Articles by Monica Nickelsburg

Monica Nickelsburg is GeekWire’s Civic Editor, covering technology-driven solutions to urban challenges and the intersection of tech and politics. Before joining GeekWire, she worked for The Week, Forbes, and NBC. Monica holds a BA in journalism and history from New York University. Follow her @mnickelsburg

Interview: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on privacy, regulating Big Tech and his presidential ambitions

Could ‘1984’ become reality by 2024? Microsoft’s Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition
Microsoft expands broadband initiative to bring internet to 3 million people in rural communities
Wealthy tech tycoons funnel gains into low-income ‘Opportunity Zones’ under new tax law

Latest from Monica Nickelsburg

Podcast

Interview: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on privacy, regulating Big Tech and his presidential ambitions

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 7, 2018December 7, 2018 at 11:29 pm1 Comment

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are debating how to regulate the tech industry, but the other Washington may beat them to the punch. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he expects the… Read More

Could ‘1984’ become reality by 2024? Microsoft’s Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 6, 2018December 6, 2018 at 1:46 pmComment

Microsoft President Brad Smith is optimistic about the potential of facial recognition technology to solve a range of societal issues, like finding missing children and diagnosing diseases. But he also has… Read More

Microsoft CEO joins tech leaders at White House summit on emerging technologies

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 6, 2018December 6, 2018 at 10:47 amComment

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is heading to the nation’s capital for a meeting at the White House Thursday. He’ll be joined by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, IBM’s Ginni Roomette, and… Read More

New York public radio station won’t be calling Amazon’s new home ‘HQ2’

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 6, 2018December 6, 2018 at 10:53 amComment

When news broke that Amazon would split its immensely hyped second headquarters between two cities, journalists covering the year-long search were less than thrilled. The Information’s Nick Winfield called it… Read More

Trump admin’s proposed USPS package hike could push Amazon to bolster private shipping business

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 5, 2018December 5, 2018 at 10:19 am1 Comment

President Donald Trump’s mission to get the United States Postal Service to extract better deals from retailers like Amazon got a boost Tuesday when a review he ordered reported that “packages… Read More

Video

Tech tools to help you survive the ‘Seattle Squeeze’ when the viaduct comes down

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 at 3:31 pm1 Comment

Seattle’s legendary traffic is about to get worse. On Jan. 11, the Alaskan Way Viaduct — the elevated, waterfront portion of SR 99 — will close for three weeks as… Read More

Did Comcast mislead customers? Washington state makes case against telecom giant

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 at 10:47 amComment

“This is a case about reasonableness.” So said Howard Shapiro, an attorney representing Comcast in King County Superior Court on Monday. He was telling Judge Timothy Bradshaw that Comcast acted… Read More

Video

Microsoft expands broadband initiative to bring internet to 3 million people in rural communities

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 3, 2018December 4, 2018 at 8:00 amComment

In metropolises like Seattle, it’s hard to imagine a day without internet. Urbanites are used to getting online for just about everything: work, shopping, entertainment, play, and communication. But 25… Read More

Uber reportedly considering Bird or Lime acquisition to grow micro-mobility business

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 3, 2018December 3, 2018 at 10:12 amComment

Uber is exploring the possibility of acquiring one of the hot new scooter startups that sped headlong onto the transportation tech scene this year, according to multiple reports. Citing anonymous… Read More

Seattle mayor moves to reduce tax burden on small businesses and startups

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 at 1:39 pm1 Comment

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an executive order Friday in the hopes of removing burdens and barriers on the city’s small businesses. As a technology hub, the Seattle area is… Read More

Trump admin takes first steps to overhaul H-1B visa that tech companies use to hire internationally

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 at 10:42 am 4 Comments

President Donald Trump’s immigration authorities are moving to enact broad changes to a visa that allows American companies to bring international workers to the country. On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration… Read More

Washington state affirms rule requiring Facebook and Google to make political ad disclosures

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 at 2:43 pm 4 Comments

Washington state officials doubled down on rules requiring companies like Facebook to disclose information about the political ads they sell, according to The Stranger. The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission… Read More

