Some companies want a tariff refund. It might be hard to get.

Summary

---

Episode Summary: "Some companies want a tariff refund. It might be hard to get."

Apple News Today – February 27, 2026
Host: Cecilia Ley

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Apple News Today explores the complexities facing businesses seeking tariff refunds following a Supreme Court decision, the cautious progress in US-Iran nuclear talks, shifting cartel strategies in Mexico, and the Pope’s broadside against artificial intelligence. Host Cecilia Ley navigates through these top stories with insights and quotes from notable journalists and officials.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US-Iran Nuclear Talks: Tangible Progress Amid Tensions

Segment Begins: 00:17

• Diplomatic Background: Recent nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Geneva have shown signs of progress, despite little detail on substantive agreements.
• Context: Talks unfold as President Trump weighs military action against diplomatic solutions, increasing regional tension.
• Notable Quote:
  • Olivia Lepoitevin (Reuters): “The most notable message...is from the Iranian foreign minister, saying that in his view, these have been one of the most serious and longest rounds of negotiations and that they are now seriously examining elements of an agreement.” (01:08)
• Core Issues:
  • The US demands Iran shut down all major nuclear sites and surrender its uranium.
  • Iran is resisting these terms but may accept "some kind of curb" on activities.
• Iran’s Position: Continues to assert peaceful nuclear intentions; high domestic pressure and US sanctions intensify stakes.
• Risks Highlighted: Military buildup in region raises stakes if negotiations collapse.
• Telling Moment:
  • Abbas Arachi, Iranian FM: “There would be no victory for anybody. It would be a devastating war...the whole region would be engaged and would be involved.” (03:15)
• Looking Ahead: Talks to continue next week; yet, the ultimate resolution remains unclear.

---

2. Tariff Refunds: Tricky Road for Businesses After Supreme Court Ruling

Segment Begins: 04:15

• Background: The Supreme Court struck down significant global tariffs, triggering confusion over refund processes for companies that paid them.
• Business Response:
  • Alina Selyuk (NPR): “It was like a torrent of text messages I started getting from retailers, importers all over the country...This was a decision they’d been waiting for with literally bated breath for a very long time.” (04:55)
• Who’s Impacted:
  • Both major firms (Dyson, FedEx, L’Oreal) and small businesses (e.g., Virginia-based Sarah Wells) are seeking refunds.
  • Small businesses especially face higher barriers to pursuing refunds.
• Notable Small Business Quote:
  • Sarah Wells (via NPR): “We not only need the money back, but we need a process to get the money back that doesn’t involve lawyers, really time-consuming paperwork, expensive processes. Like none of us have the bandwidth or the resources to do that.” (06:05)
• Legal Challenges:
  • The refund process is uncertain; over 900 claims have been filed.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Besant: “The Supreme Court remanded the refunds back down to a lower court. There will be a 42-day period before that even happens and then we will see what the lower court says and we will follow what the lower court says to do.” (07:00)
• Current Status: The government must respond to claims soon, but the process could take years.

---

3. Mexico’s Crackdown on Cartels: New Tactics, Persistent Challenges

Segment Begins: 07:16

• Backdrop: Mexican security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, a major cartel leader, amidst US calls for a tougher stance against organized crime.
• Diplomatic Dynamics:
  • Emily Green (Reuters): “This is a strong message to President Trump that yes, I take her concerns seriously...But we will do it on our terms.” (08:15)
• US Response: Aggressive posture, including talk of unilateral action against cartels.
• Challenges for Mexico’s President Sheinbaum: Balancing US demands with sovereignty; refusing US troops on Mexican soil.
• Shift in Policy:
  • Contrasts with predecessor AMLO’s “Hugs, not bullets” approach, though root cause strategies remain.
  • Risks: History shows removal of leaders can worsen violence.
  • Emily Green: “I don’t think...just by going after drug kingpins...solves a problem of organized crime and cartel violence in Mexico.” (10:19)

