By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Noted economist Arthur Laffer warns in a new analysis that President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on auto imports could add $4,711 to the cost of a vehicle and says the proposed taxes could weaken the ability of U.S. automakers to compete with their foreign counterparts.

In the 21-page analysis obtained by The Associated Press, Laffer, whom Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 for his contributions to economics, says the auto industry would be in a better position if the Republican president preserved the supply chain rules with Canada and Mexico from his own 2019 USMCA trade pact.

The White House has temporarily exempted auto and parts imports under the USMCA from the tariffs starting on April 3 so that the Trump administration can put together a process for taxing non-U.S. content in vehicles and parts that fall under the agreement.

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“Without this exemption, the proposed tariff risks causing irreparable damage to the industry, contradicting the administration’s goals of strengthening U.S. manufacturing and economic stability,” Laffer writes in the analysis. “A 25% tariff would not only shrink, or possibly eliminate, profit margins for U.S. manufacturers but also weaken their ability to compete with international rivals.”

In a Friday interview with The Associated Press, Laffer said the report had caused a “kerfuffle” and cautioned that it only applied to the economics, rather than Trump’s negotiating skills and strategic approach to trade.

“The report shows the economics of what would happen were the tariffs to be put in place,” he said. “This is about facts, not how we feel.”

The economist was quick to also praise Trump as a negotiator who has deep knowledge of trade issues, indicating that the tariff threats could be used as they had during Trump’s first term to ultimately lower barriers to trade and improve outcomes for the U.S. economy.

“Donald Trump is more familiar with the gains from trade than any politician I’ve ever talked to in my life,” Laffer said. ”Do not take this paper in any way, shape or form as criticizing Donald Trump and what his strategies are.”

He added that he trusts the president and sees him as exceptionally competent.

While Trump’s tariff plans have frightened the stock market and U.S. consumers, Laffer’s analysis and other reports show the possible economic risks if the threat of import taxes is unable to produce a durable set of deals with other countries. The paper reminds Trump that it’s not too late to change course, specifically complimenting the USMCA negotiated in his first term as a “significant achievement.”

“The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has served as a cornerstone of President Trump’s first term and has quickly become a dominant feature of North American trade policy, fostering economic growth, stabilizing supply chains, and strengthening the U.S. auto industry,” Laffer writes.

The analysis says that the per vehicle cost without the USMCA exemption would be $4,711, but that figure would be a lower $2,765 if the exemptions were sustained.

Trump honored Laffer with the highest civilian honor 45 years after the economist famously sketched out on a napkin the Laffer curve, showing that there’s an optimal tax rate for collecting revenue.

The bell-shaped curve indicated that there’s a tax rate so high that it could be self-defeating for generating tax revenues. Many Republicans embraced the curve as evidence that lower tax rates could generate stronger growth that would lead to higher tax revenues.

“Dr. Laffer helped inspire, guide, and implement extraordinary economic reforms that recognize the power of human freedom and ingenuity to grow our economy and lift families out of poverty and into a really bright future,” Trump said in awarding him the medal.

Laffer served on the economic policy advisory board of President Ronald Reagan, in addition to being a university professor. He has his own economic consultancy, Laffer Associates. In 1970, he was the first chief economist of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Laffer also advised Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign and co-wrote a flattering book, “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive Our Economy.”

Trump maintains that 25% tariffs will cause more foreign and domestic automakers to expand production and open new factories in the United States. On Monday, he celebrated a planned $5.8 billion investment by South Korean automaker Hyundai to build a steel plant in Louisiana as evidence that his strategy would succeed.

Trump said the 25% auto tariffs would help to reduce the federal budget deficit while moving more production into the United States.

“For the most part, I think it’s going to lead cars to be made in one location,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “For right now, the car would be made here, sent to Canada, sent to Mexico, sent to all over the place. It’s ridiculous.”

ST. LOUIS — Some point to Aug. 17 as the day the Twins’ season started to fall apart last year.

The Twins, after beating the Texas Rangers in the first three games of the series, were up 4-0 in the seventh inning when Jorge Alcala entered the game and was rocked for five runs in just a matter of minutes. From then on, the Twins went 12-27 to finish their season, missing the playoffs.

