School Funding, Venezuelan Deportation Hearing, Key Bridge Inspection

Summary

Up First from NPR – March 21, 2025

Hosts: Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A. Martinez

NPR’s Up First delivers the essential news to kickstart your day, covering the top three stories with in-depth reporting and analysis. In the March 21, 2025 episode, the hosts delve into President Trump’s controversial attempt to dismantle the Department of Education, a high-stakes hearing on the deportation of Venezuelan migrants, and the alarming findings from the inspection of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Additionally, listeners are given a preview of upcoming NPR reporting from China amidst escalating trade tensions.

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1. President Trump's Effort to Shutter the Department of Education

Key Highlights: President Trump has initiated executive actions aimed at eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, a move he argues will return education governance “back to the states where it belongs” (02:20). However, this initiative faces significant opposition, with a recent NPR/PBS News-Marist Poll indicating that a majority of Americans do not support the shutdown (02:33).

Impact on Federal Education Grants: The administration’s plan threatens the distribution of federal education grants essential for low-income and rural schools. Janaki Mehta, NPR's education reporter, explains that nearly the entire staff of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is being laid off, which jeopardizes the processing and allocation of funds such as Title I and the Rural Education Achievement Program (04:18).

Expert Insights: Amy Price Azano from Virginia Tech underscores the real-world consequences:

“[04:51] Jennifer Homendy: When we talk about percents and all, we forget that that's a real kid.”

The elimination of NCES staff not only disrupts current funding but also poses a long-term threat to future financial support for schools. The intertwined relationship between NCES and the U.S. Census Bureau further complicates the situation, as both agencies are essential for accurate data collection and grant distribution.

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2. Judicial Hearing on the Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants

Background: In a contentious legal battle, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is seeking explanations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the deportation of over 200 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, despite a court order to halt such actions (00:15).

Use of the Alien Enemies Act: President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a power historically reserved for wartime, to expedite the deportation process without the standard, lengthy immigration procedures (07:25). This unprecedented use has drawn sharp criticism and legal challenges from organizations like the ACLU and Democracy Forward.

Deportation Controversies: Despite judicial efforts to pause deportations, planes carrying around 200 individuals departed, leading to accusations that the administration bypassed legal directives. Immigration officials have noted that many of those deported lack criminal records in the U.S., raising questions about the legitimacy and humanitarian implications of these actions (07:10).

Judicial Scrutiny: Judge Boasberg is pressing the government to justify its actions and whether it breached his court order. The DOJ has cited potential state secrets to withhold information, a defense that Boasberg has criticized as “woefully insufficient” (08:38). The administration has responded by labeling the judge’s inquiries as “inappropriate judicial overreach,” setting the stage for further legal confrontations (09:11).

Broader Implications: This case exemplifies the Trump administration’s broader strategy of expanding executive power, which faces increasing resistance and legal challenges across the judiciary. Janaki Mehta remarks on the potential for these disputes to reach the Supreme Court, highlighting the significant judicial battles ahead (10:02).

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3. National Transportation Safety Board Reports on Key Bridge Inspection

Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge: A disturbing report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reveals that Maryland failed to conduct necessary assessments on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last year after a collision with the cargo ship Dali, resulting in six fatalities (10:27).

Negligence in Safety Assessments: Steve Inskeep discusses the NTSB’s findings, noting that Maryland neglected industry-standard assessments established in the early 1990s. These assessments are crucial for evaluating factors like vessel traffic and bridge resilience (11:03). The lack of oversight contributed significantly to the bridge’s vulnerability and subsequent disaster.

Industry Standards and Preventative Measures: The NTSB emphasized the importance of adapting to evolving maritime traffic, including the implementation of concrete barriers known as dolphins to prevent ship collisions (11:47). Layla Fadel highlights the dramatic increase in vessel sizes over the decades, which necessitates more robust infrastructure protections:

“12:31 Layla Fadel: Vessels have gotten bigger, heavier. At one point in the 1950s, we had vessels that had just 800 containers on them. Now we're talking 24,000 containers.”

