AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

On the "News Hour" tonight: The White House defends the legality of a sweeping freeze of federal spending after a judge orders a pause on the action.

AMNA NAWAZ: Global experts sound the alarm about how U.S. spending cuts could impact health around the world.

DR. ATUL GAWANDE, Brigham and Women's Hospital: It's a big deal, and this will not be easy to recover from, with real harms you're already seeing.

GEOFF BENNETT: And President Trump orders the Pentagon to abolish diversity and inclusion programs in the military.

GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

President Trump's efforts to put the brakes on government spending that was already approved by Congress and signed into law have hit a stumbling block.

AMNA NAWAZ: Late this afternoon, a federal judge ordered a temporary halt on a sweeping White House plan to pause funding for all federal grants and loans.

The funding freeze was laid out in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget late yesterday and was set to take effect today.

As Laura Barron-Lopez reports, that led to a flurry of confusion and clarifications.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, White House Press Secretary: Good afternoon, everybody.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: At the first White House briefing of the second Trump administration, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed an unprecedented order by the White House, to freeze all federal financial assistance.

KAROLINE LEAVITT: It is the responsibility of this president and this administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs.

It means no more funding for the green new scam that has cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.

It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Leavitt said the pause would not affect individuals receiving -- quote -- "direct assistance" from the government, but didn't answer which specific programs, including Medicaid, were affected.

The action created widespread confusion.

In a statement provided to the "News Hour," Meals on Wheels, a nutrition program which delivers food to millions of seniors, said: "The lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers, not knowing whether they're going to be reimbursed for meals served today, tomorrow.

Who knows how long this could go on."

After the briefing, OMB clarified that mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.

The freeze could still affect trillions of dollars of federal assistance, ranging from funding for disaster relief to health research to infrastructure projects and beyond.

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): Is it woke to fund cancer research or to rebuild an unsafe bridge?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: On Capitol Hill this morning, Senate Democrats lambasted the freeze, calling it an unlawful overreach that disregards funding already passed by Congress.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): No matter how much he may believe he does, the president does not have the authority to ignore the law, and we're going to fight this in every way that we can.

MAN: When he froze it, I'm glad.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: At the GOP policy retreat in Florida, House Republicans deferred to the president.

REP. FRENCH HILL (R-AR): Let's wait and see.

Let's let him do his review and see what the result is, and I'm sure we will work together on what the right solution is.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Legal challenges have already begun.

This afternoon, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit to block the funding freeze.

LETITIA JAMES, New York Attorney General: The president does not get to decide which laws to enforce and for whom.

When Congress dedicates funding for a program, the president cannot hold that funding on a whim.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: As some programs remain in limbo, the administration instructed agencies in a follow-up memo obtained by "News Hour" to report to OMB in 10 days if any of the federal aid programs being halted promote things like gender ideology or if it supports abortion or other related activities.

In another move late yesterday, the Justice Department announced that it fired more than a dozen officials who worked with special counsel Jack Smith on the two federal prosecutions of President Trump.

Back in the White House Briefing Room, Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump directed the firing.

KAROLINE LEAVITT: This was a memo that went out by the Presidential Personnel Office, and the president is the leader of this White House, so yes.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Also last night, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it made 1,179 arrests yesterday, the most in a single day since Trump returned to the White House.

The crackdown has resulted in more than 3,500 arrests since last Thursday.

Last night Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said undocumented migrants with no criminal record will also be deported and defended the administration's decision to allow raids at or near schools, churches and hospitals.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN Anchor: What is the standard, I guess, to go into an elementary school?

Because what we had heard from immigration advocates is that this is going to provide a chilling effect to parents in the school drop-off line or something of that matter.

THOMAS HOMAN, White House Border Czar: It shouldn't be a chilling effect unless your child is a terrorist or a public safety threat.

If they are a public safety threat, a national security threat, they should be chilled.

They should be afraid, because we're looking for them.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: It all came as Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem addressed DHS staff today after joining ICE for a raid in New York City.

And President Trump's Cabinet further solidified today.

MAN: On this vote, the yeas are 77, the nays are 22.

The nomination is confirmed.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The Senate confirmed former Congressman and FOX News host Sean Duffy to be the transportation secretary this afternoon.

Confirmation hearings for more controversial picks like RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard are scheduled for later this week.

With minutes to go before the president's freeze on federal grants and loans was set to take effect at 5:00 p.m. today, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the action -- Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes, some late-breaking news there, Laura.

So tell us more about this judge's ruling.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: So, District Judge Loren AliKhan said that -- there essentially said that there has to be a pause on this freeze that President Trump was trying to institute across the loans and grants.

It is only going to apply, this judge's order only applies to the pause of disbursements in open grants, and that is going to -- this blockade is going to only be until Monday, February 3, when this judge will hear more arguments about the legality or not legality of this action that the White House has taken, but, of course, this comes after a lot of confusion across organizations that rely on this federal assistance.

GEOFF BENNETT: To your point about the confusion, some members of Congress were saying that Medicaid payments had been affected in their states.

