This is a conversation about tariffs—with an economist who is an expert in making it plain. We’re starting with the basics: Tariffs are taxes on imports, and they’re usually passed on to consumers. So, in plain terms, a tariff on China is really a tariff on you.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand what tariffs are, how they affect trade, and why the current tariff policies in the US are shaping up to be a drag on both the American and global economies.

Our guest today is Abdullah Al Bahrani—better known as Dr. A. He’s a full professor of economics and associate dean at the Haile College of Business, where he leads graduate programs, research, and outreach initiatives. His own research focuses on household finance and how people make financial decisions.

He previously joined us in April 2021 to talk about personal finance education in schools.

Cast of Characters: Dr. A – Website

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Marguerite Martin is a co-founder of Channel 253 and creator of Move to Tacoma. This is an update to her and my ongoing conversation about housing policy and real estate. You can find my previous conversations with her and many of our other conversations about housing below.

Join the #NerdFarmRead book club! We’re reading How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Members, also check the Slack Channel #Books for details of our upcoming discussion on Parable of the Sower.

Nerd Farmer Housing & Real Estate Conversations

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

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Amanda Willams is a former teacher in Seattle Public Schools and is the creator of the Seattle Green Book, an online listing of Black Owned Businesses in the Seattle Area. She joined us to talk about creating the Green Book and her work with Denkyem Finance, a Seattle Based community development financial institution.

Join the #NerdFarmRead book club! We’re reading How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Members, also check the Slack Channel #Books for details of our upcoming discussion on Parable of the Sower.

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

This week’s episode is a change of pace for the show. 

Film critic Chase Hutchinson joined us for a conversation about the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. We talked through who we think will win each of the major categories and who we think should win. 

You’ll hear a breakdown of the Oscar frontrunners and why the rise of Anora seems to be breaking Nate’s brain.

Join the #NerdFarmRead book club! We’re reading How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Members, also check the Slack Channel #Books for details of our upcoming discussion on Parable of the Sower.

Cast of Characters: Chase and Andrew (only for a little bit tho)

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

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Following the inauguration of Donald Trump last month, reactions in the U.S. ranged from jubilation to alarm—depending on one’s political leanings and level of engagement. But how is the new admin being received beyond American borders? In this episode, we flip the “local lens” outward to examine how the new administration is being viewed in this neck of the woods.

Our guest is Willy Lowry, Washington correspondent for The National. He joins us to break down the regional response to the news admin. We discussed how the US’ growing reputation as an unreliable partner is pushing Middle Eastern nations to explore new alliances, the moments that have strained relations over the past decade, and whether Washington is even aware of the shifting dynamics. 

Join the #NerdFarmRead book club! We’re reading How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Members, also check the Slack Channel #Books for details of our upcoming discussion on Parable of the Sower.

Cast of Characters: Willy Lowry

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

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In this episode, we discuss the US’ renewed expansionist ambitions with Zoltan Grossman, a professor of Geography and Indigenous Studies at Evergreen State College. Grossman helped me unpack some throughlines connecting 19th century Manifest Destiny to 21st-century imperialism and discussed the stakes for indigenous communities caught in the crosshairs of these ambitions.

We also talked about the fight to recolonize place names like that of Mt. McKinley. 

Join the #NerdFarmRead book club! We’re reading How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Members, also check the Slack Channel #Books for details of our upcoming discussion on Parable of the Sower.

Cast of Characters: Zoltan Grossman

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

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One of the least discussed stories in US public education is our decision to walk away from what worked. School integration in the US peaked in 1987, coinciding with the achievement gap between Black and white students reaching its narrowest point. 

What began with the Supreme Court’s Brown ruling in 1954 and was picked up with Title I legislation as a part of the Great Society by Lyndon Johnson, was abandoned by Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. In the aftermath schools have resegregated to the point that a typical white student in the US now attends a school where nearly 70% of their classmates are also white, while Black and Latino students are far more likely to attend schools where a majority of students are from minority backgrounds and where poverty rates are higher.

That is the entry point for today’s conversation with author Karin Chenoweth. 

We discussed the fluctuations in student achievement data since the inception of the NAEP in 1971, through the “learning loss” crisis of 2020.

At times this conversation gets wonky and Karin’s dog also makes a guest appearance. But she really knocks it out the part with the “what would you do as Secretary of Education?” question. 

If you wanna do some extended reading this episode started as a conversation on Bluesky. 

Cast of Characters: Karin Chenoweth

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The war in Ukraine is a functional stalemate with the Russian death toll nearing 200k. Growth is down in the Russian economy and inflation and prices are up. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia’s greatest ally in the Middle East, has fallen, and taken refuge in Moscow. In some ways, the Russian global position is very weak. However, the recent US election has the potential to help change Russian fortunes.

We are joined this week by Jeff Hawn. Jeff is a doctoral candidate from the London School of Economics. His research and writing is focused on the history and politics of post-Soviet Russia. 

Jeff is our designated Russia expert, making his third appearance on the podcast.

Cast of Characters: Jeff Hawn 

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Hundreds of fishermen laboring on U.S.-flagged ships in American waters face a harsh reality: wage theft, exploitative conditions, and little recourse. Cyrus Donato, one of over 140 inspectors for the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), works on the frontlines to support foreign seafarers and transport workers grappling with these injustices.

The ITF is a global union federation representing nearly 20 million transport workers worldwide, and Cyrus plays a key role in addressing their challenges. He joined us to shed light on the plight of fishermen and the broader efforts to combat exploitation in the maritime industry.

Cyrus is the designated ITF inspector for the Puget Sound Region.

Cast of Characters: Cyrus Donato

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In this episode, we sat down with Anne Lutz Fernandez—former investment banker, retired teacher, and co-author of Schooled—to discuss education’s role in the 2024 election. 

We discussed Trump’s first-term policies, Biden and Harris’s records on education, and how the next administration could shape public education going forward. Anne also talked about tensions between federal and local governance, the influence of unions, and what the Harris campaign could be doing to close the deal.  

*At some point in the episode Nate misidentified Glenn Youngkin as the Governor of Oklahoma, rather than Virginia, apologies.

Going Further

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member