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Year in Review: Seattle's economy, politics, arts, and so much more

caption: Bill Radke looks back at the stories from 2023 with KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg, Cat Smith and Mike Davis, Wing Luke Museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel Tan, sports journalist and author Art Thiel, and author and podcaster Lindy West.
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Bill Radke looks back at the stories from 2023 with KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg, Cat Smith and Mike Davis, Wing Luke Museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel Tan, sports journalist and author Art Thiel, and author and podcaster Lindy West.
KUOW/Juan Pablo Chiquiza

Bill Radke looks back at the stories from 2023 with KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg, Cat Smith, and Mike Davis, and Wing Luke Museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel Tan, sports journalist and author Art Thiel, and author and podcaster Lindy West.


caption: Bill Radke looks at the audience at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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Bill Radke looks at the audience at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza



This year, several large companies implemented return-to-office mandates for their employees. Companies like Amazon and Meta threatened that those who did not comply with their mandate could be let go. Are people officially getting fired for not returning to the office?

caption: KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg chats with the panel during the Year in Review event on December 14 2023.
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KUOW’s Monica Nickelsburg chats with the panel during the Year in Review event on December 14 2023.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


RELATED: Boeing asks Commercial Airplanes workers to return to office 5 days a week

caption: KUOW Cat Smith, and Wing Luke Museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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KUOW Cat Smith, and Wing Luke Museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


Seattle's Wing Luke Museum was targeted in an alleged hate crime in September, leaving its windows shattered. According to a police report on the incident, a 76-year-old white man smashed the windows of the museum with a sledgehammer. Police found him outside the building, where he told them, "The Chinese ruined my life." The Executive Director of Wing Luke Museum talks shares his thoughts on anti-Asian American hate crimes.

RELATED: Shattered windows and nerves, Seattle's Wing Luke Museum targeted in alleged hate crime

caption: KUOW Cat Smith chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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KUOW Cat Smith chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


In the most recent election, voter turnout was at 37%. That was an all-time low in the state of Washington. The election resulted in what is perceived as a more moderate Seattle City Council. Why was voter turnout so low?

RELATED: Why didn't more Washingtonians vote in the 2023 election?

caption: Sports journalist and author Art Thiel chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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Sports journalist and author Art Thiel chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


The University of Washington is taking its football team out of the Pac-12 and moving the Huskies over to the Big Ten Conference. UW's move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten will become official in August 2024. Sports journalist and author Art Thiel talks how this move was largely motivated by finances.

RELATED: UW football moving to Big Ten, pulling Huskies out of Pac-12

caption: KUOW Mike Davis chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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KUOW Mike Davis chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


KUOW's Mike Davis talks with us about local art and culture, and whether or not people are returning to theaters and other venues. Mike suggests that affordability could be a contributing factor when it comes to people deciding if they are going out or not. Is it getting too expensive?

caption: Lindy West chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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Lindy West chatted with the panel at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


Bestselling writer Lindy West has a new podcast out with her best friend Meagan Hatcher-Mays called Text Me Back, where they take a look at what is going on in the world and in their own lives. Lindy talks about what it is like to work with her best friend, and her decision to leave Seattle.

caption: From right to left Bill Radke, Monica Nickelsburg, Cat Smith, and Mike Davis at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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From right to left Bill Radke, Monica Nickelsburg, Cat Smith, and Mike Davis at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


caption: Bill Radke at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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Bill Radke at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


caption: Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
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Cornish Playhouse in Seattle on Thursday, December 14 during the Year In Review event.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza


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