The White House then said that Medicaid won't be affected, but give us a sense of what programs might be.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Well, we don't really have a sense, Geoff.

We asked the White House for a comprehensive list of all the programs that will be affected, and they didn't provide one.

Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, blamed the press for the confusion, but Medicaid Web sites went offline, according to a number of Democratic senators.

Republican leaders in Louisiana asked the White House for more clarity, worried that it could jeopardize their financial assistance.

And so, ultimately, there appears to be a bit of a pattern here, Geoff, which is that Stephen Miller has said and others in the Trump White House have said that they don't believe that the Impoundment Control Act is constitutional.

They don't believe other laws that they are currently potentially violating are constitutional, and so they believe that the president does not have to follow them.

GEOFF BENNETT: Laura Barron-Lopez, our thanks to you, as always.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: And to understand the impact of this sweeping pause, we're joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Congresswoman, thanks for joining us.

I'm sure you have seen now late today a judge has issued a temporary halt on the implementation of this freeze on federal funds and grants until a February 3 hearing.

That was to go into effective 5:00 today.

Now it won't.

What's your reaction to that news?

REP. ROSA DELAURO (D-CT): Well, listen, a very, very positive reaction to that news.

And, first of all, thank you very much.

It's great to be to be with you.

This is outrageous of what the Trump administration is trying to just rob appropriated funds.

There is a process that we go through in the appropriations bills.

And in order to get them passed, you have to have buy-in from Democrats, Republicans, House and the Senate.

President signs the bill, et cetera.

And those funds then are to be administered by the agencies.

And that's where we are.

And this is outrageous.

I'm delighted that this judge understands that this needs to have more debate, more clarification, and we need to have a hearing on it.

So, in the meantime, we can provide all the information that is needed to talk about what will happen with this freeze.

What happens to the American people, to hardworking people?

AMNA NAWAZ: Congresswoman, if I may, let me ask you about what we have already seen even just today.

The White House has said it's a temporary pause.

They have also said that assistance going to individuals would not be impacted.

They sent a fact sheet that said Medicaid and SNAP benefits, or food stamps, wouldn't be impacted.

Funding for Pell Grants, Head Start, rental assistance, other similar programs would not be paused.

Is that consistent with what you have already seen in your state, for example?

REP. ROSA DELAURO: No, look, I just left a press conference with our governor and attorney general.

And the fact of the matter is that, in federal direct aid to the state of Connecticut is $14.3 billion, all of which is in jeopardy.

They can't pick and choose what they want to fund or not.

The Congress -- power the purse by virtue of the Constitution and Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7, says that no money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequences of appropriations.

We voted on these bills.

They were passed.

The money is there.

They can't be deciding, because they may have had a backlash on some of what they're doing that, oh, my God, they're going to redirect, so they're not going to take money from this effort, but they will from that.

Hell no.

AMNA NAWAZ: We did speak with a constitutional expert, that's Professor Stephen Vladeck, and he said in his view this move is unconstitutional, but here's what he had to say specifically about why.

STEPHEN VLADECK, Georgetown University Law Center: The 1974 Impoundment Control Act is basically intended to create a process where, if the president wants to not spend money Congress has appropriated, he's supposed to go to Congress and tell them why, and then give Congress 45 days to either agree with the president or disagree with the president.

We have seen none of that here.

The president does not have the right in the first place to decide for himself what the spending priorities are going to be.

That's literally Congress' job.

AMNA NAWAZ: Congresswoman, I guess the question is, is there anything that you and lawmakers can do about this right now?

REP. ROSA DELAURO: Yes.

Well, look, you have got -- first of all, we're working with and in concert with the lawsuits that are out there with our attorney general and others around the country, with the nonprofit groups that we represent.

And we will look for legislative opportunities for what we can do.

But, in the meantime, in the meantime, you probably have seen what the administration has put out as to what they're doing, that they're going to cut a Green New Deal.

Well, you know what?

There's no Green New Deal.

That's a done deal.

They talk about a woke agenda, whatever they think that is.

AMNA NAWAZ: Congresswoman, I hear your concerns and I know there are a lot of questions and there's a lot of uncertainty around this right now.

I need to ask, though.

In many ways we knew this was coming.

I mean, President Trump, when he was running for office back in 2023, said specifically that he would do this.

Here's how he put it back then.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: When I return to the White House, I will do everything I can to challenge the Impoundment Control Act in court and, if necessary, get Congress to overturn it.

We will overturn it.

AMNA NAWAZ: I guess the question again, Congresswoman, is what can be done about it?

How can you make sure that you don't allow more of your power to go to the executive?

REP. ROSA DELAURO: Yes, well, we are not going to do that.

You heard the constitutional attorney talk about that this is invalid.

Supreme Court has spoken out on the impoundment.

He did that in the conjunction with, I believe, was it Ronald Reagan or -- and said it is not inherent in the Constitution for the president to have this power.

AMNA NAWAZ: But you're saying this is now a matter for the courts.

Is that right?

