BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Economists say the new tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump are likely to raise prices of goods for Americans by thousands of dollars each year while slowing the U.S. economy. Nobody knows the full effect the tariffs may have on Louisiana’s economy, but businesses scrambled on Thursday to understand the impact to the state and their industries. Auto dealers, homebuilders, restaurants, even coffee roasters anticipate higher prices for consumers. There are some fears that large industrial projects in the state could stall as the cost of raw materials soars and demand for petrochemical products and other materials slump. Read what industry representatives are saying. East Baton Rouge Parish leaders may have learned a lesson after Louisiana voters roundly defeated four state constitutional amendments last weekend. Mayor-President Sid Edwards' plan to shuffle funding from libraries and other agencies will appear before voters in November as four separate ballot items, trying to keep the issues clear and more concise. Read more about how the plan will be pitched to residents. Scientists expect the coming hurricane season to produce 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes, due to warmer-than-normal temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the unlikely return of El Niño conditions by the season's peak. It's a less active season than hurricane researchers at Colorado State University forecast last year, when they predicted 23 named storms, including 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes, which ended up being pretty accurate. The actual totals: 19 named storms and 11 hurricanes, with five classified as major. Read about what influenced the scientists' predictions. | 