Amazon (AMZN) News

Senate Democrats grill Amazon on warehouse worker firing, COVID-19 procedures

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 at 2:02 pmComment

A group of Democrats in the U.S. Senate sent a letter to Amazon on Wednesday questioning the company’s rationale for firing an employee who organized a walkout at a New… Read More

COVID-19 crisis sparks ‘inflection point’ for online grocery — and huge revenue for Amazon

by Taylor Soper on April 7, 2020April 8, 2020 at 8:45 am 4 Comments

More people are ordering groceries online due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, leading to a permanent consumer purchasing shift — and a giant revenue boost for Amazon. That’s according to… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: How COVID-19 is squeezing Amazon; Good news stories; Farewell, John Legere

by Curt Milton on April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 at 8:27 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Amazon is under pressure as workers in dozens of its warehouses test positive for the coronavirus, and an Amazon… Read More

Amazon responds after leaked memo reveals company’s PR strategy against warehouse worker

by Taylor Soper on April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 at 11:02 pm 2 Comments

Amazon’s logistics chief penned a blog post Thursday, hours after a leaked memo revealed an unflattering glimpse into the company’s PR strategy toward a fired warehouse worker who organized a… Read More

Amazon faces unprecedented challenges as dozens of warehouses grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 at 2:31 pm 2 Comments

At least 30 of the fulfillment centers that power Amazon’s e-commerce business have outbreaks of COVID-19, according to local news reports and employee accounts. The mounting cases are sparking walkouts, frustration,… Read More

Amazon starts temperature screening amid outcry over warehouse worker exposure to COVID-19

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 at 10:42 amComment

Amazon will begin screening employee temperatures at warehouses in New York and Seattle this week amid growing unrest about workers’ exposure to COVID-19. Those concerns reached a boiling point Monday… Read More

Amazon employee at Seattle-area warehouse tests positive for COVID-19

by Taylor Soper on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 at 1:15 pmComment

A worker at Amazon’s Seattle-area warehouse in Kent, Wash. tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first known COVID-19 case at an Amazon warehouse in Washington state. The news was first… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Coronavirus hits tech economy; life under lockdown; a poem for our new era

by Curt Milton on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 at 10:21 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Seattle’s latest week under the cloud of the coronavirus began with Gov. Jay Inslee’s long-expected shelter-at-home announcement. It requires… Read More

Amazon shareholders submit 10 resolutions on environment, equity, lobbying and other issues

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 at 2:26 pm1 Comment

Amazon shareholders plan to press for a range of corporate reforms at the company’s annual meeting in May. Amazon released an early proxy statement Friday that includes 10 shareholder resolutions… Read More

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos pledges to help WHO flood the world with coronavirus test kits

by Alan Boyle on March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 at 5:48 pm 3 Comments

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and the World Health Organization’s director-general are trading ideas on how to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control, using tools ranging from Amazon Web Services’ firepower… Read More

Package safety: COVID-19 is ‘stable’ on cardboard for 24 hours, but risk of transmission is low

by Taylor Soper on March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 at 4:14 pmComment

Should you be worried about transmitting COVID-19 from packages that arrive at your doorstep? As people rely more heavily on e-commerce companies such as Amazon amid the novel coronavirus outbreak,… Read More

Amazon calls DoD review of Microsoft JEDI win too narrow, urges sweeping reevaluation of bids

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 at 10:45 amComment

For months Amazon has been pleading with a federal court to order the Department of Defense to review its decision to award a lucrative, high-profile cloud contract to rival Microsoft.… Read More

Amazon settles non-compete lawsuit involving AWS sales exec who joined Google Cloud

by Taylor Soper on March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 at 5:33 pmComment

Amazon settled a lawsuit involving a former Amazon Web Services sales executive who joined rival Google Cloud last year. Amazon sued Philip Moyer in July after he left the company… Read More

Internal memo: Jeff Bezos tells Amazon employees he’s ‘wholly focused’ on the COVID-19 crisis

by Monica Nickelsburg & Todd Bishop on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 at 8:39 pm 5 Comments

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he has turned all of his attention to the impact of COVID-19, the tech giant’s response to the spread of the disease, and its role… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

by Curt Milton on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 at 11:04 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. It was another tumultuous week in Seattle, the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, with restaurants and bars ordered closed,… Read More

Amazon calls accusations ‘simply unfounded’ after senators question warehouse worker protection

by Taylor Soper on March 20, 2020March 21, 2020 at 10:03 amComment

U.S. senators are scrutinizing Amazon’s handling of its warehouse workers amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Four legislators sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Friday outlining their concern for the… Read More

Amazon pledges $20 million to accelerate COVID-19 diagnostic testing

by Karina Mazhukhina on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 at 10:37 amComment

Amazon is pledging $20 million to accelerate diagnostics, research and testing in the fight against COVID-19. The company announced the new Amazon Web Services (AWS) Diagnostic Development Initiative on Friday… Read More

‘Tax Amazon’ activists petition for ballot initiative to raise $300M/year for affordable housing

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 at 2:24 pm1 Comment

Seattle activists introduced a petition Thursday for a ballot initiative that would tax hometown tech giant Amazon to raise millions of dollars for affordable housing and other objectives. A group… Read More

How Amazon is handling first COVID-19 case in its fulfillment system, after N.Y. worker tests positive

by Kurt Schlosser on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 at 9:44 amComment

Amazon said it is taking proactive measures to protect employees at its fulfillment centers after a worker at a facility in Queens, N.Y., tested positive for COVID-19. The first known… Read More

