USAID Programs Halted, Netanyahu in Washington, Rubio Visits Panama, Cannabis Safety

0:01The website has disappeared and funding has been halted at the US's main foreign aid agency USAID U.S. ID is a ball of worms. There is no apple. Elon Musk claims he has the president's approval to close it. Can he legally do that? I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.

0:22President Trump keeps saying he intends for the U.S. to seize the Panama Canal. So what did Secretary of State Marco Rubio say when he traveled to Panama? Our colleague Ari Shapiro is in Panama City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C. today. I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. He is the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in his second term. Also, cannabis is now legal in half the states. A new NPR series helps consumers find safe options. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.

1:03This message comes from NPR sponsor, FX. presenting The Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawke. Introducing you to Lee Raybon, a quirky journalist slash rare bookstore owner slash unofficial truth seeker who is always on the tail of his latest conspiracy. This time, his most recent expose puts him head to head with a powerful family that rules Tulsa, meaning only one thing. He must be on to something big. FX's The Lowdown, all new Tuesdays on FX, stream on Hulu. This message comes from Schwab. Everyone has moments when they could have done better. Same goes for where you invest. Level up and invest smarter with Schwab.

1:45Get market insights, education, and human help when you need it. This message comes from Rince, who knows that mastering the perfect house party table spread takes time. But so does laundry. So Rince takes your laundry and hand delivers it to your door, expertly cleaned. And you can take the time once spent sorting and waiting, folding and queuing, to finally pursue your real passion. Rolling delicate roses of capicola alongside meandering ribbons of Amon Serrano. Transforming a humble plank of weathered barnwood into a show-stopping charcuterie spread. Rinse. It's time to be great. Overnight, USAID employees received an email stating the Washington headquarters is closed and telling them to stay home and work remotely today.

2:31Nearly all the programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, have been halted. President Trump seeks to remake the federal government and push the limits of executive power. In this case, the administration appears to be targeting an agency that was created by law, by an act of Congress. Right now, its website is down. Hundreds of employees and contractors have been let go in the past week. and we have reports that Trump is considering trying to fold the agency into the State Department. White House correspondent Franco Ordonez has been following all this and he's with us now to tell us what he knows.

3:04Good morning, Franco. Good morning, Michelle. So the president said something to reporters about this last night. What did he have to say? Yeah, when he got back to the airport in Washington, Trump really tore into the agency, basically charging that it was poorly run. It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we're getting them out. U.S. A.I.D. run by radical lunatics, and we're getting them out, and then we'll make a decision. Did he give any evidence that this agency, as he said, is run by radical lunatics? No, he did not. And he and his team do want greater control over the department or with the work that they do.

3:44They want greater control over the spending, and they feel that too much money is going to causes that are not in U.S. interests. Now, lawmakers are concerned. Democrats have actually warned that Trump cannot just shut down USAID on its own without going through Congress. 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. Yeah, he definitely has big intentions here. He says Doge is in the process of specifically shutting down USAID, and he emphasizes that he could not do that without the support of the president.

4:21He actually said he went over it with Trump a few times. He asked him, was he sure? You know, I mentioned earlier that Congress was concerned about all this. Musk didn't mention any statute or authority that would allow the president to basically skip Congress and shut down the agency unilaterally. 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's behind him. Are there concerns that this new entity that this administration created, DOGE, is exceeding its authority? Yeah, absolutely.

4:59I mean, DOGE, of course, is this department that's tasked with leading substantial cost cutting. And it's not just about shutting down the department. You know, 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. Democrats have accused Doge of inappropriately accessing, you know, classified materials, which the lawmakers are saying they're going to investigate. I will note that their spokesman, Doge spokesman, Katie Miller, said no classified material was accessed without clearances. And does this tie in with other changes happening under this administration?

5:36Or if so, how? Michelle, it caps off like such a week of chaos. USAID was not the only website taken down. Some other websites were down temporarily. There is just so much fear and uncertainty across the federal workforce, and it really does look like that's all by design. That is White House correspondent Franco Ordóñez Franco. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle.

6:06The United States has provoked multiple confrontations now with its North American neighbors and allies. President Trump announced 25 % tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, launching a trade war. And the top U.S. diplomat has followed up on the president's demand to take over the Panama Canal. Panama has controlled the U.S.-built canal for decades. The president began talking of retaking it as part of a new expansionist agenda, which appeared after his election. Panama's president says this is not up for discussion, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent yesterday discussing it. He was in Panama, and our colleague Ari Shapiro is in Panama City.

6:42Ari, good morning. Hey, Steve. Thanks for joining us. What did the secretary do yesterday? The biggest event on his schedule was this meeting with the president of Panama, where apparently Rubio delivered an ultimatum. And I say apparently because Rubio actually did not make any public comments about the canal yesterday. 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. He says that violates international treaties. And unless there are immediate changes, the U.S.

7:12will do what it has to to protect its rights. Trump added this yesterday. We're going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen. By the way, Steve, quick fact check on Trump's claims of Chinese influence. 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. 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. He's saying we're going to take it back.

7:45So how are Panama's leaders reacting? After the meeting yesterday, President José Raúl Molino said Panama's sovereignty is not in question. And then he gave what you could interpret as kind of a dig at the United States.

8:02He'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. That quote doesn't mention China by name, but you can kind of read between the lines there. What are you hearing from the Panamanian people? It's this wave of nationalism, flags flying everywhere and protests in the streets. I attended a couple of marches that shut down main streets here in Panama City. One was organized by the Teachers Union, where I met a woman named Mylene Shakespeare, and I asked what she wants Americans to know. Here's what she said.

