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Washington’s tabletop game industry braces for impact from new tariffs

In the face of new tariffs, many of Washington state’s tabletop, board, and card game developers have sounded alarms over what may prove to be an existential threat to their… Read More

‘We were built for this’: Trump’s tariff moves drive tailwinds for Seattle startup FlavorCloud

President Trump’s recent tariff announcements have roiled global markets and left companies scrambling to adapt, including online retailers that ship products across borders. Seattle startup FlavorCloud is meeting the moment.… Read More

‘It’s price fixing’: Washington leaders target rent algorithm companies with lawsuit, legislation

As Washington state faces a persistent shortage of affordable housing, Attorney General Nick Brown and state lawmakers are targeting tech companies they allege use private data and collaborate to drive… Read More

Washington’s proposed statewide payroll tax sparks backlash from tech industry and local leaders

Critics of a proposed statewide payroll tax in Washington — including CEOs, startup founders, and venture capitalists — warn it could drive businesses out of the state and inflict long-term damage to… Read More

Proposed law to rein in Uber and Lyft surge pricing stalls in Washington state

Washington state lawmakers have abandoned an attempt to limit the cost of ride-hailing fares during large public events. Senate Bill 5600 would have restricted fares to 120% of what a… Read More

‘Game changer’ partnership with Seattle Center could help struggling Pacific Science Center thrive

The city-owned Seattle Center and the Pacific Science Center have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership that will help support the nonprofit while creating a more vibrant connection between the venues. GeekWire… Read More

Sen. Cantwell pushes for ‘technology NATO’ as one way to counter China rather than tariffs

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said the Trump administration’s tariff policies will be especially harmful to Washington state and that innovation and alliances are the key to maintaining global competitiveness, not a… Read More

Social media companies required to better protect teen users under bill passed by Washington Senate

The Washington state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that aims to protect kids from the potentially harmful impacts of social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.… Read More

Researchers, politicians rally for science in Seattle as part of national protest against Trump cuts

Physician-scientist Chetan Seshadri wasn’t planning to speak at Stand Up for Science in Seattle, one of more than 30 rallies held across the U.S. on Friday to counteract the Trump… Read More

How will the new China tariffs impact Amazon’s e-commerce business?

Amazon and its wide network of third-party retail partners could be disrupted by President Trump’s additional tariffs on goods from China. Just how much, though, is unclear. The new 10%… Read More

Washington lawmakers pursue rules aiming to protect kids from social media’s potential harm

Washington state lawmakers are moving ahead on legislation that aims to protect kids from the addictive impacts of social media apps. Legislative committees in both the House and Senate on… Read More

Amazon commits $100M to Bellevue to ‘accelerate’ production of affordable housing

Amazon announced that it is giving $100 million to support affordable housing efforts in Bellevue, Wash. The contribution is part of Amazon’s $3.6 billion Housing Equity Fund for affordable housing in… Read More

Tesla retains advantage in Washington state as effort stalls to expand direct EV sales

The third time was not the charm for a coalition that was pushing to level the playing field for electric vehicle sales in Washington state. A bipartisan effort aiming to… Read More

Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events

After a big sporting event or arena concert, fans flood city streets in search of a Lyft or Uber ride. To help meet demand, ride-hailing companies tack on surge fees… Read More

Airbnb pushes back on new bill that would tax short-term rentals to fund housing in Washington

Opponents rallied at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia on Tuesday to voice their displeasure for a bill being considered by the legislature that would impose a 6% tax on… Read More

Seattle mayor says he has ‘grave concerns’ about Trump administration

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell expressed optimism for the city’s future while addressing concerns about the Trump administration in his annual “State of the City” speech on Tuesday. Harrell cited recent… Read More

Trump layoffs hit Pacific Northwest engineers and researchers at PNNL, Hanford cleanup, elsewhere

The Trump administration’s government-wide layoffs are hitting engineers and researchers at agencies in Washington state including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the National Oceanic and… Read More

In step with what officials want to see, Amazon helped Seattle worker foot traffic jump in January

Amazon’s return to office five days per week has had an immediate impact on worker foot traffic in downtown Seattle according to the latest data from the Downtown Seattle Association.… Read More

‘Downtown runs on people’: Seattle officials bullish on impact of Amazon’s return to office

Seattle city leaders have not been shy about cheering Amazon and CEO Andy Jassy’s mandate that put people back at their HQ desks at the beginning of the year. That… Read More

City of Seattle workers file class action suit against city alleging payroll errors after new system install

A class action lawsuit filed against the City of Seattle last week alleges that a new payroll system implemented last fall has resulted in widespread payroll errors, affecting thousands of employees… Read More

Initial election results show support for Seattle social housing tax opposed by Amazon, Microsoft

Seattle voters are showing support for a new tax on big business that would fund a social housing developer. More than 57% of voters said “yes” to the proposed tax,… Read More

What’s at stake for Washington’s flagship research institutions in the legal battle over NIH funding

The fight now unfolding over the Trump administration’s sudden limit on National Institutes of Health grant funding could have deep financial implications for Washington state’s top research institutions. Those impacted… Read More

‘Layoffs and pain’: Frozen federal funding batters clean energy and climate efforts

President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order puzzles David Funk. The order targets clean energy efforts, pausing the distribution of already promised funds associated with the Inflation Reduction Act and… Read More

Amid AI boom, Gov. Ferguson creates workgroup to study impact of data centers in Washington state

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that he’s forming a workgroup to dig into the impacts of data centers in the state. Tech giants including Amazon and Microsoft are deploying the… Read More

Tesla could lose its big EV sales advantage in Washington state if lawmakers pass new rules

Tesla could soon lose its electric vehicle sales advantage as Washington state lawmakers are taking their third shot at legislation that would give Rivian, Lucid and others the right to… Read More

Costco, Amazon, Microsoft chart their own DEI paths as Trump targets diversity efforts

As President Trump issues directives to scuttle every federal government initiative that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion, tech giants and other businesses across the Pacific Northwest are charting their own… Read More

Meet the ‘technological optimist’ helping set Washington state’s tech, energy, and climate policy

State Sen. Sharon Shewmake is taking over as chair of the Senate’s Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, a wide-ranging clearinghouse for legislation on issues including artificial intelligence oversight, climate change… Read More

Biden’s executive order on AI data centers could benefit Amazon and Microsoft

President Joe Biden this week issued one of his last executive orders, addressing the race to build domestic data centers and clean energy plants in order to retain America’s leadership… Read More

New bills aim to create framework for AI transparency in Washington state

A pair of proposed laws in Washington state seek to establish ground rules around the creation and consumption of generative artificial intelligence. The bills follow efforts by other states to… Read More

Instacart and Uber file appeal in driver deactivation lawsuit against City of Seattle

Instacart and Uber aren’t letting up in their fight against a new law in Seattle. The companies filed an appeal on Monday in a lawsuit related to the city’s ordinance… Read More