REP. ROSA DELAURO: We're going to fight this battle before the courts.

And the fact is, he does not have the power.

Supreme Court, Government Accountability Office, Department of Justice have all spoken out on this issue over the years.

But you know what?

You know what this is about?

This is about America's hardworking families.

This is about a family who wants to send their kid to school, who has a child who has maybe developmental disabilities, and they need to go to special education.

And the money needs to be there.

This is about local law enforcement.

This is about defunding the police and our firefighters, cutting off that money, the Violence Against Women Act, the funding for that, our community health centers, which, for millions of people across this country, primary health care.

And that would cut off the funds and freeze the funds for these groups, for state opioid response screens, substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant.

Are they going to reverse themselves on all of this?

They cannot pick and choose what they want to fund or not fund.

That is the purview and the power of the United States Congress.

AMNA NAWAZ: Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut joining us tonight.

Congresswoman, thank you for your time.

REP. ROSA DELAURO: Thank you very, very much.

Appreciate it.

GEOFF BENNETT: And for a GOP perspective, we're joined by Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis of New York.

She's at the Republican House retreat in Florida tonight.

Thanks for being with us.

Understanding that President Trump believes he has a mandate and that the administration wants to make sure that federal funding is in alignment with his agenda items, it's a core constitutional principle that Congress gets to decide how to spend taxpayer money.

It's, as you know, one of the separation of powers.

Do you have any concerns about the president's actions here?

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): Well, Congress does have the power of the purse and that's why we allocate the funding and we determine what levels to what agencies.

The difference here is, he's talking about grants and loans that are decided by bureaucrats.

At the end of the day, it is not Congress -- and this is one of our actual pet peeves with the process.

We have too many federal bureaucrats that are sitting behind a desk, not in touch with our constituents and the needs that they have, that are making decisions on how these grants are issued into what organizations.

So I think it is warranted that there is a pause so we can reflect on how this money is being spent.

But, also, I think President Trump is in his right to say that he issued 350 executive orders over the past week.

A lot of those executive orders would mean certain programs that -- DEI, for example, Green New Deal programs, would not be eligible any longer for federal funding.

And so to put a pause, to just review, to make sure that the grants that are being issued, our precious tax dollars, which obviously are very limited, are being -- being sent to organizations that are in compliance with those agenda -- the Trump agenda and the executive orders that he has issued over the last week.

I think that's actually a fiscally responsible thing to do.

We are stewards of taxpayer money, and we should want to ensure that the money is going to be spent properly.

GEOFF BENNETT: Understanding that President Trump objects to some of President Biden's climate initiatives, there is no such thing as the Green New Deal.

But how is this not an encroachment on the purview of Congress, given that this funding was approved by Congress and signed into law?

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: Because we're not talking about the funding level.

That's not changing.

What we're talking about is the way these grants are issued.

And it's not Congress.

For earmarks, when we do earmarks, that is members of Congress deciding which organizations or which infrastructure projects in our district are receiving funding.

What this is, these are grants that are being issued by federal agencies.

And who's making that determination?

It's not Congress.

It's bureaucrats that are sitting in these agencies.

The American people voted for a new Congress.

They voted for a new White House.

And they voted for a change in policy.

So they don't want to see money, their tax dollars, their precious tax dollars, when we have a $37 trillion debt, going to necessarily these -- these left-wing programs that were approved under the Biden administration and the Democrats when they were in power.

GEOFF BENNETT: To your point, the White House says this pause won't affect Americans who receive direct payments from the government.

But there are nonprofit groups that I imagine your constituents rely on, groups like Meals on Wheels and other organizations that serve especially older Americans and people other people at the -- at the margins, who say that they're concerned about their funding and their ability to meet the needs of the people that they serve, to which what would you say to them tonight?

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: Well, I don't -- I don't think that the president issued an executive order in the last week that affects Meals on Wheels, nor do I know that they were expecting a grant from the federal government.

Again, this is just a pause to review the money that is supposed to be going out.

And it's an appropriate pause to just make sure that people's tax dollars are being used appropriately and in line with the policies of this administration and the executive orders that have been in place over the last week.

It's as simple as that.

And if they are in line and they are not violating the executive orders that were put in place, then the money will flow to them.

GEOFF BENNETT: I also want to ask you about the series of immigration raids we have seen in New York City and across other cities across the country, nearly 1,200 arrests on Sunday alone, according to a Trump administration official.

And nearly half of those detained don't have criminal records.

That's, again, according to a senior Trump administration official.

How does that sit with you?

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: Well, no, they are criminals, and that's why they were arrested.

They have been arrested for all sorts of crimes.

And you look at the list in New York City alone, right?

We had an MS-13 gang member.

We had a guy from Dominican Republic who was -- who's wanted for murder of two people in his home country.

You had sex offenders.

You have all sorts of criminals and gang members that have been taken off the streets.

These are not innocent people, and anyone who tries to act like they're innocent is really not being honest with the American people, because these are hardened criminals.

They are gang members.

They're actually suspected terrorists in the mix as well as it relates to New York City alone.

