EU Leaders On Ukraine, Auto Tariffs Paused, USDA Workers Return

Summary

Podcast Summary: Up First from NPR
Episode: EU Leaders On Ukraine, Auto Tariffs Paused, USDA Workers Return
Release Date: March 6, 2025

NPR's "Up First" delivers a comprehensive overview of the day's most pressing news stories. In this episode, hosts Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A Martinez delve into significant developments concerning European defense strategies amid shifting U.S. support for Ukraine, the temporary halt of auto tariffs imposed by President Trump, and the reinstatement of thousands of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) workers. This summary captures the key points, discussions, and notable insights from each segment, enriched with pertinent quotes and timestamps for clarity.

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1. European Union Leaders Convene to Support Ukraine Amid U.S. Withdrawal

Overview: European Union (EU) leaders are actively addressing the evolving situation in Ukraine as the United States pauses its military aid and intelligence sharing with the nation. This strategic shift by the U.S. has prompted the EU to contemplate increasing its defense spending to counter Russian aggression independently.

Key Points:

• Emergency Summit in Brussels: EU leaders are meeting urgently in Brussels to coordinate support for Ukraine, aiming to reduce reliance on U.S. assistance.

• Defense Spending Proposals: A new package proposes allocating 800 billion euros (approximately $860 billion) towards defense, including loans for new weapon acquisitions and mechanisms to allow governments to significantly boost military budgets.

• Public and Political Sentiment: While increased defense spending and public debt are generally unpopular among European citizens, officials argue the necessity due to perceived U.S. unpredictability in supporting Ukraine.

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Inskeep [00:03]: "Europe aims to increase defense spending after the US Withholds military aid from Ukraine."

• Terry Schultz [03:31]: "There's a new package of proposals on how they can come up with 800 billion euros. That's more than $860 billion in defense spending."

• Kaijsa Ohngren, Former Dutch Defense Minister [03:59]: "US Unpredictability means it's urgent now to mobilize all the tools they have available to scale up both their domestic defense and support for Ukraine."

• Giuseppe Spadafora [04:17]: "If you boil it down, I think it comes down to turning the European economy into a war economy. These are difficult choices and you have to explain them to people, but it has to be done."

Insights:

• Shift Toward Autonomy: The EU is recognizing the need to independently secure its defense capabilities in light of reduced U.S. involvement.

• Economic Implications: Transforming Europe into a war economy involves significant economic adjustments and increased public spending, which may face resistance domestically.

• Long-term Stability: Concerns persist about the stability of the transatlantic relationship if the U.S. continues to pull back, potentially leading to European policy decisions that align with opposing U.S. interests.

Conclusion: EU leaders are at a crossroads, striving to enhance their defense mechanisms to support Ukraine while navigating the challenges of increased military spending and maintaining economic stability. The evolving geopolitical landscape underscores the urgency for Europe to assert its defense autonomy.

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2. President Trump Pauses New Auto Tariffs

Overview: In a strategic move, President Trump has temporarily halted the imposition of new 25% tariffs on automobiles manufactured in Canada and Mexico. This pause, however, is short-lived, lasting only one month, leaving the auto industry and consumers in a state of uncertainty regarding future trade policies.

Key Points:

• Temporary Reprieve for Automakers: The pause on tariffs was a response to intense lobbying from U.S. automakers who argued that such tariffs would adversely affect their cross-border supply chains.

• Impact on Car Prices and Manufacturing: The reinstatement of tariffs is anticipated to significantly increase car prices and complicate the logistics of manufacturing, potentially raising costs by thousands of dollars and affecting parts pricing.

• USMCA Compliance: The exemptions primarily benefit cars and parts that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), offering relief to most North American-made vehicles but leaving a subset still vulnerable to tariffs.

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Inskeep [00:12]: "The auto industry gets a reprieve. President Trump pauses new tariffs on cars made in Canada and Mexico."

