Election 2016 – GeekWire Special Coverage

Four Washington state electors break the pattern, voting for Colin Powell and Faith Spotted Eagle

by Alan Boyle on December 19, 2016December 19, 2016 at 11:09 pm 4 Comments

Only seven members of the Electoral College proved “faithless” to their pledged presidential candidates today, and four of them are in Washington state. The tally in Olympia was eight for Democrat Hillary… Read More

Twitter feed and hashtag keep tabs on Hillary Clinton — hiking, shopping, smiling with fans

by Kurt Schlosser on November 29, 2016November 29, 2016 at 2:49 pmComment

Twitter is increasingly becoming the best place to keep up with the two candidates who ran for president this year. Your political leanings will no doubt help you decide whose… Read More

Jeff Bezos email reaffirms Amazon’s commitment to ‘tolerance and diversity’ after Trump win

by Kurt Schlosser on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 at 1:10 pm 20 Comments

Jeff Bezos has responded to what he called a “heartfelt email” from an employee representing Amazon’s Affinity Group Leaders who were seeking a message of support from the company’s leadership in… Read More

Seattle entrepreneur who starred on Donald Trump’s ‘Apprentice’ expresses fear, optimism after election

by Kurt Schlosser on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 at 9:11 am 7 Comments

In 2007, Seattle entrepreneur James Sun competed on season six of NBC’s reality television series “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump. The experience gave Sun a unique connection to and understanding… Read More

Donald Trump taps PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel for presidential transition team

by Nat Levy on November 11, 2016November 11, 2016 at 2:40 pm 5 Comments

At least one prominent techie is happy about a Donald Trump presidency. PayPal co-founder and Facebook board member Peter Thiel is joining Trump’s transition team. Bloomberg reports that Thiel could focus on… Read More

Worried Americans thinking about fleeing to Canada send Zillow traffic way up with real estate searches

by Kurt Schlosser on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 at 4:23 pm 7 Comments

Seattle-based Zillow Group doesn’t have a Canadian product for people’s real estate needs north of the border. But that didn’t stop Americans unsettled by Tuesday night’s election results from flooding… Read More

Donald Trump’s team offers transition details (and jobs) on GreatAgain.gov

by Alan Boyle on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 at 11:53 am 15 Comments

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is now part of the government, at least online, in the form of a GreatAgain.gov website. The website, registered through the General Services Administration, is… Read More

Apple CEO Tim Cook urges employees to move forward in response to Donald Trump’s election win

by Nat Levy on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 at 10:36 am1 Comment

Now that everyone has had some time to process the shocking presidential election victory of Donald Trump, reactions are trickling out. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who opposed Trump, but supported House… Read More

Jeff Bezos congratulates Donald Trump, wishes him ‘great success’ despite president-elect’s past threats against Amazon

by Nat Levy on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 at 7:59 am1 Comment

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who once joked about blasting Donald Trump into space, congratulated the new president-elect in a tweet Thursday morning. Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump. I for one give him… Read More

Microsoft diplomatic about Trump victory, asks new administration to focus on diversity and security

by Taylor Soper on November 10, 2016November 11, 2016 at 2:27 pm1 Comment

After America elected Donald Trump as its next president this week, many tech leaders weren’t shy about sharing their concerns. 500 Startups founder Dave McClure said he was sad, ashamed, and… Read More

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ … This Getty Images photo of Donald Trump was the most downloaded of the election

by Kurt Schlosser on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 2:40 pm 2 Comments

Embed from Getty Images You know those iconic portraits of presidents, like John F. Kennedy or Ronald Reagan, that hang in public schools or in the living rooms of old… Read More

How President Trump will change science policy, starting with climate issues

by Alan Boyle on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 9:42 pm 3 Comments

Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the presidential election opens the way for a profound reversal in environmental policies, even as officials are working on implementing this year’s Paris climate agreement.… Read More

‘This sh— will not stand.’ Tech investor Dave McClure delivers epic on-stage Trump rant

