Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts

Summary

Summary of "Up First from NPR" Episode: "Myanmar Quake, Who Pays Tariffs, E.O. Impacts On Arts"
Release Date: March 29, 2025

NPR's "Up First" episode released on March 29, 2025, delves into three major stories shaping the headlines: the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, the implementation of sweeping US tariffs under President Trump, and the administration's executive orders impacting the arts sector. This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented throughout the episode.

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1. Devastating Earthquake in Myanmar and Its Aftermath

Magnitude and Immediate Impact
The episode opens with a report on a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck southeast Asia, particularly affecting Myanmar and Thailand. The earthquake resulted in the collapse of buildings, significant loss of life, and widespread devastation.

• Eder Peralta (00:02) sets the scene: "Buildings topple and Myanmar's military government makes a rare plea for international aid."
• Scott Simon (00:07) adds context: "That's after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook southeast Asia."

Rescue Efforts and Government Response
Recovery operations are underway, but the military government's restrictive measures since the 2021 coup have hindered communication and aid distribution.

• Michael Sullivan from Chiang Rai, Thailand (02:30) provides a frontline perspective: "Reporters that are leaking out, Scott, are pretty grim... he's helping with the relief effort, but doesn't want to be named because he's afraid of the military."
• Scott Simon (04:48) inquires about the death toll, to which Sullivan responds (04:56): "Modeling by the USGS estimates the death toll... is likely to surpass 10,000, with a strong possibility it could go much, much higher."

International Aid and Historical Context
Unlike previous disasters where Myanmar's military resisted foreign aid, this time, senior General Minong Lang has openly requested international assistance.

• Michael Sullivan (03:53) notes: "So here he's saying Myanmar will welcome foreign aid from anywhere, and some has already begun to arrive from neighboring India and China."
• Scott Simon (04:56) reflects on past reluctance: "In past disasters, the military ignored offers of help... during Cyclone Narga in 2008, more than 140,000 people ended up dying."

Severity and Preparedness
The country's preparedness for such disasters is critically low, exacerbated by years of civil conflict and a strained public health system.

• Michael Sullivan (05:39): "Four years of civil war since the coup has left the public health system in tatters, and aid distribution is severely restricted by the conflict as well."
• The UN estimates that 20 million people in Myanmar need humanitarian assistance, with over 15 million facing acute food insecurity even before the earthquake.

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2. Implementation of Sweeping US Tariffs Under President Trump

Introduction to New Tariffs
President Trump has introduced a 25% tariff on all imported cars and auto parts, with plans for additional reciprocal tariffs on a wide range of goods.

• Scott Simon (06:45): "President Trump's new tariffs, 25%, go into effect for all imported cars and auto parts."

Who Bears the Cost of Tariffs?
Contrary to the White House's assertions that foreign countries bear the cost, experts argue that American businesses and consumers are the primary payers.

• Eder Peralta (07:02): "If you ask the White House, it's foreign countries. Here's how Trump put it..."
• Danielle Kurtzleben (07:26) explains: "An American company is handing that money over. It's not the Canadian company selling the goods, and it's certainly not Canada."

Economic Analysis and Evidence
Studies indicate that tariffs pass through to American importers and consumers rather than being absorbed by foreign producers.

• Danielle Kurtzleben (08:37): "American businesses and consumers largely paid Trump's first term tariffs."
• Eder Peralta (09:02) summarizes: "On virtually all Chinese products coming to the United States."

Impact on Foreign Economies and US Relations
Tariffs have tangible effects on foreign manufacturing sectors and strain diplomatic relationships, as seen with Canada's strong objections and public campaigns against US tariffs.

• Danielle Kurtzleben (10:04): "Chinese manufacturing declined after Trump's first term tariffs... Canada is loudly protesting the tariffs..."
• Eder Peralta (10:54): "Tariffs involve trade-offs. Higher prices are just one of the economic problems that tariffs can cause."

White House Stance and Future Implications
Despite evidence contradicting the administration's claims, Trump maintains that tariffs bolster US manufacturing and protect national interests.

• Danielle Kurtzleben (09:25): "White House officials argue that foreign companies will lower their prices to compensate for the tariffs."
• Scott Simon (09:45): "It's a myth that's put out there by foreign countries that really don't like paying tariffs."

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3. Executive Orders Impacting Arts and Culture

Trump’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Executive Orders
President Trump's recent executive orders target DEI initiatives within federal arts and cultural institutions, aiming to reshape narratives and funding guidelines.

