Paul Roberts

1 month ago | seattletimes.com | Paul Roberts

In what has become a grueling economic ritual, companies, farmers and other commercial players in Washington are again scrambling to assess the costs of another round of tariffs by President Donald Trump. On Wednesday — or “Liberation Day,” as Trump calls it — the president announced his latest trade policy salvo: a system of “reciprocal” tariffs that would tax imported goods based on charges that other countries impose on U.S. goods.

2 months ago | star-telegram.com | Paul Roberts

BELLINGHAM - Canadians unhappy with President Donald Trump's tariffs and hot talk aren't just booing American teams. They're spending less at Washington's border-town businesses, judging by reports from communities like Bellingham that rely heavily on Canadian shoppers and guests. Substantially fewer Canadians are crossing into Washington, according to border data. They're showing up less frequently at stores, restaurants and hotels.

Feb 9, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Paul Roberts

Leavenworth, the Cascades “Christmastown” with a zealously enforced Old World Bavarian theme, has thoughts when it comes to public displays. So when a local Christian prayer group started building a 70-foot, LED-lit cross on a forested ridge above town last summer, it touched off a dispute that has roiled the community and could well end up in court. Backers describe the cross as a celebration of faith and a response to their concerns that Christianity has suffered under progressive culture.

Feb 1, 2025 | seattletimes.com | David Gutman |Paul Roberts

Washington’s aerospace and agriculture industries, among others, began bracing Saturday for major impacts from steep tariffs announced by the Trump administration, with warnings of higher prices for consumers and major losses for some businesses. The Trump administration announced tariffs Saturday of 25% on all imports from Mexico and Canada — except for a lower 10% on energy imported from Canada like oil, natural gas and electricity — and 10% on all imports from China.

Jan 20, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Paul Roberts |Heidi Groover |Sofia Schwarzwalder

Hundreds gathered at Garfield High School on Monday morning to learn and organize before the 42nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march through Seattle. Beyond the march, organizers planned a job fair and workshops, filling the halls of the high school. The march is scheduled to depart from the Garfield parking lot at 12:30 p.m. Monday. As King County celebrated its namesake American civil rights hero, President Donald Trump was inaugurated in the other Washington.