But, in truth, things had started to unravel even before then. Ten days earlier, Joe Ryan threw what would be the last pitch of his season, leaving his Aug. 7 start at Wrigley Field early with what turned out to be a teres major strain.

That shoulder meant the Twins spent the rest of the season trotting out three rookies in the rotation. Now healthy, Ryan, who will make his first start of the season on Saturday versus the St. Louis Cardinals, very well could be one of the keys to the Twins’ season.

“It’s always difficult,” Ryan said of watching from afar last year. “Obviously, you want to play, and you have expectations, and to have something just come out of nowhere, especially just that week, I was feeling really good. I think (it was) just kind of a slap in the face.”

But Ryan was feeling better as the offseason began and got clean imaging in November. Watching Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch in the postseason after suffering a similar injury, and talking to other pitchers who had gone through the same, helped build his confidence that he, too, could return just as effective as ever.

And Ryan, at his top form, could be a Cy Young Award contender if he puts together a season in which he can maintain his health throughout. At the time of his injury last year, Ryan was in the midst of perhaps the best year of his career. He had a 3.60 earned-run average, a 0.985 WHIP (Walks and Hits Per Innings Pitched) and was striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings.

After offseasons of tinkering with new pitches, Ryan was able to come to come to spring training this year confident in his pitch mix.

“I’m happy with all my pitches,” he said. “I think coming into camp this year not having to see how things work, knowing the splitter works, knowing the sweeper works, knowing the sinker works, four-seam, cutter, they all play. And it was just being able to pitch with those and then work on some other things.”

That confidence extended to his health, as well.

This spring, Ryan felt strong. He wasn’t rehabbing, though he spent the end of last season on the injured list — he was just building up for the season like the rest of the rotation.

“His stuff keeps getting better. He’s throwing strikes. The delivery looks the way it should,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It all checked out. He had that little blip a few days early in camp when he was down, but overall, before that and even after that, everything has gone really smoothly.”

And for Ryan and the Twins, it’s been a long time coming.

“Something about getting games back changes the mindset a little bit and just turns everything up a little bit more,” Ryan said. “You remember why you’re here and what you’re doing.

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By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court for permission to resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law, while a court fight continues.

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The emergency appeal to the high court follows a rejection of the Republican administration’s plea to the federal appeals court in Washington. By a 2-1 vote, a panel of appellate judges left in place an order temporarily prohibiting deportations of the migrants under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act

The Justice Department argued in court papers that federal courts shouldn’t interfere with sensitive diplomatic negotiations. It also claimed that migrants should make their case in a federal court in Texas, where they are being detained.

The order temporarily blocking the deportations was issued by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, the chief judge at the federal courthouse in Washington.

President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II to justify the deportation of hundreds of people under a presidential proclamation calling the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force.

“Here, the district court’s orders have rebuffed the President’s judgments as to how to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations,” acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote in the court filing.

Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of five Venezuelan noncitizens who were being held in Texas, hours after the proclamation was made public.

The court set a Tuesday deadline for a response from the ACLU.

The case has become a flashpoint amid escalating tension between the White House and the federal courts.

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Boasberg imposed a temporary halt on deportations and ordered planeloads of Venezuelan immigrants to return to the U.S. That did not happen. The judge has since vowed to determine whether the government defied his order to turn the planes around. The administration has invoked a “state secrets privilege” and refused to give Boasberg any additional information about the deportations.

Trump and his allies have called for impeaching Boasberg. In a rare statement, Chief Justice John Roberts said “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity for a hearing before an immigration or federal court judge.

Boasberg ruled that immigrants facing deportation must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged gang members. His ruling said there is “a strong public interest in preventing the mistaken deportation of people based on categories they have no right to challenge.”

If Real Salt Lake is awarded a penalty kick on Saturday night at Allianz Field, it will conjure deja vu and Minnesota United will like its odds with Dayne St. Clair in net.

The Loons goalkeeper has been deft on PKs throughout his MLS career, and after what happened in the first-round MLS Cup Playoff series between the two clubs last fall, he also might live rent free in the heads of some RSL players.