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 9, 2016November 10, 2016 at 7:51 am 32 Comments

(Editors note: This story and the video below contain profanity). “I’m pissed off. I’m sad. I’m ashamed. I’m angry.” We hear ya, Dave. This morning, in a very public, very… Read More

‘Stunned’ Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz urges kindness in post-election message to employees

by Kurt Schlosser on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 12:04 pm 6 Comments

Under an image of an American flag flying above his company’s corporate headquarters in Seattle, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz addressed partners in a post-election post on Tuesday, admitting that he,… Read More

What will President Trump mean for Amazon and Jeff Bezos?

by Nat Levy on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 10:23 am1 Comment

As Donald Trump began his march to the White House last year, he became embroiled in numerous feuds. One that got a lot of attention starting last year was a spat with… Read More

Hillary Clinton mentions the ‘secret, private Facebook sites’ during concession speech

by Taylor Soper on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 10:04 am 5 Comments

Embed from Getty Images Facebook got a shout-out during Hillary Clinton’s concession speech on Wednesday. In an emotional speech to her supporters after Donald Trump was elected as the next U.S. president, Clinton… Read More

Why some (but not all) polls got it wrong

by Alan Boyle on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 12:22 pm 3 Comments

It may look as if pollsters got the presidential election horribly wrong, considering that Hillary Clinton had been favored over Donald Trump, who ended up winning. But they weren’t as… Read More

Technophobe in Chief: Trump’s lack of tech experience deepens divide with industry

by Todd Bishop on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 8:13 am 3 Comments

Donald Trump may be known for his no-hold-barred approach on Twitter, but technology is largely a foreign concept to the U.S. president-elect. “Mr. Trump, who does not use a computer, rails against the campaign’s expenditure… Read More

Tech industry tries to cope with the reality of a Trump presidency

by John Cook on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 at 9:38 am 15 Comments

Grief. Despair. Anger. Disbelief. Determination. And a little bit of hope. Those were some of the emotions expressed by leaders in the technology industry after real estate mogul Donald Trump… Read More

Food fight! Twitter users can’t get enough of that Donald Trump victory cake

by Kurt Schlosser on November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 at 3:29 pm1 Comment

It may be Taco Bowl Tuesday in the upper reaches of New York’s Trump Tower, but if there’s a victory party on election night, Donald Trump may want to save… Read More

Here’s what tech luminaries are saying about election day on Twitter

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 at 3:26 pm 2 Comments

When it comes to political theater, the tech community isn’t always center-stage. Often tech leaders prefer to quietly exercise political influence from the wings, with a few big exceptions. But for those… Read More

‘Alexa, who’s winning the presidential race?’ Amazon Echo gets real-time election updates

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 at 10:20 am1 Comment

It’s going to be a long day, folks. If you don’t want to follow along on Twitter or tune into the all-day TV circus, Amazon is offering a 2016 solution to… Read More

Facebook live video from Susan B. Anthony grave site brings chills on historic election day

by Kurt Schlosser on November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 at 1:03 pm1 Comment

I voted two weeks ago by mail from my home in Seattle, but thanks to a Facebook live video today, on Election Day, I was transported across the country to… Read More

Live Blog

Live blog: Track the triumphs and tribulations of Election Day tech

by Alan Boyle on November 8, 2016November 9, 2016 at 9:49 amComment

What’s working and what’s failing on Election Day? Who’s getting it right, and who’s doing it wrong? When will we know who’s won? And which tweets are winning the Internet… Read More

Game designers back Clinton, urge voters to play ‘the only game in town’ Tuesday

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 at 1:33 pm 10 Comments

There’s no game with higher stakes than the U.S. presidential election. That’s why game designers have banded together to throw their weight behind Hillary Clinton and urge their community to… Read More

How to follow Election Day: Eight tips for tracking real-time data and commentary

by Taylor Soper on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 at 5:12 pmComment

Are you ready? We’re less than 24 hours until Election Day and finding out who will become America’s 45th president: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Tuesday will arguably be the biggest… Read More