So my constituents who have been dealing with havoc being wreaked on our streets because of the criminal element that has been allowed to enter into this country under the Biden administration are quite pleased that they're seeing these individuals who are dangerous and committing crimes being detained and deported.

And I would urge my mayor, my NYPD, my governor to comply with these detainers and not stand in the way of federal law being enforced, because we have seen thousands of crimes committed in New York City alone.

GEOFF BENNETT: But, Congresswoman, that's -- if you will permit me, that's not what this senior Trump administration official is saying.

This person is saying that nearly half of those detained do not have a violent criminal record, that their only offense was coming across the border illegally.

And that is viewed as a civil offense, not a criminal offense.

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: No, that's not my understanding, that that -- yes, that is not my understanding at all.

My understanding is that they're going after the criminals.

And the ones that I have seen and read about have been people who are dangerous and committing crimes.

That is their priority.

We have tens of thousands of people who committed horrible crimes in New York City alone.

Forget about the rest of the country.

And we need to make sure those people are removed.

And you know what?

My constituents read about it every day.

They see it.

They know that there have been -- there have been cops that have been assaulted by people in the country illegally.

There have been people who have been stabbed.

There was a woman set on fire by somebody on the train and died at the hands of somebody who is in this country illegally.

Cops were shot at and assaulted by people in this country illegally.

And murder has been committed in New York City by individuals who have been in this country illegally.

And it has to end.

And that is who this administration is prioritizing.

If you're hearing something else, I don't know.

I would love to see that source.

But that's not what I have -- that's not my understanding at all.

GEOFF BENNETT: OK, that is Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis of New York.

Thanks for being with us.

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: We start the day's other headlines with the growing crisis in Congo.

A rebel group known as M23, which is backed by Rwanda, has claimed the critical city of Goma in the country's east.

It's a major trade center home to about two million people.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced during a decades-long conflict, which the U.N. calls one of the most serious humanitarian crises on Earth.

The taking of Goma was met with protests in the capital, with demonstrators targeting foreign embassies, including France, the U.S., Uganda and others.

They accuse the countries of supporting Rwanda, which they say has fueled the conflict.

JOSEPH NGOY, Protester (through translator): What Rwanda is doing is in collusion with France, Belgium and the United States of America and others.

Congolese people are tired.

How many times do we have to die and in how many days?

GEOFF BENNETT: Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebel group, but admitted to keeping troops and missile systems inside Congo to protect its own borders.

The U.S. State Department advised American citizens today to shelter in place and to leave the country while they still can.

Oklahoma's Board of Education voted unanimously today to require parents to provide proof of their child's immigration status when enrolling them in public schools.

Under the proposed rule, parents would have to show a U.S. birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card or other legal document.

Those without legal status can still enroll, but school districts would be required to report the number of those without documentation to state education officials.

At a press conference today, Oklahoma State School Superintendent Ryan Walters explained why he thinks the data is necessary.

RYAN WALTERS, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction: We want to make sure that all that information is gathered so that we can make decisions on where resources go, where personnel goes, and we can continue to make sure that Oklahoma is leading the country in education reform.

GEOFF BENNETT: Today, students and parents protested the board's decision.

The rule still needs approval from Oklahoma's legislature and governor.

In Hawaii, one of the world's most active volcanoes is erupting once again.

Nearby Webcams captured the Kilauea volcano spewing lava as high as 120 feet in the air today.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says it's the seventh eruption since December.

They have lasted anywhere between 13 hours to eight days.

Officials say high levels of volcanic gas are a primary concern for anybody in the area, but the lava does not pose any risks to homes or businesses.

On Wall Street today, stocks recovered some ground after yesterday's turbulence in the A.I.

sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average added more than 130 points on the day.

The Nasdaq jumped nearly 400 points, regaining a good chunk of Monday's losses.

The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory.

And the most visited museum in the world is getting a much-needed renovation.

(PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) GEOFF BENNETT: If you don't speak French, he said: "Long live the Louvre's new renaissance."

And with those words, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the project today in front of the museum's most famous resident, the Mona Lisa.

The plans include giving the da Vinci masterpiece her own dedicated room.

The project is expected to take up to a decade and cost hundreds of millions of euros.

The museum's last upgrade dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was installed.

Since then, it's become plagued by outdated facilities and overcrowding.

Still to come on the "News Hour": Southern California eyes the extent of its long recovery from this month's deadly wildfires; and we sit down with Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, who's up for more awards on Sunday.

The uncertainty around the Trump administration's sweeping funding freeze is also alarming many in the world of global health, since it could affect key programs overseen by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.

Late today, the State Department issued a waiver on its pause of foreign assistance in some circumstances, including for -- quote - - "lifesaving medicine and medical services."

But the waiver explicitly excludes activities that involve abortions, gender or DEI programs.

And there's still some concern about how the freeze will affect other programs.

For more, return now to Dr. Atul Gawande, who oversaw these programs as assistant administrator for global health at USAID during the Biden administration.

