Hi, I'm Joshua McNichols.

And I'm Monica Nicholsberg.

We host KUOW's Economy Podcast, booming.

ChatGPT may feel like magic, but every time you ask AI a question, it goes to a real place.

AI has a back end, and it looks like massive data centers sprawling across farmland in central Washington.

On our latest episode, is our AI obsession good for small town America?

Listen to booming on the KUOW app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Happy Friday, everyone.

From the KUOW Newsroom, this is Seattle Now.

I'm Paige Browning with a roundup of today's top news.

Before we get to our first story, we're looking for people to become KUOW members today.

Members are what make up the majority of KUOW's budget and Seattle Now's.

We're wrapping up our spring fundraising drive and are looking for a few

more people to step up and be champions for public media. Think that could be you? You can come in at

$5 a month or $20 a month to get one of our thank you gifts. Just tap the link in the show notes

and thank you. In news today, did REI hold back pay?

A regional office of the National Labor Relations Board says REI illegally withheld wages and bonuses from workers at its unionized stores.

Monaca Nicholsburg reports.

The complaint asks the Labor Board to rule on whether REI must give unionized stores. Monaca Nicholsburg reports. The complaint asks the Labor Board to rule on whether

REI must give unionized workers back pay by April 2nd. Tina Alexander works at a unionized RIA in Bellingham.

Recently, she used her lunch break to share her frustrations with RIA. Every union store is no

longer getting our annual raises, and our summit pay is a bonus that

...