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PODCAST

Booming

KUOW News and Information

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area"s been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. InBooming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We"ll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

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All Episodes

15:50

Layoffs, lost faith, and 'cruel optimism' in tech

Booming ·

2025/07/09

Microsoft’s latest round of layoffs leaveseven more tech workers in Washington without a job – and with a new worldview called, "cruel optimism." Just a few years ago, a job in tech was considered a straight shot toward economic security and affordability in Seattle. But today, employees are afraid that if they lose their job, they won’t be able to find another one. To understand how the shift is affecting tech workers psychologically, Booming talked with Samuel So, who started

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15:31

Seattle's to do list isn't penciling out

Booming ·

2025/07/02

Mayor Bruce Harrell has a big to do list. He’s got to fix bridges, build housing, and spruce the place up for the World Cup next year. But to make all this happen, he needs federal dollars... money the city could lose. The Trump administration has used executive orders to cut funding for cities that don’t cooperate with its immigration enforcement agenda. And now, Seattle is fighting back. So we asked the mayor, how does Seattle spend its federal money? And if that money goes away, what

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17:20

How much does it cost to live comfortably in Seattle?

Booming ·

2025/06/25

Seattle is one of the wealthiest and most expensive cities in the U.S. One out of every fourteen Seattleites is a millionaire. By some estimates, costs in Seattle have risen more than 20% in just a few years. On today's episode, we ask more than 300 Seattleites: How much money would it really take to live comfortably in this city of millionaires? And if you can't make enough, what can you do to feel more comfortable here? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you

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13:59

ICE fears turn sweet cherry season sour

Booming ·

2025/06/18

Washington state is known for its cherries. We produce more sweet cherries than any other state in the country, and we export them all over the world. But to supply the world with cherries, Washington farmers need a lot of workers to show up for a very short harvesting window. Usually they do, but not this year. High profile ICE raids are keeping migrant workers from the fields. Today, how a culture of fear is pushing Washington cherry growers to the brink. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you

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19:23

The real threat to trees isn't housing

Booming ·

2025/06/11

After years of heated arguments, Seattle just passed a law allowing up to four houses per residential lot -- and six, in some cases. The hope is that building a lot more homes will keep prices from becoming dramatically more expensive than they are now. But there’s a tradeoff. To gain more housing, we’re going to lose something else people care a lot about: trees. On the latest episode of Booming, could there be a way to have both? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this

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18:55

Pharmacies are sick. Is there a cure?

Booming ·

2025/06/04

Bartell Drugs is a Pacific Northwest icon. But its corporate owner, Rite Aid, is going belly-up — and that’s put the future of Bartell’s in jeopardy. On today's episode, staying alive is not just a problem for Seattle’s oldest brick and mortar pharmacy. CVS, Walgreens, and independent pharmacies everywhere are struggling to stay afloat. So, what’s making pharmacies sick — and is there a cure? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible

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19:44

Will AI collapse the career ladder?

Booming ·

2025/05/28

It's graduation season. When today’s grads started college four years ago, an entry-level job in tech was a sure bet. Now, it's anything but. And it's not just tech. Internship openings across the country are the lowest they've been in 6 years. On today's episode, entry-level jobs are supposed to be the first rung of the career ladder. So why is that ladder breaking? And is there anything that new grads hoping to enter the workforce can do about it? We're working on an episode about how much

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13:40

Whiplash at the Port of Seattle

Booming ·

2025/05/14

A lot of people have been wondering if the Port of Seattle is dead. Spoiler alert: the ports haven’t been knocked out by the trade war, but they definitely have whiplash. The extreme tariffs that the US and China have put on each other – have already had a negative effect on trade. Now, they’re scaling those taxes back – at least for three months. On today's episode, we visit the gateway to the Pacific to find out what the port really tells us about the chaotic state of

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18:22

The plan to boost Black homeownership

Booming ·

2025/04/30

In Seattle's Central District, the number of Black homeowners has reached a historic low. And across Seattle, less than half as many Black households own homes as white families. But there's a new law that could help turn that around. The law expands the Covenant Home Ownership program, a state program that helps first-time Black and other marginalized home buyers cover their down payments and closing costs. In today's episode, Joshua explains why Black homeownership has plummeted and what lawmakers

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20:20

There's no such thing as local and these Northwest...

Booming ·

2025/04/16

If you've got tariff whiplash, you're not alone. The Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariffs are meant to protect domestic businesses and bring industry back to the US. So tariffs should be good for the iconic local industries we're so proud of here in the Pacific Northwest...right? On today's episode we'll dig into three of these Northwest industries: salmon, craft breweries, and aerospace parts, to see how they could be affected by rising tariffs. In today's economy, is anything really

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30:11

Microsoft President Brad Smith on how to defend your...

