More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation

Summary

Up First from NPR - January 25, 2025

Episode: More Hostages Go Free, Trump Halts Foreign Aid, RFK Jr.'s Confirmation
Hosts: Scott Simon and Ayesha Rascoe

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Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Up First, hosts Scott Simon and Ayesha Rascoe delve into three pivotal stories shaping the global and domestic landscape: the ongoing hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, the Trump administration's controversial suspension of U.S. foreign aid programs, and the impending Senate confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, providing a clear understanding for those who haven't tuned in.

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I. Hamas and Israel Hostage Exchange

The episode opens with a significant development in the long-standing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers as part of a broader ceasefire agreement entering its second week.

• Details of the Exchange

  At [00:02], Scott Simon reports, “Hamas releases four female soldiers as the ceasefire with Israel enters its second week.” Ayesha Rascoe adds, “In exchange, Israel will hand over a total of 200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.” This exchange marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict, with both sides making concessions.

• Public Reception and Process

  In Tel Aviv, a crowd celebrated the release, as noted by Ayesha Rascoe at [00:20], “A crowd gathered outside in Tel Aviv cheered when a big screen TV showed the Israeli soldiers being handed over to the Red Cross.” NPR's Greg Myri, reporting from Tel Aviv, describes the orchestrated handover: “The four Israeli women dressed in olive military uniforms... were paraded onto an outdoor stage in the center of Gaza City” ([01:11]).

• Contrast with Previous Exchanges

  Greg Myri highlights the difference from previous handovers: “A dramatic contrast. Last Sunday, in the first exchange under the ceasefire, Hamas drove three Israeli civilian women into the middle of a very unruly crowd...” ([02:05]). This more orderly exchange signifies Hamas's attempt to assert control and present a façade of legitimacy.

• Israel's Response and Future Implications

  Following the release, Israel reciprocated by freeing 200 Palestinians, including individuals convicted of serious crimes ([02:45]). Greg Myri emphasizes the ceasefire's fragility and the lingering challenges: “The first phase of the ceasefire lasts six weeks. The two sides will then have to negotiate some very hard questions...” ([03:16]).

Key Takeaway: The mutual release of hostages underscores a tentative stabilization amid the conflict, yet underlying tensions and unresolved issues persist, leaving future relations uncertain.

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II. Trump Administration Halts U.S. Foreign Aid

A major domestic policy shift forms the second focal point of the episode: the Trump administration's decision to pause most U.S. foreign aid programs.

• Overview of the Administrative Move

  Ayesha Rascoe introduces the topic by stating, “An internal memo obtained by NPR calls for U.S. humanitarian and development programs to stop their work and blocks virtually all new foreign assistance” ([04:25]). This directive builds upon an executive order issued earlier in the week, aiming to align foreign assistance with the administration's foreign policy goals.

• Details from NPR's Fatima Tanis

  NPR's Fatima Tanis elaborates on the memo's implications: “U.S. foreign assistance will be frozen while a comprehensive review... to ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump's foreign policy agenda” ([04:44]). The freeze affects approximately $60 billion in annual aid, excluding exemptions like military financing for Israel and Egypt, and emergency food aid ([05:21]).

• Impact on Aid Programs and Personnel

  The halt threatens a wide array of programs, from infrastructure projects to global health initiatives like PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives ([05:24]). Fatima Tanis warns of severe repercussions: “Employees of USAID... will have to pull out their staff who are providing critical services in the field and also lay off US Staff” ([06:15]).

• Reactions from Aid Organizations

  The move has elicited strong criticism from aid groups. Abby Maxman of Oxfam America describes the decision as “seismic impacts for the entire global aid system” and “cruel” ([08:05], [08:07]). A senior USAID official anonymously condemned the order as “completely reckless and disruptive” and “draconian” ([06:53]).

Key Takeaway: The Trump administration's suspension of foreign aid represents a significant withdrawal from global humanitarian efforts, risking destabilization in vulnerable regions and undermining decades-long initiatives aimed at improving global health and infrastructure.

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III. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Senate Confirmation Hearing

The final segment addresses the highly anticipated confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services.

• Background and Nominative Credentials

  Ayesha Rascoe notes, “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.... is headed towards confirmation hearings next week” ([08:25]). As President Trump's nominee, Kennedy's appointment has stirred considerable debate within the medical community.

