Who's Been Paying Tariffs, DHS Surveillance Tools, Israel Holds Florida Teen

Summary

NPR Up First – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Who's Been Paying Tariffs, DHS Surveillance Tools, Israel Holds Florida Teen
Air Date: November 8, 2025
Hosts: Ayesha Rascoe, Scott Simon
Key Stories: President Trump’s tariffs and their impact, new DHS surveillance technologies, and a Florida teen facing 20 years in an Israeli prison.

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Episode Overview

This episode of NPR's Up First delivers the top news stories to start your day, focusing on three major topics:

1. The impact and future of tariffs imposed under President Trump, especially on U.S. consumers.
2. The Department of Homeland Security's expansion of surveillance tools and technology.
3. The detention of a Palestinian-American teenager from Florida by Israeli authorities and his pending case.

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1. The True Cost of Tariffs in the U.S.

Segment Begins: [01:56]

• Discussion Points:

  • President Trump’s tariffs are under scrutiny at the Supreme Court, with big questions about presidential authority and who bears the financial burden.
  • Prices for imported goods (coffee, clothing, furniture) have increased, but only about 20% of the tariff costs have thus far reached consumers.
  • Companies initially shielded consumers through stockpiled inventory and by delaying price hikes, but this is changing.
  • If tariffs remain through next year, average households could see an added yearly burden of $1,600 (Tax Foundation). The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates an extra $500 for an average household spending $50,000/year.
  • Tariffs are not just driving up prices—companies may also slow hiring or reduce wages, affecting an already weak job market.

• Voter Sentiment and Quotes:

  • Juliana Kim, NPR Reporter:
    “Many Americans are struggling with inflation fatigue.” [04:04]
  • Michelle Florio, New Jersey paraprofessional:
    “I have been giving baked goods as gifts for 53 years, and now I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to… I'll do some. I certainly won't do as much.” [04:25]
    • She cited cost of living as a reason for voting for a candidate she felt addressed those concerns.

• Tariff Revenue and Domestic Impact:

  • The U.S. Treasury is currently collecting four times as much tariff revenue as last year, amounting to tens of billions of dollars.
  • Increased demand for domestically produced goods is causing their prices to rise as well.
    • Erica York, Tax Foundation analyst:
      “When you demand more domestically produced goods, the prices of those goods rise.” [05:15]
  • The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision could dramatically reduce consumer burden if tariffs are ruled illegal, dropping the average annual household cost from $1,600 to $400.

• Notable Quote:

  • Juliana Kim:
    “Even if the SUPR court rules against the tariffs, York from the Tax foundation says Trump still has other ways to add more.” [05:40]

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2. New DHS Surveillance Tools Raise Civil Liberties Concerns

Segment Begins: [06:14]

• Discussion Points:

  • DHS, responding to President Trump’s push for increased deportations, is expanding tech-fueled surveillance.
  • ICE is utilizing new contracts to monitor social media, track locations, and has renewed work with Paragon Solutions, known for spyware that can hack phones.
  • A notable new tool is an app used by ICE and Border Patrol agents to scan faces in the field, aiming to identify individuals and assess deportability.

• How the App Works:

  • Field reports and social media videos show agents using phone cameras to scan faces during street stops (noted outside Chicago).
  • ICE claims this is not new, saying law enforcement has long leveraged technology.

• Oversight and Privacy:

  • Democratic senators are pressing ICE for details and to halt usage, but have not received answers.
    • Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA):
      “This type of on demand surveillance is harrowing and it should put all of us on guard. It chills speech, it erodes privacy. It ultimately undermines our democracy.” [08:37]
  • Critics warn these tools lack adequate legal and regulatory controls for oversight and accountability.
    • Emily Tucker, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology:
      “Immigration powers are being used to justify mass surveillance of everybody… it’s a mistake to think this doesn’t affect every one of us.” [09:02]
  • Neither ICE nor DHS provided NPR with comments on safeguards.

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3. Florida Teen Faces 20 Years in Israeli Prison

Segment Begins: [09:42]

• Background and Details:

  • Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American from Florida, was arrested at 15 in the West Bank in February for allegedly throwing stones.
  • He has spent nine months in Israeli prison, barred from family visits or phone calls. US consular officials report deterioration in his health (scabies, significant weight loss).

• Charges and Legal Framework:

  • Ibrahim is charged with two counts of stone throwing—potentially a 20-year sentence for stones thrown at vehicles, per security laws in the West Bank.
  • These laws, invoked after October 7, 2023, are distinct from Israel’s civilian penal code and carry harsher sentences.