• Eder Peralta (11:14): "There's likely a theater or children's museum near you that is being supported in part by the federal government."
• Tanya Moseley (11:44): Details the executive orders’ focus on restricting DEI programs.

Impact on Major Institutions
Significant changes have been implemented at institutions like the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center, with shifts in leadership and funding priorities.

• Tanya Moseley (12:12): "Trump signed an executive order this week that said in part that the Women's History Museum will, quote, not recognize men as women in any respect."
• Scott Simon (13:56): "President Trump also made big changes to the John F. Kennedy center for Performing Arts, made himself the chair of the board."

Funding and Legal Challenges
The administration's directives have led to legal challenges, particularly from the ACLU against the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for violating free speech protections.

• Tanya Moseley (15:05): "The ACLU is suing the NEA because the agency had told arts groups that they wouldn't be eligible for funding if they promoted... gender ideology."
• Danielle Kurtzleben (16:05): "The NEA was originally intended to encourage freedom of thought, not become a government propaganda arm."

Artist and Community Reactions
Artists express confusion and concern over the new guidelines, fearing restrictions on creative expression and inclusivity.

• Holly Bass, a multidisciplinary artist, (16:17): "Lots of artists... are confused about language that says you can't do anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion."
• Michael Sullivan (16:40): "As an artist, I am doing the most American thing possible by telling my American story... I will continue to do that."

Broader Cultural Implications
The administration’s stance against "wokeness" is seen as a move to curtail inclusive and diverse narratives in the arts, potentially stifling creative freedom and marginalizing minority voices.

• Tanya Moseley (14:32): "The term 'woke' has become a code for disparaging efforts to make organizations more inclusive."
• Scott Simon (14:38): "There's no more woke in this country."

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Conclusion

This episode of NPR's "Up First" provides a thorough examination of critical global and domestic issues. The devastating earthquake in Myanmar underscores the challenges of disaster response under authoritarian regimes, the US tariffs highlight the complexities and unintended consequences of protectionist economic policies, and the executive orders on arts reveal a contentious battleground over cultural and ideological expression. Through detailed reporting and expert analysis, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of the current socio-political landscape.

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Notable Quotes:

• Eder Peralta (00:02): "Buildings topple and Myanmar's military government makes a rare plea for international aid."
• Michael Sullivan (02:55): "Firefighters, police, the Red Cross and volunteers are taking bodies from the rubble... about 80% of the town has been totally destroyed."
• Danielle Kurtzleben (07:36): "A company in America is handing that money over. It's not the Canadian company selling the goods, and it's certainly not Canada."
• Tanya Moseley (12:37): "The order says that the Smithsonian has come under the influence of a divisive race centered ideology."

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This summary aims to provide an in-depth overview of the "Up First" episode, capturing the essence and critical insights of each major story discussed. For a fuller understanding and additional details, listening to the full episode is recommended.

Transcript

[Eder Peralta]

Buildings topple and Myanmar's military government makes a rare plea for international aid.

[Scott Simon]

That's after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook southeast Asia. I'm Scott Simon.

[Eder Peralta]

I'm Eder Peralta. And this is up first from NPR News. Recovery efforts are underway in Myanmar and neighboring Thailand. We have the latest.

[Scott Simon]

Sweeping tariffs come into effect in days. What you need to know about who will be footing the bill and how.

[Eder Peralta]

The administration's diversity efforts may affect your local theater or children's museum.

[Scott Simon]

So please stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.

[Eder Peralta]

99% of the US population lives within listening range of at least one public media station and everyone can listen to NPR podcasts free of charge. That means you get completely unpay walled access to stories, prize winning reporting and shows that represent the voices in every corner of the country. Hear the bigger picture every day on npr.

[Tanya Moseley]

NPR informs and connects communities around the country, providing reliable information in times of crisis. Federal funding helps us fulfill our mission to create a more informed public and ensures that public radio remains available to everyone. Learn more about safeguarding the future of public media, visit protectmypublicmedia.org this is Tanya Moseley, co host of Fresh Air. Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison for a murder she did not commit. When she was exonerated, she made an.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Unusual decision to befriend the prosecutor who.

[Tanya Moseley]

Argued for her guilt. Maybe he could help her make sense of her case.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

I spent years thinking about it and trying to understand it until I realized that I could just ask.

[Tanya Moseley]

Listen to this interview on the FRESH AIR podcast.

[Eder Peralta]

In Myanmar, state run media now say more than 1,000 people are dead after an earthquake in the center of the country. It was so powerful, it was felt. 600 miles to the south in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A skyscraper that was under construction there collapsed, leaving dozens buried.