• Concerns Over Vaccine Stance

  The primary opposition centers on Kennedy's long-standing involvement in the anti-vaccine movement. Will Stone reports, “His track record on vaccines is the most prominent one” ([08:55]). Dr. Brett Giroir critiques Kennedy's past actions: “He has no other basis for being the head of HHS” ([11:20]).

• Medical Community's Response

  A significant backlash is evident, with over 15,000 physicians signing a petition against his confirmation, spearheaded by the Committee to Protect Health Care. Additionally, the American Public Health Association has urged rejection of his nomination ([09:48]). However, the American Medical Association has remained silent, prompting questions about political influences on medical organizations ([10:48]).

• Support for Kennedy's Health Initiatives

  Despite widespread opposition, some support exists for Kennedy's focus on chronic diseases. Proponents like Dr. Philip Ovedia emphasize the importance of addressing obesity and diabetes ([12:16]). Supporters rally through groups like Maha Action, which has garnered over 4,000 signatures from physicians and scientists advocating for his appointment ([11:43]).

• Likelihood of Confirmation

  The outcome remains uncertain. While some Republicans express reservations, sources suggest sufficient support exists for confirmation. Kennedy's spokesperson remains optimistic, citing extensive preparations and engagements with senators ([12:29], [12:53]).

Key Takeaway: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as HHS Secretary is mired in controversy due to his anti-vaccine advocacy, creating a polarized environment within the medical community and raising significant concerns about the future direction of U.S. public health policy.

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Conclusion

This episode of Up First provides an in-depth examination of critical issues ranging from Middle Eastern geopolitics to domestic policy shifts and high-stakes political appointments. The hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel signals a fragile path towards peace, the Trump administration's suspension of foreign aid poses severe humanitarian risks, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial nomination highlights the ongoing tensions within the U.S. health sector. As these stories unfold, their implications will significantly shape both international relations and domestic policies.

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Additional Information

For those interested in more in-depth stories, future episodes include an exploration of a notorious prison in Syria, shedding light on human rights abuses under former President Bashar al-Assad. Stay informed by tuning into NPR's Weekend Edition or visiting stations.NPR.org.

Transcript

[Scott Simon]

Hamas releases four female soldiers as the ceasefire with Israel enters its second week.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

In exchange, Israel will hand over a total of 200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon. And this is up first from NPR News.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

A crowd gathered outside in Tel Aviv cheered when a big screen TV showed the Israeli soldiers being handed over to the Red Cross.

[Scott Simon]

We'll have more on that story.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Also, the US State Department pauses most foreign aid programs. The Trump administration says it wants to undertake a thorough review.

[Scott Simon]

And what's ahead as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Faces a Senate confirmation hearing next week.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

So stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. Hamas took the Israeli soldiers captive 15 months ago during its October 7 raid.

[Scott Simon]

The Palestinian group held them as hostages ever since. NPR's Greg Myri is in Tel Aviv. Greg, thanks for being with us.

[Greg Myri]

Hi, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

What was that moment like?

[Will Stone]

Yeah.

[Greg Myri]

Hamas presented this highly orchestrated handover. The four Israeli women dressed in olive military uniforms and oddly wearing lanyards were paraded onto an outdoor stage in the center of Gaza City. Now they were surrounded at all times by Hamas fighters dressed head to toe in black, including balaclavas. They also wore their green headbands and carried automatic rifles. The women waved to the Palestinian crowd and then they were presented to the Red Cross, which drove them a short distance to the Israeli military. The four women are now in a hospital outside Tel Aviv. As you noted, all were seized at an Israeli military base just outside of Gaza back in October of 2023 in the Hamas attack that ignited the war.

[Scott Simon]

This was a very different handover than what we saw last week, wasn't it?

[Greg Myri]

Yeah. A dramatic contrast. Last Sunday, in the first exchange under the cease fire, Hamas drove three Israeli civilian women into the middle of a very unruly crowd in a central square in Gaza. Lots of pushing and shoving and the three women clamored into a Red Cross van. Hamas clearly wanted a more orderly exchan time. And Scott, I think very importantly, Hamas wanted to show it's in charge of Gaza, that its fighters are willing to appear in public at a ceremony or event like this. An Israeli military spokesman was critical of the handover, describing this public presentation of the women as a cynical charade.

[Scott Simon]

And how is Israel accomplishing its part of the exchange?

[Greg Myri]

So just a couple hours later after that, the Israelis Freedom 200 Palestinians. This included many convicted of serious crimes. Media reports say about 120 of those released are Palestinians serving life sentences after being convicted of killings. Also about 70 of those being freed are not being allowed to return to Palestinian areas. Israel says they are being deported to Egypt and then on to other countries in the region.

