Federal Worker Email Confusion, UN On Ukraine, Colorado River, France Surgeon Trial

Summary

Up First from NPR – February 25, 2025

NPR’s Up First provides the essential news to kickstart your day. In this episode, hosts Leila Fadel and Steve Inskeep delve into four major stories: confusion among federal workers regarding a critical email directive, the United States’ contentious stance at the United Nations regarding Ukraine, the worsening drought crisis affecting the Colorado River, and a high-profile child abuse trial in France.

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1. Federal Worker Email Confusion

Overview: Federal employees find themselves perplexed following an email directive that has sparked widespread confusion and mixed responses within government agencies.

Details: Over the weekend, an email circulated among federal workers, supported by a social media post from Elon Musk, instructing employees to reply with five tasks they accomplished in the past week. Musk publicly warned that failure to comply could be interpreted as a resignation. In response, various cabinet agencies advised their staff to either ignore the email or respond through official agency channels, leading to uncertainty.

Key Points:

• Official Guidance: The acting director of the Office of Personnel Management issued a clarification, suggesting agencies review and evaluate responses on a case-by-case basis but did not provide definitive instructions. (03:09)

• Leadership Commentary: President Trump's remarks in the Oval Office criticized the initiative, implying that unresponsive employees were essentially non-functional or nonexistent. “If you don't do this, we're going to count it as your resignation,” he stated, highlighting concerns about workforce accountability. (04:23)

• False Statistics: The administration previously cited a survey claiming only 6% of federal workers were present at their jobs, a figure later proven inaccurate. Most employees are indeed attending work, with many utilizing hybrid schedules or working remotely. (04:49)

Impact: The conflicting messages from federal leadership have left employees uncertain about their obligations, potentially undermining morale and operational efficiency within governmental departments.

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2. United States’ Stance at the United Nations on Ukraine

Overview: The United States has taken a controversial position at the United Nations Security Council concerning the Ukraine conflict, leading to a rift with European allies.

Details: The U.S. opposed a resolution demanding Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, advocating instead for a resolution focused on peace without assigning blame. U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea described the draft resolution as “elegant in its simplicity, a symbolic, simple first step toward peace.” (05:35) Despite this, the resolution was passed with the support of the U.S., Russia, and China, while Britain and France abstained.

Key Points:

• European Hesitation: European allies, represented by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, expressed reservations. They emphasized that resolutions must acknowledge Russia’s aggression to ensure that “aggression does not pay.” (06:10)

• General Assembly Contrast: In the General Assembly, Ukraine and its allies pushed for a more assertive statement condemning Russia, which garnered support from 93 countries. The U.S. resolution, however, was supported by countries like Russia, Belarus, and North Korea, highlighting a significant diplomatic divide. (07:09)

• Symbolic Significance: While the U.S. resolution lacks concrete demands, its passage underscores the Trump administration’s divergent approach from traditional American allies in Europe, raising concerns about long-term alliances and global leadership.

Expert Insight: Michelle Kellerman of NPR explains that “the terms of the peace must send a message that aggression does not pay,” stressing that the U.S. approach may undermine collective efforts to ensure accountability for Russia’s actions. (07:57)

Impact: The U.S. stance at the UN reflects a broader shift in diplomatic relations, potentially weakening the unified front traditionally held by Western allies against Russian aggression in Ukraine.

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3. Colorado River Drought Crisis Intensifies

Overview: The Trump administration’s decision to freeze funds allocated for mitigating the Colorado River drought exacerbates an already critical water shortage affecting multiple states.

Details: President Biden had previously allocated $4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act to support farmers, cities, tribes, and other stakeholders in reducing water usage from the Colorado River. However, the Trump administration has put these funds on hold, leaving major water consumers uncertain about future support.

Key Points:

• Climate Impact: Climate change has led to unprecedented reductions in the river’s water levels, threatening the operational capabilities of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, essential for hydropower generation and water distribution. (09:21)

• Federal Response Freeze: With the funding paused, water users are unsure whether to continue with conservation efforts or resume previous water extraction levels. Alex Hager from KUNC explains that without these incentives, “steady demand is going to make it more difficult to keep Lake Mead and Lake Powell from shrinking.” (10:36)

• Economic and Environmental Consequences: The freeze jeopardizes not only immediate water supplies but also long-term ecological initiatives aimed at preventing wildfires and restoring habitats within the Colorado River basin. (10:25)

Impact: The halt in federal funding complicates negotiations among the seven states relying on the Colorado River, potentially leading to increased water scarcity and heightened tensions over resource allocation.