[Scott Simon]

The epicenter of the quake was roughly 10 miles from Myanmar's second biggest city, Mandalay, home to some 1.5 million people. Michael Sullivan is in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and joins us now. Michael, thanks for being with us.

[Michael Sullivan]

Hi, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

It's early in the evening where you are. What do we know about rescue efforts?

[Michael Sullivan]

Well, it's hard getting information from Myanmar because of the military government's severe restrictions on Internet access and other means of communication since the 2021 coup. But reports that are leaking out, Scott, are pretty grim. Here's a teacher from Pyemana on the outskirts of the capital, Nipidaw. He's helping with the relief effort, but doesn't want to be named because he's afraid of the military.

[Scott Simon]

Hello.

[Michael Sullivan]

Right now, firefighters, police, the Red Cross and volunteers are taking bodies from the rubble, he says. But we don't have enough equipment, not enough machinery, and that's why the rescue work is very hard, he says. He reckons about 80% of the town has been totally destroyed and says the death toll just in his town is at 200 and counting. Now, that's in a town about 150 miles south of Mandalay, the city you mentioned only 10 miles from the epicenter, a city of over a million people. And images coming there show pancake buildings everywhere and rescue efforts hampered, workers say, by the same lack of equipment and enough people to help. The hospitals are completely overflowing, and many people are preparing to spend their second consecutive night outside in the street, some because their homes are gone, others because they're afraid theirs might come down at any time.

[Scott Simon]

Historically, Myanmar's military has been suspicious of outside intervention, but have they asked for help now?

[Michael Sullivan]

Surprisingly, they have. Here's junta leader senior General Minong Lang in a televised address last night. So here he's saying Myanmar will welcome foreign aid from anywhere, and some has already begun to arrive from neighboring India and China. President Trump says the US has offered to help as well, though it's not clear how, especially with the gutting of usaid. Disaster relief was part of what it did now. In past disasters, the military ignored offers of help or severely restricted it, most egregiously. Scott, in 2008, when Cyclone Narga struck and western nations offered to use their navies and helicopters to ferry in relief supplies, the military ignored them and slow walked visas for foreign aid workers and more than 140,000 people ended up dying. I think the military asking for help this time is probably a sign they realize just how bad the situation is.

[Scott Simon]

The death toll continues to climb. We're still just two days in. Any idea of how bad it might get?

[Michael Sullivan]

Well, I mean, it's impossible to say really, but modeling by the USGS estimates the death toll from a quake as powerful as this in an area like this is likely to surpass 10,000, with a strong possibility it could go much, much higher. And I have to stress how ill prepared the country is for dealing with something this awful. Four years of civil war since the coup has left the public health system in tatters, and aid distribution is severely restricted by the conflict as well. In a country where nearly 20 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN which says more than 15 million or roughly a third of the population are facing acute food insecurity. And Scott, that was even before this quake.

[Scott Simon]

So we said, of course you're in Thailand. Thailand got pretty shaken up too, didn't it?

[Michael Sullivan]

Yeah, we felt it here in Chiang Rai and it was felt in several other provinces as well. But the damage was pretty minimal. In Bangkok, farther south, it was far more dramatic with shaking skyscrapers sending people scurrying into the streets. You might have seen the video, Scott, of the infinity pool on top of one of these high rise buildings raining water down several stories onto the street. And many buildings in Bangkok are being examined over the weekend before the work week starts again on Monday. And the 30 story building under construction that you mentioned in the intro that completely collapsed, several people were killed there. And rescue efforts are continuing to reach dozens of construction workers trapped under the debris. And many of them are migrant workers from Myanmar.

[Scott Simon]

Reporter Michael Sullivan in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Michael, thanks so much.

[Michael Sullivan]

You're welcome. SC.

[Scott Simon]

Next week, President Trump's new tariffs, 25%, go into effect for all imported cars and auto parts. And in a few days, he is expected to announce more tariffs, what he's calling reciprocal tariffs on goods from all over the world. So who's paying for this?

[Eder Peralta]

If you ask the White House, its foreign countries. Here's how Trump put it. On Inauguration Day, instead of taxing our.

[Scott Simon]

Citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.

[Eder Peralta]

But it's not really foreign countries. Picking up the tab, NPR's White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben is here to walk us through how it works. Hey there, Danielle.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Hey, Ader.

