GSA cuts; Hegseth at NATO; NASA Mars program : NPR

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Today’s top stories

The General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate and contracts, plans to cut its budget in half. Staffers have been told to expect deep job cuts and office closures, according to two GSA officials informed of the plans by agency leadership. The remaining employees have been told they’ll be closely watched while they’re on the clock.

• 🎧 On Up First, NPR’s Jenna McLaughlin compares the GSA to the federal government’s circulatory system. “Without GSA, federal agencies would have a really hard time doing things like buying anything or accomplishing their missions,” she says. McLaughlin adds that one of the most disturbing things sources were told was that employees would have keylogger software installed on their computers to track everything they type. Technical experts say it could be a cybersecurity risk if passwords and other sensitive information are retained or stored elsewhere. McLaughlin’s sources say these budget cuts and constant surveillance might soon be deployed across the federal government.

Top Trump officials are in Europe this week for talks with their counterparts that could shed light on U.S. policy on Ukraine, its commitment to NATO and more. Vice President Vance spoke yesterday at an international summit on AI in Paris. He’s set to join Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the biggest annual foreign policy gathering in Europe. Today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is at NATO to join a meeting of some 50 countries that support Ukraine.

• 🎧 Europeans are on edge and wondering if President Trump’s well-known animosity toward NATO will carry over to his second term, NPR’s Teri Schultz says. In Germany, Hegseth gave a fairly reassuring preview of what he’ll say at NATO today, saying that the urgency of the moment “requires friends talking to friends.” Diplomats tell Schultz Trump’s threats to seize Greenland or make Canada the 51st state aren’t likely to come up, as they’re inflammatory and no one wants to torpedo this first meeting.

Is a mission to Mars in the U.S. space program’s future? In his inauguration address, Trump said the U.S. would “pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.” It’s a dream shared by his close ally and adviser Elon Musk, who has spent years working to get people on the red planet. Trump picked one of Musk’s associates, Jared Isaacman, to lead NASA.

• 🎧 NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce says Musk’s involvement could bring opportunity and peril to NASA’s chances of sending humans to Mars. The agency is focused on two moon missions coming in the next two years. There’s an opportunity for the administration to push NASA to get a space program directly targeting Mars next. But if these efforts are seen as a Musk program, NASA could get political pushback, potentially setting back the dream of sending humans to Mars for another generation.

Today’s listen

Modern dance choreographer Alvin Ailey was only 29 when he created Revelations based on his childhood memories. Set to traditional Black spirituals, work songs and blues tunes, the dance performance reflects the Black experience through its story of faith and perseverance from the trials of slavery to freedom. When it was first performed in 1960, it was about twice as long as the version that’s now been seen by millions of people worldwide. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is revisiting the work with a new piece set to fresh interpretations of the songs that were removed.

🎧 Listen to snippets from the show and learn about how the newly resurrected songs aim to resonate with a contemporary, young audience. Read more about the show and see photos of the production here.

Live advice

If you’re celebrating a romantic relationship this week for Valentine’s Day, you probably know that while relationships can be magical, they can also be hard work. Whether you just started dating or you’re decades into a marriage, consider this advice relationship experts shared with NPR for keeping the love flowing through life’s ups and downs.

• ❤️ How do you know if they’re “the one?” Look for someone who wants to celebrate the things you find important, says Mandy Len Catron, author of the essay collection How to Fall in Love with Anyone.
• ❤️ Keep a ratio of five times as many positive emotions to negative emotions during a conflict, says relationship researcher and clinical psychologist John Gottman. Expressing interest in a discussion and making eye contact lubricate the wheels of communication.
• ❤️ Many people think that once they meet their person, they’ll be much happier. But that’s not how happiness works, according to clinical psychologist Jenny Taitz. Your relationship status has nothing to do with your worth.

Read more expert advice on love, including how to create intimacy when you don’t have time for sex and how to know when it’s time to break up.

3 things to know before you go

1. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the shortlist for its 2025 inductees today, which includes OutKast, Maná, Phish and Billy Idol.
2. When Melissa Barbanell’s young son was hit by a pickup truck in 2010, the trained first responder felt frozen. A nearby jogger became her unsung hero when she leaped in to help. Barbanell’s son, now 21, recently graduated from his local community college.
3. In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic bishops, Pope Francis criticized the Trump administration’s stance on migrants and refuted Vice President Vance’s theology and remarks about how people should care for their family, communities and country before caring for others.

This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.