[Scott Simon]

Gregor, the release is on both sides an indication that the ceasefire is holding. It's working.

[Greg Myri]

Yes, Scott, it's absolutely a good sign that the ceasefire is now wrapping up its first full week and still holding. These releases are incredibly important to both Israeli and Palestinian societies as they welcome their people home. We're seeing additional developments as well. Hundreds of truckloads of aid are now flowing daily into Gaza, far exceeding anything we saw during the 15 months of fighting. We should note there are some very hard questions that are still ahead. The first phase of the ceasefire lasts six weeks. The two sides will then have to negotiate some very hard questions, like when will all the Israeli troops leave Gaza? And will Hamas be allowed to remain in charge of Gaza?

[Scott Simon]

And here's Greg Myri in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for being with us, Greg.

[Greg Myri]

Sure thing, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

An internal memo obtained by NPR calls for U.S. humanitarian and development programs to.

[Scott Simon]

Stop their work and blocks virtually all new foreign assistance.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The directive expands on an executive order that President Trump issued earlier in the week.

[Scott Simon]

NPR global health correspondent Fatma Tanis joins us now. Fatima, thanks for being with us.

[Fatima Tanis]

Thanks for having me, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

And please tell us about this memo.

[Fatima Tanis]

So it was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and It says that U.S. foreign assistance will be frozen while a comprehensive review of all programs can be undertaken to, quote, ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump's foreign policy agenda. Now, the memo says the review will be completed within 85 days, and that means for nearly three months there's going to be no new funding for any foreign assistance, and programs that have already been approved for funding will have to stop work. There are some exemptions, such as foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt and also emergency food aid.

[Scott Simon]

What kind of programs are likely to be affected?

[Fatima Tanis]

It's everything from the building of roads to vaccination programs. And there are also aid efforts in sensitive conflict zones. These are often logistically complicated programs. So once you pause them, it's hard to get things running back up again immediately. And you know, Scott, we're talking about a lot of investment, around $60 billion worth. That's how much the US provides in foreign assist annually. And it's the biggest financial supporter of development aid in the world. So this is going to have a huge impact across the board. And there's a lot that's still unclear. There are questions about how this is going to affect, you know, aid to Ukraine and Taiwan, for example. Also critical global health programs like pepfar. That's the US Effort to combat HIV around the world, and it's credited with having saved 25 million lives.

[Scott Simon]

What might happen to people who work for these programs?

[Fatima Tanis]

So until this review is over, these US Funded programs are likely going to have to cease operations, even furlough or lay off their staff. Employees of usaid, the agency primarily responsible for administering humanitarian and development aid, will be keeping their jobs for now. But I should also note that many of the organizations that partner with the US on foreign assistance are based in the US and they employ people here and overseas. So this is going to impact overseas staff in the short term, but it will also lead to layoffs in the US if it continues.

[Scott Simon]

What kind of reaction from aid groups?

[Fatima Tanis]

People are shocked and really worried. A senior official at USAID told me that, quote, the work stop order is completely reckless and disruptive and said it was draconian. The official asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency. I also spoke to the leader of an organization that partners with usaid. They offer humanitarian assistance. And that person told me the administration, administration has, quote, thrown a grenade right into the middle of foreign assistance. This person also spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution against their organization for speaking out. They said that they would have to pull out their staff who are providing critical services in the field and also lay off US Staff. The person said that, quote, we can't afford to keep funding our programs because we don't know if we will be reimbursed per our contracts with US Agencies. Now aid experts are also warning that this move could have a destabilizing effect in countries where humanitarian aid is critical. I spoke to Abby Maxman. She's the president of Oxfam America. It's a charity that does not take funding from the US Government. And here's what she said.

[Scott Simon]

It's having seismic impacts for the entire global aid system.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And really, frankly, it's a cruel decision.

[Greg Myri]

That has life or death consequences for.

[Scott Simon]

Millions of people around the world.

[Fatima Tanis]

She's called on the Trump administration to reverse the move before it's too late.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Fatima Tanis. Thanks so much for being with us.

[Fatima Tanis]

Thank you for having me.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The son of the slain attorney general from the 1960s, is headed towards confirmation hearings next week.

[Scott Simon]

President Trump has nominated him as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Many in the medical community oppose his confirmation, though some do support it. NPR'S Will Stone joins us now to talk about it. Hi, Will.

