Joshua McNichols
Reporter
About
Joshua’s “Growing Pains” beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning and the economy. He’s done deep reporting on Amazon and the housing shortage in our region. He interviews people who've found affordable places to live by tolerating long commutes, flooding rivers or other hazards. He asks people what they want from work and how that's changing. He explores neighborhood "main streets" where residents and businesses come together to form community. Public radio is a second career for Joshua, after he spent ten years in the field of architecture. He holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Washington. He has held many unusual jobs in his life, from fishing to building houses to running the kitchen at a bed and breakfast. He’s also an avid gardener who co-wrote a book on urban gardening during the Great Recession.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Professional Affiliations: Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Podcasts
Stories
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Why Amazon Go hasn't transformed retail... yet
When Amazon Go opened its first stores, there was all kinds of hype and excitement. A few headlines used the phrase "the future of retail." The idea that you could just walk out of a store without stopping by a cashier to pay seemed like a game changer. But it hasn’t changed the world in the way some people expected, at least not yet. We went to find out why.
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KUOW Newsroom
Amazon defeats shareholder proposals. Advocates claim victory anyway
Amazon held its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday. This year’s meeting was unusual bbecause a record number of shareholder groups – 15 of them – forced votes on proposals that would change the way Amazon does business.
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KUOW Newsroom
Amazon knows your face and your voice. New lawsuit says it's going too far
Customers are mostly okay with letting Amazon track them. It's the way of the world, they say. State governments aren't so lenient. Texas, Illinois and Washington have passed laws regulating how companies use customers' biometric data. A shareholder's lawsuit says Amazon must pay closer attention to these new state laws.
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KUOW Newsroom
Why are condos in Seattle so rare and expensive?
The average home in Seattle costs over a million dollars. And now, rising interest rates have made mortgages more expensive. Home buyers just can’t seem to get a break. Condominiums used to be a gateway to homeownership. Even if you didn’t have a big nest egg, you could get your foot in the door and own a tiny slice of the “American Dream” while saving up for something bigger. What happened?
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Amazon stock drops 14% after disappointing quarterly report
Amazon stock suffered its worst day in 16 years Friday in the wake of a quarterly report, in which the company reported a net loss of almost $4 billion.
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KUOW Newsroom
Google will build more offices in Washington, despite hybrid trend
Earlier this month, Google employees began returning to the office in person, at least 2-3 days a week. While they were gone, Google's been building a lot of new offices in Seattle and Kirkland. And it's promised to spend another $100M in the state to build more.
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KUOW Newsroom
Seattle's payroll tax may survive legal threat
Seattle’s new payroll tax earned the city of Seattle $231,000,000 in 2021. It’s taken city leaders three tries to come up with a tax that survives legal scrutiny. Friday was the Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s final chance to stop this one.
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KUOW Newsroom
'Astounding' revenue, 'misunderstood' injury rates: Jassy's first year running Amazon
Every year since 1997, Jeff Bezos has written Amazon’s annual letter for shareholders. This year, it was written for the first time by Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy. In his letter, he describes the company’s revenue last year as “astounding.” He also addressed complaints that Amazon’s warehouses are unsafe, calling the company's injury rates "misunderstood."
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KUOW Newsroom
Seattle reacts to Amazon union election at New York warehouse
Local labor organizers are reacting to the news of Amazon’s first union in the U.S. This follows the successful election of a union at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse.
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As Ballard grows, new apartments churn out regulars for local businesses
In Ballard, some businesses say they've found a reliable customer base living in new apartments nearby. But dwindling tourism and online shopping have changed the way some do business.