Nationwide Risks: The NTSB report does not limit its concerns to Maryland. It identifies 68 other bridges across the United States that similarly lack adequate safety measures, spanning from California to New York. The urgency for these structures to undergo thorough assessments and implement remediation plans is paramount to prevent future tragedies (12:50).

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4. Upcoming NPR Coverage from China Amidst Trade Tensions

NPR’s Focus on U.S.-China Relations: Looking ahead, an NPR team, including Steve Inskeep, will be reporting from China to provide insights into the country's response to the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. This coverage will explore China's economic strategies in the face of American tariffs and changing global dynamics (13:53).

Economic Landscape in China: John Ruich outlines the current state of China’s economy, noting slower growth due to declining real estate prices and reduced consumer confidence. However, China is simultaneously making significant strides in high-tech industries such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a formidable global competitor (14:30).

China Development Forum: The team plans to attend the China Development Forum, a pivotal business conference analogous to Europe’s Davos, to engage with international CEOs and economic specialists. The aim is to glean a nuanced understanding of China’s economic resilience and strategic positioning on the world stage (13:53).

Anticipated Reporting: Listeners can expect comprehensive reports on how China navigates the challenges posed by U.S. tariffs and the broader implications for global trade and technology sectors. The coverage will also shed light on China's internal economic adjustments and international business relations.

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Conclusion

The March 21, 2025 episode of Up First from NPR presents a thorough exploration of pressing national issues—from the potential dismantling of a key federal department and controversial immigration policies to critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. Moreover, the upcoming international reporting promises to provide valuable perspectives on the evolving U.S.-China economic landscape. Through incisive reporting and expert analysis, NPR ensures listeners are well-informed on the developments shaping their world.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• A. Martinez [00:02]: "President Trump is trying to shut down the Department of Education."
• Layla Fadel [02:20]: "We're going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs. And this is a very popular thing to do. But much more importantly, it's a common sense thing to do."
• A. Martinez [02:33]: "It's not popular, though, with a majority of Americans... many of the workers who help get that money to those schools will be out of a job."
• Jennifer Homendy [07:25]: "Trump invoked the Alien Enemies act... It allows the government to deport people without going through the regular immigration process, which can take years."
• Layla Fadel [12:31]: "Vessels have gotten bigger, heavier. At one point in the 1950s, we had vessels that had just 800 containers on them. Now we're talking 24,000 containers."

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This summary was crafted based on the transcript provided, ensuring all key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode are thoroughly covered for those who have not listened.

Transcript

[A. Martinez]

President Trump is trying to shut down the Department of Education.

[Layla Fadel]

We're going to be returning education very simply back to the States where it belongs.

[Janaki Mehta]

How will the move impact rural and low income students?

[A. Martinez]

I'm A. Martinez. That's Layla Fadel. And this is up first from NPR News. A judge wants answers from the Trump administration on why it deported more than 200 Venezuelan migrants after a court order said stop. What will the government say when they're forced to explain?

[Janaki Mehta]

And a new report found that if Maryland had done needed assessments on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it could have prevented its collapse last year.

[Layla Fadel]

These bridge owners need to be looking at recent vessel traffic. Things have changed over time.

[Janaki Mehta]

What can other places learn from this disaster? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

[Scott Mascioni]

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[Janaki Mehta]

President Trump is using his executive power to try and shut down the US Department of Education.

[Layla Fadel]

We're going to be returning education very simply back to the states where it belongs. And this is a very popular thing to do. But much more importantly, it's a common sense thing to do.

[A. Martinez]

It's not popular, though, with a majority of Americans. That's according to a recent NPR PBS News Marist Poll. The administration has promised that certain federal education grants, including for low income and rural schools, would. But by this evening, many of the workers who help get that money to those schools will be out of a job.

[Janaki Mehta]

NPR education reporter Janaki Mehta has been following the story and joins us now. Hey, Janaki.

[Ximena Bustillo]

Hey, Layla.