• Camilla Domonoske [06:39]: "They made their pitch and what they said was, look, we're domestic American automakers. And if you put a 25% tariff on us and you don't put it on the Germans and you don't put it on the Koreans and you don't put it on the Japanese, you're helping everybody but us."

• Angela Gamalski [06:45]: "Most cars made in North America meet these requirements, but not all of them. So it's a reprieve for most vehicles made in Canada, Mexico or the US by any automaker. But it would particularly help the US."

Insights:

• Industry Uncertainty: Automakers face significant uncertainty despite the pause, as the temporary nature of the reprieve offers minimal relief for long-term planning and operational adjustments.

• Consumer Impact: The potential return of tariffs could lead to higher vehicle prices, increased costs for auto parts, and ripple effects affecting insurance and repairs, thereby burdening consumers.

• Regulatory Challenges: The fluctuating tariff policies create a challenging environment for manufacturers, who need to navigate the complexities of compliance and potential relocations of manufacturing facilities.

Conclusion: While the immediate pause on auto tariffs provides short-term relief to U.S. automakers, the looming return of these tariffs in April presents ongoing challenges. The auto industry must strategize to mitigate the financial and operational impacts of these trade policies, which remain subject to the administration's broader economic and political objectives.

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3. Reinstatement of Nearly 6,000 Fired USDA Workers

Overview: An independent federal board has mandated the reinstatement of approximately 6,000 USDA employees who were previously terminated. This decision comes amid allegations that the firings were unlawful and part of an attempt to reduce government size without adhering to proper procedures.

Key Points:

• Nature of Firings: The USDA had fired probationary employees, many of whom had strong performance records, citing performance issues that were later deemed unfounded.

• Legal Proceedings: The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) found the firings likely illegal, ordering the reinstatement of these workers for 45 days pending further investigation.

• Administration's Stance: The Trump administration denies any wrongdoing, asserting that the firings were legitimate and part of broader efforts to reduce federal workforce sizes.

• Ongoing Uncertainty: The removal of the special counsel, Hampton Dellinger, who was investigating the firings, adds complexity and uncertainty to the resolution of these cases.

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Inskeep [09:51]: "An independent federal board ordered them reinstated for 45 days while its investigation into the firings continues."

• Andrea Hsu [10:05]: "Nearly 6,600 people got basically the same letter telling them that they were being fired because of their performance."

• Michelle Kirchner, USDA Worker [12:20]: "I'm feeling kind of yanked around a little bit."

• Andrea Hsu [12:32]: "It's impossible to have any confidence in what's going to happen in the long term."

Insights:

• Systemic Issues: The pattern of firings across multiple agencies suggests a potential systematic approach to downsizing that may bypass mandated protocols.

• Worker Sentiment: The reinstatement, while positive, is met with apprehension among employees who fear future instability and further unlawful terminations.

• Political Implications: The administration's insistence on the legality of the firings, juxtaposed with the MSPB's findings, highlights deep political and administrative conflicts over federal workforce management.

Conclusion: The reinstatement of USDA workers marks a critical juncture in addressing unlawful federal employee terminations. However, with ongoing investigations and administrative resistance, the path to restoring trust and stability within federal agencies remains fraught with challenges. The situation underscores the importance of adhering to lawful procedures in government operations to protect employee rights and maintain institutional integrity.

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Final Thoughts: This episode of NPR's "Up First" provides a thorough examination of significant geopolitical shifts, economic policies affecting major industries, and internal governmental controversies. By highlighting the EU's proactive stance on defense amidst waning U.S. support for Ukraine, the implications of fluctuating auto tariffs on the U.S. economy, and the legal and administrative turmoil within the USDA, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced understanding of complex, interrelated issues shaping the current global and domestic landscape.

Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

Europe aims to increase defense spending after the US Withholds military aid from Ukraine.

[A Martinez]

What would it take for Europeans to defend themselves against Russia?

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm Steve Inskeep with a Martinez. And this is up first from NPR News. The auto industry gets a reprieve. President Trump pauses new tariffs on cars made in Canada and Mexico. U.S. automakers lobbied hard because their car parts cross both borders.

