Tonight on PBS News Weekend, with President Trump's steep tariffs on imported vehicles and parts set to start this week, what that may do to the price of cars and the automotive industry.

Then, as the death toll in Southeast Asia continues to rise, we speak to an aid organization on the ground about the unfolding crisis.

And let's set aside politics for a few minutes.

The capital is in full bloom.

We explore the history and symbolism of Washington's cherry blossoms.

It's important that we show up here and that we definitely

honor and cherish what we have. It is definitely a gem. It's a jewel.

Good evening. I'm Lisa Desjardin. John Yang is away. We start at a consequential moment for a key piece of the American economy, the car industry.

This weekend, some car buyers across the country were rushing to showrooms as automakers braced for 25% tariffs on vehicles and on auto parts made outside the United States.

Those kick in Thursday and could raise some car prices by thousands of dollars.

But President Trump told NBC News in a phone interview yesterday, quote, I couldn't care less.

I hope they raise their prices

because if they do, people are going to buy American-made cars. We have plenty. We are now joined

by Michelin Maynard, a veteran business journalist and author who covers the auto industry. Her

substack is called Intersection, Everything That Moves.

Michelle, we're going to go through a few sectors here, but let's start with those looking to buy a car. Should they be rushing out to do that now?

The carmakers have quite a few vehicles on their lots, so I'm not sure if you need to

jump out tomorrow and buy a car. They do have inventory. This isn't

like the days during the pandemic when they were down to no cars. But you have to figure

that the clock is ticking and that we will start to see the inventory of these vehicles

run out before the tariffs kick in. So yeah, I mean, if you're planning to do it anyway, I would go.

But I don't think you need to feel like if I wait until the summer, I'm going to have to pay

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