Thanks for being with us.

DR. ATUL GAWANDE, Former USAID Global Health Assistant Administrator: Glad to be here.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, as we said, you managed these global health initiatives for USAID until just a few weeks ago.

You had a $10 billion yearly budget, as I understand it, more than 2,000 staff in over 65 countries.

There was this stop-work order that was just met this evening with a waiver, which suggests the Trump administration is now rethinking their approach.

As best as you can gauge it, what's the impact at this point?

DR. ATUL GAWANDE: Well, I hope they are rethinking.

The stop-work order came in with the president's signing of an executive order on January 20, a week ago.

And already we have seen the shutdown of major programs.

I'm talking about the systems for the global HIV program aiming to end HIV.

It's called PEPFAR.

Their central information systems were turned off yesterday.

The distribution of drugs were ordered to stop.

And that affects 20 million people who require access to those drugs for staying alive.

But the waiver hopefully opens the door for that work to resume.

But we don't know.

And it's been disruptive on several other fronts.

The waiver does not seem to include programs, for example, that would eradicate polio, that are stopping neglected tropical diseases that are nearly eliminated, like river blindness.

And then there are -- there is unclarity in a lot of spaces, including around outbreaks.

You had an episode about the Congolese, where there is also going on a report of an Ebola outbreak going on there simultaneously.

And that ability to have surveillance and partnership with WHO, that is not waived.

Organizations like USAID and CDC are not even permitted to have communications with WHO.

So that means critical processes that keep America safe from outbreaks, but also get us the flu vaccine that WHO coordinates through its influenza network, those capacities are still blocked and frozen.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, a Trump administration State Department spokesperson initially said this about the funding freeze.

"President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.

Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do.

It is a moral imperative."

React to that characterization of the work of USAID, that, at first glance, there's no direct return for the American people.

DR. ATUL GAWANDE: Well, here's a couple of things.

Number one is, every administration is going to do a top-to-bottom review of the spending that there is.

But you don't need a pause to do that.

And, in fact, it's enormously disruptive.

The -- and you're seeing the dismantling of major functions in the U.S. Agency for International Development.

So this isn't just about policy and whether these programs are tuned one way or the other way.

It is a -- USAID is the corner -- a cornerstone of national security.

These are networks of hundreds of thousands of people supported by awards and grants who are working on behalf of the United States in cooperation with other countries about areas of mutual interest.

It is our soft power.

They are doing work like advancing agriculture, advancing markets and development, as well as economic and health development.

So programs that are eliminating HIV, stopping T.B.

in the world, stopping malaria, so that it doesn't affect us and improves the world overall, that is The -- a core set of work, and not some kind of woke ideology.

The U.S. has been -- had an American century of health innovation and public health that has led the world, has advanced, doubled human life expectancy.

And this work, putting it aside, shutting it down, seeing now that there are -- there have been layoffs and dismissals, more than 1,000 staff have been sent home, many of them fired in the last 48 hours, that process is still under way and is a major concern.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the minute we have left, what would you say to those who hold the world view that the U.S. shouldn't be in this position to always have to step in and solve public health crises all around the world, problems the U.S. did not create, and that there could be private organizations, philanthropies or other countries that should step in to fill the void?

DR. ATUL GAWANDE: Well, the outbreaks that happen around the world are ones that affect us no matter what.

For example, avian influenza, bird flu, killed an American citizen on home soil.

We have monitoring for where it's moving around the world in 49 countries.

And that has been shut down this week.

Their staff have been sent home without pay.

And you start degrading and losing those people as you create that -- as you do that work.

That -- you have to work around the world to advance health.

You can't just advance health in the borders alone.

GEOFF BENNETT: Dr. Atul Gawande, formally of USAID, thanks again for your insights.

We appreciate it.

DR. ATUL GAWANDE: Delighted.

AMNA NAWAZ: President Trump has signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to end all programs that encourage diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI.

The order says the initiatives undermine military leadership, lethality and force readiness.

Here's Nick Schifrin now on the debate those programs have inspired and what they have tried to do.

WOMAN: Diversity, equity and inclusion is vital to making us a stronger, more unified Navy.

NICK SCHIFRIN: For years, the military has argued diversity makes it stronger.

NARRATOR: The Tuskegee Airmen broke the color barrier.

America's women broke the gender barrier.

NICK SCHIFRIN: For the last five years, initiatives begun under the previous Trump administration and expanded under the Biden administration have argued equity and inclusion builds brotherhood.

MAN: So we understand the value and importance of taking care of people.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And the military has celebrated how it's expanded representation of women and Black and Hispanic service members and leaders.

CHARLES BARBER, Former Director, Navy Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program: shows that organizations that demonstrate DEI have higher organizational effectiveness and innovation.

HARRY TRUMAN, Former President of the United States: There is no justifiable reason for discrimination.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The military described DEI as a continuation of historic efforts to fight racism, including as one of the first American institutions to integrate.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: Here is a big deal, merit.

Our country is going to be based on merit again.

Can you believe it?