[Janaki Mehta]

So, Janaki, let's start with the executive action President Trump signed yesterday that aims to eliminate the Education Department. And we expected this. But can the president just eliminate the Department of Education?

[Ximena Bustillo]

No, that actually requires an act of Congress. The action essentially tells the Secretary of Education to take all steps towards elimination, eliminating the department to the maximum extent possible under the law. And like I said, it does require Congress. But we've already seen the Trump administration move towards that goal by cutting the department workforce nearly in half. Many of the Ed Department's employees are going to have their last day today before being put on administrative leave.

[Janaki Mehta]

So even without an act of Congress, the steps begin now. And your reporting has found that nearly the entire staff of the Education Departments data agency is being laid off. What exactly does that agency do?

[Ximena Bustillo]

Yeah, so the national center for Education Statistics, or nces, has been the central source of data about education in the US for more than 150 years. At the start of this year, more than 100 people were working there. And after today, just three NCES staff will remain. That's according to multiple employees at NCES and an internal email we've reviewed. And nearly all the data experts responsible for determining whether schools qualify for certain federal grants will soon be out of jobs.

[Janaki Mehta]

So this data agency being eliminated, what does it mean for schools?

[Ximena Bustillo]

So part of what NCES works on are known as formula grants for schools, things like Title one, which goes to low income schools, and also funding for rural schools through the Rural Education Achievement Program. Those are just two examples. But if there aren't data people crunching these numbers, employees tell us it's going to be really hard for schools to get that money. I talked to Amy Price Azano, who leads the center for Rural Education at Virginia Tech, and she said it's important, important to remember the students on the other side of this money.

[Jennifer Homendy]

When we talk about percents and all.

[Ximena Bustillo]

Of this, we forget that that's a real kid.

[Jennifer Homendy]

And so how will those kids have everything that they need to be successful.

[Ximena Bustillo]

In school to be safe in school? And I should say we did reach out to the Ed Department for comment on all of this and they did not reply.

[Janaki Mehta]

What kind of things do schools use that money for?

[Ximena Bustillo]

Yeah, so formula grants are actually really flexible. Once states and districts get these grants from the ED Department, they primarily get to choose what to do with it. Like title or rural school grants could be used to pay school staff salaries, transportation costs, technology, really the nuts and bolts of what makes a school a school. And that's part of why programs like Title 1 or these rural school grants are such bipartisan, golden children. You know, they let local leaders do what best serves the unique needs of their students.

[Janaki Mehta]

So how soon will schools feel the pain of this data being gone?

[Ximena Bustillo]

Yeah, I've spoken to employees at NCS who have worked on both grants for rural schools and on Title one, and they all tell me they're pretty confident districts will get the money they expect for the next school year, but they're really worried about what's going to happen after that. Like, if business was as usual, NCES staff would be hard at work right now gathering the data for the 20, 26, 27 school year. And that is going to be a lot harder with just three employees. And I should add, Leila, NCS doesn't work alone when it comes to title one. It works closely with the U.S. census Bureau. But we learned earlier this week that the Trump administration is starting to shrink that agency, too. And that could certainly further complicate the distribution of Title 1 funding.

[Janaki Mehta]

NPR Education reporter Janaki Mehta. Thank you, Janaki.

[Ximena Bustillo]

Thank you.

[Janaki Mehta]

At a hearing today, U.S. district Judge James Boasberg will try to get answers from the Department of Justice about Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador.

[A. Martinez]

President Trump has called for Boasberg to be impeached after he stopped the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies act to immediately deport the Venezuelans suspected of being members of the Trend Arawa gang. But planes still left the US carrying over 200 people to El Salvador. Now the judge wants the government to prove that they did not ignore his order.

[Janaki Mehta]

NPR's immigration policy reporter Ximena Bustillo has been following all this and joins me now. Hi, Ximena, Good morning. Ximena, let's just take a step back here and break down why there's been such a reaction to Trump using this power to deport these men.