Amazon sued by family of deceased employee claiming wrongful death and discrimination

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 at 3:15 pmComment

Relatives of a deceased Amazon employee are suing the Seattle company, claiming its negligence led to his wrongful death. The family of Ronald Ashley filed a lawsuit in New York… Read More

Germany launches investigation after Amazon sellers complain of unfair treatment

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 at 9:12 amComment

German regulatory officials have launched an investigation to find out whether Amazon’s business practices toward sellers in its marketplace are unfair. Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office, announced the probe Thursday… Read More

Video

Washington state to roll out broad new paid leave policy: What workers and employers should know

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 29, 2018November 30, 2018 at 8:12 am 2 Comments

On Jan. 1, Washington state will begin implementing one of the most generous paid family and medical leave programs in the nation, allowing employees to take up to 16 weeks… Read More

Wealthy tech tycoons funnel gains into low-income ‘Opportunity Zones’ under new tax law

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 at 1:46 pm 2 Comments

When Congress enacted sweeping changes to the tax code in 2017, Allen Alley paid close attention. The technology investor and former Republican candidate for governor of Oregon was specifically interested in… Read More

Washington state Democrats to push for controversial non-compete legislation again

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 27, 2018November 27, 2018 at 2:29 pm 3 Comments

The Washington state legislature plans to take up one of the tech industry’s most hot-button issues next session: non-compete agreements. The contracts temporarily prevent workers from taking jobs with employers’… Read More

Bill Gates: Why renewable energy is not enough to solve climate change

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 at 9:10 am 4 Comments

Renewable energy is getting cheaper and more efficient. Environmentalists, like Bill Gates, celebrate that as progress toward reducing our reliance on polluting power sources. But it is also a source… Read More

University of Washington researchers develop app to reduce clashes between cars and pedestrians

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 at 9:28 amComment

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a communications system between pedestrians and drivers in the hopes of preventing accidents. They are starting to test the technology this month… Read More

Ganaz raises $2.1M to grow app connecting farmers with seasonal workers

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 at 1:28 pmComment

For over a year, Hannah Freeman has dedicated her life to solving a big pain point for farmers and workers: finding each other and communicating. That’s the mission of Ganaz,… Read More

Amazon’s new HQs in DC and NY could grow much larger than previously reported, records show

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 20, 2018November 20, 2018 at 1:10 pmComment

Amazon HQ2 became a media spectacle because of the promise to bring 50,000 new jobs to a single community. News that Amazon would split its second headquarters between two cities,… Read More

Democracy Live raises $4.5M to grow cloud-based ballot platform

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 at 11:19 amComment

Nov. 6 was a big day for Seattle startup Democracy Live. While the company was busy deploying cloud-based ballots and election guides to millions of Americans, it also closed a… Read More

Uber launches dockless bikeshare in Seattle, rolling out hundreds of red JUMP electric bicycles

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 at 1:16 pm1 Comment

Today, Uber is launching its JUMP service in Seattle, rolling out 300 electric-assist bicycles to start. The company will continue to ramp up the number of red JUMP bikes on… Read More

Video

GeekWire’s HQ2 tour: 5 takeaways from the front lines of Amazon’s ambitious headquarters experiment

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 at 10:08 amComment

NEW YORK — Beginning in 2019, Amazon employees will be traveling between the company’s original Seattle home and its two new headquarters, in the New York and Washington D.C. regions. This… Read More

In New York and Washington D.C., Amazon is moving into President Trump’s stomping grounds

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 at 1:30 pmComment

NEW YORK — Amazon’s plan to move at least 25,000 employees with annual salaries averaging $150,000 into skyscrapers in Long Island City cemented the Seattle-based tech titan as one of… Read More

Podcast

New Yorkers protest Amazon HQ2: ‘We should be investing in housing … not in helicopters’

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 14, 2018November 21, 2018 at 8:33 am 6 Comments

