Migration and Trade with India, Trump and Putin Chat, Future of Education Department

0:02President Trump says India is taking advantage of the US 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? I'm Leila Faldin. That's Michelle Martin. And this is Up First from NPR News. 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? And will Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Education work herself out of a job?

0:38I 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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1:36You can invest and trade on your own. Plus, get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award-winning service, low costs, and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more. This message comes from Dell Technologies, The new Dell PC with Intel Core Ultra helps you fast forward through busy work, leaving more time for you time. Get a new Dell PC at dell.com slash ai dash pc. 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.

2:19But 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. Joining us now to talk more about this is NPR White House correspondent Asma Khaled. Asma, good morning. Good morning. So let's start with trade. We've heard a lot in recent days about tariffs. How does India factor into that? Well, the president has been talking a lot about reciprocal tariffs. And, Michelle, 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.

2:53Trump 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. Take a listen. The biggest charger of all is India. India is a very big charger. We have a great relationship with India. I did. And with especially the leader, Modi. And so as you notice there, despite the accusations he's making about India on trade, Trump has a really fond relationship with India's leader. He had a very warm personal relationship with him. And Modi, quite literally and famously, gave Trump a bear hug when they two first met at the White House.

3:36And 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. So if India has high tariffs on U.S. 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? 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.

4:12And that opens the door for more exports of Harley-Davidson's, which is something that has been important to President Trump. 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. 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.

4:53So, Asim, before we let you go, are there other issues that you expect these two leaders to discuss? 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. 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.

5:28So 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. 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. That is. And here's Asma Khaled. Asma, thank you. Nice to speak with you.

6:08Donald 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. And 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. We want to talk more about this. So we have here with us NPR's Russia correspondent, Charles Maines. Charles, good morning. Morning, Michelle.

6:39Let's start with that Putin call. What do we know? 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. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov may have issued a more formal readout, but one that made clear these two men are in sync.

7:08So 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. 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. And what was the reaction in Moscow? Well, you know, there's a sense of celebration. The Russian markets went up this morning.

7:42This is a complete reversal by the U.S., 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. 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's still unclear what led to the change. And, of course, there's another key party here, which is Ukraine. What do we know about his conversation with President Zelensky? Yeah, you know, Trump said he called Zelensky directly after speaking with Putin and brought him up to speed.

8:14But 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, two key demands Putin has made repeatedly for a negotiated settlement. You know, 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.

8:47So, Charles, another issue here, Russia's release of Mark Fogel, 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? Yeah. 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. 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.

9:19and Russia pursue a large deal over Ukraine. 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 and the U.S. to play sheriff and impose an end of the conflict. That could be a hard sell for either side to bring as a win. That is NPR's Russia correspondent Charles Mains. Charles, thank you. Thanks, Michelle.

9:52Linda McMahon's Senate confirmation hearing for education secretary today could be dramatic and unusual. Yeah, that's because the Trump administration has made clear that it plans to dismantle the department she's been nominated to lead. NPR's Janaki Mehta has been following this story. Good morning, Janaki. Good morning. 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? Yes. 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.

10:25I'm talking about the Institute of Education Sciences, or IES. 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. 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? Yeah well I would say the 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.

11:08In 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. 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. So what exactly are we expecting at the confirmation hearing today?

11:45Yeah, 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. 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. That's Democratic Representative Bobby Scott, Virginia. And here's Republican Representative from Missouri, Bob Onder, arguing the Biden Education Department basically pushed liberal identity politics over learning.

12:26I 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? I should say, Michelle, the department doesn't actually play a role at all in shaping school curriculum. The law prevents it from doing just that. Has McMahon shared anything about her own thoughts about where she stands on what should be done with the Department of Education? 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.

13:02She's probably best known for leading WWE for decades, World Wrestling Entertainment. 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. 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. That is. NPR education reporter Janaki Mehta. Janaki, thank you. Thank you, Michelle.

13:37And 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. 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. 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.

14:10Rich 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. 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. For more on this story, listen to Morning Edition or visit npr.org.

14:42And that's Up First for Thursday, February 13th. I'm Michelle Martin. And I'm Leila Faldin. Your next listen is Consider This from NPR. 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. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Steve Drummond, Roberta Rampton, Ryland Barton, Alice Wolfley, and Allie Schweitzer. It was produced by Ziad Budge, Nia Dumas, and Chris Thomas.

15:13We get engineering support from Nisha Hines, and our technical director is Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

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