- Michelle Martin: But when you're looking for help about relationships, anxiety, depression, or other clinical issues, they may not have all the right answers.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Instead, get guidance from a licensed therapist online with BetterHelp.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Visit BetterHelp.com slash NPR for 10% off your first month.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from Mint Mobile.
--:-- Michelle Martin: If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks, Mint Mobile might be right for you with plans starting from $15 a month.
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--:-- Michelle Martin: Shop plans today at MintMobile.com slash switch.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Upfront payment of $45 for a 3-month 5GB plan required.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Overnight, USAID employees received an email stating the Washington headquarters is closed and telling them to stay home and work remotely today.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Nearly all the programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, have been halted.
--:-- Michelle Martin: President Trump seeks to remake the federal government and push the limits of executive power.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In this case, the administration appears to be targeting an agency that was created by law, by an act of Congress.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Right now, its website is down.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Hundreds of employees and contractors have been let go in the past week.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And we have reports that Trump is considering trying to fold the agency into the State Department.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: White House correspondent Franco Ordonez has been following all this, and he's with us now to tell us what he knows.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Good morning, Michelle.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Good morning, Franco. So the president said something to reporters about this last night.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah, when he got back to the airport in Washington, Trump really tore into the agency, basically charging that it was poorly run.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: USAID run by radical lunatics, and we're getting them out, and then we'll make a decision.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Did he give any evidence that this agency, as he said, is run by radical lunatics?
--:-- Franco Ordonez: No, he did not.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And he and his team do want greater control over the department or with the work that they do.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: They want greater control over the spending, and they feel that too much money is going to causes that are not in U.S. interests.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Now, lawmakers are concerned.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Democrats have actually warned that Trump cannot just shut down USAID on its own without going through Congress.
--:-- Michelle Martin: A few hours after Trump spoke, Elon Musk, the tech mogul who is running this Department of Government Efficiency, spoke on X, which he owns, about his plans.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Yeah, he definitely has big intentions here.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He says Doge is in the process of specifically shutting down USAID.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: And he emphasizes that he could not do that without the support of the president.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He actually said he went over it with Trump a few times.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: He asked him, was he sure?
--:-- Michelle Martin: You know, I mentioned earlier that Congress was concerned about all this.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Musk didn't mention any statute or authority that would allow the president to basically skip Congress and shut down the agency unilaterally
--:-- Michelle Martin: That said Trump does seem to be standing behind Musk saying that he is doing a great job while even acknowledging that they might not agree all the time that he behind him
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Are there concerns that this new entity that this administration created, DOGE, is exceeding its authority?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, absolutely.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: I mean, DOGE, of course, is this department that's tasked with leading substantial cost-cutting.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And it's not just about shutting down the department.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Over the weekend, there were reports of two security officials at USAID who were put on administrative leave for refusing Doge access to certain systems.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Democrats have accused Doge of inappropriately accessing classified materials, which the lawmakers are saying they're going to investigate.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: I will note that their spokesman, Doge spokesman Katie Miller, said no classified material was accessed without clearances.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And does this tie in with other changes happening under this administration, or if so, how?
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Michelle, it caps off like such a week of chaos.
--:-- Michelle Martin: USAIDU was not the only website taken down.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: Some other websites were down temporarily.
--:-- Michelle Martin: There is just so much fear and uncertainty across the federal workforce, and it really does look like that's all by design.
--:-- Franco Ordonez: That is White House correspondent Franco Ordóñez.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The United States has provoked multiple confrontations now with its North American neighbors and allies.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: President Trump announced 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, launching a trade war.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And the top U.S. diplomat has followed up on the president's demand to take over the Panama Canal.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Panama has controlled the U.S.-built canal for decades.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The president began talking of retaking it as part of a new expansionist agenda, which appeared after his election.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Panama's president says this is not up for discussion, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent yesterday discussing it.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He was in Panama, and our colleague Ari Shapiro is in Panama City.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: Hey, Steve. Thanks for joining us.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What did the secretary do yesterday?
--:-- Ari Shapiro: The biggest event on his schedule was this meeting with the president of Panama, where apparently Rubio delivered an ultimatum.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And I say apparently because Rubio actually did not make any public comments about the canal yesterday.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: But according to a State Department spokesperson, Rubio delivered the message that President Trump has made a preliminary determination that China has too much influence over the canal.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He says that violates international treaties.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: And unless there are immediate changes, the U.S. will do what it has to to protect its rights.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Trump added this yesterday.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: We're going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: By the way, Steve, quick fact check on Trump's claims of Chinese influence.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: While a company based in Hong Kong does operate ports at either end of the canal, Panama runs the canal itself, not China, and there is no Chinese military presence, as Trump has falsely claimed on social media.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, I guess I should also note here, the United States, at least the president, is not taking the view of we have these concerns, solve them or we will act.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: He's saying we're going to take it back.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: So how are Panama's leaders reacting?
