Civic

Nov 12, 2025, 2:00 PM

Steve Ballmer’s philanthropy pledges around $1 billion for early education in Washington state

The Ballmer Group Philanthropy has pledged roughly $1 billion over the next decade to significantly increase preschool access for low-income families in Washington. Read More

Nov 4, 2025, 11:24 PM

Seattle tax hike on big businesses set to pass after early voting returns

Proposition 2 will reshape the city’s business and occupation (B&O) tax that applies to gross revenue — impacting both small startups and large tech companies such as Amazon. Read More

Nov 3, 2025, 12:52 PM

Seattle hiring AI officer to guide how the tech can improve city processes, partnerships and more

The new job is in line with the city’s recent release of an AI plan, which provides guidelines for Seattle’s use of artificial intelligence and its support of the AI tech sector as an economic driver. Read More

Nov 1, 2025, 7:00 AM

Teen finds a way to simplify lost and found with an app that uses AI in the search process

Bellevue High School freshman Neil Kumar’s app, FindIt, uses artificial intelligence to help people recover misplaced items and reduce waste. Kumar’s innovation is being piloted at Bellevue College as part of the city’s Civic Innovation Challenge. Read More

Oct 30, 2025, 11:47 AM

The ‘enormous barrier’ that threatens economic growth in the Pacific Northwest

Leaders in the Pacific Northwest are largely bullish on the region’s continued economic success — but one threat to the region’s fiscal progress worries them in particular. Read More

Oct 30, 2025, 8:30 AM

Slowly but surely, high-speed rail backers believe Cascadia mega-project will become a reality

Ten years into a dream to connect Vancouver, B.C., Seattle and Portland via a high-speed rail line, the plan is moving forward, and Cascadia Innovation Corridor leaders say the next decade could be a defining one. Read More

Oct 29, 2025, 9:16 AM

Microsoft’s Brad Smith makes nuanced AI pitch: Huge potential, real concerns, and a Jon Stewart clip

Microsoft’s Brad Smith addressed the crowd at the Cascadia Innovation Corridor’s annual summit, pitching AI’s potential benefits while acknowledging the hype. Read More

Oct 28, 2025, 9:22 AM

Ferguson’s AI balancing act: Washington governor wants to harness innovation while minimizing harms

Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson is threading the needle when it comes to artificial intelligence. Ferguson made a brief appearance… Read More

Oct 28, 2025, 7:00 AM

Cascadia’s AI paradox: A world-leading opportunity threatened by rising costs and a talent crunch

A new report exploring the potential for the Pacific Northwest to stake its claim as the global leader in sustainable AI offers a paradoxical view. Read More

Oct 23, 2025, 12:33 PM

Seattle mayor says Microsoft and Amazon have a ‘moral obligation’ to give back to the city

Harrell’s comments reflect a delicate balance faced by city leaders — ensuring that Seattle’s global tech corporations continue to bolster the economy and tax base, while addressing the ripple effects on housing, transportation, and communities. Read More

Oct 22, 2025, 9:55 AM

Annual summit celebrates Seattle-Nordic tech connections from clean energy to Nobel Prize

Seattle’s annual Nordic Innovation Summit celebrates and strengthens the economic and social ties between the Northwest and Scandinavia. Read More

Oct 20, 2025, 8:30 AM

First-in-the-nation merger law adds new compliance step for companies in Washington state

A new law that took effect in July makes Washington the first state in the nation to require companies to notify the state Attorney General about certain mergers and acquisitions that already trigger federal antitrust filings. Read More

Oct 16, 2025, 1:18 PM

City of Seattle providing $1.5M to company helping to electrify truck fleets at port

The funding will help two companies incorporate 12 new electric drayage trucks — a type of heavy-duty Class 8 truck used to transport freight over short distances. Read More

Oct 13, 2025, 1:25 PM

Civic leaders pitch ambitious Seattle-Tacoma electric ferry plan as World Cup deadline looms