[Eder Peralta]

So Trump says this all the time, that tariffs are paid by foreign countries. Explain what actually happens when an import comes into the U.S. sure.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

So let's use a concrete example. Let's say an American airplane manufacturer is importing aluminum from Canada. So that aluminum arrives at a US Port, and there the manufacturer or a broker representing them pays that 25% tariff to US Customs and Border Protection. So in other words, a company in America is handing that money over. It's not the Canadian company selling the goods, and it's certainly not Canada.

[Eder Peralta]

Okay, so the money isn't being paid directly by foreign countries. So then there's a question of who actually ultimately pays the cost.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Right. And White House officials argue that foreign companies end up eating the cost of tariffs by lowering their prices. I recently asked Kevin Hassett, he's one of the president's top economic advisors, why that would be true. He told me that he expects foreign Companies will lower their prices to compensate for the tariffs. That would mean that the foreign companies profits would go down, but prices wouldn't change for American importers or consumers.

[Eder Peralta]

Okay, so, so what does the evidence show? I mean, do foreign countries lower their prices in response to tariffs?

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

No. At least not based on evidence from Trump's first term. I called an economist at Columbia University, David Weinstein, who studied Trump's first term tariffs on China.

[Eder Peralta]

For the most part, the pass through, as far as we can measure, it, was close to 100%.

[Scott Simon]

What that means is that American importers.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Paid for the cost of the tariffs.

[Eder Peralta]

On virtually all Chinese products coming to the United States.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

And other studies have also shown that American businesses and consumers largely paid Trump's first term tariffs. Now, the White House has stood by its claims that foreign companies will eat the cost of these tariffs, but I've asked the White House for data backing that up and I haven't received any.

[Eder Peralta]

Hmm. Has Trump addressed this question of who's actually on the hook for tariffs?

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Well, he's been asked about it. At a press conference last month, a reporter asked him directly why he believes foreign governments are paying tariffs. Trump did not answer directly, but he argued the economy was fine in his first term when he imposed the tariffs.

[Scott Simon]

It's a myth that's put out there by foreign countries that really don't like paying tariffs, and especially to even up.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

And again, I've asked the White House for a more direct answer on this and I haven't received a response.

[Eder Peralta]

So, speaking of other countries, I mean, tariffs don't hurt other countries at all.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Well, they certainly can. There's evidence showing that Chinese manufacturing declined after Trump's first term tariffs on them. And you can see Canada right now loudly protesting the tariffs Trump is putting in place on autos, on steel and aluminum and other goods. In fact, ads have popped up in multiple US States recently. Ads funded by the Canadian government telling Americans that tariffs are a tax. So Canada clearly doesn't like this policy. The White House, meanwhile, is arguing that Trump's tariffs are going to boost U.S. manufacturing, bringing factories back to the U.S. now, it is not clear that that's going to work, but even if it did, the point here is that tariffs involve trade offs. Higher prices are just one of the economic problems that tariffs can cause. And there are also non economic trade offs, like worse relationships with foreign countries.

[Eder Peralta]

NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben. Thank you.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Thank you, Ader.

[Scott Simon]

Wherever you live, it is likely that there is a theater or children's museum near you that is being supported in part by the federal government.

[Eder Peralta]

And if you've ever visited Scott there in Washington, D.C. you may have been inside one of the free Smithsonian museums or attended a show at the Kennedy Center. All those places are, to differing degrees, undergoing changes.

[Scott Simon]

That's because since President Trump took office a couple of months ago, his executive orders relating to gender and dei, diversity, equity and inclusion have had a profound impact on arts and culture. NPR correspondent Elizabeth Blair joins us. Elizabeth, thanks for being with us.

[Tanya Moseley]

Thank you, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Give us an overview, please, of all the changes.

[Tanya Moseley]

The changes are many and they're ongoing. Let's start with something President Trump said this week at a Women's History Month event at the White House. It has to do with the Smithsonian American Women's History Meeting Museum, which doesn't yet have a physical building. New York Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis recently introduced legislation to locate the museum on the National Mall. Here's President Trump and she is really.

[Scott Simon]

Working hard on this one. This is a passion for you and you're working. It's a big, beautiful. She said it's going to be a big, beautiful museum. Well, it has to be. If it's for women, it better be big and beautiful. But we're in trouble, right?

[Tanya Moseley]

And Trump signed an executive order this week that said in part that the Women's History Museum will, quote, not recognize men as women in any respect.

[Scott Simon]

Let's talk about that executive order because, of course, the Smithsonian is a complex of museums. There's air and space, American art, American Indian museums, also the Cooper Hewitt in New York, and for that matter, the National Zoo. So what else does this executive order say?

