NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-05-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

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Hey, Sam Sanders here with KCRW personally inviting you to check out my new podcast It's an entertainment show that tries to figure out what makes the culture tick and tell the stories behind creators. We love New episodes are out every Friday wherever you get your podcasts Listen to the Sam Sanders show part of the NPR podcast network Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump has decided to give the automakers in the U.S. a break on those steep tariffs on imports of goods from Canada and Mexico. President Puer's Maura Lyson reports the exemption will only last till

April 2nd. The exemption is the latest in a series of whiplash moves on tariffs. 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect Tuesday. Then the big three automakers, GM Ford and Stellantis, lobbied the White House saying they would be hit hard because their supply chains are so integrated between the US, Mexico and Canada. And the president agreed, says White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt. The president is giving them an exemption for one month so they are not at an economic disadvantage. The reprieve recognizes the free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada

that Trump himself negotiated in his first term to replace NAFTA. Until now, there were no tariffs on anything between these three giant trading partners. Mara Elias and NPR News, The White House. After the U.S. doubled its tariffs on Chinese products Tuesday, China quickly responded with higher import taxes on US soybeans. Rachel Kramer with Iowa Public Radio reports this does not bring relief to soybean farmers in the Midwest. Roughly half of soybeans grown in the US are exported and many of them go to China. Iowa State University Extension economist Chad Hart says this makes the crop more vulnerable

to retaliatory tariffs than some other commodities. But Hart says the economic damage depends largely on whether the tariffs are long-term or a temporary negotiating tool. The speed at which these tariffs go in means that they can also be taken away just as quickly. The American Soybean Association is urging the Trump administration to reconsider its tariffs and continue negotiations with trade partners. The association says soybean farmers are still recovering from the 2018 trade war with China. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Kramer in Des Moines.

L.A. County and two Southern California cities are suing one of the largest utilities in the country over the Eaton fire, which killed at least 17 people and burned more than 14,000 acres in January. Member of station LAist Mckenna Sieverts knows more. LA County and the cities of Sierra Madre and Pasadena filed separate but similar lawsuits against Southern California Edison, claiming its equipment started the fire in Eaton Canyon on January 7th. The lawsuits allege that SoCal Edison didn't de-energize all of its electrical equipment in the area, despite being warned of the extreme weather conditions and fire risk.

The utility is also accused of having negligently failed to safely inspect and maintain its equipment and surrounding vegetation. The lawsuits look to cover damages from the Eaton fire. A Soquel Edison spokesperson told LAist the utility is reviewing the lawsuits and will address them through the appropriate legal process. For NPR News, I'm McKenna Sievertson in Los Angeles. On Wall Street, the Dow is up 485 points today. This is NPR.

The Internal Revenue Service is the latest large federal agency to come under the Doge cost-cutting knife, obviously not at the ideal time with tax filing season underway, and millions of Americans looking for speedy refunds. The Associated Press says people familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak on the record, said the IRS is drafting plans to cut its current workforce of 90,000 roughly in half. Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen saying such a move would leave the agency essentially dysfunctional. A mission to map the location of water deposits on the moon appears to have failed. As Joe Palko reports, Lunar Trailblazer had a successful start on its trip to the moon

last week, but problems arose soon after launch. According to a statement from NASA, the problems are related to power. Mission managers believe the spacecraft is spinning, so its solar panels are unable to generate sufficient power for normal operations. Although it's still possible the probe can be commanded to control the spin and restore something close to normal power levels, the time for critical trajectory correction maneuvers has already passed. The probe can no longer reach the lunar orbit its instruments were designed for. Lunar Trailblazer is one of a new class of lower-cost but higher-risk planetary probes.

Its $94 million budget is less than a tenth that of some of NASA's flagship missions. Joe Palka, NPR News. Makers of some popular anti-obesity drugs are cutting prices. Danish drug maker Novo Nordis saying it will drop prices for Wigovia by 23%. The new price available for both people with insurance that doesn't cover weight loss drugs and those without it. This is NPR. This message comes from NYU Langone. The NYU Langone Health app gives you access to your electronic health record. Keep

track of your visits, lab results, and images all in one place. Better health starts with a better health system.