U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to Seattle’s first-come, first-served law for rental applications
Passed by the City Council in 2016, the pioneering Seattle law requires landlords to publicize their criteria for prospective renters and to accept the first qualified applicant.
If I have the money, is it a good idea to skip mortgage payments during this coronavirus crisis?
As my legal career has gotten longer, I have learned that while getting older does not necessarily make a person wiser, but it does make them more experienced. A decade ago, I tried to help hundreds of homeowners who could afford to make their monthly mortgage payment but thought that if they missed just a […]
Live in an apartment or senior living facility? Here’s how long your coronavirus eviction moratorium lasts
Gov. Jay Inslee’s updated statewide eviction moratorium, announced Thursday, is arguably the most far-reaching local action yet to protect renters. The proclamation protects tenants from eviction until June 4. And it goes further, barring landlords from collecting late fees, raising rents or asking tenants in housing closed due to the coronavirus pandemic — including student housing — […]
Starbucks will reopen 85% of its coffee shops, but with new protocols
Starbucks this week started reopening stores in Seattle that had been closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Starbucks sales tumble as global shutdowns caused by coronavirus hit its stores
In the U.S., Starbucks has temporarily closed half its 8,000 company-owned stores. It's planning to reopen 90% of those with modifications by early June.
Starbucks introducing plant-based food and drinks in China
The Seattle-based coffee chain on Tuesday began selling lasagna, pasta and a wrap filled with Beyond Meat grounds, which are made from pea protein. It’s the first time Beyond Meat products are being sold in China.
Starbucks sees gradual reopening amid progress in coronavirus fight
Starbucks is planning to “gradually expand” operations at some stores in the U.S., citing progress in the fight to contain the coronavirus.
Referendum-proof Seattle tax for coronavirus relief, housing, would impact multiple business sectors
The Seattle City Charter says legislation approved under a state of emergency can't be repealed by referendum. Council members can't name every business the new tax would cover, because the state discloses only aggregate payroll data.
Starbucks sees 6 months of pain, based on its China experience; announces worker grants
Starbucks' U.S. experience is similar to that of McDonald's, which Wednesday announced a dramatic contraction in March after what had been a healthy pace of sales.
Starbucks rival Luckin Coffee’s scandal spreads through corporate China
The fallout from Luckin Coffee’s accounting scandal is spreading far beyond the high-flying Starbucks challenger, with renewed concerns about Chinese corporate governance dragging down stocks across industries and threatening to bring a halt to the country’s overseas initial public offerings. The Xiamen-based coffee chain said on Thursday that its chief operating officer and some underlings […]
Starbucks is closing cafes in response to coronavirus crisis; drive-thrus remain open
Some cafes close to hospitals or health care sites will remain open, according to the statement, as part of the company’s “efforts to serve first responders and health care workers.” And Starbucks will continue to pay all employees for 30 days, whether they come to work or stay home.
‘Tax Amazon’ group, Sawant announce ballot initiative for tax on big businesses
Boosters of a new Seattle tax on large corporations such as Amazon, including City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, have filed a petition to put an initiative on the ballot this year, they said Thursday. They’re aiming for the November ballot and say the tax could raise $300 million a year, though those calculations were made before coronavirus […]
Starbucks to close some stores, eliminate seating in all others to slow spread of coronavirus
In a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Starbucks will temporarily close some of its North American locations and will shift to a “to-go” model at the rest of its more than 10,000 North American stores. The closures, which were announced and implemented Sunday afternoon, will last at least two weeks and […]
Some key Seattle-area public companies hit hard by coronavirus-induced stock market crash
It was a rocky week on Wall Street, as most securities fell and some saw record declines. Seattle-area companies felt the pain as sharply as any.
Starbucks’ gathering-spot model is threatened by coronavirus
The Seattle-based coffee chain, which sees itself as a “third place” between work and home, is trying to reassure customers and employees about its response to the outbreak.