Expert Commentary: Michelle Kellerman emphasizes, “These are not woke environmental programs. These are essential to continued ability to divert water.” highlighting the critical nature of these initiatives beyond political narratives. (10:25)

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4. France Surgeon Trial Reveals Systemic Failures in Preventing Abuse

Overview: A high-profile trial in western France has emerged, revealing the extensive abuse of minors by a once-respected surgeon, exposing significant gaps in the country’s safeguarding systems.

Details: Joel Le Square Nec, a 74-year-old surgeon, stands accused of abusing 299 patients, predominantly children with an average age of 11, over three decades. Most abuses occurred while patients were under anesthesia in surgical or recovery rooms. Despite evidence, including possession of child pornography, prior legal actions in 2004 resulted in a lenient suspended sentence with no practice restrictions, allowing Nec to continue his career unhindered until 2017.

Key Points:

• Documentation of Abuse: Nec meticulously kept diaries documenting his abuses and identifying victims, facilitating the recent trials. (12:24)

• Systemic Failures: Victims’ representatives, like lawyer Francesca SATA, argue that an “omerta” of silence within both personal and professional circles enabled Nec’s prolonged abuse. Despite early warnings, systemic inaction allowed him to exploit his esteemed position. (14:26)

• Comparative Context: Earlier trials, such as that of a French man who orchestrated a decade-long rape scheme involving multiple perpetrators and documented evidence, have led to legislative changes. Advocates hope the Nec trial will similarly catalyze concrete reforms in rape laws and institutional safeguards. (15:15)

Impact: This trial not only seeks justice for the victims but also aims to spark a critical examination of and reforms within French institutions to prevent such abuses from recurring.

Reporter’s Insight: Eleanor Beardsley highlights the societal and legal implications, noting, “This trial is missing what the other one had, which made it possible really to get through it. For everyone watching a hero, the wife, Giselle Pellico, who bravely demanded that it be public so that society could progress.” (14:45)

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Conclusion: Today's episode of Up First sheds light on significant national and international issues, from government communication mishaps and global diplomatic tensions to environmental crises and the pursuit of justice in cases of systemic abuse. Hosts Leila Fadel and Steve Inskeep guide listeners through these complex topics, offering insightful analysis and expert perspectives to inform and engage.

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Thank you for listening to NPR’s Up First. Subscribe and stay informed with the stories that shape our world.

Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

Good morning. We're having a heated discussion in here. Not really heated about the apostrophe in its. It s versus its.

[Leila Fadel]

And the discussion consists of. I wrote it wrong.

[Steve Inskeep]

You were wrong. I'm sorry.

[Leila Fadel]

The discussion is Layla's wrong.

[Steve Inskeep]

It sounds the same. Layla's rarely wrong.

[Leila Fadel]

That's true.

[Steve Inskeep]

The United States broke with allies at the UN Refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

[Leila Fadel]

Is the US Burning its allies?

[Steve Inskeep]

Oh, my God. You did it a third time. I eliminated two of the apostrophes and there's yet a third one. Oh, my gosh.

[Leila Fadel]

Why do you got to point out all my flaws, Steve?

[Steve Inskeep]

No, I'm not. I'm sorry. That's terrible to me. The United States avoids blaming Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. US Allies differ at the UN the.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Terms of the peace must send a message that aggression does not pay.

[Leila Fadel]

Is the US Breaking with its friends?

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Fadel. And this is up first from NPR News. The Colorado river drought could get worse. The Trump administration put billions of dollars aimed at keeping the river flowing on hold.

[Michelle Kellerman]

These are not woke environmental programs. These are essential to continued ability to divert water.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, can the money be found elsewhere?

[Leila Fadel]

And a surgeon is on trial in France. He's accused of abusing hundreds of his patients, most of them children. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

[Ron Rudson]

This message comes from NPR sponsor SATVA founder and CEO Ron Rudson shares the experience they hope to create in their viewing rooms.

