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 local anymore? 

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. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Monica talked to social psychologist Ravi Iyer from the University of Southern California about what these regulations might mean - not just for kids, but parents and the companies themselves. 

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. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 affordable housing for?

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 Whitney Henry-Lester. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. 

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 work-from-home era? 

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 Whitney Henry-Lester. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. 

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.