Booming ·

2025/04/02

When it comes to the white-collar workforce, alarm bells are starting to go off. The tech industry is seeing widespread layoffs, and a lot of those laid off workers are struggling to find new gigs. Some experts speculate that these are early signs of AI moving into the workforce and replacing jobs. Microsoft is one company at the center of this debate, so Monica sat down with its president Brad Smith to ask: is AI already taking our jobs? And if so, what can we do about it? Thank you to the

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21:05

Should social media have a bedtime?

Booming ·

2025/03/26

Experts say kids are spinning out online. Can Washington lawmakers help by putting seatbelts on social media? Parents, tech workers and even kids are asking for social media regulation, and there’s a bill moving through the Washington State Legislature that could make it happen. Senate Bill 5708 would block apps like Instagram and Snapchat from using addictive algorithms to keep kids scrolling. It would also require apps to stop sending push notifications late at night and during school hours

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20:36

An inside look into Seattle's AI startup scene

Booming ·

2025/03/12

There’s an invisible startup boom happening in Seattle right now. Tons of artificial intelligence companies have cropped up in the area – rivaling sectors like health tech and computer software. Seattle’s secret AI startup scene could transform our economy, but are we in a bubble, or is it here to stay? Joshua sits down with insider Kirby Winfield to find out. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go

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17:07

Could layoffs lead to a startup baby boom?

Booming ·

2025/03/05

For months, Seattle's tech industry has been reeling from layoffs. Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia and Starbucks are just a few of the companies who've recently let corporate employees go. And that's left many tech workers in a tough spot. But could there be a silver lining? With so many people suddenly out of a job, could these layoffs lead to a startup baby boom? On today's episode, Monica sits down with Geekwire co-founder Todd Bishop to find out. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make

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15:52

Why you can't afford to ski anymore

Booming ·

2025/02/26

Skiing has never been cheap, but it used to be accessible to families and casual skiers. Now the slopes seem to have turned into a playground for the rich. Tickets are costly...and large companies are buying out smaller ski hills. On today's episode, why is it so expensive? And is there a way for everyone to access the mountains? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go tokuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Do you have a question about the economy

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14:51

REI and the steep climb to unionize retail

Booming ·

2025/02/19

Washington's iconic outdoor retailer, REI, has gotten a little too far out over its skis. The member-owned co-op has been losing money for years. And that's put it at odds with its employees who want better wages and benefits. On today's episode, workers in the service industry are organizing at companies that used to seem immune from unionization. So, could the next generation of workers revolutionize retail? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help

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17:30

How to avoid being tariffed out of business

Booming ·

2025/02/05

Seattle’s economy relies heavily on trade. So all this talk about tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China? It's got a lot of local companies concerned. But how businesses respond to tariffs may depend on if they’re big companies or small ones. On today's episode, Joshua talks to Seattle outdoor clothing company KAVU to learn more about what they're doing to prepare for potential tariffs. And we dig into the techniques some companies use to engineer their way out of tariffs. Thank

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14:19

Making six figures? You could qualify for affordable...

Booming ·

2025/01/22

Seattle has one of the worst housing shortages in the country. Nearly half the households in and around Seattle pay more than they can afford for a place to live. That’s why some housing advocates are promoting a big idea – called Social Housing - that would let even people with six-figure incomes qualify for public housing. In February, voters will decide how to pay for it. On this episode of Booming, the debate over social housing is raising a big question: Who are we building

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16:40

What's behind Amazon's all-or-nothing return to...

Booming ·

2025/01/08

It’s been a week since Amazon’s corporate employees ditched their slippers for commuter shoes and started heading into the office every day. Amazon says the five-day return to office policy is about strengthening its culture, but some employees and experts have a different theory for why the company is rolling back its pandemic-era work from home policy. On this episode of Booming, what's really behind Amazon's push to come back to the office? And does this signal the end of the

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25:23

How stores are spying on you

Booming ·

2024/12/11

Shopping online can be creepy. Suggested products, targeted ads...it feels like your phone is listening to you. You might be tempted to hit the mall instead. But actually, AI is tracking you there too. Many brick-and-mortar stores depend on holiday sales to stay alive. And increasingly they’re borrowing tricks from the online world to get us to buy stuff – lots of stuff. So in the age of Artificial Intelligence, is there any way to stop being tracked when you shop? Thank you to the

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61 results

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