[Camilla Domonoske]

What they said was, look, if you put a 25% tariff on us, you're helping everybody but us. So come on.

[Steve Inskeep]

But the relief lasts only a month. So what happens next?

[A Martinez]

And nearly 6,000 fired Department of Agriculture workers are back, at least for now. A federal board says their fire rings were likely illegal. But the fight over government jobs is not over. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

[Sarah Levy]

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[Terry Schultz]

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[A Martinez]

I-I.com European Union leaders are gathering for an emergency summit to coordinate support for Ukraine.

[Steve Inskeep]

They're aiming to protect against Russia and do it with less help from the United States. The U.S. to be clear, remains part of the NATO alliance with troops based in Germany. But in recent days, the US Paused military supplies and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, bidding to force a peace with Russia.

[A Martinez]

Terry Schultz is in Brussels covering the meeting. Terry, what's the mood like there?

[Terry Schultz]

Good morning. Well, you can really feel the worry here in a way I haven't seen since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine started three years ago. And interestingly, that isn't because Moscow's doing anything differently. It's been relentlessly attacking Ukraine since the beginning of the war. The difference is this rapid deterioration of relations between the Trump administration and Ukraine, the spat between the presidents and the Oval Office last week, and as you mentioned, the subsequent suspension of military assistance, and now intelligence sharing, which is essential to Ukraine on the battlefield.

[A Martinez]

So there was an urgent meeting in Paris, there was an urgent meeting in London, now one in Brussels. So outside of it being all urgent, what are European leaders actually going to do about this?

[Terry Schultz]

Well, today I expect leaders to move forward. Now, whether they can reach the required unanimity yet is unclear. But there's a new package of proposals on how they can come up with 800 billion euros. That's more than $860 billion in defense spending. That would be partly in loans backed up by the EU for buying new weapons, and partly by setting aside EU penalties on having too much debt so that governments can now drast increase their military spending.

[A Martinez]

Okay, so are European citizens on board with that?

[Terry Schultz]

Well, yeah, going into more debt isn't popular, but I spoke with former Dutch Defense Minister Kaijsa Ohngren about this, and she said that politicians and officials just need to help their people understand that US Unpredictability means it's urgent now to mobilize all the tools they have available to scale up both their domestic defense and support for Ukraine.

[Giuseppe Spadafora]

If you boil it down, I think it comes down to turning the European economy into a war economy. These are difficult choices and you have to explain them to people, but it has to be done.

[Terry Schultz]

Now, earlier suggestions to declare a war economy in Europe didn't get traction because many leaders felt it was too drastic and would unnecessarily scare people. So you can see how things have changed.

[A Martinez]

Yeah, it certainly sounds like Europeans have kind of moved into this worst case scenario thinking, you know, when it comes to regarding US Support.

[Terry Schultz]

Well, they're at least seriously considering those scenarios, including researcher Giuseppe Spadafora with the EU Institute of Security Studies. He told me that even the fear of the U.S. disengaging could destabilize the transatlantic relationship further.

[Giuseppe Spadafora]

The U.S. could use the threat of abandonment as a tool to obtain a lot of concessions in areas that weaken Europe. It could force Europeans to compromise on a lot of other areas, such as trade concessions, changing technology standards and curtailing certain rights.

[Terry Schultz]

So Spatafora says Europeans concern about this possibility may end up leading them to make policy decisions in favor of the Trump administration.

[A Martinez]

So if the US does indeed step back, back as people are worried about, I mean, are there individual European leaders looking to maybe step up?

[Terry Schultz]

Well, French President Emmanuel Macron has really tried to be that leader. And as the head of one of two nuclear powers in Europe, he has a lot of weight in defense issues. So in an evening address, he said he'll call together European army chiefs to discuss a potential peacekeeping force and says he's even considering extending the French nuclear deterrent over the rest of Europe. The future of Europe does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow, he said. So EU leaders hope to decide some things about their future here in Brussels today.