• Family and Legal Voices:

  • Muna Ibrahim (Mother):
    “May no mother go through what I went through. We expected like he'll come out within one week, you know, because he's a US Citizen… It's been nearly nine months in Israeli prison.” [10:49]
  • Leah Tsemel, Israeli lawyer (not representing Ibrahim):
    “Even a boy, even a younger boy than this one is considered a security prisoner and will be limited and denied of any right. Including food, real food, including family visits? Hardly. They can see a lawyer here and there.” [13:00]
  • The Israeli military states Ibrahim is afforded due process and a lawyer.

• Court Procedures:

  • Hearings have been described as “Kafkaesque,” with frequent delays and little transparency.
    • Zaher Ibrahim (Father):
      “You wait nine hours, eight hours, seven hours. There's no time. When his court starts and you walk in, they say next court delayed till next month. That's how it's been nine months almost now.” [13:42]
  • The family hopes for his release, possibly in a plea deal—outcomes could be a sentence, a conviction, or more delays.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michelle Florio (on holiday plans):
  “I'll do some. I certainly won't do as much.” [04:35]
• Erica York (on effects of tariffs):
  “When you demand more domestically produced goods, the prices of those goods rise.” [05:15]
• Sen. Ed Markey (privacy concerns):
  “This type of on demand surveillance is harrowing…chills speech, erodes privacy…it ultimately undermines our democracy.” [08:37]
• Leah Tsemel (on security prisoners):
  “Even a boy, even a younger boy than this one is considered a security prisoner and will be limited and denied of any right.” [13:00]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:56] – Tariffs and who pays
• [06:14] – DHS and ICE surveillance expansion
• [09:42] – Mohammed Ibrahim’s detention in Israel

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR's signature balanced, explanatory style, with clear concern for the human impact behind policy stories and an emphasis on multiple viewpoints. The tone remains empathetic—particularly in the family interviews—and careful to contextualize news developments within broader social and political debates.

Transcript

[Michelle Florio]

I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Be able to do.

[Michelle Florio]

I'll do some. I certainly won't do as much as.

[Scott Simon]

The sound of tariffs eating into one consumer's plans for the holidays.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

We do the numbers today on the podcast. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

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

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Now seven months into President Trump's tariffs with arguments about them this week at the Supreme Court, we take a look at who's been footing the bill.

[Scott Simon]

Then powerful new surveillance to for the Department of Homeland Security will ask what you need to know.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And the case of a Florida teen facing 20 years in an Israeli prison.

[Scott Simon]

So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.

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[Ayesha Rascoe]

Lots of questions this week regarding President Trump's tariffs at the Supreme Court. How wide is a president's latitude to conduct foreign affairs? What powers are exclusively the legislatures? Are tariffs mainly to regulate trade or to raise revenue? And the biggie for US Consumers as we launch ourselves into the holidays? Who's paying?

[Scott Simon]

That's the money. NPR's Juliana Kim has been following. She joins us now. Juliana, thanks so much for being with us.

[Juliana Kim]

Happy to be here.

[Scott Simon]

Have we seen retail prices change in the past seven months?

[Juliana Kim]

So far, prices have gone up, you know, for coffee, clothing, furniture, things that are almost exclusively imported. But Interestingly, only about 20% of the tariff burden has actually made it to retail prices. That's according to Erica York, an analyst at the Tax Foundation, a group that advocates for simplifying the tax code. She told me companies probably had stockpiles of products before tariffs hit. And also a lot of businesses held off changing prices while there was some uncertainty around tariff rates. But that strategy is beginning to change, and companies are starting to pass higher costs to the consumer. Economists say that's going to become more common in the months ahead.

[Scott Simon]

What could costs look like in the next year?

[Juliana Kim]

So there's some different numbers floating around. The Tax foundation estimates that if tariffs stay in place throughout next year, a household could face an average burden of $1,600. I also asked this question to Kent Smedders, the faculty director at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, and he estimates that existing tariffs could tack on as much as to your average spending. So if you spend $50,000 a year, that's an extra $500. Keep in mind, prices are just one part of the story. You know, tariffs can also lead companies to slow hiring or cut wages, which isn't good news for an already weakening job market.

[Scott Simon]

Of course, exit polls from key racers this week show that the cost of living and the economy are the biggest concerns for voters. How do you think tariffs have played into that?

[Juliana Kim]

Tariffs have pushed prices higher, but for the most part, the increases have been fairly modest. That being said, many Americans are struggling with inflation fatigue. I spoke to Michelle Florio, a paraprofessional in New Jersey, and she says she's held off buying a new car and a mattress because tariffs have made them too expensive. And even her holiday plans are changing.

