Nerd Farmer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

AI and Data Privacy – Bill Fitzgerald, Privacy Activist – 243 Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Bill Fitzgerald is a privacy activist and vociferous critic of the data protection practices of Big Tech.

In this week’s episode Bill came on to talk about the data privacy implications of putting AI in everything (and putting everything, as in your data, into AI), and the wider societal implications.

Bill also did an episode of Off-the-Record about data privacy precautions to take when transiting through customs and immigration. Channel 253 Members can check the member only podcast feed and Member Slack for that conversation.

Cast of Characters: Bill – Mastodon

Going Further: Protecting Your Online Privacy — Bill Fitzgerald, Privacy Activist — #161

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Past, Present, and Future of Ukraine – Diana Kuprych, London School of Economics – 242 Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

After seventeen emails, dating back to December, we finally have the conversation I’ve been chasing with Diana Kuprych.

Diana is a Ukrainian student doing her graduate studies at the London School of Economics. Her thesis focuses on security guarantees between states, with an obvious emphasis on events in and around Kyiv. This is a conversation about the war, but also about the past, present, and future rebuilding of Ukraine.

She joined us on the recommendation of three time past show guest Jeff Hawn.

Cast of Characters: Diana – email

Going Further:

Operation Spiderweb
Kyiv Independent – On drone warfare in Ukraine

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On the 2025 Washington State Legislative Session – Melissa Santos, Axios – 241 May 20, 2025

Show notes

Melissa Santos is a reporter for Axios covering Seattle and the State Legislature. We’ve been podding with Melissa since 2017. She is a regular on the show and one of our most requested and re-requested guests by listeners.

She joined us to talk about the recently concluded Washington State Legislative session, the punt on the wealth tax, and the leadership of Governor Ferguson in his first term as governor.

Cast of Characters: Melissa – Bluesky

Going Further:

Axios Seattle

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Radical Evangelicalism and the Second Trump Presidency – Tori Williams Douglass – 240 Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Tori is an anti-racist educator and writer. She grew up in a deeply conservative evangelical family and is now an out-spoken critic of racism and misogyny that lurks within in some Christian communities.

She joined us to talk about the influence of 90s far right religious ideology, now at the center of the current administration’s policies.

She also joined us in 2022 for a very prescient conversation about Black Conservatism and the Democratic Party.

Cast of Characters: Tori – Website

Going Further:

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A 125% “Tariff on China” is a 125% Tax on You – Abdullah Al Bahrani, Northern Kentucky University – 239 Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

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

Going Further:

Substack
Econ with Dr. A on Instagram

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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

The 2025 Housing Market – Marguerite Martin, Move to Tacoma – 238 Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

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

The Housing Market and the Ethics of Real Estate – Jasmyn Jefferson – #107
A Protest Movement to End Homelessness – Rebecca Parson, Tacoma Housing Now – #113
How Homeowners in Rising Housing Markets Can Fight Displacement – Marguerite Martin – #117
The Missing Middle in Housing – Joseph Tovar, American Planning Association – #153
Why We Need Regional Housing Solutions – Rep. Jessica Bateman – #154
The US Housing Market is Not Okay – Nicole Beauchamp, Engel & Volkers NYC – #180
Understanding the Housing Market in Pierce County — Marguerite Martin, Move to Tacoma — #183

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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

Creating the Seattle Green Book – Amanda Williams, Denkyem Finance – 237 Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

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.

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

Previewing the 2025 Oscars – Chase Hutchinson and Andrew Hammond – 236 Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

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.

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

Going Further:

Chase’s appearance this summer on the films of 2024 – show audio and YouTube

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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

How the Middle East Sees the New US Administration – Willy Lowry, The National – 235 Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

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.

Cast of Characters: Willy Lowry

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

Fresh Imperial Ambitions – Zoltan Grossman, Evergreen State College – 234 Feb 02, 2025

Show notes

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

Going Further: