Trump’s Congress speech; China’s economy; OPM memo : NPR

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Today’s top stories

NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent Domenico Montanaro joins the newsletter today to break down the address to a joint session of Congress last night.

After the firehose of the first six weeks of President Trump’s return to the White House, he delivered a boastful and partisan address to a joint session of Congress last night. It was the longest such speech in modern history at just under 100 minutes. A Democratic member of Congress was kicked out, several other Democrats walked out at various points and a Republican Party firmly and enthusiastically backed their president. Here are some takeaways:

1. Trump boasted about what he’s done so far, leaning into even the most controversial things. From anti-trans initiatives to pushing for English as the country’s official language, Trump played up the culture war.
2. It was a very partisan speech, mostly appealing to MAGA supporters. Many of Trump’s actions don’t have broad appeal, but he largely dismissed those concerns. He instead praised what DOGE has done to slash government, despite most people thinking he’s moving too fast. And he defended his tariffs despite the likelihood of prices going up.
3. There were lots of false things said, from the amount DOGE has said it’s saved to who exactly is getting Social Security payments and what’s been spent on the Ukraine war. Read our annotated fact-check here.
4. Trump’s asks of Congress will tell us what his legislative focus may be in the next year. He wants more money for deportations, tax cuts, police protections and a “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
5. It’s Trump, so, of course, there were made-for-reality TV moments. A 13-year-old who beat cancer deputized as a Secret Service agent, an admission to West Point announcement, and the capturing of an alleged terrorist were just a few of the reveals.
6. The Democratic response from Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan was important. She drew on a bipartisan upbringing and CIA background and delivered a message Democrats should pay attention to.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang presented the annual government work report on the first day of China’s parliamentary session today. This State of the Union-style address offers insight into the priorities of the world’s number two economy.

• 🎧 Qiang did not mention the U.S. by name in the address. However, he did talk about “An increasingly complex and severe external environment,” NPR’s John Ruwitch tells Up First. Analysts say this is basically code for the confrontational situation with the U.S. Qiang stated that authorities are taking steps to stimulate domestic demand and that tariffs are a motivator to promote high-tech development and expand relations with other countries.

The Office of Personnel Management has revised its memo from Jan. 20which requested that federal agencies identify probationary employees in anticipation of mass firings. The revision includes a disclaimer stating that OPM is not directing agencies to take any specific actions. However, the updated memo doesn’t call for the reinstatement of the tens of thousands of probationary employees — who are usually in their first two years of employment — who have already been terminated.

From our hosts

This essay was written by Steve InskeepMorning Edition and Up First host.

Npr’s obitudary for kee malescy says, “She was Google before there was Google.”

In the late 1990s, I was a junior NPR reporter — possibly the most junior — and covered anything nobody else wanted to cover. It was general assignment reporting, which meant that I was starting from scratch, story after story, with no sources or specialized knowledge.

I got through this thanks to the NPR library, which had stacks of old newspapers, academic journals, reference books, some computer databases and a phone. I would call that phone several times a week. Of several helpful librarians who might answer, Kee had a style all her own. She was creative in where to look for information and precise in the answers she gave. Always cheerful. Resilient. Even when she was in a sour mood, she managed to convey this in a wry style.

In 1996, just after I arrived in Washington, she gave me some personal advice. My wife and I were looking for a place to cut down a Christmas tree. She found the location we have used ever since. I’ve never cut down the tree without thinking of her.

Her husband, Bob Malesky, was a patient mentor to me as the senior producer of Weekend Edition Sunday. Together, they were among the guiding spirits of the network. This week, I called Bob, who expressed gratitude that people remembered Kee a decade after she retired. I do remember: That’s one fact I will not need a librarian to help me look up.

Life advice

A person’s spiritual practices can offer a sense of calm and a deeply personal journey. You don’t need to be religious to form a meaningful connection with something greater than yourself. If you wish to explore your spirituality, grab a pen and paper and reflect on these prompts gathered by our colleagues at Life Kit:

• ✨ Consider what “something greater” means to you. For some people, that means God; for others, it could be a collective consciousness or values like love and trust.
• ✨ Examine where your spiritual beliefs come from. Did you have an early connection to something bigger than yourself? This can help determine what connections you want to keep or let go of.
• ✨ What activities connect you to and strengthen your spirituality? Spiritual practices differ from regular activities because they’re often about remembering connections to neighbors, community and the Earth.

Read more about how you can strengthen your spiritual connection. Share what your spiritual practice looks like by emailing lifekit@npr.org with the subject line “Spirituality” along with your full name, and your response could be featured on NPR.org

3 things to know before you go

1. Liu Jiakun has been announced as the 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, commonly known as “the Nobel Prize of architecture.” He has designed numerous museums, university buildings and churches — mainly in China. See photos of his work here.
2. Chappy, the gray baby seal that was rescued from downtown New Haven, Conn., has died due to gastrointestinal issues.
3. South Carolina plans to execute Brad Sigmon, by firing squad on Friday. Sigmon was sentenced to death for killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat. This will be the first such execution in the state and the first in the nation in 15 years.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.