[Michelle Florio]

I have been giving baked goods as gifts for 53 years, and now I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to.

[Lauren Frere]

Be able to do.

[Michelle Florio]

I'll do some. I certainly won't do as much.

[Juliana Kim]

This week, she voted for Mikey Sherrill, a Democrat, to be the next governor. Part of it had to do with local issues, but Florio says a big factor was choosing a candidate she felt really cared about the cost of living.

[Scott Simon]

Now, of course, President Trump says that his tariffs will protect U.S. jobs and products and create revenue. Do we see that happening?

[Juliana Kim]

So our colleague Scott Horsley reported that the Treasury Department is collecting nearly four times as much tariff revenue as it did a year ago, and that equates to tens of billions of dollars. When it comes to American products, though, York from the Tax foundation points this out.

[Lauren Frere]

When you demand more domestically produced goods, the prices of those goods rise.

[Juliana Kim]

She says that's already started to happen with some domestic products.

[Scott Simon]

And then, of course, at the Supreme Court this week, the justice has heard arguments over the president's authority to impose broad tariffs, and a decision could come soon. How much of the administration's tariff policy rests on what the court will say.

[Juliana Kim]

Yeah, you know, a large share of Trump's tariffs are in question. The Tax foundation estimates that if the justices decide those tariffs are illegal, a household's annual average burden could drop to $400 instead of the sixteen hundred dollar figure I mentioned earlier. But even if the SUPR court rules against the tariffs, York from the Tax foundation says Trump still has other ways to add more.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Juliana Kim, thanks so much.

[Juliana Kim]

Thank you.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The Department of Homeland Security is increasing detentions and aggressive tactics as it strains to meet President Trump's promise of mass deportations. Now DHS is outfitting its agencies with new capabilities.

[Scott Simon]

Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ice, are stepping up surveillance. And critics warn the technologies they're using can violate privacy and civil liberties. NPR's Jude Joffe block joins us. Jude, thanks for being with us.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Oh, thank you.

[Scott Simon]

What are some of the tools that ICE agents are using these days?

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Well, they've gotten new contracts to monitor social media and help find people's locations. ICE has also revived a contract with a company called Paragon Solutions, which is known for making spyware that can hack into cell phones. But one big thing that's new is an app ICE and Border Patrol agents have in the field. Social media videos show they're using it to scan people's faces during encounters on the street in an attempt to identify them and figure out if they're deportable.

[Scott Simon]

Jude, how does this app work?

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Well, there's still a lot that's unknown, but one of these videos that was first reported by 404 Media was shot outside of Chicago. And you see border pat agents approaching two young people.

[Scott Simon]

If you just tell me that you.

[Juliana Kim]

Were born here and give me an.

[Data IQ Announcer]

Id, you'll be good.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

The young man filming the encounter says he doesn't have id. And then the agent turns to his colleague and asks, can you do facial? Can you do facial? He says, and his colleague pulls out his phone and holds it up and appears to scan his face, though it's possible he took a photo. The video was posted by someone claiming to be the cousin of one of the boys who was stopped. The poster didn't respond to a request about the Post, but NPR was able to verify exactly where it was taken. We did get a statement from ice, and they didn't answer questions about this app, but said nothing new here. For years, law enforcement across the nation has leveraged technological innovations to fight crime.

[Scott Simon]

Jude, do we know if this technology can be used to identify essentially everybody U.S. citizens.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Well, a group of Democratic senators has been trying to get answers to that question and others about this app since September, but haven't gotten them from ice. They've called on ICE to stop using this technology and reiterated that demand. On Monday, my colleague Martin Costi spoke to Democratic Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey.

[Michelle Florio]

This type of on demand surveillance is harrowing and it should put all of us on guard. It chills speech, it erodes privacy. It ultimately undermines our democracy.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

He expressed concern that this tool could be used against people who criticize the government or protesters.

[Scott Simon]

What safeguards exist to try to ensure that these technologies are not abused?

[Jude Joffe-Block]

Well, I asked that to ICE and dhs and we didn't hear back. I also spoke with legal and privacy experts who told me that our current legal and regulatory framework just isn't robust enough to ensure that these kinds of new tools are used with the appropriate oversight and accountability that's really needed. Emily Tucker is with Georgetown Law School center on Privacy and Technology. Immigration powers are being used to justify mass surveillance of everybody, and she says it's a mistake to think this doesn't affect every one of us.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Jude Joffe block, thanks so much.

[Superhuman Announcer]

Thank you.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And lastly today, Mohammed Ibrahim. This weekend, an Israeli military court is weighing the Floridians fate. Ibrahim is a Palestinian American who was arrested in February at age 15, charged with throwing stones in the Israeli occupied West bank. He faces a 20 year prison sentence if convicted.

