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News Brief

Washington startups receive $25K grants aimed at boosting state’s life sciences sector

by Nate Bek on October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 at 3:32 pm

A group of 20 early-stage life sciences startups in Washington each received $25,000 grants, part of an effort to fuel the “next generation” of life science innovation in the state.… Read More

An ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ in Seattle could spur entrepreneurship and boost downtown revitalization

by Chuck Wolfe on September 27, 2023September 28, 2023 at 10:16 am

Seattle is a city that knows how to convene and foster real-time public discussion around ideas, innovаtion, sustаinаbility, аnԁ inсlusiveness. Discourse among civic activists has led to community hubs such… Read More

Seattle mayor wants to test acoustic tech to curb gun violence, despite questions about effectiveness

by Taylor Soper on September 26, 2023September 27, 2023 at 7:57 am

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell keeps looking to technology in a bid to curb crime and increase safety. Harrell released his 2024 budget proposal Tuesday that includes mid-biennium adjustments to the 2023-24… Read More

News Brief

Uber inks first-in-the-nation deal with Washington state for driver appeal process

by Taylor Soper on September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 at 2:52 pm

A new agreement between Uber and the state of Washington creates a formal appeals process for drivers who were suspended or removed from the ride-hailing platform.

First Lady Jill Biden visits Seattle, stops at Fred Hutch to boost Cancer Moonshot program

by Charlotte Schubert on September 22, 2023September 24, 2023 at 3:31 pm

First Lady Jill Biden visited Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center on Friday in Seattle, where she met with researchers and spoke about cancer prevention and the need to mitigate side effects… Read More

Seattle testing electric sweeper for bike lanes as part of city’s move toward zero-emission fleet

by Kurt Schlosser on September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 at 10:40 am

The Seattle Department of Transportation has deployed a fully electric compact bike lane sweeper as part of a pilot program to test the viability of such a machine in the… Read More

News Brief

Washington state awards $14.5M to aid all residents in getting internet access

by Lisa Stiffler on September 11, 2023September 12, 2023 at 9:28 am

While online access seems ubiquitous, there are still Washington residents going without this essential resource. Roughly 8% of the state’s households lack high-speed internet connections and 4% don’t have a… Read More

The wheels on the bus are battery powered as e-bus use surges ahead

by Lisa Stiffler on September 1, 2023August 31, 2023 at 7:37 pm

The number of models of passenger electric vehicles keeps growing, and electric delivery vans are becoming a more common sight on the road. But it’s the lowly bus that’s zooming… Read More

Recent grads working in tech are migrating to Seattle more than any other U.S. city

by Taylor Soper on August 29, 2023August 29, 2023 at 4:48 pm

Seattle ranks No. 1 on a list measuring migration patterns of recent graduates in tech. A new CBRE study detailing talent migration trends found that from February 2022 to February… Read More

GM-backed Cruise begins testing self-driving cars in Seattle to learn from hilly, wet environment

by Kurt Schlosser on August 28, 2023August 28, 2023 at 12:29 pm

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company backed by General Motors, will begin testing its cars in Seattle on Monday, the company told GeekWire. The cars will have humans in them — for… Read More

DoorDash pays $1.6M to City of Seattle after investigation related to paid sick time law

by Taylor Soper on August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 at 10:24 am

The City of Seattle said this week it agreed to a $1.6 million settlement with DoorDash over allegations that the food delivery giant violated the city’s Gig Worker Paid Sick… Read More

Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott join $45M effort to connect and revitalize Seattle waterfront

by Kurt Schlosser on August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 at 2:15 pm

The ongoing transformation of Seattle’s waterfront is getting a big boost from prominent philanthropists, as Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott, the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation, and Expedia Group are pledging… Read More

Conservative think tank asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Washington state capital gains tax

by Taylor Soper on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 at 8:13 am

Opponents of the capital gains tax in Washington state are not giving up. Conservative think tank Freedom Foundation asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to hear an appeal in… Read More

Sen. Maria Cantwell and AI2's Chris Emura at Future of AI Forum

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Tech policy leaders explore new frontiers for supporting (and regulating) AI at forum

by Alan Boyle on August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 at 7:14 pm

ChatGPT and other next-generation strains of artificial intelligence have revolutionized the tech world over the past year, and policymakers are ramping up their efforts to respond. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell,… Read More

As NYC bans TikTok from city-owned devices, Seattle says it has no plans to do the same

by Taylor Soper on August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 at 2:21 pm

States and cities continue to ban TikTok from government-owned devices. New York City became the latest to do so this week, issuing a directive that cited security concerns. We checked… Read More

A global maritime innovation hub coming to Seattle aims to spur entrepreneurship and create jobs

by Lisa Stiffler on August 16, 2023August 17, 2023 at 11:01 am

Proponents of the planned Maritime Innovation Center in Seattle want to help Washington state get its marine mojo back. “There are folks that are incredibly top of their field, but… Read More

Seattle’s Cinerama theater gets $1M grant from King County

by Taylor Soper on August 16, 2023August 16, 2023 at 7:13 am

The King County Council on Tuesday approved $1 million in funding to the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) to help the nonprofit reopen the Cinerama, the historic Belltown movie theater… Read More