NICK SCHIFRIN: But President Trump has argued diversity efforts are discriminatory and distract from the military's core mission, an argument echoed by now Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. Defense Secretary: The DEI policies of today are not the same as what happened back then.

They're dividing troops inside formations, causing commanders to walk on eggshells, not putting meritocracy first.

That's the indictment that's made by those serving right now.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In one of his first posts as secretary, Hegseth wrote: "DOD doesn't equal DEI."

President Trump's executive order prohibits the military from promoting -- quote -- "divisive theories," abolishes DEI offices, and gives the secretary of defense 30 days to create detailed guidance.

For perspective, we get two views.

Retired Brigadier General Chris Walker had a 40-year career in the Air Force and was a senior adviser on diversity and inclusion from 2021 to 2023.

He's on the board of advisers of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services.

And Retired Colonel Diane Ryan had a 29-year career in the Army, including as a professor at West Point and the Army War College.

She deployed to Iraq and focused on psychological operations.

She's now an associate dean at Tufts University.

Thanks very much to both of you.

Welcome to the "News Hour."

Chris Walker, the president and his allies have argued that the Department of Defense have spent too much money and time on DEI projects, and that has reduced the lethality and the readiness of the troop.

Do you agree?

BRIG.

GEN. CHRIS WALKER (RET), U.S. Air Force: I absolutely agree.

China is serious about what they're doing.

And every dollar they spend is to be able to not only mitigate our military power, but defeat it.

Any dollars we're spending not trying to keep up with China or surpass China is going to put our troops, our sailors, our Marines, our airmen in mortal danger.

I don't think this country is ready to watch an aircraft carrier sink to the bottom of the sea.

We need to be spending every dollar we have to be able to be so awesome China wouldn't even try it.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Diane Ryan, are these programs a waste of money?

COL. DIANE RYAN (RET.

), U.S. Army: I don't think there are ways to money at all, Nick.

DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion, is part of talent management.

It's about leveraging the talents of all of our people and recognizing the different strengths that people bring to the fight.

It's leader development.

And we can certainly look at how the money is being spent, but I think to say they're all bad and let's put all our money into technology and things that are directly related to the kinetic fight, you forget that all of our fighting is done by people, and we need to invest resources into building those teams.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chris Walker, there are senior military leaders I have spoken to who believe that some of the criticisms of the DEI efforts are making either women or minorities in the military nervous and that they're turning off people who do want to fight.

What's your response to that?

BRIG.

GEN. CHRIS WALKER (RET): Anybody who really wants to fight isn't going to be turned off by any of that.

Anybody who is what I call a butt kicker -- I say the other word that starts with A -- is not really turned off by any of this, all right?

And to my colleague's comments, quite honestly, being a leader means knowing how to respect people.

And you don't need DEI training for that, OK?

And so I reject all of the what I call propaganda on all of this?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Diane Ryan, respond to that?

Why do you even need DEI?

COL. DIANE RYAN (RET.

): Because people are coming from all different places.

It's a rapidly changing environment.

I would like to look beyond just the training and think about the policies that help people.

And they help people do things that they might not have otherwise been quite as effective doing And a good example of that is uniforms.

So, I fought for 30 years trained in uniforms that were not designed for me, for my body type.

And, in the last 10 years, we have changed that, and we have created helmets for women and body armor for women.

And women are achieving things that they never could have achieved before.

So that's an example of an equitable investment that raises the bar for everybody.

And especially in our deteriorating civility in the United States, I think that setting standards, commanders paying attention to this, measuring it and putting resources to it is a good investment in our people.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In the time we have left, I want to ask both of you about recruiting.

Diane Ryan, do you believe that some of these efforts could impact recruiting?

COL. DIANE RYAN (RET.

): Yes.

I can't tell you how many times someone has come up to me and just made those kinds of assumptions that, if you let your kid go in the military, they're going to be mistreated.

And I think some of the rhetoric that we're hearing over the last couple of weeks would certainly strike fear in me as a parent, worried that my kids are not going to be treated the way they deserve to be treated, if we allow this kind of rhetoric to persist.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chris Walker, are you worried about any of these efforts affecting military recruiting?

BRIG.

GEN. CHRIS WALKER (RET): I have heard the opposite.

Over the last four years, I have actually heard from literally hundreds of vets who say that they don't want their kids going into the military now because it's not about military anymore.

Now I'm hearing from youngsters and parents saying, yes, now I will let my kids go in.

One last point.

We have got to do it like professional sports does it.

Start inspiring kids at age 10, whether they go in the military or not, but have competitions with aviation, cyber, whatever it might be.

Some will choose to go in the military.

Some won't.

But what we will be able to do is get the Michael Jordans of the world, who -- because that's what we need in order to keep China from rising.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chris Walker, Diane Ryan, thanks very much to both of you.

COL. DIANE RYAN (RET.

): Thank you, Nick.

BRIG.

GEN. CHRIS WALKER (RET): My pleasure.

AMNA NAWAZ: Recovery efforts are under way in Southern California, as the fires that ravaged the state have now largely gone out.