[A Martinez]

All right. That's Terry Schultz in Brussels. Terry, thanks.

[Terry Schultz]

You're welcome.

[A Martinez]

As 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico take hold, President Trump has announced another one month reprieve.

[Steve Inskeep]

The president's latest sudden shift is only for carmakers. They are a huge source of cross border business. It is common for part to cross the border several times as American made cars are assembled. US Automakers warned the tariffs would raise the price of their cars by thousands of dollars.

[A Martinez]

NPR's Camilla Dominosky covers the auto industry. Camilla, so where did this pause come from?

[Angela Gamalski]

Well, it is no secret. The Detroit automakers. So that's for General Motors, Stellantis, they have been lobbying for this for months. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick went on Fox News yesterday and he said that the Big Three spoke to the White House.

[Camilla Domonoske]

They made their pitch and what they said was, look, we're domestic American automakers. And if you put a 25% tariff on us and you don't put it on the Germans and you don't put it on the Koreans and you don't put it on the Japanese, you're helping everybody but us. So come on.

[Angela Gamalski]

And specifically, what the Big Three had asked for was that these tariffs not apply to either cars or parts for cars that meet the strict requirements for the USMCA. That's the trade agreement between the U.S. canada and Mexico that Trump negotiated in his first term to replace the previous agreement known as nafta. So most cars made in North America meet these requirements, but not all of them. So it's a reprieve for most vehicles made in Canada, Mexico or the US by any automaker. But it would particularly help the US.

[A Martinez]

Automakers okay, but Trump says that these tariffs are coming back in April for every car, for all cars. So how much is a 30 day pause even help?

[Angela Gamalski]

Yeah, I mean, look, it's time for companies to figure out some logistics, maybe stockpile a few parts, but it is not nearly enough time to, for instance, move an auto plant to the US to avoid tariffs. I spoke to Angela Gamalski, a trade lawyer who works with the auto industry. One of the clients that I have been working with is weighing that exact question. How do we reshore? And their best estimate is looking at two years. Two years. Meanwhile, this is a policy that was in place for only one day for these vehicles and has been pushed back twice. And even for the rest of the Mexico and Canada tariffs, which are still in place for all these other goods, there is just so much uncertainty about how long they're going to be in place.

[A Martinez]

So what does this mean then for the people who sell cars and the people that want to be car buyers?

[Angela Gamalski]

Yeah. So a one day tariff, obviously not much. There's still those smaller number of vehicles that are hit by this tariff, and if they come back and stick to all of them, they will make cars even pricier. And of course, Trump is promising many more tariffs to come. So these particular tariffs on Canada and Mexico, if they stayed in place a while, we would be looking at new cars going up in price, almost certainly by thousands of dollars. Car parts get more expensive. Used cars repairs, insurance get more expensive through ripple effects. The uaw, the auto workers union, did put out a statement this week acknowledging the pain caused by tariffs, but also saying the working class felt the pain of nafta. And tariffs are a way to bring jobs to the US by making it more expensive to manufacture overseas. The White House has said that's the ultimate goal. It's also said the goal is to stop fentanyl at the border. One's long term, one's immediate. It's, it's really confusing and it's hard for companies to make plans, including plans to move factories.

[A Martinez]

Camilla Dominoski covers cars for NPR. Thanks a lot.

[Angela Gamalski]

Thank you.

[A Martinez]

Nearly 6,000 fired employees of the U.S. department of Agriculture should be heading back to work today.

[Steve Inskeep]

An independent federal board ordered them reinstated for 45 days while its investigation into the firings continues.

[A Martinez]

NPR's Andrea Hsu has been following all of this. So, Andrea, how do these workers at USDA get their jobs back?

[Andrea Hsu]

Yeah, well, in short, the system set up to hear federal employee complaints about things that happened to them on the job worked, you know, tens of thousands of probationary employees have been fired since last month. These are people typically in their first or second year on the job. And some of them filed complaints with the Office of Special Counsel. That's the watchdog agency set up to investigate such complaints. And their investigation into the USDA found a pattern. You know, nearly 6,6000 people got basically the same letter telling them that they were being fired because of their performance.

