changing tack on tariffs. president trump reversing course once again delaying taxes on

goods from canada and mexico. the whiplash on wall street and a new collar on doge. another setback for spacex. for the second time in a row, a starship test ends in a fiery explosion, scattering debris and disrupting flights in florida. the snowboarder on a downward slope. the former olympian who ended up on the fbi's most wanted list. streaking through the sky, the shocking moment a passenger stripped naked on a southwest flight, forcing it to return to the gate. and it's not just the umpires calling balls and strikes. the new mlb tech giving players a say. will it mean humans are out of there? it's friday, march 7. "early today" starts right now. and good morning, i'm

richard lui. we have reached day 47 of the second trump administration, and the white house is rolling back some of the tariffs on mexico and canada. the exemptions apply to goods from the free-trade agreement from the first trump term. meanwhile, a government official tells nbc news president trump took a quote extremely abusive tone on a call with canadian prime minister justin trudeau. the white house did not respond to request for comment. now the partial relief could be short-lived. steel and aluminum tariffs are planned for march 12th. in this new pause, that ends on april 2nd when president trump has also threatened blanket retaliatory tariffs. alice barr joins us from washington, d.c. good morning to you. the president also announcing some changes on the strategy for shrinking the government. >> reporter: richard, good morning. president trump says he's putting new limits on elon

musk's authority and his doge initiative as backlash is continuing to the mass firings of federal workers. the president said he told his cabinet secretaries they will be in charge of who will stay and who will go, using a scalpel instead of a hatchet. but he praised doge and said elon musk will be watching. >> so we're going to be watching them. and elon and the group will be watching them. and, if they can cut, it's better. and if they don't cut, then elon will do the cutting. >> reporter: the president also told reporters that he has spoken to his advisors about shutting down the department of education, saying they've already started the process. he wants to let states run schools nationwide. education is already largely run by state and local governments. the department distributes billions in federal funding and manages loan programs. the white house would need congressional support to abolish any agency, and some republicans

are skeptical. >> do you support the idea of getting rid of the department of education? >> no, i think it, the department of education actually has some functions that we think are important. >> i believe they could be down sized. d that it has grown too bureaucratic and too big. the decision on whether to abolish the department is one that only congress can make. >> reporter: and overnight, president trump signed another executive order. this one to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. it will be funded by bitcoin seized in criminal or civil cases. the treasury department will also manage a digital asset stockpile. and the government controls an estimated 200,000 itcoins, but there's never been an audit performed. president trump's sudden shift on tariffs is leaving wall street a little on edge.

the dow dropping 427 points. when asked about the selloff, president trump pinned the blame on, quote, globalist countries and companies that will not be doing as well. cnbc's karen gilchrist joins us with the very latest. investors are clearly rattled so far. >> good morning, richard. yeah, you can say that again. it really has been a wild ride for markets this past week. that major selloff on thursday, with the dow shedding 1%. the s&p 1.8% and the nasdaq plunging 2.6% to enter correction territory. all three indeces on track for their worst week since september 2024. and this after the latest carve out from tariffs for canadian and mexican goods did little to quell concerns from investors. now president trump said that this latest carve out was not in response to market volatility and that hs not even looking

at markets. but that's easier said than done for investors. futures ticking a little higher overnight as investors look ahead to friday's jobs report due at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. now economists are predicting that 170,000 jobs were added in february. this would be up from 143,000 in january. they're also seeing unemployment holding at 4% and wages rising 0.3% on the month. but this after a report on thursday shows layoffs turned 245% this month. the majority of which coming from elon musk's department of government efficiency and those layoffs. it's unlikely that the full impact will come from the cuts. u.s. and ukraine officials will meet in saudi arabia next week to discuss peace plans.

both presidents confirming the meeting. talks excluding ukraine last month. for the latest, let's go to matt bodner. what is zelenskyy hoping to get out of these meetings? >> reporter: richard, good morning. put simply. zezelenskyy is looking to salva his country's relationship with the united states under president donald trump. the past week has been nothing short of a disaster for ukraine for no real fault of their own. the situation has become very serious with the suspension of military assistance and intelligence sharing. the u.s. delegation in saudi will be led by trump envoy steve witkoff. he said that trump received a letter from zelenskyy that included an apology and sense of gratitude. witkoff hopes that these negotiations will get ings back on track with the ukrainians and everything will will continue.

