NPR News: 03-03-2025 5PM EST

Summary

U.S. Implements New Tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico

In a significant move impacting international trade, the United States announced the imposition of new tariffs targeting major trading partners. Jack Spear reported that President Trump declared a 10% tariff on Chinese imports and 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, set to take effect the following day. Addressing the finality of the decision, Asma Khalid quoted President Trump responding to inquiries about potential negotiations:

"[Trump] flatly said no," when asked if there was "any wiggle room left to negotiate a deal out of these tariffs." [00:44]

Further emphasizing the irreversible nature of the tariffs, Jack Spear added:

"No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs, you know, they're all set. They go into effect tomorrow." [00:50]

This policy reversal ends a 30-day pause that Trump had agreed to last month, during which Canada and Mexico took steps to address issues like fentanyl flow and illegal immigration. The tariffs have sparked concerns about potential economic disruptions, given that Canada and Mexico are among the United States' largest trading partners. Asma Khalid highlighted:

"Canada and Mexico are two of the United States' biggest trading partners and there are concerns these tariffs could rattle the economy." [00:57]

Kremlin Observes Signs of Improved U.S.-Russia Relations

Shifting focus to international diplomacy, tensions between the U.S. and Russia appear to be easing, according to statements from the Kremlin. Charles Maines reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted a "dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy," asserting that it now "largely aligns with Russian positions." [01:29]

Peskov expressed optimism about the potential for a thaw in U.S.-Russian relations, contingent on the political will of both leaders:

"The path for a U.S.-Russian thaw could be quick and successful if Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump continue to show the political will." [01:29]

This proposed alignment has sparked apprehension among Ukraine and traditional American allies in Europe, who fear that Trump's administration might prioritize agreements with Moscow at the expense of regional security and collective interests.

Pentagon Directs Civilian Staff to Comply with OPM’s Staffing Requests Amid Elon Musk’s Initiative

Internally, the Pentagon is navigating bureaucratic challenges related to staffing and accountability. Quill Lawrence detailed that the Pentagon is urging approximately 800,000 civilian employees to respond to a renewed request from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This follows a previous attempt where Elon Musk’s DOGE team prompted federal employees to list five tasks they completed in the past week, with Musk suggesting that non-compliance could equate to resignation.

Chief among the developments, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has mandated that Defense Department civilian workers "respond to a new edition of the email and copy their supervisors within 48 hours." [02:26]

Despite earlier pushback from large agencies like the FBI and the Pentagon against OPM's directive, a federal judge in California ruled that OPM lacks the authority to terminate federal workers based on these requests. Quill Lawrence emphasized:

"A federal judge in California ruled last week that the OPM lacks any authority to fire federal workers." [02:26]

Tesla Suffers Decline in Sales and Market Share Amidst Stock Downturn

In the corporate sector, Tesla, Inc. is facing significant challenges. Jack Spear reported that Tesla's sales in Europe plunged by 45% in January, exacerbating the company's struggles to maintain its market dominance against rising competition from European and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. This downturn is reflected in Tesla's stock performance, as shares have been declining alongside broader market trends.

Additionally, Wall Street couldn't escape the negative momentum, with The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by 649 points on the day of the report. This confluence of factors underscores the volatile environment Tesla is navigating under the leadership of Elon Musk.

Vatican Reports Ongoing Health Concerns for Pope Francis

Health updates from the Vatican reveal that Pope Francis continues to battle severe respiratory issues. Jack Spear conveyed that the Vatican stated:

"Pope Francis has suffered new episodes of acute respiratory crisis and has been put back on non-invasive mechanical ventilation." [03:06]

This marks over two weeks of medical challenges for the Pope, who is grappling with a complex respiratory infection and pneumonia. Despite these setbacks, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis remains "alert and oriented" and is "cooperating with medical personnel", despite experiencing bronchial spasms.

Kroger CEO Resigns Due to Breach of Company’s Ethics Policy

In corporate leadership news, Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the United States, has abruptly removed its CEO, Rodney McMullen, citing violations of the company's ethics policy. Alina Selyuk reported that while Kroger has been tight-lipped about the specifics, it indicated that McMullen's personal conduct was "inconsistent with the company's ethics policy."

An internal investigation conducted by outside counsel determined that McMullen's misconduct was "unrelated to the company's business and not involving Kroger employees," yet it still contravened Kroger's standards for business ethics. McMullen, who had been with Kroger for 47 years and served as CEO since 2014, was previously involved in overseeing the failed merger attempt with Albertsons, which collapsed in December after legal hurdles.

