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Booming

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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. In Booming, 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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Wednesday · 22 min
Is San Francisco leaving Seattle behind?
For years, people have been comparing Seattle to San Francisco. We've both got the water, the hills... and of course, the tech workers and the exploding real estate prices. The general consensus has been that whatever happens in San Francisco, will eventually happen in Seattle. But now, the AI boom is driving us apart. On today's episode, what do the diverging stories of San Francisco and Seattle tell us about how AI is reshaping the economy? And what could it mean for the cost of housing, here? Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
September 9 · 18 min
Where have all the diners gone? The disappearing middle class economy (encore)
We’re working hard on some exciting upcoming episodes and we’ve got some busy weeks ahead, so here's one of our favorite episodes from this past year. It's about why companies that cater to the middle class are disappearing, and what that means for the businesses we love. This episode originally aired last spring. You can read the original story here: The K-shaped economy: Why diners are dying but yachts are booming. Thank you, as always, for listening to our show. We’ll have a new episode out next week. Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
September 2 · 15 min
Copper theft is surging. Can anything be done about it?
The Pacific Northwest has a copper theft problem. Seattle police say this type of crime has increased 300% in the city since 2016. And it's hitting Seattle's mom and pop shops especially hard, because often they're the target of these robberies. We're in the midst of a big shift from a fossil fuel-based economy to one powered by electricity. And that's made copper more valuable than ever. On today's episode, why is copper theft surging in the PNW? And can anything be done about it? Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 26 · 25 min
Will Seattle ever star in its own movies again?
Between state ferries, Pike Place Market, and the Space Needle, there are a lot of reasons Hollywood directors love to cast Seattle. But today, most feature films set in the city aren't actually shot here. That's pushed Seattle to find other ways of capitalizing on its unique on-screen charms. Instead of feature films, the city is betting big on commercials. On today's episode: How did Seattle’s feature film industry end up on the cutting room floor? And what would it take to bring back its golden era? GUEST: Chris Swenson, Film Program Manager, Seattle Office of Economic Development. Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 19 · 23 min
AI supercharged scammers. Here's how to protect yourself
The United States has always been full of scammers, from snake oil salesmen promising miracle cures, to stockbrokers selling Ponzi schemes. But now, swindlers and thieves have a new tool in their toolbox: AI. The FBI says cybercrimes involving AI stole nearly a billion dollars from 22,000 Americans last year. And the situation is only getting worse. On today's episode, AI has turbocharged the scam industry. So, how can we protect ourselves? GUESTS: Andrea Alegrett, an assistant the Washington Attorney General's office. Yuki Ishizuka, Technology Policy Manager, Washington Attorney General's office. Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 12 · 24 min
How bots took over our national parks
It's not your imagination. Booking popular experiences in our national parks can feel impossible if you're a mere mortal. Going for a permit to backpack The Enchantments or a campsite on Diablo Lake is kind of like buying a lottery ticket these days. The reason our parks are starting to feel like the Hunger Games arena comes down to bots, artificial intelligence, and the government's top cyber security contractor. On today's episode, is there anything we humans can do to take back our public lands from the bots? GUEST: Heather Hansman, freelance writer and editor. She recently wrote a piece for the nonprofit newsroom RE:PUBLIC and Wired titled, "The US Built a Site to Ensure Fair Access to Public Lands, Then Everything Went Wrong." Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 5 · 25 min
Buy now, worry later? How 'Doom Spending' is taking over the economy
Economic anxiety has reached a fever pitch. Mortgage rates are creeping back up, there’s a war on, and companies seem more focused on investing in AI than hiring people. Many Americans are worried about their finances, but still splurging more than they’re saving, especially the youngest generations. When they don't have savings, they're taking on debt. There’s a name for this phenomenon – it's called "Doom Spending." On today's episode, Gen Z is spending like never before ... and they’re not the only ones. So what happens to the economy over the long term when so many people are spending like there’s no tomorrow? GUEST: Shikha Jain, lead partner for Simon-Kucher's consumer practice in North America. Read her report on the New American Dream here. Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 29 · 19 min
Matchmaking is booming. Could it solve the relationship recession?