they hope to allow negotiations with russia to move forward. but russia has made it very clear it will make no concessions, and president trump has not pushed for any concessions from vladimir putin. trump did say yesterday however that russia does in fact want to make a deal, because, quote, in a different different way, a different way that only i know, they have no choice. it is not clear what exactly he meant by that. meanwhile, russia has been launching massive drone attacks on ukrainian cities and infrastructure. european leaders met in brussels. one congressional official tells nbc news that trump is considering a major policy shift regarding america's role in nato. possibly prioritizing which nations receive american protection. more than a dozen were

injured after eight bombs were dropped in a civilian area. the south korean military says one of the pilots entered incorrect coordinates. it's not clear why the other ple dropped bombs in the same area. live fire drills are suspended for now. but the freedom shield joint exercise will go ahead as planned next week with u.s. forces. as measle cases rise across the country, new mexico health officials are reporting a new death. the official cause is under investigation, but the adult who was unvaccinated did test positive for measles. officials have reported ten cases in new mexico and in west texas. the numbers have risen to 159 cases. a child in texas died last week, marking the first measles death in the u.s. in one decade. spacex, the latest starship rocket test flight once again cut short by an explosion. the same way january's test ended as well. around eight minutes into the flight, several engines appeared to cut off as starship was still

accelerating into space. then communication was lost completely. space launch debris forced temporary ground stops at airports across florida. debris was also seen streaking across the sky in the caribbean and turks and caicos, where a public advisory was issued. in a statement, spacex said it will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident in coordination with the faa. well, my friends, a new winter storm is marching into the weekend. but that's okay. angie lassman is here to save us. good morning to you, angie. >> here to save you indeed with a little information for what you need to know this weekend. we've got a little bit of snow and rain across the middle of the country. that's that system we're going to watch fly a little to the east. it has prompted these winter alerts over the past day or so over the rockies and great basin. those are now going to be across parts of the plains and eventually this will slide into the great lakes. we'll see the narrow band stretch into pennsylvania as we get into the evening hours tonight. snowfall totals not all that

impressive. but you can see light accumulation. we have gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour today. big picture, a little chilly considering it's march across the northeast. heavy rain stretched across the southern plains. we'll still deal with the fire risk for the south as well. out west and in the northern plains, plenty of sunshine. great lakes too. it will remain sunny and pleasant as we wrap up our weekend on oklahoma city. we top out at 81 degrees with mostly-sunny skies in dallas this afternoon. and that's a look at your forecast, richard. back to you. >> your information does save us from headaches. thank you, angie.

speaking of saviors, pope francis speaking for the first time since he was hospitalized for pneumonia three weeks ago. he recorded an audio message that was played at the vatican, st. peter's square. [speaking in a global language] ] >> all right, now it's not clear when the recording was made, but it was released two days after the 88-year-old suffered two breathing insufficiency episodes that required intervention. according to the vatican, pope francis had a peaceful night, waking up shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time. okay, we're back in a moment with the former olympic snowboarder now on the fbi's most wanted list. and going bare in the air? a flight forced to return to the gate after a streak down the aisle. te after a streak down th aisle. unlike some products,

pepto coats and soothes your digestive system, to provide fast 5-symptom relief. stock up on pepto today. for years, one supplement claimed it improved memory. but the truth? it can't support those claims. choose neuriva plus — which supports six brain health indicators, including memory, with clinically tested ingredients. it's time to switch to neuriva. my life is full of questions... how do i clean an aioli stain? use tide. do i need to pretreat guacamole? not with tide. why do we ev buy napkins? thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them. —do crabs have eyebrows? —except that one. for all of life's laundry questions... it's got to be tide. (clucks) (grunts) (roar) everyone wants to be the cadbury bunny cuz only he brings delicious cadbury crème eggs while others may keep trying.. (animal noises continue) nobunny knows easter better than cadbury

and we're back with a shocking turn for a former olympian. the fbi racing to track down a pro snowboarder who investigators say is behind a massive drug ring. authorities are offering $10 million for information on his whereabouts. our morgan chesky has more. >> reporter: he chased gold on olympic slopes. the fbi's chasing ryan james wedding, offering a $10 million reward for the canadian snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin. >> wedding went from being an elite athlete to running one of the most sophisticated drug trafficking networks in north america. >> reporter: the fbi adding him to their top ten most-wanted fugitives. he may go by public enemy. running a trans national drug ring that routinely smuggled hundreds of grams of cocaine.