[Jennifer Homendy]

Well, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies act, and this is a presidential power that has only been previously used during times of war. It allows the government to deport people without going through the regular immigration process, which can take years. Now, two groups, the ACLU and Democracy Forward, caught wind that he was going to do this and preemptively sued. Last weekend, they argued that the administration should not use the act to deport five Venezuelan men that they represent. They later broadened their request to apply to anyone potentially covered by the Alien Enemies act under Trump's Invocation, the judge agreed to pause deportation under the act for two weeks. But while this was all playing out in court, three planes left the US carrying over 100 people the White House says were deported under the act. The Trump administration is alleging that these members are trend a Venezuelan gang. But in court filings earlier this week, immigration officials also said that many of those removed under the act do not have criminal records in the United States. And as noted, they were taken to El Salvador.

[Janaki Mehta]

Okay, so the judge tried to stop these deportations or pause them for two weeks. There were some new filings in the case yesterday. What did they show?

[Jennifer Homendy]

Yesterday the DOJ had to file additional details about the flights, but Boasberg says that they, quote, again evaded its obligations. He said that Trump's Cabinet secretaries are deciding whether to refuse to provide evidence. The executive branch has the power to not give judges information they want if officials say it will harm national security or foreign relations. But Boasberg says the government filings are, quote, woefully insufficient because they're still deliberating whether to invoke this so called state secrets privilege.

[Janaki Mehta]

And what is the judge trying to learn now?

[Jennifer Homendy]

He's trying to understand if the administration disobeyed his orders, which did call for planes to be turned around. Trump officials have underscored that they did not disobey orders. Still, they've doubled down on their criticism of the original order and have even called to impeach Boasberg.

[Janaki Mehta]

And what does Boasberg want the government to do now? What are the next steps?

[Jennifer Homendy]

He's asking the government today to explain any of its discussions about invoking this privilege of state secrets. And they must make a final decision by March 25. A Justice Department spokesperson said the department sees the questions from Boasberg as, quote, inappropriate judicial overreach. And more of this might be discussed in a hearing this afternoon.

[Janaki Mehta]

Now, this is one case of many around President Trump's actions. Just zoom out a little bit. What has this week shown us about the legal challenges the Trump administration is facing?

[Jennifer Homendy]

This case is not the only one that has attracted strong words from judges. And ultimately, the Trump administration is using laws that have not been tested for decades and stretching that executive power. Many of those questions are ending up in courts across the country, including with results that may not favor Trump's interpretation. We can expect more of these challenges to work their way up the judicial system and even end up in the Supreme Court.

[Janaki Mehta]

All right, thanks, ximena.

[Jennifer Homendy]

Thank you.

[Janaki Mehta]

NPR's Ximena Bustillo, M.D. failed to conduct Crucial assessments of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which could have prevented its collapse last year.

[A. Martinez]

That's according to a new report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the collapse of the bridge following a collision with a cargo ship. And the board says there are other bridges at risk.

[Janaki Mehta]

Scott Masioni from member station WIPR joins me to talk about this. Good morning, Scott.

[Steve Inskeep]

Good morning.

[Janaki Mehta]

So what could Maryland have done to better prepare itself for this kind of disaster?

[Steve Inskeep]

Well, there's quite a few things that certain industry standards says they could have done. Those industry standards were started in the early 1990s, and Maryland just really didn't conduct the assessments that they were supposed to in terms of of what those industry standards set. That's according to the ntsb. They say that lack of oversight could have been a big factor in the collision. The NTSB also noted that it conducted its own survey and found the bridge was 30 times over that risk threshold that was set by those industry standards. And also, just as a reminder, a cargo ship named the Dali rammed into the Key Bridge this time last year in March, causing its collapse and also the death of six people.

[Janaki Mehta]

What sort of things do these assessments entail?