--:-- Ari Shapiro: After the meeting yesterday, President José Raúl Múlino said Panama's sovereignty is not in question.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And then he gave what you could interpret as kind of a dig at the United States.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: He's saying, I invited the State Department to promote investment in this country so they can't complain later that investments are coming from other countries.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That quote doesn't mention China by name, but you can kind of read between the lines there.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: What are you hearing from the Panamanian people?
--:-- Michelle Martin: It's this wave of nationalism, flags flying everywhere and protests in the streets.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: I attended a couple of marches that shut down main streets here in Panama City.
--:-- Michelle Martin: One was organized by the Teachers Union, where I met a woman named Mylene Shakespeare, and I asked what she wants Americans to know.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: She says, we are taking to the streets to defend our country.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The Panama Canal is for Panamanians.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: Ni gringo, ni gringero, Panama primero.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So big picture here, the U.S. is not backing down from Trump's threats.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: Panama is not caving.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And the stakes are huge.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: 40% of all U.S. container traffic goes through the Panama Canal.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: So it's pretty remarkable for these two countries to be in such a standoff, given how close the U.S. and Panama have been for decades.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It would seem that Panama might be enough for a foreign trip, but where else is Rubio going?
--:-- Ari Shapiro: On to El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, where he plans to talk about migration and drug trafficking.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He the first Hispanic Secretary of State
--:-- Steve Inskeep: The State Department says this underscores Trump message that it a 21st century of American greatness and countering China
--:-- Michelle Martin: NPR's Ari Shapiro will be hosting All Things Considered from the Edge of the Panama Canal later today.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: He's in Panama City.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Thanks, Ari.
--:-- Ari Shapiro: Thanks, Steve.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C. today.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: He's here at the invitation of the president and tomorrow becomes the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in his second term.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Here's Netanyahu as he left for his trip.
--:-- Michelle Martin: I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship.
--:-- Michelle Martin: They certainly have things to discuss.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: A ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is holding in its third week as talks about the next phase of the deal are scheduled to begin today.
--:-- Michelle Martin: To talk more about all of this, we're joined by NPR's Kat Lomstorff in Tel Aviv.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Good morning, Michelle.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Tell us what we know about Netanyahu's visit to the White House.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Yeah, Trump and Netanyahu have a lot to discuss, some of which is left over from Trump's first term, things like the Abraham Accords and the normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Also how to deal with Iran.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: That's Israel's big enemy, but also a country that Trump has focused on a lot, too.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But more immediately, there's Gaza.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Just in the last week or so, Trump has been adamant about the very controversial idea of relocating Palestinians in Gaza out to neighboring Egypt or Jordan, he says, in order to allow for rebuilding.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Both Egypt and Jordan have rejected that idea.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Palestinians in Gaza also don't want that.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And then there's the ceasefire deal, which is now in the middle of the first six-week phase, but talks of the next phase are supposed to start today.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: So they will most certainly be discussing that as well.
--:-- Michelle Martin: What can you tell us about this next phase of the deal?
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Yeah, details are still being hammered out.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That's what the talks starting today are for.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: The talks will look a lot like they have in the past with the U.S., Qatar and Egypt acting as mediators between Hamas and Israel.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We know that the second phase is crucial to ending the war.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: President Biden, who helped create the framework for this deal, did outline some of it in the second phase.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Male Israeli soldiers who are being held hostage in Gaza will be released.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: We haven't seen that so far.
--:-- Michelle Martin: In exchange, more Palestinian prisoners and detainees are expected to be released.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: And the remaining Israeli forces in Gaza will withdraw, which will lead to a permanent ceasefire.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And what about the process for all this?
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Yeah, Netanyahu is meeting with U.S. Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff today in Washington.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Witkoff has been instrumental in getting this agreement implemented.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: And he and Netanyahu are expected to talk about phase two.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Witkoff's been talking with other countries ahead of today's talks.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: He spoke with Egyptian negotiators yesterday, for example.
--:-- Michelle Martin: What we don't know is what demands each side might make that could derail the deal.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: For example, Netanyahu has a lot of pressure from key far-right members in his government to demand the elimination of Hamas in Gaza.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Hamas still appears to control Gaza very much so, even after more than a year of intense fighting with Israel attempting to eliminate the militant group.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Netanyahu is in a really tricky political situation here, where those far right members have threatened to leave his government and collapse his coalition if he doesn't secure this as part of the deal.
--:-- Michelle Martin: On the other hand, President Trump has been fairly clear about wanting the deal to go forward and continuing the ceasefire.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: So there are some areas of potential disagreement, and it's something we're going to be keeping a close eye on.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That is NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv.