William Brangham is reporting from the Los Angeles area, and he's been speaking to people who are hoping to get back to their homes to see the damage, joins me now to break down the latest on the ground.

So, William, tell us what you have been hearing from folks on the ground about the recovery efforts and what they're going through right now.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Amna, it's a mixture of shock and grief and sadness from everybody that we have talked to you, as you would expect.

All of the people that you see in line here behind me, these are all residents of the Pacific Palisades.

And, as of noon yesterday, they have been granted permission that, if they go to this checkpoint, prove that they lived in this neighborhood, they can now get in to see their homes, many of these people seeing them for the very first time.

And so, over the last day or so, we have been with some people, as they have gone through and seen what is left of their homes.

And you can only imagine the difficulty.

Imagine if you were to see your home that you had lived in perhaps for decades is now just this twisted, destroyed, toxic pile of debris.

We went with one woman today who went to her home of 47 years.

This is a home she raised her kids in.

And she was walking around the perimeter of the place.

And she could -- she found a little tiny child's tea set that she had been given when she was 4 years old.

And that was one of the few things that had survived this fire.

So it's just all sorts of emotions for people.

Where are they going to live?

Where are they going to rebuild?

Do they want to rebuild?

Will insurance pay for any of that?

So it's just a very complicated, confusing time for people right now.

AMNA NAWAZ: William, what about the official response?

What are we hearing from authorities right now?

And are they are they still saying that it's too dangerous for everyone to go back to their homes?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: They are saying that.

And that has been a source of great frustration for people.

There was a community meeting here in the Palisades on Sunday, where residents vented a lot of frustration that things are just going too slowly.

They want their properties cleared off and they want to then figure out what the future actually holds.

But local officials are saying, your properties are full of toxic debris.

And until someone, a contractor or the EPA, can get in there and get those chemicals and solvents and battery acids out of all of that ash, we can't clean up this property.

And so it's that tension, where people want things to be moving faster, and officials are saying it's just not safe for them to go back there.

So it's still a real point of contention here.

AMNA NAWAZ: William, there's also been a lot of talk about blame for these fires and the response and the recovery.

We saw President Trump blaming California for mismanaging its water resources, even though that's been disputed by state officials.

What do we know to be true, and what do we not yet know?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That's right, Amna.

The president has made many accusations, blaming local and state officials for their management of the fires, for diverting water or withholding water.

State officials have said that there is no evidence that any of those types of actions had any bearing on this fire whatsoever.

President Trump last night said that he sent the U.S. military to California to open some water taps to release water.

State officials said the military was never sent to California and that their water supplies are plentiful here.

With that said, the governor of the state, Gavin Newsom, has ordered an investigation into why there were reports that fire hydrants in many places here in Los Angeles in the area were under pressure and low pressure when they needed them most to fight those fires.

Many of the experts that we have heard from have said that that is simply a function of the way this entire municipality was built, that it was built to fight a couple of smaller fires, but nothing on the scale that unfolded here three weeks ago.

But there is an investigation under way for that.

The larger, I think, thornier public policy issue here that state officials are going to have to deal with is the simple fact that they have been permitting people to live in increasingly dangerous places, in -- tucked up into the woods and the hills and in the forests, where everybody wants to live because it is beautiful, and we're here in Southern California.

But those places become a tinderbox under the right circumstances.

And that's what we saw here, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: William Brangham reporting on the latest in the recovery efforts in response to those wildfires around Los Angeles.

William, thank you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Thanks, Amna.

GEOFF BENNETT: Already a three-time winner, jazz vocalist Samara Joy is up for two more Grammys at Sunday's awards ceremony, while her latest album is receiving critical acclaim and creating more awards buzz.

All that, and she's only 25 years old.

Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown has more for our arts and culture series, Canvas.

Samara Joy singing the jazz standard "You Stepped Out of a Dream" from her new album, "Portrait."

Following in the footsteps of legends like Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane, the Bronx, New York, native recorded the album at the historic Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

And earlier this month, she returned to talk about her meteoric rise, all the more surprising considering her first introduction to jazz came only in 2017, when as a high school junior she was invited to sit in on a jazz band practice.

Soon, she was listening to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

What grabbed you?

SAMARA JOY, Musician: The pure emotion combined with the technical prowess of all of the musicians that I heard and creativity and seemingly never-ending ideas.

JEFFREY BROWN: And you heard that and thought?

SAMARA JOY: Maybe I could do this.

(LAUGHTER) JEFFREY BROWN: Maybe I could do this.

Simple as that?

SAMARA JOY: Yes.

So I will give it a try.

JEFFREY BROWN: Hooked, Joy enrolled in the jazz program at the State University of New York at Purchase.

And by 2019, her professors were so impressed with her abundant talent, they encouraged her to enter the coveted Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.

She won and used the prize money to help finance the recording of her debut album, "Samara Joy," in 2020.

A year later, she leveraged videos of her performing going viral on social media to embark on a first European tour.

Her second album, "Linger Awhile," was a critical and commercial success.

