To find all our podcasts there but again there's a way for you to catch up all right right to it we got stories some coming up retail theft blame for the upcoming closure of two popular stores more calls for water conservation even though we had all this rain and Seattle's mayor outlines a budget planned it all happened this past week this just is a fraction of the stories you're about to hear now it's time for us to get to our first story and help you catch up those stores announcing targets it will close nine stores of major cities this will also affect a couple here in Seattle the retailer cited organized retail crime threatening the safety of its workers and customers as the reason for its decision the company says it's taken a variety of steps to stop crime in its stores but larger security teams and theft deterrent tools just weren't enough in Seattle the Ballard and University Way locations will be permanently shuttered October 1st affected employees will be offered transfers to another target location Kathy O 'Shea Northwest News Radio so with the plans to close the two target stores in Seattle only shed new light on retail Bill Swartz in fact says Washington State's retailers are doing their part to take on a growing issue to shut down a whole store I guess because of theft I guess it must be really bad that woman telling Komo TV she was surprised to the learn Target store in Ballard and another in Seattle's University District will close October 21st Organized retail theft rings have been running rampant in Seattle and the Evergreen State the National Retail Federation national our partner estimates that over 2 .7 billion dollars have been stolen from Washington retailers just last year Mark Johnson is senior VP of policy and government affairs for the Washington Retail Association representing businesses small to large with more than 400 ,000 workers brazen crooks often help themselves to arm loads and merchandise knowing there won't be many consequences shoplifting and violent robbery says Johnson threatens workers and customers safety Bill that is of concern to retailers the most important thing and that's why these stores were closing is maintaining the safety for our team members and for our customers if we can't to provide a safe shopping and working environment things have to change when stores get ripped off costs are passed on to consumers when stores close local governments lose tax revenue Johnson says many retailers in Washington State including Target's Issaquah store have worked with police to address the problem and it's really been paying dividends the partnership is tremendous not only with Target but with many other retailers in the of city Issaquah Johnson also applauds the state attorney general's new organized retail theft task force they're hiring five new staff prosecutors investigators data analysts to staff up this task force we're hoping it sends the very unwelcome mad out to these criminal crime rings and saying don't come to Washington because the likelihood of you being apprehended and prosecuted is increase Washington significantly retailers hope federal and state laws going after crooks who resell stolen merchandise will also make a difference. I'm Bill Swartz, Northwest News Radio. research research centered on converting office buildings into apartments has identified nearly a hundred local candidates for for conversion including Seattle's landmark Smith Tower a newly published paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research names 98 office buildings across Seattle Tacoma and Bellevue as good candidates for conversion into residential units the Seattle Times reports the 10 largest downtown Seattle buildings named in the research include the Smith Tower the Seattle Tower near 3rd and University and the 34 story Western building home of Seattle based Western hotels corporate offices could such conversions actually happen opposed pandemic glut of office space combined with a critical shortage makes the idea attractive but it's a very old prospect undertake case Creel with Seattle architecture firm Gensler recently told Northwest News Radio the expense of office to residential conversion is hard to justify without government we don't have an incentive structure that does help tax incentive perspective the study new finds about 11 percent of office buildings nationwide are suitable for residential conversion Corwin Haake Northwest News Radio thank you Corwin it took years but this past week the Federal Trade Commission filed a sweeping antitrust trust lawsuit against Amazon this for monopolizing the e -commerce market Amazon is accused of using its power to raise prices on consumers and charge higher fees to sellers on its platform Google and Amazon deliberately abuse their monopoly power John Logan is a professor of labor and employment