--:-- Kat Lomstorff: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: 15% of Americans report that they smoke cannabis, according to a recent Gallup poll.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: From what I smell on the streets, I'm surprised it's that low.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Anyway, cannabis is now legal in almost half of U.S. states, but finding products that are safely sourced and properly regulated is not easy.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: So in the coming weeks, NPR is going to be looking at how consumers can navigate the new world of weed.
--:-- Michelle Martin: NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent, Sydney Lupkin, is here to start things off.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: Good morning.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Just to be clear, are there health risks associated with marijuana?
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: So yes, as cannabis products become more potent and as more Americans consume greater quantities more often, researchers say there are risks to brain function and mental health, which is also true, of course, for alcohol.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We're offering information to help cannabis consumers who do choose to partake.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: So if somebody does choose to buy legal cannabis products, is there something that can go wrong when it comes to quality?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, regulators are looking to keep out pesticides, mold, bacteria, and heavy metals like arsenic, which can come from the soil.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: But it's tricky because on the federal level cannabis is still illegal and states that legalized it can regulate it very differently.
--:-- Michelle Martin: I spoke to Maxwell Leung an assistant professor at Arizona State University about a study he did in 2022 about that patchwork of cannabis regulations
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: We found that there are over 600 contaminants that are regulated across some 30 states that have legalized cannabis at that time.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But interestingly, in each jurisdiction, there's only anywhere between 60 to 120 contaminants that are regulated.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: So what that means is that a pesticide that might prompt one state to pull cannabis off the shelf, another state might not even be looking for.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But just testing for more contaminants doesn't necessarily mean a state's cannabis products are safer.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: It's really early days when it comes to the research.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So it's hard to say which contaminants are the most hazardous to human health.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: You know, Michelle, NPR has reported that the black market for marijuana is still booming.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So how does that complicate things for consumers?
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: Yeah, the patchwork of regulations has left a huge opening for underground producers and distributors.
--:-- Michelle Martin: NPR has found those products are often grown and processed in really unsanitary conditions with banned pesticides, unhealthy working conditions and unreliable potency.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: We're talking about a market that lacks transparency and accountability.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Whether I was getting cannabis or alcohol or my broccoli from an entirely unregulated market, I'd be concerned about a number of issues.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: That was Paul Armentano, head of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So are consumers safer if they buy legal, regulated cannabis product?
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: So they may be.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Right now, legal weed is probably more likely to be free of many contaminants because states are testing them and pulling them off the shelves.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: And even if they're not, they could.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So that's often going to put people on better behavior.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: In California, there were more than 60 recalls in 2024.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That includes flower, pre-rolls, edibles, and vape products.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: And in Maine, which has a newer system, it just issued its first cannabis recall ever in 2024.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It was for mold.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: Researchers are still looking at how effective these consumer protections might be.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But for now, if you're getting your cannabis in a store that has regulated products, there's less risk of encountering at least some of the contaminants.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: Okay, so that's why NPR will be looking at how consumers are navigating this whole new world of cannabis use.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Sydney, thank you.
--:-- Sydney Lupkin: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And that's up first for this Monday, February 3rd.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'm Stephen Skid.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And I'm Michelle Martin.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Make your next listen consider this.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single news story in just 15 minutes.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Today's Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Nishant Dahiya, Sammy Yenigan of NPR's All Things Considered.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: We don't often get to credit this guy in this podcast.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Anyway, Andrea DeLeon, Jenea Williams, and Alice Wolfley.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It was produced by Lily Quiroz, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We get engineering support from the ever-supportive Arthur Laurent.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And our technical director is Nisha Hines.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Join us tomorrow.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: They back it all up with free shipping, easy returns, and a 100-night sleep trial.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Visit Lisa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code NPR.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: That's L-E-E-S-A.com, promo code NPR.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Support for this podcast and the following message come from MidiHealth.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Women's midlife health issues have often been trivialized and ignored.
--:-- Michelle Martin: It's time for a change.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's time for MIDI.
--:-- Michelle Martin: MIDI is covered by major insurance companies, making expert care accessible and affordable.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Clinicians provide one-on-one consultations where they listen to your unique needs and offer data-driven solutions tailored for you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: MIDI works to make you feel seen, heard, and prioritized.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Visit joinmidi.com to book your virtual visit.
--:-- Michelle Martin: MIDI, the care women deserve.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: This message comes from Lisa.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Lisa mattresses are meticulously designed and assembled in the USA for exceptional quality.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And each mattress is designed with specific sleep positions and feel preferences in mind.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Plus, they back it all up with free shipping, easy returns, and a 100-night sleep trial.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Visit Lisa.com for 25% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with promo code NPR.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That's L-E-E-S-A.com, promo code NPR.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Thank you.