A pilot electric ferry service between Seattle and nearby Tacoma could debut next summer to serve the surge of World Cup tourists expected in the region. Read More

Oct 13, 2025, 7:30 AM

Slalom vet Gretchen Peri joins WaTech to modernize how Washington state serves residents

Gretchen Peri has been involved in helping governments around the world find better ways to use technology for more than… Read More

Oct 10, 2025, 8:07 AM

From quantum fields to city streets: 20-year-old UW prodigy brings tech chops to the campaign trail

Vivek Prakriya is blazing a unique path through college, tech jobs and now politics as he seeks a government seat in the city where his Microsoft parents raised him. Read More

Oct 9, 2025, 8:57 AM

Seattle vs. Bellevue: WSJ report spotlights why some tech companies are heading east

Peter Steinbrueck, a former member of the Seattle City Council, told the WSJ that Seattle’s glory days of economic expansion have ended and “the pendulum has swung to the Eastside.” Read More

Oct 9, 2025, 8:51 AM

‘We build shit’: Washington state leans on innovative culture to thrive amid national turmoil

Amid political polarization and uncertain federal research policy, Washington leaders are betting on stability through a unique innovation ecosystem rooted in the state’s institutions and businesses. Read More

Oct 1, 2025, 2:45 PM

‘Expect compliance chaos’: Sweeping new sales tax law on digital ads in Washington takes effect

Companies have been scrambling to figure out how they are affected by Senate Bill 5814 since it was passed in the final days of the legislative session earlier this year. Read More

Sep 30, 2025, 8:45 AM

Seattle Police Dept. launches new registry to pull private camera footage for investigations

Seattle wants to tap into residential security camera footage to aid police investigations. The Seattle Police Department recently launched Connect… Read More

Sen. Maria Cantwell at congressional hearing

Sep 29, 2025, 4:21 PM

Sen. Maria Cantwell releases report citing NASA whistleblowers’ concerns about budget cuts

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., today released a report that quotes NASA whistleblowers as saying they’ve “already seen safety impacts”… Read More

Sep 26, 2025, 8:27 AM

New TiE Seattle president on how the $100K H-1B fee could snuff out entrepreneurial flame

Sonu Aggarwal is one of countless entrepreneurs and tech leaders who grew up abroad and immigrated to the U.S. to… Read More

Sep 24, 2025, 8:35 AM

Will new U.S. visa fee boost Canada’s tech sector? B.C. sees an opening against Seattle and Silicon Valley

Canada is seizing on the new $100,000 U.S. H-1B visa fee, pitching itself as a more affordable hub for AI talent as British Columbia and Ottawa look to keep skilled workers from heading south to Seattle and Silicon Valley. Read More

Sep 23, 2025, 7:00 AM

Seattle-area portal helps domestic violence survivors and others safely apply for protection orders

A Seattle-area portal helps people at risk from domestic violence, harassment and stalking file online in pursuit of protection orders. Read More

Sep 22, 2025, 9:26 AM

Is Seattle’s tech scene in trouble? WSJ report highlights concerning trends — with a potential opening for startups

Seattle’s tech scene got the national treatment this past weekend as the Wall Street Journal detailed the fallout from layoffs… Read More

Sep 20, 2025, 12:19 PM

Startup leaders warn new $100K H-1B visa fee will hurt U.S. entrepreneurship and innovation

Longtime entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are sounding the alarm over President Trump’s new H-1B fee that would impact tech companies… Read More

Sep 18, 2025, 8:24 AM

Seattle mayoral front-runner Katie Wilson on taxes, tech sector and working with Amazon

As Seattle grapples with persistent issues including homelessness and fentanyl abuse while debating how to fund city services, Wilson wants to engage the tech sector as part of the solution. But how that would specifically play out is unclear. Read More

Sep 12, 2025, 10:09 AM