Amazon warehouses will stop accepting non-essential items amid COVID-19 outbreak

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 at 9:50 am 9 Comments

Amazon told third-party sellers Tuesday that it will temporarily bar shipments of non-essential items to warehouses so that the company can prioritize medical supplies and household goods. The moratorium will… Read More

Amazon will hire 100k warehouse workers amid pandemic-driven surge in online shopping

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 1:28 pm1 Comment

Amazon is planning to hire an additional 100,000 warehouse workers to keep up with the volume of orders placed by customers amid a global COVID-19 outbreak. Amazon said Monday it… Read More

Amazon delivery infrastructure strained as COVID-19 outbreak sparks surge in online shopping

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 12:33 pm 4 Comments

With thousands of Americans telecommuting and self-isolating to slow the spread of COVID-19, Amazon’s Prime and Fresh delivery services are grappling with high demand and inventory issues, as warehouse workers… Read More

DoD likely to split JEDI contract between Amazon and Microsoft, analyst says

by Taylor Soper on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 at 9:48 am1 Comment

Could Amazon and Microsoft end up sharing the Pentagon’s coveted $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract? That’s the likely scenario to play out in light of recent legal developments, according… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle adjusts to life under the coronavirus threat

by Curt Milton on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 at 10:27 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. The gravity of the COVID-19 virus outbreak hit home hard in Seattle this week: Large events were banned, schools… Read More

DoD wants to ‘reconsider certain aspects’ of decision to award Microsoft $10B JEDI contract

by Taylor Soper on March 12, 2020March 13, 2020 at 5:54 am1 Comment

New court filings reveal that the Department of Defense wants to “reconsider certain aspects” of its decision to award Microsoft with the coveted $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract.… Read More

Tech Moves: Longtime Amazon leader Greg Hart joins Compass; Icertis and Avanade hire execs

by Cara Kuhlman on March 12, 2020March 13, 2020 at 9:55 amComment

Amazon veteran Greg Hart, a former technical advisor to Jeff Bezos, is joining Compass as its new chief product officer. Hart spent 23 years at Amazon, most recently running the… Read More

Amazon moves shareholder meeting online, cancels in-person event where investors and protestors gather in Seattle annually

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 at 10:18 amComment

Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting will be held exclusively online this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak that is rocking the world and financial markets. The Seattle event has become a… Read More

Amazon launches $25M relief fund to help delivery drivers, seasonal workers cope with COVID-19

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 at 1:43 pmComment

Amazon on Wednesday announced it will donate $25 million to help its network of independent delivery drivers, Amazon Flex workers, and seasonal employees deal with disruptions caused by the COVID-19… Read More

Amazon will donate $5M to help small businesses near its headquarters mitigate coronavirus losses

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 10, 2020March 12, 2020 at 12:59 pm1 Comment

Amazon pledged Tuesday to donate $5 million to small businesses around its Seattle headquarters that will be impacted by thousands of tech workers telecommuting in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.… Read More

Video

Shares of Seattle tech companies sink as stock market sees worst drop since 2008

by Taylor Soper on March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 at 2:05 pm1 Comment

Fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak and an oil price war led to the worst day for U.S. stocks since 2008 and a 15-minute halt in trading Monday. The Dow… Read More

Amazon

Senate Democrats grill Amazon on warehouse worker firing, COVID-19 procedures

COVID-19 crisis sparks ‘inflection point’ for online grocery — and huge revenue for Amazon

GeekWire Podcast: How COVID-19 is squeezing Amazon; Good news stories; Farewell, John Legere

Amazon responds after leaked memo reveals company’s PR strategy against warehouse worker

Amazon faces unprecedented challenges as dozens of warehouses grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks

Amazon starts temperature screening amid outcry over warehouse worker exposure to COVID-19

Amazon employee at Seattle-area warehouse tests positive for COVID-19

GeekWire Podcast: Coronavirus hits tech economy; life under lockdown; a poem for our new era

Amazon shareholders submit 10 resolutions on environment, equity, lobbying and other issues

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos pledges to help WHO flood the world with coronavirus test kits

Package safety: COVID-19 is ‘stable’ on cardboard for 24 hours, but risk of transmission is low

Internal memo: Jeff Bezos tells Amazon employees he’s ‘wholly focused’ on the COVID-19 crisis

GeekWire Podcast: Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

Amazon calls accusations ‘simply unfounded’ after senators question warehouse worker protection

Amazon pledges $20 million to accelerate COVID-19 diagnostic testing

‘Tax Amazon’ activists petition for ballot initiative to raise $300M/year for affordable housing

How Amazon is handling first COVID-19 case in its fulfillment system, after N.Y. worker tests positive

Amazon warehouses will stop accepting non-essential items amid COVID-19 outbreak

Amazon will hire 100k warehouse workers amid pandemic-driven surge in online shopping

Amazon delivery infrastructure strained as COVID-19 outbreak sparks surge in online shopping

DoD likely to split JEDI contract between Amazon and Microsoft, analyst says

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle adjusts to life under the coronavirus threat

DoD wants to ‘reconsider certain aspects’ of decision to award Microsoft $10B JEDI contract

Tech Moves: Longtime Amazon leader Greg Hart joins Compass; Icertis and Avanade hire execs

Amazon moves shareholder meeting online, cancels in-person event where investors and protestors gather in Seattle annually

Amazon launches $25M relief fund to help delivery drivers, seasonal workers cope with COVID-19

Amazon will donate $5M to help small businesses near its headquarters mitigate coronavirus losses

Shares of Seattle tech companies sink as stock market sees worst drop since 2008

CANCELED: Norwescon 2020

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