---

4. Other Noteworthy Stories

Segment Begins: 10:51

• Hillary Clinton Testimony (11:00): Denies new information on Jeffrey Epstein case; congressional tension and media leaks increase scrutiny.
• Netflix & Warner Bros. Acquisition Battle (12:08): Paramount outbids Netflix; Paramount to pay $2.8B termination fee.
• Pope Leo’s Critique of AI (13:15):
  • Warns priests not to use AI to write homilies: “Like other parts of the body, the brain needs to be exercised so it doesn’t lose its capacity. AI will never be able to share their faith.”
  • Tech-savvy Pope enjoys apps but is wary of technology’s isolating effects.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Olivia Lepoitevant on Iran Talks:
  “There is certainly a sense that there is a move in a direction towards trying to get some kind of tangible framework together.” (03:56)
• Sarah Wells on Tariff Refund Process:
  “We not only need the money back, but we need a process to get the money back that doesn't involve lawyers.” (06:05)
• Scott Besant on Legal Process:
  “There will be a 42 day period…then we will see what the lower court says and we will follow what the lower court says to do.” (07:00)
• Emily Green on Cartel Strategy:
  “The capture of El Chapo, for example, didn’t end the Sinaloa cartel by any measures...huge amounts of violence...So I don’t think that...just by going after drug kingpins...solves a problem.” (10:19)
• Pope Leo on AI:
  “AI will never be able to share their faith.” (13:40)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• US-Iran Nuclear Talks: 00:17 – 04:15
• Tariff Refunds & Supreme Court Ruling: 04:15 – 07:16
• Mexico & Cartel Crackdown: 07:16 – 10:51
• Other Stories (Clinton/Epstein, Netflix/Warner Bros, Pope/AI): 10:51 – 13:55

---

Episode Takeaways

• Businesses face difficult, unclear paths to reclaiming tariff refunds despite a Supreme Court victory.
• US-Iran diplomacy continues, but significant obstacles remain before any full nuclear agreement.
• Mexico’s more aggressive pursuit of cartels is a break with recent history, but risks triggering more violence.
• Pope Leo’s AI comments reflect skepticism toward tech’s role in faith and community.

For deeper reading, listeners are directed to additional coverage in the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Cecilia Ley]

Good morning. Businesses who pay big money to cover tariffs are looking for a refund.

[Alina Selyuk]

The day of the Supreme Court ruling in the morning, the world basically turned upside down for a lot of the retailers.

[Cecilia Ley]

NPR tells us why getting that money back could be tricky. Iran and the US Appear to make some progress on nuclear talks. Reuters gives us the latest and Poplio delivers a strong message against AI. It's Friday, February 27th. I'm Cecilia Ley. This is Apple News Today. The latest round of diplomatic talks between the US And Iran concluded yesterday. There were signs of notable progress, but little details about what comes next. The talks began under the shadow of President Trump's recent threats of a strike, which he's weighing against a diplomatic solution.

[Olivia Lepoitevant]

We went into the talks today knowing that it was a crucial moment.

[Cecilia Ley]

Olivia Lepoitevant is a correspondent for Reuters based in Geneva and reported on yesterday's meeting.

[Olivia Lepoitevant]

The most notable message so far that we've had coming out of these talks today is from the Iranian foreign minister, saying that in his view, these have been one of the most serious and longest rounds of negotiations and that they are now seriously examining elements of an agreement.

[Cecilia Ley]

Le Poitivan reports that the seemingly optimistic assessment of the talks followed two sessions of direct and indirect conversations between US Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son in law Jared Kushner, an Omani mediator, and Iranian officials. There is still no public comment from the US But a senior official told Axios the talks were positive from an American perspective. Still, the devil is in the details. The Wall Street Journal reports the US Wants Iran to permanently close all three of its main nuclear sites, cease enriching uranium, and surrender its entire stockpile. Iran has so far rejected all of those concessions, but Le Poitivan says the country appears open to some sort of controls.

[Olivia Lepoitevant]

From what we've been hearing, and what my colleagues as well across the world for Reuters have been reporting, is that Tehran does seem to have agreed, or may agree in principle to accepting some kind of curb to its nuclear activities. So a continuation of some kind of enrichment, but less of it, and perhaps done in a slightly, slightly different way.

[Cecilia Ley]

Iran has maintained it enriches uranium for peaceful purposes. But President Trump insists Tehran wants to build a nuclear weapon and that it's also building ballistic missiles that could reach US soil, something Iran also denies. Trump has deployed a massive military contingent to the region around Iran to pressure the Islamic Republic into making a deal. Aircraft carriers, advanced jets and other forces are already stationed across the Middle east and Europe. The should the U.S. strike, the Associated Press reports it could open up U.S. military bases and tens of thousands of soldiers to attack. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Arachi echoed previous warnings that the conflict could pull the entire region into war. Here he is speaking with India today.