8:34Nosotros hemos salido a las calles a defender nuestra patria. El canal de Panamá es para los palomeños. Ni gringo ni gringero. Panamá primero. She says, we are taking to the streets to defend our country. The Panama Canal is for Panamanians. Then you hear her recite this rhyming slogan people had been chanting in the march. Ni gringo, ni gringero, Panama primero. Basically, no Americans, Panama first. So big picture here, the U.S. is not backing down from Trump's threats. Panama is not caving. And the stakes are huge. 40 % of all U.S. container traffic goes through the Panama Canal. So it's pretty remarkable for these two countries to be in such a standoff, given how close the U.S.

9:16and Panama have been for decades. It would seem that Panama might be enough for a foreign trip, but where else is Rubio going? On to El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, where he plans to talk about migration and drug trafficking. He's the first Hispanic Secretary of State. The State Department says this underscores Trump's message, that it's a 21st century of American greatness and countering China. Yeah. And PR's Ari Shapiro will be hosting All Things Considered from the Edge of the Panama Canal later today. He's in Panama City. Thanks, Ari. Thanks, Steve.

9:55Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C. today. He's here at the invitation of the president and tomorrow becomes the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in his second term. Here's Netanyahu as he left for his trip. I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It's also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship. They certainly have things to discuss. 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. To talk more about all of this, we're joined by NPR's Kat Lonsdorff in Tel Aviv.

10:28Kat, good morning. Good morning, Michelle. Tell us what we know about Netanyahu's visit to the White House. What can we expect? 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. Also, how to deal with Iran. That's Israel's big enemy, but also a country that Trump has focused on a lot, too. But more immediately, there's Gaza. 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.

11:04in order to allow for rebuilding. Both Egypt and Jordan have rejected that idea. Palestinians in Gaza also don't want that. 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. So they will most certainly be discussing that as well. What can you tell us about this next phase of the deal? What do we know? Yeah, details are still being hammered out. That's what the talks starting today are for. 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.

11:36We know that the second phase is crucial to ending the war. President Biden, who helped create the framework for this deal, did outline some of it. In the second phase, male Israeli soldiers who are being held hostage in Gaza will be released. We haven't seen that so far. In exchange, more Palestinian prisoners and detainees are expected to be released, and the remaining Israeli forces in Gaza will withdraw, which will lead to a permanent ceasefire. And what about the process for all this? What does that look like? Yeah, Netanyahu is meeting with U.S. Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff today in Washington.

12:09Witkoff has been instrumental in getting this agreement implemented, and he and Netanyahu are expected to talk about phase two. Witkoff's been talking with other countries ahead of today's talks. He spoke with Egyptian negotiators yesterday, for example. What we don't know is what demands each side might make that could derail the deal. For example, Netanyahu has a lot of pressure from key far-right members in his government to demand the elimination of Hamas in Gaza. 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.

12:44Netanyahu 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. On the other hand, President Trump has been fairly clear about wanting the deal to go forward and continuing the ceasefire. So there are some areas of potential disagreement, and it's something we're going to be keeping a close eye on. That is NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv. Kat, thank you. Thank you.

13:1815 % of Americans report that they smoke cannabis, according to a recent Gallup poll. From what I smell on the streets, I'm surprised it's that low. 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. So in the coming weeks, NPR is going to be looking at how consumers can navigate the new world of weed. NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin is here to start things off. Good morning, Sydney. Good morning. Just to be clear, are there health risks associated with marijuana? 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.

14:00We're offering information to help cannabis consumers who do choose to partake. So if somebody does choose to buy legal cannabis products, is there something that can go wrong when it comes to quality? Yeah, regulators are looking to keep out pesticides, mold, bacteria, and heavy metals like arsenic, which can come from the soil. But it's tricky because on the federal level, cannabis is still illegal, and states that legalized it can regulate it very differently. I spoke to Maxwell Lung, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, about a study he did in 2022 about that patchwork of cannabis regulations.

14:35We find that there are over 600 contaminants that are regulated across some 30 states that have legalized cannabis at that time. But interestingly, in each jurisdiction, there's only anywhere between 60 to 120 contaminants that are regulated. 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. But just testing for more contaminants doesn't necessarily mean a state's cannabis products are safer. It's really early days when it comes to the research. So it's hard to say which contaminants are the most hazardous to human health.

15:13You know, Sydney, NPR has reported that the black market for marijuana is still booming. So how does that complicate things for consumers? Yeah, the patchwork of regulations has left a huge opening for underground producers and distributors. NPR has found those products are often grown and processed in really unsanitary conditions, with banned pesticides, unhealthy working conditions, and unreliable potency. We're talking about a market that lacks transparency and accountability. Whether I was getting cannabis or alcohol or my broccoli from an entirely unregulated market, I'd be concerned about a number of issues.

15:52That was Paul Armentano, head of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. So are consumers safer if they buy legal, regulated cannabis product? So they may be. 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. And even if they're not, they could. So that's often going to put people on better behavior. In California, there were more than 60 recalls in 2024. That includes flour, pre-rolls, edibles, and vape products. And in Maine, which has a newer system, it just issued its first cannabis recall ever in 2024.

16:30It was for mold. Researchers are still looking at how effective these consumer protections might be. 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. Okay, so that's why NPR will be looking at how consumers are navigating this whole new world of cannabis use. Sydney, thank you. Thank you.

16:56And that's Up First for this Monday, February 3rd. I'm Stephen Skeet. And I'm Michelle Martin. Make your next listen, consider this. The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single news story in just 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today's Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Nishant Dehia, Sammy Yenigan of NPR's All Things Considered. We don't often get to credit this guy in this podcast. Anyway, Andrea DeLeon, Jenea Williams, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Lily Quiroz, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from the ever-supportive Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Nisha Hines.

17:34Join us tomorrow.

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