CIA to Participate in South by Southwest for Recruitment Efforts

In an unconventional move, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is set to attend the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Jack Spear highlighted that this venue is atypical for the nation's premier spy agency, signaling an effort to expand and recruit new talent. By engaging with attendees alongside artists, tech experts, and business leaders, the CIA aims to attract individuals with diverse skill sets and innovative thinking. This strategic participation underscores the agency's commitment to modernizing its recruitment strategies and integrating into broader cultural and technological conversations.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and updates presented in the NPR News Now episode released on March 3, 2025, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners and readers alike.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

Hey, it's Scott Detrow, the host of Trump's Terms, a podcast where we bring you short, focused episodes about the 47th president and the biggest changes he is trying to make. A lot of those changes will be front and center during his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4th. In the days after, we will bring you stories not just about what he said, but about what is actually happening and what isn't happening. Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR live.

[Jack Spear]

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The US is imposing an addition 10% tariff on China and 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will take effect tomorrow. President Trump made the announcement from the White House a short time ago. MORPHEMPR's Asma Khalid TRUMP was asked by.

[Asma Khalid]

A reporter if there's any wiggle room left to negotiate a deal out of these tariffs and he flatly said no.

[Jack Spear]

No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs, you know, they're all set. They go into effect tomorrow.

[Asma Khalid]

Last month, Trump agreed to a 30 day pause on his tariff threat as Canada and Mexico took steps to combat the flow fentanyl and illegal immigration. But that pause is ending. Canada and Mexico are two of the United States biggest trading partners and there are concerns these tariffs could rattle the economy. Asma Khalid, NPR News, the White House.

[Jack Spear]

Russia says it continues to see signs of improved relations with the US Under President Trump, and according to the Kremlin, that includes an increasingly shared worldview. More from NPR's Charles Mainz in Moscow.

[Charles Maines]

In an interview on state television, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted a dramatic shift in US Foreign policy policy, saying it now largely aligns with Russian positions. Peskov added that while there was a long way to go to repair relations, the path for U. S. Russian thaw could be quick and successful if Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump continue to show the political will. The move towards a reset in U. S Russian relations has come as President Trump has sought to engage Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. The shift in policy has also unnerved Ukraine and traditional American allies in Europe who fear Trump may cut deals with Moscow at the expense of of their collective security. Charles Mainnes, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

The Pentagon is asking some 800,000 civilian staff to respond to a second request by the Office of Personnel management to name five things they did last week. NPR's Coral Lawrence reports. It's the same thing Elon Musk's DOGE team asked federal employees last month when.

[Quill Lawrence]

The Office of Personnel Management OPM first sent a government wide email asking federal employees to justify their jobs by naming five things they did last week. Billionaire Elon Musk had said on social media that failure to reply would amount to a resignation. Some large agencies like the FBI and the Pentagon seem to push back, telling staff not to respond. Now Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has instructed the hundreds of thousands of Defense Department civilian workers to respond to a new edition of the email and copy their supervisors within 48 hours. A federal judge in California ruled last week that the OPM lacks any authority to fire federal workers. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Meanwhile, shares of Elon Musk Tesla are falling, already losing market share to European and China Chinese car companies. Sales for the EV company founded by Musk fell further down 45% in Europe in January. On Wall street, The Dow fell 649 points today. This is NPR. The Vatican says Pope Francis has suffered new episodes of acute respiratory crisis and has been put back on non invasive mechanical ventilation. Doctors continuing to clear his lungs in what has now been a more than two week battle to overcome a complex respiratory infection and pneumonia. Update. Today, the Vatican said Francis also suffered bronchial spasms but was alert orientated in cooperating with medical personnel. Kroger has ousted its CEO citing personal conduct that was, quote, inconsistent with the company's ethics policy and an abrupt leadership shakeup at the country's largest supermarket chain. More from NPR's Alina Selyuk.

[Alina Selyuk]

Kroger has shared little detail about what Exactly CEO Rodney McMullen had done to lead to his resignation. The company says its board learned about his certain personal conduct just over a week ago. It hired outside counsel to investigate, which found the misconduct to be unrelated to the company's business and not involving Kroger employees, but still counter to Kroger's corporate policy on business ethics. McMullen originally joined the company 47 years ago as a part time stalker. He held many executive positions before becoming the CEO in 2014. Most recently, McMullen oversaw Kroger's failed attempt to buy its direct rival Albertsons. The mega merger collapsed in December after more than two years halted by several courts. Alina Selukh, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Normally tight lipped CIA is heading to south by Southwest this year, an unusual venue for the nation's premier spy agency, where this year's appearance comes as the agency looks to expand and recruit more people to join its ranks. The CIA intends to send people to the upcoming opening weekend of the event, joining artists, tech experts and business leaders. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on.

[Alina Selyuk]

Amazon Music with a Prime membership or.

[Scott Detrow]

Any podcast app by subscribing to NPR.

[Alina Selyuk]

News Now +@ +npr.org that's +npr.org.