[Various Interviewees (e.g., Abbas Arachi, Scott Besant, Donald Trump)]

On Wednesday, there would be no victory for anybody. It would be a devastating war. And since the Americans bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately, perhaps the whole region would be engaged and would be involved.

[Cecilia Ley]

Iran is in a precarious position. Increasing arrest at home, more citizen protests and a new round of sanctions from the US have only upped the pressure to make a deal. And while Thursday's session appears to have inched things forward, Le Poitevin says diplomacy is ultimately about crossing the T's and dotting the ayes. But if both sides can't do that, then talks will have to end at some point.

[Olivia Lepoitevant]

There is certainly a sense that there is a move in a direction towards trying to get some kind of tangible framework together. And I think that is why we're starting to see this kind of speed pick up. Whether it's quick enough, whether that will be enough to answer Trump's personal concerns, that is yet to be seen.

[Cecilia Ley]

Continued negotiations are reportedly scheduled for next week, a sign that diplomacy may very well continue for now. Since the Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's global tariffs, a lot of businesses have been asking each other the same question. How do we get our money back? Big Companies like Dyson, FedEx, L' Oreal and others have filed lawsuits to try to recoup tariff costs that they've covered. Importers and retailers have also been feverishly talking to each other to figure out what to do next.

[Alina Selyuk]

It was like a torrent of text messages I started getting from retailers, importers all over the country. They were texting each other, they were getting all caps messages from their trade groups. This was a decision they'd been waiting for with literally bated breath for a very long time.

[Cecilia Ley]

Alina Selyuk is a business reporter with npr. The tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down are worth around 130 billion doll. Technically, anyone who paid those taxes is supposed to get reimbursed. But the court did not explain how

[Alina Selyuk]

many of those businesses are US Based importers and retailers. These are large companies, your big box stores, your Walmarts, your Amazons. But there's also a lot of small businesses, your local bookstore, your local toy manufacturer.

[Cecilia Ley]

That includes a small business owner in Virginia named Sarah Wells, who sells backpacks and totes for new moms.

[Alina Selyuk]

She used to manufacture most of her stuff in China. Sometime last year, she switched her manufacturing to Cambodia. And looking back in the past year, she estimates that she has paid $35,000 specifically in the tariffs that are now struck down by the Supreme Court.

[Cecilia Ley]

In addition to that, she also spent close to half a million dollars to make changes to her business to survive tariffs long term, things like laying off staff, moving manufacturing and holding shipments abroad. And unlike those big companies that filed laws, pursuing litigation is not an easy task for Wells. Here's what she told NPR we not only need the money back, but we need a process to get the money back that doesn't involve lawyers. Really time consuming paperwork, expensive processes. Like none of us have the bandwidth or the resources to do that. Before the Supreme Court ruling, the Trump administration said it would issue refunds, but the path forward is unclear. The administration has signaled it may be ready for a legal fight, with Trump, wagering aloud that a resolution could take years. Here's what Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said from the Capitol in an NBC interview on Tuesday.

[Various Interviewees (e.g., Abbas Arachi, Scott Besant, Donald Trump)]

The Supreme Court remanded the refunds back down to a lower court. There will be a 42 day period before that even happens and then we will see what the lower court says and we will follow what the lower court says to do.

[Cecilia Ley]

About 900 claims have been filed seeking refunds, according to a legal group that represented some of the small businesses in the Supreme Court case. The New York Times reports that the federal government must respond to that group's efforts in court as soon as today. Mexico is still assessing the fallout of the killing of the country's most powerful cartel leader over the weekend. The military raid that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. That operation took place as the US Pushes Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to take more decisive action against cartels. Reuters reports that it's a pivotal moment in Sheinbaum's tenure. She has to prove to the US That Mexico is capable of executing sophisticated operations against the cartels. Emily Green, chief correspondent for Reuters in Mexico, told us how analysts and officials are assessing the country's position right now.

[Emily Green]

This is a strong message to President Trump that yes, I take her concerns seriously. I have the same concerns. We are going after the cartels. We are going after the most wanted cartel leader in Mexico. But we will do it on our terms.

[Cecilia Ley]

The Trump administration has been aggressive and what it says is a campaign against the flow of drugs into the US that includes a series of boat strikes in the Caribbean, the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and this comment from Trump on Fox News last month about going into Mexico to target cartels.

