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 mo…

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 change…

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…

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…

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…

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 wi…

How indie bookstores escaped Amazon's shadow

Remember when bookstores were an endangered species? Well not anymore.  Thousands of independent bookstores across the country just celebrated Independent Bookstore Day.  Brick-and-mortar places like Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle didn't just survive the e-commerce revolution. They’re thrivi…

Will federal research cuts kill the innovation economy?

People everywhere followed along as Artemis astronauts made their historic mission around the moon.  But what made that possible was research -- and that kind of scientific discovery is in jeopardy after ongoing cuts to federal research funding.  For decades, the University of Washington has rece…

Live: The risks and realities of AI chatbots

Warning: this episode mentions suicide. Artificial intelligence powered chatbots have become unavoidable. We use them to search, get advice, and even for companionship. But getting close to an AI comes with real and serious risks.  Washington state leaders want to do something about that. Two new…

Planet Money and the hidden laws that run our economy

Planet Money has been making economic news fun since 2008. And now it's the start of a new chapter for the beloved podcast... a whole book’s worth of chapters in fact.   Their new book is called Planet Money: A guide to the economic forces that shape your life.   On today's episode, Monica and Jo…