>> he shipped drugs from colombia through mexico into the united states and canada. >> wedding, who is wealthy, is dangerous and has connections in very high places. >> reporter: investigators say wedding is likely hiding in mexico or south america and living under protection of the sinaloa cartel. an alleged partner of wedding, andrew clark, was removed from mexico last week to make his first u.s. court appearance. investigators say from may to october of last year, the pair conspired to distribute nearly two tons of cocaine. they are stressing the importance of capturing wedding. after using los angeles as a hub to traffic drugs through, this significant rise on the reward should clearly show to wedding that there is nowhere he can go that he can safely hide. we'll send it back to you. >> all right, morgan, thank you so much. a southwest airlines flight from houston to phoenix was

delayed monday after a passenger stripped naked. we want to warn you, some of you may find this video disturbing. witnesses say the woman walked to the front of the plane yelling before undressing and moving through the aisle. the flight returned to the gate where houston police removed her and took her to a psychiatric facility for evaluation. no charges were filed. southwest apologized for the delay, but some passengers, especially those traveling with children questioned the lack of legal action. the new generation of scots tots, looks to have a much better outcome than before. beer outcome than before. jordan's sore nose let out a fiery sneeze, so dad grabbed puffs plus lotion to soothe her with ease. puffs plus lotion is gentle on sensitive skin and locks in moisture to provide soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. some people have minor joint pain plus certain stomach problems. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol. it won't irritate your stomach

the way aleve, advil or motrin can. for trusted relief, trust tynol. ugh, weeding is the worst. but now, there's spruce: you'll see visible results in 1 hour and dead weeds in 1 day and it's safe for use around people and pets. spruce: the new, hard-working, worry-free weed and grass killer. ♪ it's spruce! ♪ when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd... i noticed things changed. breztri gave me better breathing starting within 5 minutes. it also reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler... for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling ...problems urinating vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri.

[♪♪] are you one of the millions of americans who suffer from an upset stomach after a big meal? try pepto bismol. unlike some products, pepto coats and soothes your digestive system, to provide fast 5-symptom relief. stock up on pepto today.

i wanted to pay for your education. i really did. it was my dream. some people have evil dreams. some people have selfish dreams or wet dreams. my dream was in the right place. >> you owe this to us.

>> steve carell is doing what michael scott could not, making the dreams of high schoolers come true. the office star as you saw a little bit there, announcing to high school seniors across southern california via video message that the charity alice's kids will cover the cost for their prom tickets this year. that announcement applies to over 800 students across six schools in areas devastated by the wildfires earlier this year. so he's giving money to alice's, and alice's gives it to these high schoolers, and they're all going to have a good time. >> i love the full-circle moment. i mean, just making these kids' year, for sure. >> about $175,000. vegas may not be the same as it was if one pop icon moves in. "the new york post" reporting that harry styles is in final negotiations for an extended residency at sphere in las vegas. sources tell the post styles could play as many as 35 shows at the venue, possibly beginning

later this year. they have already played host to the eagles, u2. he always has a lot of outfits and puts on a good show. when we come back, a legendary pair of rookie jerseys will be seen and put up for grabs in a once-in-a-lifetime auction. and, is it minecraft or a runway show during paris fashion week? the out of this world outfits for you. >> ooh. rld outfits for you. >> ooh. that gritty feeling can't be brushed away. even a little blurry vision can distort things. and something serious may be behind those itchy eyes. up to 50% of people with graves' could develop a different condition called thyroid eye disease, which should be treated by a different doctor. see expert. find a t-e-d eye specialist at isitted.com [slow clock ticking]

some might ask what's the hurry? [slow clock ticking] but if it's the difference between getting mcdonald's breakfast, and settling for a big mac. [intense music] well... run like the wind. [upbeat music] ♪♪ ♪ ba da ba ba ba ♪ this is what joint pain looks like. when you keep moving with aleve. (♪♪) just 1 aleve. 12 hours of uninterrupted joint pain relief. aleve. strength to last 12 hours. swiffer sweeper dry* traps 2x more dust and hair for a clean even mom approves of. nice reach! brooms can just push stuff around, but swiffer grabs dirt and even traps the hair. swiffer. the mother of all cleans. love it or your money back! (vo) dan made progress with his mental health, but his medication caused unintentional movements

in his face, hands, and feet called tardive dyskinesia, or td. so his doctor prescribed austedo xr— a once-daily, extended-release td treatment for adults. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ austedo xr significantly reduced dan's td movements. some people saw a response as early as 2 weeks. with austedo xr, dan can stay on his mental health meds— (dan) cool hair! (vo) austedo xr can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, or have suicidal thoughts. don't take if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo xr may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, or abnormal movements. seek help for fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, or sweating. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ ask your doctor for austedo xr. ♪ austedo xr ♪ even when us women's national team forward mallory swanson isn't on the field...