[Will Stone]

Hey there.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

So, Will, what are the main concerns about Kennedy's confirmation?

[Will Stone]

Well, his track record on vaccines is the most prominent one. For years, Kennedy led an advocacy group that it's a major player in the anti vaccine movement. In 2021, he petitioned the government to revoke the authorizations for the COVID vaccines. Kennedy said in 2023 that no vaccine is safe and effective and he's made other inaccurate claims about infectious diseases. Now recently, Kennedy has softened his tone. After the election, he told NPR he's not going to take anyone's vaccines away. I asked Dr. Brett Giroir about this. He's a former assistant secretary for health in the first Trump administration.

[Dr. Brett Giroir]

Just saying, you know, I'm not going to take your vaccines away is would not be sufficient for me. If that were the answer and the only explanation, I would definitely not confirm him. His issues about vaccines and reliance on quasi or pseudoscience needs to be changed.

[Will Stone]

He isn't taking a position yet, but he says senators need to ask questions because there's a lot an HHS secretary could do to undermine vaccines.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Well, where is this pushback coming from?

[Will Stone]

So many doctors are speaking out on social media and in op EDS in opposition. The biggest organized effort is a campaign that's gathered at least 15,000 signatures from physicians that's being led by a progressive advocacy group called Committee to Protect Health Care. Separately, the American Public Health association has urged the Senate to reject Kennedy. But some of the most prominent physician groups, like the American Medical association, have not weighed in publicly. I reached out to the AMA about this. They did not respond. Dr. Rob Davidson with Protect Healthcare says he's not sure why they aren't taking a stance. It's politics. It's D.C. and I guess they'll have to answer to that. I think it's wrong. I think if they truly stand for the health of our patients, they should be coming out against this and taking a stand.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

But RFK Jr has vowed to address chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes and trying to make Americans healthier again. What about that?

[Will Stone]

Well, that is a big part of his appeal. And many in public health say this is important. But this focus cannot be at the expense of preventing infectious diseases like measles. Dr. Jeffrey Flyer, a former dean of Harvard Medical School, says Kennedy has assessed to this point, not in spite of his previous activism, but because of it.

[Dr. Brett Giroir]

He has no other basis for being the head of hhs. Anyone could stand up and say, oh, you know, we have a lot of chronic disease. We need to look at it. The idea that he represents some new insight into the importance of that area and how we should be thinking about it is ludicrous.

[Will Stone]

And I should add, that flyer is a well known researcher in the field of obesity.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Okay, but, but there are some supporters in the medical community. Who, who are they?

[Will Stone]

Yeah, that's right. There's also a petition from a pro Kennedy group called Maha Action, Maha being short for Make America Healthy Again. And that group says it has over 4,000 verified signatures from physicians and scientists. You see a lot of support for Kennedy online in the wellness and influencer space, physicians who are focused on diet and lifestyle. One of them is Dr. Philip Ovedia, a Florida heart surgeon with a telemedicine practice.

[Scott Simon]

A lot of what RFK has talked about is looking at our food supply.

[Greg Myri]

Looking at the ingredients in our food.

[Scott Simon]

That's something that he's been talking about for a long time and it's great to see that part of it being elevated.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

So how likely is it that Kennedy will get confirmed?

[Will Stone]

So it's hard to say. Some Republicans have expressed concern. The former Trump official Gerwas says it looks like there may be enough support for Kennedy to be confirmed. We reached out to a Kennedy spokesperson for comment. She said, Bobby Kennedy has met with over 60 United States senators. He's prepared and excited.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's NPR's Will Stone. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Will Stone]

Thank you.

[Scott Simon]

And that's up first for Saturday, January 25th, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Aisha Rascoe. Today's podcast was produced by Andrew Craig with help from Fernando Narrow. Michael Radcliffe directed and this episode was.

[Scott Simon]

Edited by Jerome Sokolovsky, Scott Hensley, Shannon Rhodes, Rebecca Davis and Matthew Sherman.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Andy Huether is our technical director with engineering support from Zach Coleman, David Greenberg and author Holiday Laurent.

[Scott Simon]

Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. And Jim Tom Kane, I've got to get his middle name someday, is our deputy managing editor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Tomorrow on the Sunday story, inside a notorious prison in Syria where thousands of people were detained and killed under former President Bashar al Assad.

[Scott Simon]

And for more news, interviews and analysis, you can tune into WEEKEND EDITION on your radio. Go to stations.NPR.org and find your local stations. It.