There’s a lot of debate in Seattle right now over whether it's still a good place to do business.

It's hard to tell whether recent high profile moves by companies are signs of a wider exodus, or if they’re outliers -- but there may be lessons from the past that provide clues to what the future will hold.

On today's episode, is big business souring on Seattle? We look at one of the city's most infamous tax battles to learn more.

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember when bookstores were an endangered species? Well not anymore.

Thousands of independent bookstores across the country just celebrated Independent Bookstore Day.

Brick-and-mortar places like Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle didn't just survive the e-commerce revolution. They’re thriving ... by leaning into doing what online sellers can’t do.

On today's episode, how did independent bookstores escape Amazon’s shadow? And what lessons could other businesses learn from their revival?

Check out the KUOW Book Club.

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People everywhere followed along as Artemis astronauts made their historic mission around the moon.

But what made that possible was research -- and that kind of scientific discovery is in jeopardy after ongoing cuts to federal research funding.

For decades, the University of Washington has received more federal research money than almost any other public university.

And the research that's come out of the institution has fed the growth of the region’s biggest employers… and its most innovative startups.

On today's episode: What could cuts to federal research funding mean for Seattle’s future economy?

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: this episode mentions suicide.

Artificial intelligence powered chatbots have become unavoidable. We use them to search, get advice, and even for companionship. But getting close to an AI comes with real and serious risks.

Washington state leaders want to do something about that. Two new state laws passed this year that require AI-modified content to be traceable, and limits the kinds of conversations these bots can have with minors.

On today's episode, Monica sits down with journalists Kashmir Hill from the New York Times and Jeff Horwitz from Reuters to talk about their reporting on AI chatbots, and whether these new state regulations can protect us from their risks.

This episode was recorded at a recent live event put on by the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public at the Seattle Public Library.

GUESTS:
Kashmir Hill, features writer on the business desk at The New York Times, covering technology and privacy
Jeff Horwitz, technology reporter at Reuters

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planet Money has been making economic news fun since 2008. And now it's the start of a new chapter for the beloved podcast... a whole book’s worth of chapters in fact.

Their new book is called Planet Money: A guide to the economic forces that shape your life.

On today's episode, Monica and Joshua sat down with Kenny Malone, host of Planet Money, and Alex Mayyasi, business reporter and author of the book, to talk about the hidden laws that control our economy, and how they’re affecting us here in Seattle.

If you want to meet Alex and Kenny in person, they will be at Town Hall in Seattle on Monday, April 13th. You can grab your tickets here.

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The middle class economy is quintessentially American. It’s a whole range of businesses that cropped up to serve the growing middle class after World War II. Think coffee and apple pie at your neighborhood diner. Or back-to- school shopping at Sears.

But companies that cater to the middle class are cratering under the weight of the affordability crisis.

On today's episode, why is the middle economy disappearing? And what does it mean for the businesses we love?

Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s taken 10 years and almost $4 billion, but at long last, light rail will run across Lake Washington.

For people living near the new light rail, it’ll mean shorter commutes, and faster trips to the airport, sporting events, and public parks.

But its impact will extend beyond those conveniences for riders. Some say it could lead to an economic renaissance in the region, creating new jobs and housing opportunities. And there's precedent for making that claim.

Today, we find out what a bridge in Scandinavia can tell us about our own future -- and whether the Crosslake Connection could bring this region the economic boost it needs.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington state just passed a tax on incomes above one million dollars a year. The so-called “millionaires tax” has critics warning we’re about to see an exodus of Washington’s wealthiest residents.

So we wanted to know whether “millionaire migration” is really a thing.

Today, what states that already have millionaire taxes can tell us about what to expect here in Washington.

GUEST:
Cristobal Young, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Cornell University

Coming up: Are you house hunting as a first-time home buyer? We'd love to hear from you about how it's going. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.