NEW YORK — Shawn Dixon’s life changed overnight. On Tuesday he was surprised to learn that Amazon plans to build a giant campus with room for thousands of high-paid workers… Read More

Podcast

Virginia forms new neighborhood for Amazon, bracing for radical change in a sleepy DC suburb

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 13, 2018November 25, 2018 at 8:32 pm1 Comment

ARLINGTON, Va. — Tell residents of this city that Amazon is moving into their National Landing neighborhood, and they’ll have no idea what you’re talking about, because it didn’t exist… Read More

Video

HQ2 incentives revealed: Here’s what NYC and Virginia gave up to get Amazon’s new headquarters

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 13, 2018November 19, 2018 at 9:51 am1 Comment

One of the most controversial aspects of Amazon’s year-long search for a second headquarters was the request for government incentives in exchange for creating thousands of jobs and investing billions… Read More

Video

Amazon announces HQ2 cities, splitting second headquarters as extraordinary contest concludes

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 at 8:26 am 3 Comments

ARLINGTON, Va. — After more than a year of reconnaissance, frenzied speculation, and non-stop media coverage, Amazon’s remarkable “HQ2” search is over. But the high-stakes project really is just beginning,… Read More

Amazon’s second home? GeekWire treks from Seattle to Virginia for new insights into HQ2 search

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 12, 2018November 14, 2018 at 6:53 am1 Comment

ARLINGTON, Va. — Why not? What if? It’s hard not to read those words, emblazoned on a piece of street art concealing a construction project in Arlington’s Crystal City, as… Read More

Articles by Monica Nickelsburg

Top Stories from Monica Nickelsburg

Interview: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on privacy, regulating Big Tech and his presidential ambitions

Latest from Monica Nickelsburg

Interview: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on privacy, regulating Big Tech and his presidential ambitions

Could ‘1984’ become reality by 2024? Microsoft’s Brad Smith calls for regulation of facial recognition

Microsoft CEO joins tech leaders at White House summit on emerging technologies

New York public radio station won’t be calling Amazon’s new home ‘HQ2’

Trump admin’s proposed USPS package hike could push Amazon to bolster private shipping business

Tech tools to help you survive the ‘Seattle Squeeze’ when the viaduct comes down

Did Comcast mislead customers? Washington state makes case against telecom giant

Microsoft expands broadband initiative to bring internet to 3 million people in rural communities

Uber reportedly considering Bird or Lime acquisition to grow micro-mobility business

Seattle mayor moves to reduce tax burden on small businesses and startups

Trump admin takes first steps to overhaul H-1B visa that tech companies use to hire internationally

Amazon sued by family of deceased employee claiming wrongful death and discrimination

Germany launches investigation after Amazon sellers complain of unfair treatment

Washington state to roll out broad new paid leave policy: What workers and employers should know

Wealthy tech tycoons funnel gains into low-income ‘Opportunity Zones’ under new tax law

Washington state Democrats to push for controversial non-compete legislation again

Bill Gates: Why renewable energy is not enough to solve climate change

University of Washington researchers develop app to reduce clashes between cars and pedestrians

Ganaz raises $2.1M to grow app connecting farmers with seasonal workers

Amazon’s new HQs in DC and NY could grow much larger than previously reported, records show

Democracy Live raises $4.5M to grow cloud-based ballot platform

Uber launches dockless bikeshare in Seattle, rolling out hundreds of red JUMP electric bicycles

GeekWire’s HQ2 tour: 5 takeaways from the front lines of Amazon’s ambitious headquarters experiment

In New York and Washington D.C., Amazon is moving into President Trump’s stomping grounds

New Yorkers protest Amazon HQ2: ‘We should be investing in housing … not in helicopters’

Virginia forms new neighborhood for Amazon, bracing for radical change in a sleepy DC suburb

HQ2 incentives revealed: Here’s what NYC and Virginia gave up to get Amazon’s new headquarters

Amazon announces HQ2 cities, splitting second headquarters as extraordinary contest concludes

Amazon’s second home? GeekWire treks from Seattle to Virginia for new insights into HQ2 search

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