VP Kamala Harris visits Seattle to tout climate act and attend fundraiser hosted by Microsoft president

by Lisa Stiffler on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 at 2:29 pm

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Seattle today to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a measure that is directing billions of dollars into clean energy efforts and… Read More

New legislation aims to expand Seattle’s EV charging infrastructure

by Taylor Soper on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 at 4:28 pm

Seattle could get a boost in electric vehicle charging if new legislation is approved Tuesday by the City Council. The bill, CB 120637, would give Seattle City Light the ability… Read More

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City report: Seattle faces stronger economic headwinds due to cooling tech sector, remote work

by Taylor Soper on August 11, 2023August 11, 2023 at 10:34 am

Seattle faces stronger economic headwinds compared to the rest of the country due in part to its reliance on the technology industry, according to a revenue report released by the… Read More

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Seattle considers expanding ‘JumpStart’ tax on Amazon and others to plug budget deficit

by Taylor Soper on August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 at 3:50 pm

Seattle is thinking about taxing big business in a bigger way. The city this week released findings from a report detailing ideas for progressive taxes to help plug a budget… Read More

News Brief

Seattle City Council approves nearly $1M grant to help reopen Cinerama theater

by Kurt Schlosser on August 9, 2023August 9, 2023 at 8:29 am

The Seattle City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to approve a nearly $1 million grant to SIFF to help the nonprofit reopen the Cinerama, the historic Belltown movie theater it purchased… Read More

Seattle approves first-of-its-kind law that protects app-based workers from deactivation

by Amy Rolph & Taylor Soper on August 8, 2023August 9, 2023 at 8:28 am

Seattle lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday that aims to provide more job security to app-based workers who deliver food, shop for groceries, or perform many other on-demand jobs. The bill, CB… Read More

Washington state backs AI-driven cancer diagnostics and other startup projects

by Charlotte Schubert on August 8, 2023August 10, 2023 at 12:09 pm

Seattle startup Phase Genomics will develop its platform to detect chromosomal aberrations in cancer with $2.5 million in new funding. The project is fueled with a $2 million small business… Read More

News Brief

Phone scam targets Seattle-area residents with callers posing as law enforcement

by Kurt Schlosser on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 at 8:21 am

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is warning residents of the Seattle area about a phone scam in which callers claim to be law enforcement officers or King County Sheriff’s… Read More

Seattle startups move into growing science cluster in South Lake Union

by Charlotte Schubert on August 2, 2023August 6, 2023 at 2:48 pm

A new science cluster is growing in Seattle. The two 15-story towers of Dexter Yard, with 528,000 square feet of office and lab space, are starting to fill up with… Read More

Test ride: GeekWire hops in BellHop, a free electric shuttle service in downtown Bellevue

by Kurt Schlosser on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 at 5:51 pm

BellHop is up and running in Bellevue, Wash. The free, on-demand electric shuttle service launched Tuesday to provide rides around the downtown core and help alleviate parking and last-mile headaches… Read More

News Brief

Washington startups receive $25K grants aimed at boosting state’s life sciences sector

An ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ in Seattle could spur entrepreneurship and boost downtown revitalization

Seattle mayor wants to test acoustic tech to curb gun violence, despite questions about effectiveness

Uber inks first-in-the-nation deal with Washington state for driver appeal process

First Lady Jill Biden visits Seattle, stops at Fred Hutch to boost Cancer Moonshot program

Seattle testing electric sweeper for bike lanes as part of city’s move toward zero-emission fleet

Washington state awards $14.5M to aid all residents in getting internet access

The wheels on the bus are battery powered as e-bus use surges ahead

Recent grads working in tech are migrating to Seattle more than any other U.S. city

GM-backed Cruise begins testing self-driving cars in Seattle to learn from hilly, wet environment

DoorDash pays $1.6M to City of Seattle after investigation related to paid sick time law

Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott join $45M effort to connect and revitalize Seattle waterfront

Conservative think tank asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Washington state capital gains tax

Tech policy leaders explore new frontiers for supporting (and regulating) AI at forum

As NYC bans TikTok from city-owned devices, Seattle says it has no plans to do the same

A global maritime innovation hub coming to Seattle aims to spur entrepreneurship and create jobs

Seattle’s Cinerama theater gets $1M grant from King County

VP Kamala Harris visits Seattle to tout climate act and attend fundraiser hosted by Microsoft president

New legislation aims to expand Seattle’s EV charging infrastructure

City report: Seattle faces stronger economic headwinds due to cooling tech sector, remote work

Seattle considers expanding ‘JumpStart’ tax on Amazon and others to plug budget deficit

Seattle City Council approves nearly $1M grant to help reopen Cinerama theater

Seattle approves first-of-its-kind law that protects app-based workers from deactivation

Washington state backs AI-driven cancer diagnostics and other startup projects

Phone scam targets Seattle-area residents with callers posing as law enforcement

Seattle startups move into growing science cluster in South Lake Union

Seattle and King County councilmembers want to help reopen Cinerama theater with $2M in grants

Report: Vehicle trips to downtown Seattle aren’t increasing, despite some return-to-office mandates

Seattle approves law authorizing more automated speed cameras in bid to curb street racing