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Monica Nickelsburg

AI & Economy Reporter

About

Monica Nickelsburg covers artificial intelligence, tech, and the local economy in the Pacific Northwest.

Monica came to KUOW in 2023. Before that, she spent six years covering the intersection of technology and politics for GeekWire and worked as a digital producer for The Week.

Monica grew up in Los Angeles and got her B.A. in Journalism and History from New York University before landing in Seattle.

Location: Seattle

Languages Spoken: English

Pronouns: she/her

Podcasts

Stories

  • Can light rail make Bellevue hip?

    Bellevue’s older sibling, Seattle, has been in the limelight for a long time. Can light rail make it Bellevue’s time to shine?

  • Is AI the new electricity?

    Microsoft's Brad Smith says the AI revolution could be bigger than the Internet, bigger than mobile, and that the best comparison is the advent of electricity.  So, what does it mean for all of us?

  • Could tariffs bring back the lumberjack?

    President Trump wants to reduce foreign competition and increase U.S. logging to bring back lumber jobs. Could Trump's strategy revive the timber industry in the Northwest? We went to a sawmill in the foothills of Mt. Rainier to find out. 

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

    Microsoft’s latest round of layoffs leaves even more tech workers in Washington without a job – and with a new worldview. What does it mean for an industry that was once seen as the last bastion of the American Dream? 

  • Seattle's to do list isn't penciling out

    The Trump administration has used executive orders to cut funding for cities that don’t cooperate with its immigration enforcement agenda. So how does Seattle spend its federal money? And if that money goes away, what can we do to replace it? 

  • How much does it cost to live comfortably in Seattle?

    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?