Costco is more than just a warehouse filled with affordable staples. It’s a company with a rabid fanbase and devoted employees. Just ask someone proudly sporting a Kirkland-brand sweatshirt.

Every workplace and store would like this level of devotion. But how does Costco do it? Journalist Ben Ryder Howe explains. 



We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. You have the power! Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow


And we want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback online: https://www.kuow.org/feedback

Costco is more than just a warehouse filled with affordable staples. It’s a company with a rabid fanbase and devoted employees. Just ask someone proudly sporting a Kirkland-brand sweatshirt.
Every workplace and store would like this level of devotion. But how does Costco do it? Journalist Ben Ryder Howe explains.  
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. You have the power! Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow</a>
 And we want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback online: <a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback">https://www.kuow.org/feedback</a>

Seattle Now is KUOW's flagship daily news podcast. Seattle Now brings you quick headlines, smart analysis, and award-winning local news. New episodes every weekday morning and afternoon. Start and end your day with Seattle Now, from KUOW and the NPR Network.

Seattle Now is KUOW's flagship daily news podcast. Seattle Now brings you quick headlines, smart analysis, and award-winning local news. New episodes every weekday morning and afternoon. Start and end your day with Seattle Now, from KUOW and the NPR Network.

Seattle Now

Costco gets you (to open your wallet)

Washington has six national forests, making up approximately nine million acres of land in our state…

Those lands are managed by the US Forest Service, which also does research to help lessen the severity of our wildfire seasons.

Now, a new directive from the Trump Administration could change how our forests are managed.

We’ll hear more from KUOW Reporter John Ryan. Read John's story here.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

Washington has six national forests, making up approximately nine million acres of land in our state&hellip;
Those lands are managed by the US Forest Service, which also does research to help lessen the severity of our wildfire seasons.
Now, a new directive from the Trump Administration could change how our forests are managed.
We&rsquo;ll hear more from KUOW Reporter John Ryan. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/forest-service-axes-most-research-stations-as-severe-fire-season-builds-in-pacific-northwest">Read John's story here.</a>
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback"> leave us feedback online</a>.

Washington has six national forests, making up approximately nine million acres of land in our state…  Those lands are managed by the US Forest Service, which also does research to help lessen the severity of our wildfire seasons.  Now, a new directive from the Trump Administration could change how our forests are managed.  We’ll hear more from KUOW Reporter John Ryan.

Washington's wildfire research is in jeopardy ahead of peak smoke season

Today, we’re bringing you the best from newsrooms across Washington…

First, President Joe Biden announced an executive order that created the first-ever national assessment of nature, but President Donald Trump rescinded the effort on his first day in office.

The team that had started the work – led by a professor at the University of Washington – refused to give it up. Read more here.

Next, doctors at UW Medicine’s Long Covid Clinic are beginning to see patterns of how Long Covid is impacting various communities, including Latino farmworkers. Read more here.

And finally, you heard about it on Casual Friday - The notoriously late number 8 bus in Seattle is finally getting fixed. Read more here.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

Today, we&rsquo;re bringing you the best from newsrooms across Washington&hellip;
First, President Joe Biden announced an executive order that created the first-ever national assessment of nature, but President Donald Trump rescinded the effort on his first day in office.
The team that had started the work &ndash; led by a professor at the University of Washington &ndash; refused to give it up. <a href="https://www.knkx.org/environment/2026-04-22/trump-canceled-national-nature-assessment-scientists-will-publish-anyway">Read more here.</a>
Next, doctors at UW Medicine&rsquo;s Long Covid Clinic are beginning to see patterns of how Long Covid is impacting various communities, including Latino farmworkers. <a href="https://www.spokanepublicradio.org/regional-news/2026-04-19/latino-farmworkers-experience-high-long-covid-rates-face-gaps-in-care">Read more here.</a>
And finally, you heard about it on Casual Friday - The notoriously late number 8 bus in Seattle is finally getting fixed. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-s-late-8-bus-route-gets-an-overdue-upgrade-can-the-l8-become-g8">Read more here.</a>
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback"> leave us feedback online</a>.

Today, we’re bringing you the best from newsrooms across Washington…  First, President Joe Biden announced an executive order that created the first-ever national assessment of nature, but President Donald Trump rescinded the effort on his first day in office.   The team that had started the work – led by a professor at the University of Washington – refused to give it up.  Next, doctors at UW Medicine’s Long Covid Clinic are beginning to see patterns of how Long Covid is impacting various communities, including Latino farmworkers.  And finally, you heard about it on Casual Friday - The notoriously late number 8 bus in Seattle is finally getting fixed.

Weekend Listen: Trump canceled the National Nature Assessment. Scientists will publish it anyway, how UW Medicine is treating Latino farmworkers with Long Covid, and how Mayor Katie Wilson plans to fix the “L8”

Free pop-up health clinic sees high demand, credit rating agency puts Washington on notice, and your sewer bill could be going up.

It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning.

We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.

Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.

Free pop-up health clinic sees <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/free-pop-up-clinic-sees-surge-of-demand-on-its-first-day">high demand</a>, credit rating agency puts Washington <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/top-credit-rating-agency-puts-washington-on-notice">on notice</a>, and your sewer bill could be going up.
It&rsquo;s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Paige Browning.
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenow">Tap here</a>&nbsp;to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:seattlenow@kuow.org">seattlenow@kuow.org</a>, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or<a href="https://www.kuow.org/feedback">&nbsp;leave us feedback online</a>.

Free pop-up health clinic sees high demand, credit rating agency puts Washington on notice, and your sewer bill could be going up.

Costco gets you (to open your wallet)

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