[Jon Stewart]

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[Ron Rudson]

To learn more, go to saatva.com NPR this message comes from Comedy Central's the Daily Show. Jon Stewart and the Daily show news team are covering every minute of every hour of President Trump's second first 100 days in office. Brand new episodes every weeknight, from the lowest lows to the lowest highs and everything in between. They'll be there to break it all down. Comedy Central's the Daily show new weeknights at 11 on Comedy Central and streaming next day on Paramount. This message comes From NPR sponsor 1Password. If you bypass security to save yourself some time, you're not alone. Fortunately, with one password, extended access, management, security and productivity no longer have to be at odds. 1Password Extended Access Management ensures that whatever device your employees use for work, it's healthy and uncompromised. Get started today, securing every app, device and identity, even the unmanaged ones. For a free two week trial, visit1Password.com.

[Leila Fadel]

First the deadline for that what did you do last week? Email that federal workers received has come and gone, but everyone's still confused about who should have responded and what's next.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, I don't know if you've been following this. An email went out over the weekend supported by a post on social media by Elon Musk, telling federal workers to reply with five things that they did last week. And Musk publicly saying, if you don't do this, we're going to count it as your resignation. A number of cabinet agencies told their employees to ignore this email or to reply to the management of the agency. Various things, and now the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management is issued guidance clarification, although things are not that much clearer. Charles Ezell wrote that the agency should, quote, review responses and evaluate non responses, not explicitly saying that you should or shouldn't write the email. He added, it's up to agency leaders to decide how to proceed.

[Leila Fadel]

So federal workers were in this position of should I reply? Should I not reply? And getting all these mixed messages. Elon Musk and President Trump weighed in again yesterday. Here's the President in a conversation with journalists in the Oval Office.

[Steve Inskeep]

I thought it was great because we have people that don't show up to work and nobody even knows if they work for the government. So by asking the question, tell us what you did this week, what he's doing is saying are you actually working? And then if you don't answer like you're sort of semi fired or you're fired because a lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist.

[Leila Fadel]

Is there evidence that there's a bunch of federal workers that don't exist?

[Steve Inskeep]

Well, administration people have quoted a survey finding that only 6% of federal workers are coming into work. But that turns out to be false. And it turns out the vast majority do show up for the office and a limited number have hybrid schedules or work from home.

[Leila Fadel]

The Trump administration has been shifting course on Ukraine so much that it was at odds with allies in Europe in votes at the United Nations.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, the United States opposed a resolution at the Security Council that demanded that Russia withdraw from Ukraine. American diplomats instead put forward a differently worded resolution that called for peace without blaming Russia for anything. Here's how U.S. ambassador Dorothy Shea put.

[Michelle Kellerman]

It our draft resolution is elegant in its simplicity, a symbolic, simple first step toward peace.

[Steve Inskeep]

And the Security Council did approve it, with the United States, Russia and China all voting yes. Britain and France abstained. The exact choice of words matters, because what the Security Council approves carries the force of international law.

[Leila Fadel]

NPR's Michelle Kellerman joins us now to talk about all this. Good morning.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Good morning, Leila.

[Leila Fadel]

So first, Michelle, why were the Europeans hesitant to join what the US Calls a simple step toward peace?

[Michelle Kellerman]

Yeah, because the resolution didn't recognize the reality that Russia started this war, nor did it even call for a just peace based on the UN Charter, which Russia is violating. British Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the Council that no one wants peace more than Ukraine. But the terms matter, and the terms of the peace must send a message that aggression does not pay. This is why there can be no equivalence between Russia and Ukraine in how this council refers to this war. And while the US Says this is just a first step to support a peace process that will eventually include everyone, there's just a lot of concern about how the Trump administration is going about this. President Trump himself doesn't seem to agree to the reality that Putin started the war and is the aggressor.