Starbucks stores may go drive-thru only or limit seating
Some Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada may become drive-thru only while others could limit the number of people allowed inside, the company said, one day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus a pandemic. “As a last resort, we will close a store if we feel it is in the […]
Starbucks expands paid leave policy for workers affected by coronavirus
Starbucks says “catastrophe pay” will be available to employees, regardless of whether they are showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
Seattle businesses, government leaders set aside differences to team up on coronavirus response
The communication and collaboration among businesses and local government leaders who don’t always see eye-to-eye has helped smooth the response to the region’s coronavirus crisis.
Starbucks worker at First and University store diagnosed with coronavirus
The Starbucks Reserve near the Seattle Art Museum was subjected to a deep cleaning and is scheduled to reopen with staff from other locations who have no known impact from COVID-19.
Starbucks tells staff to clean every eight minutes and pauses use of personal cups
Starbucks said staff across its 14,000 U.S. sites are being told to wipe down busy areas of the store — ideally, every eight minutes. If that can't be achieved, stores shouldn't go more than 30 minutes before cleaning.
Fake meat and a latte? Starbucks adds Beyond Meat in Canada
NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks customers in Canada will soon be able to down fake meat with their Frappuccinos. The coffee chain said Wednesday that it will soon start selling a sandwich featuring a meat-free patty from Beyond Meat, the El Segundo, California, company whose products are being put on the menue at other fast […]
Don’t toss that cup: McDonald’s and Starbucks are developing reusables
Pilot programs this week will introduce two types of "smart" reusable cups in independent coffee shops in San Francisco and Palo Alto. The models, made mostly from plastic and outfitted with RFID chips or QR codes for tracking, are the fruit of a two-year "moon shot" project known as the NextGen Cup Challenge.
Big businesses like Amazon support tax for King County, but questions about Seattle, suburbs remain
Amazon and several other large Seattle-area corporations, including Alaska Airlines, Costco, Expedia, Microsoft and Starbucks, expressed support Tuesday for the concept behind a Washington House bill that would allow King County to enact a big-business tax.
At a time when leadership is rare, Bill Gates stands tall on COVID-19
The co-founder of Microsoft is leading our understanding of COVID-19 and the road ahead, backed by one of the world's wealthiest charitable organizations. Columnist Jon Talton takes a closer look at the role of Bill Gates.
The Seattle that existed before March is gone forever. Can we be at the forefront of a new normal for the economy?
Superstar cities bounced back stronger than ever after the Great Recession. But the COVID-19 shutdown is different and the way back will be a challenge unlike any other.
Now’s not the time for anxiety about the national debt
Federal red ink was exploding even before the pandemic required a historic rescue stimulus. But the national debt only becomes dangerous if the United States is seen as an untrustworthy borrower.
Coronavirus pandemic puts globalization in the crosshairs
Globalization was already unpopular among many Americans. Now it's one of the suspects in the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus. But trashing the world order will make us sicker.
Once restarted, post-coronavirus economy might enter unprecedented rough seas
Even President Trump now realizes the need for a prolonged shutdown. But when the economy finally restarts, we have no guarantee it will bounce back quickly. The danger is a "Greater Depression."
How the novel coronavirus infected the global supply chain
Behind shortages of masks and ventilators is a staggering disruption of the global system of making, assembling and delivering critical products.
Coronavirus is making the economy very sick
The pandemic's effects are putting us in unknown territory, but we're already in a recession. It could be the worst of our lifetimes. Columnist Jon Talton explains why.
How climate change, politics and our ability to coexist will shape the new decade — and Seattle’s future
2020 is here as a new decade, ready or not. But decades as clear political, cultural, social and historical eras are as elusive as centuries.
After 37 years, time for reflections and thanks
Jon Talton, The Seattle Times economics and business columnist for the past 12 years, says goodbye and offers some parting thoughts.
Don’t be sure that Big Tech won’t face a Ma Bell-like reckoning
The technology giants have plenty of advantages in fending off antitrust actions. But that's what the old Bell System's leaders thought, too.