[Steve Inskeep]

They look at things like vessel traffic, vessel transit speeds, loading characteristics, a lot of those sorts of attributes. And over the years, ships have gotten bigger and bigger and the bridges have gotten older, which means they need to adapt by putting things up like dolphins, which are these sort of concrete barriers that keep ships from actually getting to the bridge and ramming into them. So these industry standards have asked these bridge owners to take these extra precautions to avoid collapse. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy noted how those changes in vessel sizes have really made the industry completely different. And had bridges really have to look at what they're doing in terms of that sort of thing.

[Layla Fadel]

These bridge owners need to be looking at recent vessel traffic. Things have changed over time. Vessels have gotten bigger, heavier. At one point in the 1950s, we had vessels that had just 800 containers on them. Now we're talking 24,000 containers.

[Janaki Mehta]

What about other bridges across the nation?

[Steve Inskeep]

The NTSB noted that Maryland specifically hasn't conducted these assessments on the Chesapeake Bay bridge, which spans 17.6 miles. It's the fourth largest bridge in the United States according to length. It also identified 68 other bridges across the country that weren't built to the needs and specifications of this company. NTSB is strongly urging those bridge owners right now to conduct assessments to report back to the NTSB with remediation plans. And those bridges they span from California to Washington to New York. They're all over the United States. So this is going to be quite an undertaking for people who own bridges and for different states and departments of transportation.

[Janaki Mehta]

That's WIPR's Scott Mascioni. Thank you, Scott.

[Steve Inskeep]

Thank you.

[Janaki Mehta]

Here's some other news. In the coming days, an NPR team will be reporting in China, and that includes Steve Inskeep. Steve, why now?

[John Ruich]

Well, Layla, because of the trade war that the United States has launched with China. I want to see what this looks like from the other side, how the Chinese are responding to American tariffs and also a broader new U.S. attitude toward the world. If you think about things like the effort to ban TikTok, to give just one example, one of the things we're gonna be doing is going to this big Chinese business conference. If you've heard of things like the big Davos meeting in Europe, this is the very rough equivalent of that, the China Development Forum, Global business people gather, and it's a chance for us to try to listen in and get a sense of what's going on with the economy.

[Janaki Mehta]

So who shows up at a conference like that?

[John Ruich]

International CEOs from Europe, from the United States, specialists on China and its economy. From what we've heard so far, the Americans are going to be a little sparse, but some will be there. And I'm going to be listening to the way that business leaders talk about the climate now and also how the Chinese government tries to position itself as the United States assumes a new role in the world.

[Janaki Mehta]

So what is China's economy like as the US Ramps up tariffs?

[John Ruich]

Well, the big picture is a little bit slower growth than in the past. Real estate prices, the fall in real estate prices are dragging things down. A lot of people don't feel as wealthy because their homes are worth less. Consumer spending is low, consumer confidence is low. At the same time, China's high tech development is pulling them up. They're dominating industries like electric vehicles. They're being more competitive than people expected in artificial intelligence, on and on. But we want to get at some of the nuances of how China's economy is growing and how it's changing. And that is what we're going to hear in days to come. Along with an NPR team that includes John Ruich and Anthony Kuhn, there's going to be some news out of China. China's president is widely expected perhaps to have a meeting with international CEOs, and we'll try to follow it all.

[Janaki Mehta]

All right. I'm looking forward to that reporting from you and your team.

[John Ruich]

Steve Me too.

[Janaki Mehta]

And that's up first for Friday, March 21st.

[A. Martinez]

I'm Layla Falden and Amy Martinez with the recent arrest of Philippine ex President Rodrigo Duterte. This weekend on the Sunday Story from upverse, we return to the Philippines that Duterte left behind and examined the aftermath of his brutal war on drugs. That's right here in the upverse podcast this Sunday.

[Janaki Mehta]

And today's episode of up first was edited by Nicole Cohen, Anna Yukonanova, Luis Clemens, Alice Wolfley and Mohamed El Badisi. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Simon Laszlo Jansen and our technical director is Stacy Abbott. Our executive producer is Jay Shaylor. And up first is here for you tomorrow too with Aisha Roscoe and Scott Simon. Join them on Saturday.

[Scott Mascioni]

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