The Talk Market: How Stories and Psychology Shape Our Economic Lives Can we affect the rise and fall of the economy? This week on Hidden Brain, we talk with Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller about the powerful ways in which stories and psychology shape our economic lives. He argues that narratives affect not just the purchases we make as individuals, but the fate of our entire economic system. Shankar Vedantam
Can ‘universal rent control’ get Kshama Sawant re-elected this November? Rent control is illegal in Washington State but that’s not stopping Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant from fighting for it. An unapologetic Marxist, Sawant anticipates a vicious fight for that proposal against developers, and what she calls “the Capitalist class.” David Hyde
Seattle pot business owners say state policies leave trail for thieves Kim Malcolm talks with Eric Scigliano about robberies and break-ins of Seattle marijuana businesses, and why some business owners believe state transparency laws may be playing a role. Andy Hurst
Amazon sells products that are banned, unsafe, or deceptively labeled, says WSJ investigation Paige Browning talks with Wall Street Journal reporter Shane Shifflett about his investigation into Amazon's third-party sellers. Paige Browning
Is Seattle headed for a recession? A growing number of economists and analysts are warning about a economic slowdown. Jon Talton, economics columnist for the Seattle Times, says some Seattle-area businesses are vulnerable, including one of the state's largest employers. Paige Browning
T-Mobile a big step closer to merging with Sprint Kim Malcolm talks with Geekwire's Monica Nickelsburg about Federal approval for a proposed merger between Bellevue-based T-Mobile and Sprint. Andy Hurst
In the era of Amazon, what's a Nordstrom to do? Last year, Amazon sold $30 billion worth of apparel, according to an estimate by Wells Fargo. Nordstrom sold $15.5 billion. Carolyn Adolph
How Trump's trade war with China could hurt Washington state Paige Browning talks with Debra Glassman about how President Trump's escalating trade war with China could affect Washington state. Paige Browning
Commission wants rent control in Seattle by this summer The Seattle Renters Commission presented its annual plan , including a recommendation for rent control in Seattle. Paige Browning
Tax form typo, or is your employee undocumented? "No-match" letters are sent by the Social Security Administration when there’s a typo on W-2 forms. But in some cases, they indicate the employee is using a fake social security number. What does that mean in today’s immigration climate? Esmy Jimenez