St. Clair either saved or RSL missed — with St. Clair’s mind games in effect — five of its 10 total PK attempts across the two shootouts. MNUFC won both matches and its goalie’s performances were a catalyst for the club to go on its deepest playoff run since 2020.

St. Clair chatted with the Pioneer Press about last season’s memorable run. Game 1 was in Sandy, Utah, but Game 2 came in St. Paul, and that location alone made it more memorable to him. He was a showman in both.

“Having the crowd behind me, making a few saves, just positive notes,” St. Clair reflected. “Hopefully (I) don’t have to face any in this game (Saturday), but if that’s the case, then I’m definitely up for the task.”

In MLS regular-season matches, St. Clair has a strong record on penalty kicks, allowing goals on only five of 11 attempts (46%), per FBref.com. This’s roughly half of the expected goals (xG) for PK takers when at the spot (80%).

Among those attempts, St. Clair has saved 36% and benefited from 18% misses. He doesn’t care how it transpires, as long as it stays out of the back of his net. In the playoff series, he made one save, while RSL missed the target or hit the woodwork four times.

Given the long odds in any setting, St. Clair insists he feels no pressure in those high-stakes situations. He knows the analytics are against him, so he leans into the subterfuge.

After the full five rounds in Game 1, Jefferson Diaz gave the Loons a 5-4 led going into RSL’s attempt and St. Clair asked referee Ray Touchan, “If they miss, is it going to be over?”

St. Clair knew full well it would be the end, but he wanted to say the quiet part out loud and up the ante on Braian Ojeda. It might have played on Ojeda’s nerves as he put his shot off the crossbar to give MNUFC a 1-0 series lead.

“The crossbar was a good friend of mine, so hopefully me and him continue to be in a good relationship,” St. Clair joked about an inanimate object in his post-match news conference.

Earlier in the Game 1 shootout, St. Clair dove to his right as Goncalves shot to the left for an easy goal. That moment would come back around in Game 2.

“It’s the second time that we’ve seen some of those guys in such quick succession,” St. Clair reflected Thursday. “So it creates a little bit it’s a cat-and-mouse game for both of us. … In terms of, ‘Are they gonna shoot the same way?’ Are they gonna switch it up? So I think then that creates a little bit more indecision, and was something that I was able to kind of play on going into the second game.”

In Game 2, St. Clair took it up a few notches in the second round of PKs. He pointed to his right as Diogo Goncalves stood behind the ball. St. Clair called it. Goncalves shot right and into a diving St. Clair, who smirked after the stop.

In round three, RSL’s Matt Crooks went to the spot after not shooting in Game 1. St. Clair wasn’t as subtle and just started yelling his name.

“We didn’t have any stats on him for shooting prior, so I didn’t really know where he might be going,” St. Clair said. “So if I can kind of really play into it, because at that moment, I have nothing to lose versus sometimes you have the data and you don’t really want to say anything because they might switch.”

Crooks put his shot over the crossbar and into the Wonderwall supporters section in the south end of Allianz Field. St. Clair went berserk, with fist pumps and tugs on his jersey. In hindsight this week, he said that name-calling was his most-effective antic in either shootout.

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair instructs his team as Necaxa prepares for a corner kick in the second half of a Leagues Cup soccer match Tuesday, July 30, 2024 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

St. Clair remained on point in round four going to his right as Diego Luna put the fourth-round shot off the post.The Loons’ 6-foot-3 ‘keeper might have got his fingertips on the shot.

Afterward, St. Clair, a Toronto-area native, went into former Raptors star Vince Carter’s “It’s Over” celebration. Then teammate Sang Bin Jeong’s successful shot clinched the Loons’ spot in the Western Conference semifinal.

St. Clair said he couldn’t have done it alone. Besides his teammates being more ice-cold from the spot than RSL, he credited assistant goalkeeping coach Cristiano Costa for helping his preparations.

“Cristiano did a lot of work as well, behind the scenes, collecting all the video, showing me all the video,” St. Clair said.

For all his tomfoolery before and after PKs, Loons director of goalkeeping Tom Fawdry was impressed with St. Clair’s poise in the big moment.

“If the game is frantic, then sometimes you need to be the calmest man in the stadium,” Fawdry said. “When it was his opportunity to step up, he did that and showed what he can do.”

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