...she always makes the perfect play. thanks to the bank of america customized cash rewards visa card, she'll earn 3% cash back on her purchase after choosing the online shopping category. ♪♪ [♪♪] are you one of the the millions of americansory. who suffer from an upset stomach after a big meal? try pepto bismol. unlike some products, pepto coats and soothes your digestive system, to provide fast 5-symptom relief. stock up on pepto today. and here's what's making headlines this morning. actress kristina ricci has received her star on the hollywood walk of fame. she appearede appeared with her jacket co-stars. sotheby's is putting rookie jerseys of michael jordan and

kobe bryant up for auction. king charles teamed up with apple for the king's music room, offering tunes from bob marley, grace jones and many more. and a japanese fashion designer unveiled a unique collection during the winter 2025-'26 collection, it featured garments that acted as wearable screens. ts that acted as wearab screens. the cadbury bunnybe cuz only he brings delicious cadbury crème eggs while others may keep trying.. (animal noises continue) nobunny knows easter better than cadbury the first time you try bounce, it hits you. your laundry feels way fresher, softer. so you start to wonder. if i put a sheet of bounce on the finance guy, will it make him softer? bounce can't do it all but for better laundry, ♪ put a sheet on it with bounce. ♪ for years, one supplement claimed it improved memory. but the truth?

it can't support those claims. choose neuriva plus — which supports six brain health indicators, including memory, with clinically tested ingredients. it's time to switch to neuriva. welcome to the 100° sweat test. which one of these two antiperspints can stand up to the heat? that's it. take it up a notch. looks like ordinary antiperspirants can't take the heat. ordinary antiperspirants can't fight sweat better than secret clinical. spring training is in full spring, and major league baseball is testing out a new

way to toss out human error from the game. it could roll out by next season. jesse kirsch shows us how it works. >> reporter: love it. or hate it. >> call it, strike three. >> reporter: the baseball umpire calls strike three. no amount of shouting will change the outcome. >> [ bleep ], [ bleep ]. >> reporter: but that might be about to change. >> and we're going to have a challenge here from the catcher. >> reporter: right now, major league baseball is using spring training to test an automated ball strike system. here's how it works. only the pitcher, catcher or batter can challenge by tapping their head right after the umpire's call. then, within seconds, using a series of cameras around the field, the program shows the fans at the ballpark or watching on tv where the pitch crossed the plate in relation to the strike zone. the experimental system is being used in about 60% of this year's

spring training games and has already seen plenty of action. >> that is just fractionally a ball. >> reporter: including this successful challenge by the new york yankees that turned an inning-ending strikeout into a three-run rally. we caught up with the bronx bombers at their spring training home in tampa, florida to get their perspective on the new system. >> i think it's good for baseball. >> i don't know if i'm really that much in favor of it. i like that human element part of it. >> reporter: some call abs robo umpire. and if mlb ever completely eliminated the human element we'd lose the sarcasm and drama ofof those nose-to-nose shoutin matches. yankees' manager aaron boone is no stranger to being tossed from a game. >> you completely got rid of the umpires, who would you yell at? >> i'd yell at somebody. >> reporter: we did not meet anyone who totally wants the umpires out of here. >> hell no. no shot.

getting rid of the umpires is crazy. >> reporter: they tested extensively in the minor leagues last year. and in aaa, just over half of challenged calls were overturned. baseball has recently seen a number of major changes, like a pitch clock, larger bases and defensive realignments. all of it part of an effort to modernize the game. but the question remains. is this system ready for primetime? jesse kirsch, nbc news. >> and our thanks to jesse for that report. and thank you for kicking off your friday with "early today." go out and have a great weekend. .

for tom llamas. stay right there, more news is on the way. on the way. president trump backtracks on tariffs again. now granting canada an