Up First (NPR) – February 12, 2026
Episode: Bondi's Heated Hearing, Pushback On Trump's Tariffs, Revised 2025 Jobs Report
Overview
This episode covers the three most significant news stories of the day:
- Attorney General Pam Bondi’s heated Congressional hearing regarding the Epstein files and wider DOJ controversies.
- Congressional pushback on President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, including rare bipartisan opposition and its broader economic implications.
- The latest jobs report, revealing mixed signals about the U.S. labor market and a substantial downward revision to the 2025 job growth figures.
The hosts provide commentary, interviews, and analysis with a tone that’s direct, urgent, and occasionally sharp, balancing hard facts with moments of pointed questioning.
1. Bondi’s Heated Congressional Hearing (02:08–06:31)
Key Points
- Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee in a raucous and contentious hearing.
- The hearing was nominally about DOJ oversight; instead, it dissolved into partisan attacks, evasion, and personal insults.
- Bondi arrived ready to confront Democratic lawmakers, especially about the Epstein files and Justice Department controversies (03:06).
- Rep. Jerry Nadler pressed Bondi on Epstein-related prosecutions.
- Bondi notably refused to answer whether anyone besides Epstein was under investigation.
- Memorable exchange:
- A. Martinez (03:31): "How many have you indicted? Excuse me?"
- Carrie Johnson: "I'm going to answer the question."
- A. Martinez: "Answer my question."
- Carrie Johnson: "No, I'm going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question."
- A. Martinez: "No, you're going to answer the question the way I asked it."
- Survivors of Epstein’s crimes were present in the hearing.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked Bondi to apologize to victims after documents with identifying info and nude images were posted publicly on the DOJ website.
- Bondi accused Jayapal of “gutter politics” instead of apologizing (04:00).
- New controversy erupted after a photo showed Bondi holding what appeared to be a search history of lawmakers’ document reviews—hinting at DOJ surveillance (04:30).
- Bondi defended her record:
- "I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so. I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster." (Carrie Johnson paraphrasing Bondi, 04:56)
- GOP Panel Behavior:
- Most Republicans praised Bondi and the Trump administration’s record, particularly regarding falling violent crime rates and tough immigration enforcement.
- Exception: Rep. Thomas Massie, who called the DOJ’s Epstein file handling a “massive failure” and accused Bondi of being party to a long-standing “cover up.” (05:06)
- Accusations of DOJ being weaponized against Trump foes:
- Rep. Jamie Raskin:
- (05:56) "You've turned the People's Department of Justice..."
- (06:02) "into Trump's instrument of revenge."
- (06:05) "Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and..."
- (06:06) "...you deliver every time."
- Recent DOJ actions against Trump's political opponents, such as Comey and Tish James, were cited; both cases were dismissed but investigations continue.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin:
2. Pushback on Trump’s Tariffs on Canada (06:40–10:20)
Key Points
- Rare GOP dissent:
- Six House Republicans joined Democrats to overturn tariffs on Canadian imports, a sign of growing intra-party resistance to Trump as midterms approach (06:45–07:11).
- Economic stakes and political calculus:
- Businesses are wary of investing due to trade uncertainty; voters blame tariffs for higher prices (07:11).
- Trump threatens primary challenges against GOP dissenters.
- Do tariffs “bring in billions”?
- White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez:
- CBO report: Tariffs could reduce the deficit by $3 trillion over ten years (07:56).
- 90% of tariff costs are passed on directly to U.S. consumers, not paid by foreign companies (08:26).
- Brendan Duke (former Biden NEC): Emphasizes tariffs as a de facto tax on shoppers at Walmart, Costco, etc.
- White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez:
- Broader international implications:
- Michael Hanlon (Brookings): Some pushback could repair U.S. credibility as a fair economic partner (08:52).
- Quote: "As long as we're trying to push back against this notion that the United States plays by different rules... I think that's much better than the perception that America will continue to act this way indefinitely." (08:52)
- Trump’s warning: If courts strike down tariffs, the U.S. may be on the hook to repay billions.
- Michael Hanlon (Brookings): Some pushback could repair U.S. credibility as a fair economic partner (08:52).
- Are tariffs here to stay?
- Trump remains committed, vowing creative workarounds if courts intervene; this could embolden further GOP pushes for change (09:51).
3. Revised 2025 Jobs Report – Mixed Economic Signals (10:29–13:47)
Key Points
- January 2026 job market looks stronger, but...
- 130,000 jobs were added in January, more than double Nov/Dec’s rate, suggesting possible labor market stabilization (10:50).
- Most new jobs were in health care—a sector less sensitive to general economic turmoil.
- Sarah House (Wells Fargo): "It's still a tough jobs market if you're unemployed to break into." (11:21)
- Unemployment:
- Unemployment rate fell to 4.3%; notable improvements for African Americans and young workers after last year’s spikes (11:38).
- Major downward revision to 2025 job growth:
- Labor Department annual revision erased most reported job gains from 2025, raising questions as GDP remained strong (11:54).
- Laura Ulrich (Indeed Hiring Lab):
- "Either firms are going to look and say, hey, we are still growing quite a bit. We need to hire some more people, or they're not going to grow as they hope and they're going to lay people off." (12:24)
- AI not yet considered a primary cause for weak jobs growth.
- Wages and consumer spending:
- Wages up 3.7% year-over-year—outpacing inflation, but growth has slowed (12:53).
- Workers lack bargaining power seen in previous years.
- Sarah House (Wells Fargo): "We're just not seeing as much income growth coming from the labor market. And so that has implications in terms of maintaining the recent pace of consumer spending." (13:20)
- Consumer spending—a major economic engine—remains stable for now, but increasingly relies on households burning through savings or using credit.
Notable Quotes and Moments
- "No, I'm going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question." — Pam Bondi, paraphrased/by proxy, to Congressional questioning (03:36)
- "Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time." — Rep. Jamie Raskin (06:05)
- "This is a cover up that spans decades, and she's responsible for part of it." — Rep. Thomas Massie (05:40)
- "It's still a tough jobs market if you're unemployed to break into." — Sarah House, Wells Fargo (11:21)
- "As long as we're trying to push back against this notion that the US plays by different rules... that's much better than the perception that America will continue to act this way indefinitely." — Michael Hanlon, Brookings (08:52)
Segment Timestamps
- Bondi Hearing/DOJ Controversies: 02:08–06:31
- Tariff Pushback & Political Implications: 06:40–10:20
- 2025 Job Numbers Revised & Labor Market Analysis: 10:29–13:47
This episode sharply illustrates the heated partisan battles in Congress, growing unease over the use (and political cost) of tariffs, and murky signals from the U.S. job market as economic realities become harder to pin down. The hosts and correspondents maintain a brisk, journalistic tone, bringing in direct quotes and firsthand exchanges to highlight the day's urgency and complexity.