[Tanya Moseley]

The order says a lot. Are you ready? It says that the Smithsonian has, quote, come under the influence of a divisive race centered ideology and that it promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive. It also says that no future federal dollars can be spent on anything that degrades shared American values. It goes on to say that the Department of the Inter should take a look at federal monuments to make sure they don't, quote, perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history or include any other improper partisan ideology. And it calls for reinstating monuments. We don't know exactly what that means, but we presume he's talking about monuments that were torn down because some people found them offensive. After the murder of George Floyd, more than 150 Confederate symbols were removed across the United States, and neither the Smithsonian nor the Department of the Interior have responded to a request for comment.

[Scott Simon]

President Trump also made big changes to the John F. Kennedy center for Performing Arts, what's known as the Kennedy center, made himself the chair of the board. Do we know what his vision is?

[Tanya Moseley]

The Kennedy center, as you know, has multiple theaters and puts on thousands of performances and events a year. Trump has said the building needs a lot of work, but that it has tremendous potential. He has hinted at a few things he'd like to see there. A production of Cats, for example. He also suggested Elvis Presley should receive a posthumous Kennedy Center Honors. He has also said what he doesn't want.

[Scott Simon]

We're going to make sure that it's good and it's not going to be woke. There's no more woke in this country.

[Tanya Moseley]

The new leadership recently eliminated the Kennedy Center's Social Impact Office, which organized projects and free events for underserved communities.

[Scott Simon]

Let's talk about the way President Trump uses that term, woke, because it's now become a kind of code for disparaging efforts to make organizations more inclusive. Of course, it's often through art that people learn about different perspectives. How is the president's campaign against wokeness affecting the arts?

[Tanya Moseley]

It's affecting the thousands of arts groups in every corner of the country that receive money from the National Endowment for the Arts or the nea. The ACLU is suing the NEA because the agency had told arts groups that they wouldn't be eligible for funding if they promoted what the Trump administration calls gender ideology, which they say is denying, quote, the biological reality of sex. ACLU attorney Vera Edelman says that language violates the First Amendment and also the 1965 law that created the NEA, which says, in part, the agency should encourage freedom of thought. The law that created the NEA made.

[Eder Peralta]

Clear that the only standards by which.

[Tanya Moseley]

Any application was to be judged was.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Artistic excellence and artistic merit. And Congress also made very clear in discussing the creation of the NEA that.

[Eder Peralta]

It specifically was worried about and wanted to make sure that the NEA did.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

Not become basically a government propaganda arm.

[Tanya Moseley]

Just a note here that NPR receives NEA grant money. Once the lawsuit was filed, the NEA removed that language from its guidelines temporarily, but they're making a final determination in mid April.

[Scott Simon]

Elizabeth, there must be so many different answers to this, but what are artists making of these changes?

[Tanya Moseley]

I talked to Holly Bass, who is a multidisciplinary artist whose work often explores her life as an African American woman. She says lots of artists who have applied for NEA grants or who would like to are confused about language that says you can't do anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

[Michael Sullivan]

I would really love if the language was made more plain. Do you mean that you can only.

[Tanya Moseley]

Tell the stories of white people?

[Michael Sullivan]

And if that's what you mean, that's what you should say. But as far as I'm concerned, as an artist, I am doing the most American thing possible by telling my American story, the story of my family, the.

[Eder Peralta]

Story of my community, and I will.

[Michael Sullivan]

Continue to do that.

[Scott Simon]

Elizabeth Blair, correspondent on the Culture Desk, thanks so much.

[Tanya Moseley]

Thank you, Scott.

[Eder Peralta]

And that's up first for Saturday, March 29, 2025. I'm Eder Peralta.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon.

[Eder Peralta]

Martin Patience, Fernando Narrow and Gabriel Donatoff produced Today's episode. Ed McNulty edited along with Miguel Macias, Roberta Rampton and Jennifer Vanasco.

[Scott Simon]

Andrew Craig is our director, with support from our technical director, Andy Huether and engineers David Greenberg, Zach Coleman and Arthur Halliday Laurent.

[Eder Peralta]

Our senior supervising editor is Evie Stone. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer and Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

[Scott Simon]

Tomorrow on the Sunday story, meme coins, from a kind of cryptocurrency joke to a speculative frenzy. Find out how it all works.

[Eder Peralta]

And for more news, interviews, sports and music, you can tune in to WEEKEND EDITION on your radio. Go to stations.NPR.org to find your local NPR station. This message comes from Saatva.

[Tanya Moseley]

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[Eder Peralta]

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[Tanya Moseley]

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