App fatigue is causing more and more singles to break up with online dating. Instead of swiping, people are turning to matchmakers and other ways to find love I-R-L... often spending thousands of dollars in the process. Seattle is becoming a city of singles. And that’s turned one of the world’s oldest businesses into one of the hottest new ones. On today's episode, matchmaking is having a moment. Could it solve what some are calling the 'relationship recession' and help the economy as well? Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 22 · 25 min
Is Xbox's big reboot a new dawn, or its last life?
When it comes to its Xbox, Microsoft is doing a hard reset. The company is reducing its gaming division by about 20 percent. Microsoft calls it “the most significant restructuring in Xbox history.”  Most of those layoffs are spread out across the country. But what happens in gaming matters here—Seattle has so many industry jobs and studios that it’s often called the "Hollywood of video games." For the workers who live and breathe gaming, their ability to keep or find a good job feels like an impossible gauntlet. On today's episode, what's really going on with Xbox? And what do these mass layoffs say about the state of the gaming industry? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://donate.kuow.org/donate/booming. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 15 · 20 min
Did the US Congress just save affordable housing?
Statewide, Washington needs to build 55,000 new homes per year to house new residents. The state is currently producing just 75% of that. That makes housing expensive... and it’s not just Washington state facing a long-term housing shortage. For years, Americans have been begging politicians to do something about the high cost of housing buying an adequate place to live. In late June, something happened that almost never happens in Washington, D.C.—Republicans and Democrats came together to pass a major bill aimed at unlocking the housing supply. The bill is called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, and it just became law over the weekend. Some lawmakers are calling this bill the most consequential housing reform in decades. On today's episode, we look at what it can really deliver. GUEST: Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of Real Estate in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, and director of the Housing Futures Center at the University of Washington. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://donate.kuow.org/donate/booming. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 8 · 31 min
From Control F: Does shopping at Costco actually save you money?
Costco is a beloved brand, famous for its bulk deals and $1.50 hot dogs. But can shopping there really save you money? On this special episode of Booming brought to us by our friends at Control F: How much money are you really saving when you shop at Costco? The surprising ways that wholesale can—and can’t—save you money. Sources in this episode: Consumer Price Index data, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Most and Least Expensive Supermarkets, Consumer Reports Cost of Living Index (COLI) data, The Council for Community Economic research Interview with David and Susan Schwartz, authors of The Joy of Costco Interview with Jordan Page Interview with Tan Vinh and Chris Solomon Control F wants to answer your questions about how our world works! Click here to submit a question using their online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org Do you have a tip for the Booming team? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 1 · 17 min
The $6,000 shortcut to driving electric
Washington is one of 17 states trying to break up with gasoline. It wants every new car sold here to be electric by 2035. But so far, drivers have been slow to adopt electric vehicles. Nationally, only one in ten new cars sold each year is electric. That’s because EVs are expensive, and finding a place to charge them can be inconvenient. So one Seattle inventor came up with a workaround. He’s developing a simple way to convert gas cars to plug-in hybrids. On today's episode, could transforming gas cars into hybrids jump start our all-electric future? Or will this idea stall out before it even gets rolling? GUESTS: Tom Gurksi, founder and CEO of Blue Dot Motorworks Don Mackenzie, leader of the Sustainable Transportation Lab at the University of Washington Coming up: Are you a (non-software) small business owner or entrepreneur who is using AI agents to help with your work? What are the creative ways you're using them? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 24 · 26 min
Big Tech is bankrolling the clean energy transition...while emitting more than ever
Big Tech is bankrolling massive clean energy projects in the Pacific Northwest to power the data centers of the future. These carbon-free energy gambles are being built here for a reason: Washington and Oregon have some of the most aggressive mandates to ditch fossil fuels on the books. But before those laws take effect, Big Tech is driving demand for fossil fuels in the region—and elsewhere in the country, the industry is causing a gas boom. On today's episode, is the tech industry pushing us toward a clean energy revolution, or reversing progress on global warming? Clarification: Helion's nuclear fusion plant is being built in Chelan County, near Microsoft's Grant County data center cluster. Coming up: Sometimes it can feel like taking care of the planet will break the bank. What are your budget friendly hacks for being a good environmental steward? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 17 · 17 min
Seattle banned data centers. Now what?