[Scott Simon]

Ibrahim is one of more than 9,000 Palestinians, and that number includes hundreds of children detained in the west bank since the Gaza war began, according to official Palestinian figures. NPR's Lauren Frere met with Mohammed Ibrahim's family this week and joins us now. Lauren, thanks for being with us.

[Lauren Frere]

Thanks for having me, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Please tell us about this case.

[Lauren Frere]

So last February, when Mohammed Ibrahim was 15 years old, Israeli soldiers came to his family's house in the west bank in the middle of the night. This family splits their time between the west bank and Florida. Soldiers pounded on the door, asked for Muhammad, said he'd been seen throwing stones. They blindfolded and handcuffed him, according to his mother, and took him away. I visited his mother, Muna Ibrahim, who's pretty distraught.

[Juliana Kim]

Yes.

[Lauren Frere]

May no mother go through what I went through. We expected like he'll come out within one week, you know, because he's a US Citizen and we're just keep waiting. It's been nearly nine months in Israeli prison. Muhammad is not allowed family visits or phone calls. 27 members of the US Congress have signed a letter calling for his release. US consular officials have have been able to visit him. The family says they told them he's suffering from scabies, a skin parasite, and has lost nearly a third of his body weight.

[Scott Simon]

And what's he charged with?

[Lauren Frere]

2 counts of stone throwing. And the law says that throwing a stone or object at a person or Property carries a 10 year maximum prison sentence. At a moving vehicle, it's 20 years. These penalties also apply to anybody who acts in concert with a stone thrower. And that's what Muhammad is charged with. He and three other teens were all arrested on the same day. I've seen some of the court documents which say that under interrogation, Muhammad admitted to throwing a stone near a road, but says he did not hit anything and didn't try to. I also asked the Israeli military about his case. They refused to comment specifically on his case, but said military juvenile courts in the west bank are kept secret to, quote, protect the privacy of minors.

[Scott Simon]

20 years for a juvenile accused of throwing a stone sounds pretty severe. Why are the penalties so severe?

[Lauren Frere]

Possibly to encourage plea bargains. Most minors in cases like these serve far fewer than the 20 year maximum. But stone throwing hits a particular nerve, Scott. For Israeli forces in the occupied west bank, it was widespread. In both Palestinian intifadas, more than a thousand Israelis were killed altogether in those uprisings and many times that number of Palestinians as well. Also, this is not the regular Israeli penal code. Muhammad is charged under special security laws that Israel imposed in the west bank after those Hamas led attacks of October 7, 2023. I spoke to an Israeli lawyer, Leah Tsemel. She is not representing Mohammed, but told me how he's likely to be treated under those security laws.

[Michelle Florio]

Even a boy, even a younger boy than this one is considered a security prisoner and will be limited and denied of any right. Including food, Real food, including family visits? Hardly. They can see a lawyer here and.

[Lauren Frere]

There, and that's in line with what US officials and Mohammed's family say is happening. The Israeli military disputes that, though in a statement it told me Mohammed is entitled to a lawyer. All the evidence is made available to the defense and that there is due process here.

[Scott Simon]

And what's happening this weekend?

[Lauren Frere]

Mohammed has another hearing in Israeli military court tomorrow, Sunday. His father, Zaher Ibrahim, told me the past ones have been Kafka, Eskimo, you.

[Michelle Florio]

Know, this will be his probably 10th hearing, you know, and their hearings here is not like America. You wait nine hours, eight hours, seven hours. There's no time. When his court starts and you walk in, they say next court delayed till next month. That's how it's been nine months almost now.

[Lauren Frere]

He's hoping the court frees him this time, possibly as part of a plea bargain. But it also could announce a conviction, a sentence, or keep postponing.

[Scott Simon]

And here's Lauren Frere and Tel Aviv. Thanks so much.

[Lauren Frere]

You're welcome, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's up first for November 8th, 2025. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Michael Radcliffe produced today's podcast with Danny Hensell, Gabe O' Connor and Fernando Naro. Our editor was Ed McNulty along with Dee Parvaz, Hadil, Al Shauchi, Avi Schneider, Jeff Brumfiel and James Heider. Andy Craig directed.

[Scott Simon]

Our technical director is David Greenberg with engineering support from Nisha Hynes, so Van Genhoven and Damien Herring. Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer and Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Tomorrow on the Sunday story, what does it mean to survive a war? One vet struggled to set aside the combat mindset.

[Scott Simon]

That's here on the podcast. There is so much more on the radio, so please find your local NPR [e-mail].

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