Pbs news hour | news wrap: trump spoke to automakers before pausing tariffs | season 2025

GEOFF BENNETT: We start today's other headlines with more on the new tariff exemption for cars coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. The White House said that President Trump

spoke with the heads of Ford, General Motors and Stellantis today before announcing the one-month pause and said the president would stay open to additional exemptions. White House Press

Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today that the idea is for automakers to use that time to shift more production to the U.S. KAROLINE LEAVITT, White House Press Secretary: He told

them that they he should -- they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America, where they will pay no tariff. That's the

ultimate goal. GEOFF BENNETT: Meantime, there's been more global reaction to President Trump's tariffs today. Mexico's president said her country could look for other trading

partners, if necessary. And China's embassy to the U.S. posted on social media that: "If the U.S. wants a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to

fight until the end." Severe weather is battering a large chunk of the country. Powerful storms killed at least three people in Mississippi, while other states are experiencing high

winds, downpours, and blizzard conditions. In Iowa, wind and snow caused whiteout conditions this morning, stranding vehicles on highways. State troopers warned residents to stay home. On

the East Coast, officials in North Carolina assessed damage on the ground from a possible tornado. In Oklahoma, residents of a small town have been cleaning up from a storm that blasted

through windows and tore apart buildings, while, in California, forecasters are expecting rain and mountain snow through Friday. Los Angeles County is suing Southern California Edison,

saying the utility's equipment caused January's deadly Eaton Fire. The lawsuit seeks to recover costs and damages caused by the blaze, saying the fire massively impacted the

county's natural resources, harmed the environment and wildlife, and threatened public health. The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 17 people in the Altadena

area. Edison says it is reviewing the case and will respond through the appropriate legal process. The Justice Department charged 12 Chinese hackers and law enforcement officers today in

what they're calling a global hacking campaign. U.S. officials say the malicious cyber actors targeted dissidents, news organizations, and U.S. agencies. That includes the Treasury

Department, which was compromised late last year. The DOJ says that, in some instances, the hacking was done at the direction of China's Ministry of Public Security. On Wall Street

today, stocks rebounded from recent losses amid hopes for more tariff concessions. The Dow Jones industrial average gained nearly 500 points on the day. The Nasdaq added more than 260

points. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in positive territory. Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner has died. Turner spent 27 years in the Texas House of

Representatives before serving as Houston's mayor from 2016 to 2024. He was elected this past November to the congressional seat long held by the late Sheila Jackson Lee. Turner took

office two months ago and just last night attended President Trump's address to Congress. In 2022, he announced that he had undergone treatment for bone cancer and last year said he was

cancer-free. Sylvester Turner was 70 years old. And, finally, NBA superstar LeBron James is finding new milestones to hit. With a three-pointer last night against the New Orleans Pelicans,

James became the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 points across regular season and playoff games. That's 6,000 more than his nearest rival, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The

40-year-old James is playing in his 22nd season. He's now tied with Vince Carter for the most years played. The Lakers also won last night, for their seventh straight victory. Still to

come on the "News Hour": the U.S. Supreme Court rejects the Trump administration's bid to freeze billions in foreign aid payments; and a look at how the deep political divide

will impact the president's agenda and policymaking.