Booming
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.
Cover art by Alicia Villa.
Episodes
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Housing, trees, and parking: In Seattle, you can pick two
We can’t have all three. Not in equal measure. Right now, trees are slowly losing. But with sufficient incentives in place, that could change.
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The real threat to trees isn't housing
After years of heated arguments, Seattle just passed a law allowing more homes per residential lot. But to gain more housing, we’re going to lose something else people care about: trees. Could there be a way to have both?
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Pharmacies are sick. Is there a cure?
Bartell Drugs, CVS, Walgreens, and independent pharmacies everywhere are struggling to stay afloat. So what’s making pharmacies sick... and is there a cure?
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Will AI collapse the career ladder?
It's graduation season. But it's a tough time to be looking for your first job. 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 what can new grads do about it?
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Whiplash at the Port of Seattle
We visit the gateway to the Pacific to find out what the Port of Seattle really tells us about the chaotic state of international trade. And now that China and the US are trying to work things out, will trade bounce back?
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Tariffs are paused. Will the ports of Seattle, Tacoma rebound?
The constantly shifting currents of the trade war between the U.S. and China have led to an obsession with the ports over the past few weeks.
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Black homeownership program offers hope, but can it help people afford Seattle houses?
Today in Seattle's Central District neighborhood, 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.
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The plan to boost Black homeownership
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 by expanding the Covenant Home Ownership program. Joshua explains why Black homeownership has plummeted and what lawmakers are doing to boost it.
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There's no such thing as local and these Northwest industries prove it
In today's economy, is anything really local anymore? We dig into three iconic Northwest industries: salmon, craft breweries, and aerospace parts, to see how they could be affected by rising tariffs.
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There's no such thing as 'local' and these Pacific Northwest industries prove it
The tariff landscape is constantly shifting, but one thing has remained consistent: the Trump administration's claim that tariffs will protect American industry and reshore manufacturing. So, tariffs should be good for our iconic Pacific Northwest industries, right?
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Microsoft President Brad Smith on how to defend your job from AI
Monica sat down with Microsoft President Brad Smith to ask: is AI already taking our jobs? And if so, what can we do about it?
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Should social media have a bedtime?
Experts say kids are spinning out online. Can Washington lawmakers help by putting seatbelts on social media? Monica talks to social psychologist Ravi Iyer from the University of Southern California about what Senate Bill 5708 and its proposed social media regulations might mean - not just for kids, but parents and the companies themselves.