[A Martinez]

All 6,000 people had performance problems?

[Andrea Hsu]

No, I mean, in fact, many of them had excellent performance reviews. Investigators found the agency didn't even look at their performance, which is a requirement if you're going to fire workers during the probationary period in the federal government. Instead, the special counsel said the firings appear to be part of an attempt to shrink the government, which administrations can do, but they have to go through a bunch of procedures, including giving people 60 days notice, which the USDA did not do. Now, the Merit Systems Protection Board reviewed the findings so far, and the board chair concluded, yes, these firings probably were unlawful. And she ordered the USDA to bring back their probationary workers for 45 days so the investigation can continue. But then last night, there was yet another twist in this case. The special counsel, Hampton Dellinger, who was leading the investigation, was removed from his position for the second time. President Trump first tried to fire him about a month ago. A US District judge reinstated him, but now an appeals court has removed him once again while it considers the arguments in his case.

[A Martinez]

So then what happens with the investigation? I mean, what about all the workers at the other agencies who were fired?

[Andrea Hsu]

Yeah, it's not entirely clear. We know that Dellinger had evidence that what happened at USDA had happened at other agencies. In fact, yesterday, he issued a statement urging all agencies to go ahead and reinstate their probationary employees voluntarily and not wait for an order. Now, his removal doesn't change the board's order to USDA to give those nearly 6,000 workers their jobs back. But, of course, it's one agency, and it's a temporary stay.

[A Martinez]

Okay. Now, how are USDA workers reacting to the news that they're reinstated?

[Andrea Hsu]

Well, they're not exactly celebrating. I spoke with Michelle Kirchner, an entomologist who was helping alfalfa growers manage pests when she was fired last month. And here's what she said.

[Angela Gamalski]

I'm feeling kind of yanked around a little bit.

[Andrea Hsu]

I mean, it's good. I'm glad that, like, something is coming.

[Angela Gamalski]

Out, that what happened wasn't correct and was potentially illegal.

[Andrea Hsu]

But she says it's impossible to have any confidence in what's going to happen in the long term. The Trump administration has made clear it wants to dramatically shrink the federal government. So she thinks maybe they'll all be brought back only to be fired.

[A Martinez]

Again, you mentioned the Trump administration. What is the Trump administration saying about all this?

[Andrea Hsu]

Well, they maintain that they've done nothing illegal. They've made this case in federal court where there's a lawsuit over probationary firings, and there's another hearing next week. And meanwhile, the administration is moving forward with much deeper cuts to federal agencies that will affect career employees, longtime employees. So a lot more uncertainty is ahead.

[A Martinez]

All right. That's NPR's Andrea Hsu. Andrea, thanks.

[Andrea Hsu]

You're welcome.

[A Martinez]

President Trump is expected to sign executive action directing education secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the very agency that she just started leading as of this past Monday. The order could come as soon as today. It's been in the works for weeks. But actually shutting down the department would require congressional approval. And that might be tricky as lawmakers, including some Republicans, have expressed concerns about what would happen to federal education funding.

[Andrea Hsu]

Now.

[A Martinez]

For now, the agency's 4,200 employees face a lot of uncertainty. To get more updates on this story, follow us online or tune in to your local NPR station or find us on the NPR app. And that's a first for Thursday, March 6th. I'm a Martinez.

[Steve Inskeep]

And I'm Steve Inskeep. For your next listen, consider Consider this from NPR News. Up first gives you three big stories of the day. And consider this dives into a single news story and what it means to you. Learn about a big story of the day in less than 15 minutes. And you can listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A Martinez]

Today's episode of upburst was edited by Ryland Barton, Kara Platoni, Padma Rama, Alice Wolfley and Mohamed Elvardisi was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow. This message comes from NetSuite by Oracle, the number one Cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory and HR into one platform. Download the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning for free at netsuite.com story.

[Sarah Levy]

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