Trump delays tariffs on America’s top 3 automakers by 30 days

As the U.S. prepares to feel the impact of President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Canada and Mexico, he’s giving the nation’s largest automakers a stay of execution. And with Trump making more moves to cut off Ukraine, European leaders hold an emergency meeting to shore up their defenses while also supporting the war-torn country. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Trump delays tariffs on America’s top 3 automakers by 30 days

As President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico take effect, he’s giving three of the U.S.’s largest automakers a month-long reprieve.

The stock market surged Wednesday after the Trump administration granted a 30-day tariff exemption at the request of the big three U.S. automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is also open to providing additional exemptions for other companies.

The Trump administration instituted tariffs on Mexico and Canada to tackle the influx of drugs and unlawful border crossings into the U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country has enacted policies to tackle these issues. However, in posts on his Truth social platform, Trump said those efforts were “not good enough” to persuade him to lift the tariffs.

On Tuesday, Trudeau said Canada would impose its own tariffs on more than 100 billion dollars of American goods over the course of 21 days.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum indicated Wednesday, March 5, that she would announce her country’s countermeasures on Sunday, March 9.

During his address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4, Trump promised reciprocal tariffs if the countries choose to proceed with that action.

Trump admin to fire thousands of VA employees while CDC calls some back

The Trump administration plans to cut government spending. According to an internal memo obtained by several news outlets, the Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that will involve cutting over 80,000 jobs.

The VA’s chief of staff stated in the memo that the goal is to reduce the workforce to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000. This plan involves eliminating tens of thousands of employees who were hired after the VA expanded during the Biden administration in response to the 2022 PACT Act, which addresses the needs of veterans affected by burn pits.

Meanwhile, just weeks after more than 700 probationary employees were fired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a hundred are reportedly being called back to the job.

Current and former CDC employees said about 180 people got an email Tuesday, March 4, with the subject line “Read this email immediately,” stating that their termination had been rescinded and that they could return to work immediately.

The email reportedly said, “You should return to duty under your previous work schedule. We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused.”

It’s unclear how many of the reinstated employees returned to work, and it’s also uncertain whether they will be spared from the upcoming widespread job cuts expected across government agencies.

The head of a federal watchdog agency has been removed from office after an appeals court sided with the trump administration.

Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, sued Trump last month after his dismissal, even though the law states that special counsels can be removed by the president for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

Dellinger is likely to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

EU leaders gather for emergency defense and Ukraine aid talks

Leaders from across Europe will gather in Belgium on Thursday, March 6, for an emergency summit to discuss strengthening military defenses, while ensuring that Ukraine will continue to be properly supported by its allies.

The meeting comes just days after Trump paused U.S. military aid to Ukraine earlier this week.

And just yesterday, the Trump administration announced it will no longer share intelligence with Kyiv.

Trump has said he would lift the pause on military shipments to Ukraine once he feels Ukraine’s president is ready to negotiate an end to the war.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he intends to discuss with the European Union the possibility of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.

The EU president has proposed an $840 billion plan allowing EU member states to spend much more on defense.

Trump gives Hamas ‘last warning’ over Israeli hostages

In the Middle East, Hamas has ignored a new threat from Trump to release Israeli hostages still held in Gaza immediately or “there will be hell to pay.”

The militant group accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to back out of the ceasefire agreement reached in January.

Under the deal, Israel and Hamas were expected to begin negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners, along with a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Trump’s “last warning” came after he met with eight former hostages at the White House on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the White House confirmed it participated in unprecedented direct talks with Hamas.

The terror group is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war in Gaza, including one Israeli-American.

It is also holding the remains of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or while in captivity.

This week, the Trump administration and Netanyahu rejected a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza endorsed by Arab leaders.

The White House said that the president supports his vision for the war-torn enclave, which involves expelling the Palestinian residents and transforming it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” a territory that the U.S. would own.

GOP lawmakers meet with Musk to discuss codifying DOGE cuts via Congress

Tech billionaire Elon Musk met with Senate Republicans behind closed doors for about two hours on Wednesday. He discussed his Department of Government Efficiency’s spending cuts and how Congress could help pass a so-called “rescinding package” from the White House, allowing Congress to codify the cuts.

If Congress takes up this package, it would only require a simple majority for approval, which Republicans hold in both chambers. Many of DOGE’s recently announced spending cuts and layoffs have faced legal challenges in the courts.

But with Congress’ help, passing a rescission package could make DOGE’s cuts permanent.

According to Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham, Musk was “so happy” about what the senators proposed. He started pumping his fists and dancing upon hearing that Congress had a viable pathway to codify doge cuts.

The private meeting also reportedly provided some GOP lawmakers with a platform to express their concerns about Musk and being left out of the loop. They signaled to Musk that they needed to work more closely together to pass legislation that would benefit Doge’s efforts.

As some lawmakers meet with Musk, they also face a March 14th deadline to pass a spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down.

Right now, Trump is asking Congress to pass a “continuing resolution bill” to fund the government through September.

Historic moon landing: First commercial rover to land on the moon

The Athena lander from Intuitive Machines is set to land on the lunar surface by early Thursday afternoon, representing another significant advancement in future space exploration.

The mission partners with Lunar Outpost and tech giant Nokia to deploy the first commercial rover, and with tech giant Nokia to establish the first cellular network on Earth’s only natural satellite.

This comes just days after Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its Blue Ghost Lander, the first successful commercial moon landing.

Athena’s mission will be to carry NASA experiments near the moon’s south pole, a region crucial for future lunar missions.

The U.S. continues its goal to get astronauts back to the moon within the next several years.