[Various Interviewees (e.g., Abbas Arachi, Scott Besant, Donald Trump)]

We are going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. It's very, very sad to watch and see what's happened to that country.

[Cecilia Ley]

At his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, Trump depicted the killing of Oseguera Cervantes as a US Success and didn't mention Mexico's role.

[Emily Green]

It's been a fear and it remains a fear that the US Will try to do some kind of unilateral action against the cartels because Trump and I think in many ways wants to claim credit for it. And so Shane Bomb is navigating a very delicate situation where she is trying to accommodate President Trump's concerns and his demands that she go after the cartels, but is also sticking by her red line that she will not accept U.S. troops on the ground.

[Cecilia Ley]

For Shanebaum, it also represents a bit of a shift from the philosophy that governed her predecessor's approach.

[Emily Green]

Her mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, he very much adopted a strategy of not confronting the cartels. He, in fact, had the slogan hugs not bullets. And the idea was to go after the root causes of violence, including, of course, poverty.

[Cecilia Ley]

Greene says she hasn't abandoned that strategy, but this appears to mark a more aggressive posture and one that risks triggering more violence. The issue has been that taking out cartel leaders hasn't necessarily resulted in major changes is in the past.

[Emily Green]

I think that you're kind of seeing this see sawing of strategies. The capture of El Chapo, for example, didn't end the Sinaloa cartel by any measures. And in fact, there's been huge amounts of violence and the capture of other cartel leaders within the Sinaloa cartel has further fueled violence. So I don't think that there's a sense that just by going after drug kingpins and that that in and of itself solves a problem of organized crime and cartel violence in Mexico.

[Cecilia Ley]

Whether Shane Bomb can prevent more violence in the coming months and how she balances Mexico's security against mounting pressure from Washington may ultimately define the success of last weekend's opera. And finally, a few other stories were following. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified in a deposition Thursday that she has no new information regarding the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, initially refused to comply with a congressional subpoena to testify, but ultimately agreed after facing potential contempt charges. In her opening statement posted on social media, Clinton said she never flew in Epstein's plane nor visited his island or home. She accused Republican on the House Oversight Committee of engaging in, quote, fishing expeditions. Her testimony was halted briefly after two leaked photos of the interview were posted on social media by a right wing influencer. The photos were taken by Republican Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Democrats are leveraging the Clintons depositions to compel the same out of other prominent figures, including President Trump. Former President Clinton is scheduled to give his deposition today. Netflix has dropped its bid to buy Warner Bros. Ending a tense standoff between the streaming giant and Paramount, which is now poised to take over the historic studio. Netflix is not increasing its bid after the board of Warner Brothers said Paramount's newest offer is superior to the deal it had already made with Netflix. Netflix had until March 4 to make a counteroffer but instead pulled out. Previously, Netflix agreed to buy Warner Brothers for $83 billion, but were outbid this week when Paramount upped its offer to 100 doll. Now Paramount will cover a $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner Brothers owes Netflix for backing out of their deal. And finally, it appears Pope Leo isn't all that impressed with AI. After delivering remarks to the Diocese of Rome, Leo warned priests against using AI to write homilies, saying, like other parts of the body, the brain needs to be exercised so it doesn't lose its capacity. The pope went on to say AI will never be able to share their faith. Leo also took aim at other technology like smartphones, saying devices have contributed to loneliness and isolation. The pope made his remarks in response to a question from a young clergyman who asked him how to be effective in a postmodern culture and avoid being outdated. The Times of London notes Leo is a pretty tech savvy guy and enjoys using apps like Duolingo and playing wordle. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, stick around for the latest episode of Apple News in Conversation this week, we're revisiting Shamita Basu's conversation with reporter Gardner Harris. His investigation into the global healthcare corporation Johnson Johnson exposes how the company contributed to the opioid epidemic, even though the company, Purdue Pharma, is commonly held responsible for the crisis.

[Various Interviewees (e.g., Abbas Arachi, Scott Besant, Donald Trump)]

During the height of the prescription opioid crisis, about 10 to 20% of the bodies that showed up in morgues had a Purdue Pharma product in their system. Roughly 60% had a Johnson and Johnson product in their system.

[Cecilia Ley]

If you're listening in the podcast app you can follow Apple News and Conversation to find that episode, or come back to the Apple News Today feed tomorrow. Enjoy the weekend and I'll be back with the news on Monday.