WOMAN: And the Grammy goes to... JEFFREY BROWN: And in February 2023... WOMAN: Samara Joy!

(CHEERING) JEFFREY BROWN: ... Joy took home two Grammys for best jazz vocal album and best new artist, a big win for the jazz community writ large... SAMARA JOY: I have been singing all my life, my grandparents, my father.

JEFFREY BROWN: ... as Joy beat recording artist nominated from all genres.

ANTONIO MCLENDON, Father of Samara Joy: Help us to know what to say, and in Jesus' name, amen.

JEFFREY BROWN: But if the rise has been rapid, it's roots stem from a three-generation family tradition of expressing deep Christian faith through gospel music.

Samara's grandmother Ruth McLendon and grandfather Elder Goldwire started the family tradition, singing in the Philadelphia gospel group The Savettes.

Samara's father, Antonio McLendon, whom we met at the family's favorite Bronx restaurant, Jimmy's Grand Cafe, is a professional musician who's performed in front of audiences around the world and toured for many years with gospel star Andrae Crouch.

What has it been like seeing your daughter rise like this?

ANTONIO MCLENDON: It's the essence of what dreams are all made of.

I often go between tears and smiles when I think about it and when I have the opportunity to see her perform.

There's always something about her performance.

I'm like OK, she got me again.

JEFFREY BROWN: His daughter has also grown more comfortable incorporating her gospel roots into her jazz sound.

SAMARA JOY: I think, when I was first starting to listen to jazz, because it was the only genre I was listening to, I feel like I didn't apply as much of what I learned growing up to that.

JEFFREY BROWN: You were treating it as something different, new?

SAMARA JOY: Yes, and I felt like I already had a grasp on it.

Jazz was the thing that I had never, ever heard or been exposed to.

And now I feel like I have a grasp on both and it doesn't seem like it's fake or it doesn't seem like I'm just doing it because I can, but because it's meant for something.

It's meant to express a certain story.

JEFFREY BROWN: It's a story Joy shared in the 2023 release of her Christmas E.P.

"A Joyful Holiday," five standards and a Christmas carol recorded by Joy and family members.

Some even joined her on a national tour in December.

So, you're not only seeing her, but you're on stage with her.

ANTONIO MCLENDON: I'm like, how cool is that?

I always say singing is what a McLendon was born to do.

So to do that together is -- again, that's the thing that dreams are made of.

JEFFREY BROWN: As well as fulfilling a McLendon family dream, the album has garnered two more Grammy nominations for best jazz vocal album and best jazz performance, while also introducing Joy to an even wider audience.

SAMARA JOY: There are people who are like, this is my first time ever going to a jazz concert... JEFFREY BROWN: Really?

SAMARA JOY: ... in life.

JEFFREY BROWN: Yes.

SAMARA JOY: You are my first and I saw you on TikTok.

There are some parents who say, my kids introduced me to you.

I'm a fan and I have never been into jazz ever.

JEFFREY BROWN: She's also now eager to extend the jazz songbook, as on some of the songs on her new album, "Portrait."

You're writing more lyrics.

You're writing more music.

Why?

SAMARA JOY: Because I want to.

And if not now, when?

Dizzy and Charlie Parker and Miles and all of these wonderful musicians and vocalists, Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter, they were really young when they started to contribute, so that by the time they got to their 30s and 40s, they were sure and established in what their sound was.

And so I want to put my best effort forward to figuring out what it is I love about it and how I can make it better, so that, 20, 30 years down the line, I have a better sense of what my writing style is and my compositional style.

But the crafting of it starts now.

JEFFREY BROWN: It's nice to think about all those things sitting here, isn't it?

SAMARA JOY: Yes.

Yes.

JEFFREY BROWN: In the place where some of that happened.

SAMARA JOY: Where it happened, yes.

And to record in here was just a dream.

JEFFREY BROWN: All this is still new to you, I mean, the attention.

And it's been fast, right?

SAMARA JOY: Faster than I ever imagined.

And I'm... JEFFREY BROWN: Really?

You're surprised?

SAMARA JOY: Yes.

I'm still surprised, because I knew I love to sing.

I knew that my family had this beautiful legacy of music, but I never knew where it was going to take me.

JEFFREY BROWN: Samara Joy begins a five-month world tour in February, including an upcoming debut at New York's Carnegie Hall on April 30.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Jeffrey Brown in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

GEOFF BENNETT: Her artistry is somehow fresh and timeless all at the same time.

AMNA NAWAZ: Absolutely, a joy to watch.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes.

All right, some late-breaking news before we go.

The Trump administration is offering severance pay to federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by February 6.

That's according to an e-mail obtained by the "News Hour," which says the offer would be worth nearly eight months of their salary.

It's all part of President Trump's effort to overhaul the U.S. government.

It's unclear at this point where the funding to pay for those buyouts would come from.

AMNA NAWAZ: And that is the "News Hour" for tonight.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

For all of us here at the "PBS News Hour," thanks for spending part of your evening with us.