Seattle’s city council just approved a one-year moratorium on data centers within city limits – making the city the biggest in the country to ban them. The move comes after several big developers proposed data center projects that could use up to a third of the power that Seattle uses on an average day. On today's episode, what do data center companies want to be in Seattle for, anyway? And are we better off without them? Coming up: Sometimes it can feel like taking care of the planet will break the bank. What are your budget friendly hacks for being a good environmental steward? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 10 · 28 min
4-day work week or brain fry? How AI will change work
CEOs have been making some bold claims about how artificial intelligence will change work—that in the future, the work week will shrink to four days or fewer, or that a job will be as optional as growing vegetables at home instead of buying them from the grocery store. Whether AI makes us work more or less, there’s no question it’s already changing the way millions of people do their jobs. On today's episode, how is AI transforming the workplace now? And how can everyday workers prepare for the future? Coming up: We're looking into the "IRL Economy." Are there any real world experiences you've turned to because you're tired of using an app, or being online? We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 3 · 15 min
Would you buy a house with friends? Meet some people who did
Recent data show a record number of Americans are now sharing a home with people they’re not related to. Most of these roommates are renting, because living alone has gotten really expensive. But what if we made it easier for friends to own a place together instead? Could it be the game changer that allows them to live the American dream? More and more people are thinking about buying or building homes together with friends. These projects can be complicated to organize... and expensive to pay for. So how are people in Seattle making it happen? On today's episode, we explore two very different ways some creative Seattleites are making cohousing achievable. Coming up: Are you using AI agents? Do you have a task that you want an AI agent to complete for you? We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 27 · 23 min
From tech to the trades: One laid off worker's big career pivot
It’s a weird time to work in tech. Last year's tech layoffs in Washington state were the second highest in the country. That has some tech workers turning to fields they see as AI-proof. We sat down with Brett Burden, a laid off tech worker who did what a lot of people are advising: went into the trades. On today's episode, what’s it like to go from white collar to blue? And what can it tell us about where the workforce is headed? Coming up: Are you using AI agents? Do you have a task that you want an AI agent to complete for you? We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 20 · 13 min
Where's my tariff refund?
For the last year and a half, tariffs have been harder to predict than the weather in Seattle. And that’s created a volatile climate for businesses. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned some of President Trump's tariffs, there’s a storm front looming between companies and their customers over who gets to pocket tariff refunds. A lot of people are wondering – where's my refund? And when will rising prices finally level off? On today's episode, we checked with some local companies to find out how they're navigating the tariff turmoil. Coming up: Is AI causing you to work more or less? We'd love to hear about your experience with AI and how it's impacting your work. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 13 · 28 min
What will it take to break Seattle's real estate standoff?
There’s a scene that shows up in just about every spaghetti Western movie: the showdown. Two guys at opposite ends of a dusty street... their hands are hovering near their holsters... but neither one wants to draw first. Welcome to Seattle's housing market. What does this standoff mean if you’re trying to buy or sell a home right now? And could it finally drive prices down? On today's episode, we check in on the spring real estate market with Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist and author of Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work. Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 6 · 28 min
Is big business souring on Seattle?
There’s a lot of debate in Seattle right now over whether it's still a good place to do business. It's hard to tell whether recent high profile moves by companies are signs of a wider exodus, or if they’re outliers -- but there may be lessons from the past that provide clues to what the future will hold. On today's episode, is big business souring on Seattle? We look at one of the city's most infamous tax battles to learn more. Do you have a story idea for us? We'd love to hear about it. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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