[Leila Fadel]

Yeah, and that wasn't the only vote at the UN Yesterday. Tell us about what happened in the General Assembly.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Yeah, I mean, this whole thing started because the Ukraine and its European allies wanted the UN to mark the third anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion by voting on a much longer statement, one that called on Russia to pull out, to stop targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, infrastructure to return civilians, including Ukrainian children, who were forcibly deported to Russia during the course of this war. Now, the Trump administration did not like that, and that's why they drafted their own resolution, you know, challenging anyone to say, we don't support peace. And in the end, 93 countries supported Ukraine's version in the General Assembly. And it was amazing to look at the board to see the names of the 18 countries that voted no on that the US was in league with Russia, Belarus, North Korea, just to name a few.

[Leila Fadel]

Wow. Very different than pass votes. Does any of this really make a difference, though?

[Michelle Kellerman]

Well, it's mostly symbolic. I mean, because the resolution that the US Drafted didn't actually demand anything of anyone. It just called the conflict awful and implores a swift end to it. It didn't even call for a ceasefire, anything, you know, concrete. But what all of this kind of diplomatic theater did show is how far the Trump administration has come to embrace Vladimir Putin and how at odds that is with America's allies in Europe. I mean, the allies are still trying to influence him. The French president was at the White House yesterday, and the British prime minister is meeting Trump later this week.

[Leila Fadel]

NPR's Michelle Kellerman. Thank you, Michelle.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Thank you.

[Leila Fadel]

President Biden set aside $4 billion to keep the Colorado river flowing.

[Steve Inskeep]

President Trump has now put that money on hold, which leaves the river's big water users asking, what's next?

[Leila Fadel]

Alex Hager with member station KUNC covers the drought crisis on the Colorado and joins us now. Good morning, Alex, Good morning.

[Alex Hager]

Thanks for having me.

[Leila Fadel]

Thank you for being here. Okay. This money President Biden put aside basically pays farmers, cities, tribes, and others to not take water they own out of the Colorado River. Why?

[Alex Hager]

Well, climate change is shrinking the river to record lows. So at the nation's biggest reservoirs, that's Lake Mead and Lake Powell, water levels could drop low enough that they wouldn't be able to generate hydropower or even send water downstream. So the Biden administration has been telling farmers if they hit pause on growing some crops, the government will give them money to help replace any income they lost by leaving some water in the reservoirs.

[Leila Fadel]

And that money came from the Inflation Reduction Act. And one of President Trump's first executive orders was to revoke that act in large part. So is that money just completely gone now?

[Alex Hager]

Water users have been told that their grants are under review, but they're not hearing much from their contacts with the federal government. And I'll note that NPR's questions about all this to federal agencies went unanswered. Some are confused as to why their funding is caught up in this freeze, because it doesn't seem to be related to the Trump administration's stated priorities like eliminating diversity programs and developing American energy production. I talked about that with Anne Castle, who helped manage water under Presidents Biden and Obama.

[Michelle Kellerman]

These are not woke environmental programs. These are essential to continued ability to divert water.

[Alex Hager]

And without money to incentivize water savings, we're likely to keep seeing steady demand on reservoirs that are already dangerously low.

[Leila Fadel]

Okay, so what happens if these big Colorado river users don't get the money President Biden promised?

[Alex Hager]

No one can say for sure. But I talked to a number of representatives for big water users, and they told me there's just a lot of question marks about what's going on or what might be next. But if they go back to using water like they did before the Inflation Reduction act, that steady demand is going to make it more difficult to keep Lake Mead and Lake Powell from shrinking. Worth noting that the IRA also funded longer term work to keep the whole Colorado river basin ecologically healthy. So that's hundreds of millions of dollars for things like preventing wildfires and restoring habitats. I talk to folks who do that work on the ground, and they say if the federal funding goes away, it'll leave a gap that's too big to be filled by donors or local governments.

[Leila Fadel]

Okay, so the seven states that use the river in the middle of tense talks about new rules for sharing its shrinking supply. How will this impact negotiations?

[Alex Hager]

Yeah, well, this is likely to make those talks harder. There's less water in the river than there used to be, and states know they need to cut back on their demand accordingly. So far, some of the biggest cutbacks on demand have only been possible because of federal incentive programs. So now the states might need to figure out new ways to make those difficult cutbacks to farms and cities whose economies and people depend on the Colorado River.

[Leila Fadel]

That's Alex Hager with member station KUNC in Colorado. Thank you, Alex.