Real-estate seers expect a strong 2020 in Seattle, though not so much for housing
Seattle real estate is expected to be a hotspot next year, continuing a long trend of investing and building. But the prospects for housebuilding are more muted.
A stab at the heart of Saudi oil puts Trump to his biggest test yet
The weekend attack on critical oil facilities rattled the market. No wonder: Spikes in petroleum prices are closely associated with recessions.
Are workers ready to flee big cities? It’s not that simple.
The most recent Census numbers show some major metropolitan areas that shone during the post-recession years now are losing population. But that doesn’t mean an equitable spreading of economic assets, much less a halt to the “back to the city” era. At least not yet.
For Labor Day, tallying the many cuts that bled unions and the long road back
Jon Talton | No single source can explain the big decline in union membership. Rebuilding organized labor, and worker bargaining power and rights, will be a hard battle.
Reshaping corporations to look beyond shareholders’ profits will take hard work
One of the most powerful business lobbies says it wants to change the calculus that is giving capitalism a bad name. It's a good idea, but faces tremendous resistance.
Where a recession might hurt the Puget Sound region worst
If a downturn comes, the Seattle area benefits from a diverse economy. But it still has a few weak spots that would ripple out.
The complex and explosive debate about immigration, wages and jobs
Immigration is good for the economy — that's the big picture. It doesn't mean some Americans aren't hurt in their paychecks and opportunities.
‘Wealth work’ captures only part of the stark jobs divide
The rich are employing more people to cater to their desires. But that's only part of a tidal wave of change coming to the workforce.
Stock shock shows how Trump keeps gambling with the economy
The trade war with China is a self-inflicted blow. Only a strong economy is cushioning us against bigger pain — so far.
Vigor’s latest chapter underscores the crisis of American shipbuilding
Will private equity boost the Northwest's most important shipbuilder or look for a fast buck? Behind the question is the long and dangerous decline of a vital industry.
MCI Calls Qwest's Bid 'Superior' to Verizon's
MCI Inc.'s board of directors embraced a cash-rich offer from Qwest Communications International Inc. after months of saying the company was a financially weaker and strategically less desirable merger partner than Verizon Communications Inc.
-The Washington Post
Commuter Consumer
The daily ride has given rise to audio books, the travel mug and a 7-Eleven Inc. trademark, Dashboard Dining. The national motto has become grab and go, and legions of businesses work feverishly to fill a near-sacred space: the cup holder.
Investor Beware: The Con Is On
It's the season to scam.
I think I've used the phrase "low-life bum" more than I care to as I've read story after story this past year of investors being ripped off in new and old scams.
'Death Tax' Divide
With the House having again approved permanent repeal of the estate tax, the issue now moves to the Senate, where, although Republicans are in the majority, enthusiasm for wiping out what conservatives like to call the "death tax" is considerably more muted.
RADIO: JazzWeek Radio Chart: May 4, 2020
All About Jazz publishes the weekly JazzWeek radio chart. Discover new releases, track chart movement, and learn what is being played on jazz radio stations around the United States. Enjoy! TW LW 2W Artist TW LW Move Add Rpts Peak Wks 1 1 1 Joey Alexander Warna (Verve)...
MUSIC INDUSTRY: International Jazz Day thoughts about our new world of virtual jazz
The world at-large- and the jazz world as we knew it and enjoyed it- have changed drastically over the past six weeks because of the pandemic. No near-term end is in sight for the challenges it has caused. Unless they were held prior to early March, none of the 2020 editions of listeners' favorite jazz festivals, are likely to be held this year...
RADIO: Radio host and All About Jazz Contributor Ed Blanco celebrates 13 years of Jazz Café on WDNA 88.9FM
Jazz radio host and All About Jazz contributor Ed Blanco, in May 2020 celebrates 13 years as producer and host of Jazz Café, an early Sunday morning jazz show on WDNA, 88.9FM in Miami, Florida...