[Alex Hager]

Thank you.

[Leila Fadel]

A massive child sex abuse trial has begun this week in the west of France.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah. Once respected surgeon admitted to abusing hundreds of minors over decades, most of them while under anesthesia. The trial is set to last four months. Victims advocates hope this will prompt a hard look at the failure of the system that should have prevented such abuse.

[Leila Fadel]

We go now to NPR's Eleanor Beardsley to hear more. And just a warning that you're about to hear some disturbing details about this case. Good morning, Eleanor.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

Good morning, Layla.

[Leila Fadel]

So just break down the case for us. First, who is this surgeon? Where did he practice? Who did he obtain?

[Michelle Kellerman]

Okay.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

His name is joel le square nec. He's 74 years old now and he was a prominent surgeon in western France specializing in appendectomies, abdominal and gynecological surgery. He's accused of abusing 299 of his patients over three decades, both girls and boys, and the average age was 11. He carried out the abuse mostly when they were anesthetized, when he was alone with them in the operating theater or recovery room. And damningly, he was flagged for possessing child pornography. In 2004, the FBI actually alerted French authorities after his credit card was linked to a pornography site. But the French judge imposed a four month suspended sentence with no restrictions on his practice or mandated therapy. He went on to serve in many hospitals and continued his abuse until 2017 when he coaxed his six year old neighbor into his backyard and abused her. He's now serving 15 years for that and facing another 20 for the new abuse cases that have come out since because he kept meticulous diaries of his abuse and named his patients. I spoke with Francesca SATA, a lawyer representing 10 victims and families. Here she is. She says he benefited from an omerta silence, both personal and professional. He abused his own nieces. And SATA, like many believe his then wife, among others, must have suspected something.

[Leila Fadel]

I mean, you describe him getting caught around child pornography in 2004, and then his abuse continues for nearly over a decade. Why was he not stopped?

[Eleanor Beardsley]

Yeah, well, that's the question. You know, I spoke with freelance journalist Hugo Lemonier, who just wrote a book about it, and he says this trial, if it's only about this one man, will be a failure because the point, he says, is we continue to allow la Square Neck to be alone with children. No one asked questions, likely because of his high position in society as a surgeon. Here's Lemonier.

[Michelle Kellerman]

After he was found guilty of child.

[Steve Inskeep]

Pornography, nothing has changed because nobody wanted.

[Michelle Kellerman]

To see him as a danger.

[Steve Inskeep]

Nobody wanted to see the predator.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

And even though he's admitted his guilt, Leila. In France, the trial proceeds despite a confession, unlike in the US and this.

[Leila Fadel]

Comes after another very covered trial internationally that documented a pattern of sexual abuse in France. A different trial, right?

[Eleanor Beardsley]

That's right. Last year, the world watched the trial of a French man and many other men who drugged his wife and brought these men into their home to rape her over a 10 year period and filmed it all. And just like in that case with the husband, this surgeon has admitted guilt. Yesterday, as the trial opened, Lesquar Neck told the court, if I'm appearing before you, it's because one day when most of these people were just children, I committed hideous acts. But this trial is missing what the other one had, which made it possible really to get through it. For everyone watching a hero, the wife, Giselle Pellico, who bravely demanded that it be public so that society could progress. And that has led to a shift in mentalities and actually concrete changes in rape laws. People are hoping that this trial will have a similar effect.

[Leila Fadel]

NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris, thank you for your reporting.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

Thank you, Leila.

[Leila Fadel]

And that's up first for Tuesday, February 25th. I'm Laila Falden.

[Steve Inskeep]

And I'm Steve Inskeep. If you'd like make your next listen, consider this. The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single News story in 15 minutes. You can listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Leila Fadel]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Tara Neal, Eric Whitney, Kevin Drew, Janaya Williams and and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from with over a decade of experience and over 1500 clients across the U.S. jITASA helps nonprofits of all sizes manage their bookkeeping, accounting, taxes and CFO services. Because every client is unique, JITASA can customize rates at a fixed monthly cost to ensure clients have a consistent price and function to count on, saving time and doing so at a cost that nonprofits can afford to focus on their missions.

[Ron Rudson]

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[Jon Stewart]

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