GeekWire poll: Are you casting your ballot for Clinton or Trump?

by John Cook on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:29 am 87 Comments

Well, folks, the time has finally come. After a truly bizarre presidential race — one driven more by personality than policy — it’s time to elect the 45th president of… Read More

Twitter goes down on eve of Election Day

by Taylor Soper on November 6, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:30 amComment

Twitter went down late Sunday evening, a little more than 24 hours before Election Day in the United States. The site stopped just before 10 p.m. PT on Sunday. I first… Read More

Can FBI review 650,000 emails in nine days? Absolutely, says Edward Snowden

by Alan Boyle on November 6, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:29 am 39 Comments

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and his supporters are questioning whether the FBI could have sifted through 650,000 emails quickly enough to clear his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, just nine… Read More

Elon Musk holds forth on SolarCity, Tesla, SpaceX … and Donald Trump

by Alan Boyle on November 4, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:51 am 7 Comments

Today Elon Musk laid out his views on electricity-generating solar roofs, the Tesla-SolarCity merger, SpaceX’s return to flight and artificial intelligence during an extraordinary 30-minute telephone interview on CNBC. His timeliest… Read More

FBI reportedly investigating own Twitter account over Trump/Clinton tweets

by Nat Levy on November 3, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:50 am 2 Comments

The FBI has launched an internal investigation following a pair of tweets from its records division account that led to complaints that the bureau was influencing the upcoming presidential election, according… Read More

Getting under Trump’s skin on Twitter: Jon Stewart recalls war he waged with presidential hopeful

by Kurt Schlosser on November 2, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:51 am 2 Comments

People of a certain political persuasion have been missing the searing commentary of former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart during this prolonged election season. But in an appearance Monday night, Stewart returned… Read More

Election hacking hype: A reality check from an information security specialist

by Corey Nachreiner on November 1, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:40 amComment

Editor’s Note: Corey Nachreiner, CTO at WatchGuard Technologies, is a regular GeekWire contributor. Over the past several years, hacking and information security have emerged from the shadows to sit center… Read More

This site helps voters navigate a complex ballot, creating an election cheat sheet with help from endorsements

by Lisa Stiffler on October 31, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:41 amComment

With 40 items on Seattle’s Nov. 8 ballot, few would blame voters for leaving some bubbles blank — who has time to follow Superior Court races and House advisory votes?! … Read More

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel defends Donald Trump as an outsider needed to counteract America’s ‘decline’

by Clare McGrane on October 31, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:52 am 15 Comments

Billionaire tech investor and PayPal founder Peter Thiel has been making headlines since May with his ardent and vocal support of Donald Trump, an uncommon stance in Silicon Valley. Speaking at a… Read More

Hillary Clinton slumps, Donald Trump jumps on political prediction market

by Alan Boyle on October 28, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:52 am 4 Comments

How much of a game-changer is the report that the FBI is looking into emails linked to an aide to Hillary Clinton, less than two weeks before the election? It’s… Read More

Thanks, Obama. President reads ‘Mean Tweets’ on ‘Kimmel’ — and jabs back at Donald Trump

by Kurt Schlosser on October 25, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:52 am1 Comment

President Obama has no doubt heard it all during his nearly eight years in office, and in the interest of self preservation, should probably stay off social media. But for… Read More

Every Donald Trump Twitter insult in one place isn’t dumb, boring or dopey — it’s genius!

by Kurt Schlosser on October 24, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:52 amComment

Crooked, crazy, weak, hopeless, desperate, sad, boring, goofy, stupid, incompetent, pathetic, mess, dopey, unwatchable and dumb as a rock. Those are just 15 of the 281 insults Donald Trump has… Read More

Trump insult produces ‘Nasty’ result: Streams of Janet Jackson hit up 250% on Spotify

by Kurt Schlosser on October 20, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:52 amComment

Things got nasty at the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday night, and on Thursday, Janet Jackson fans got “Nasty” in return. Spotify reported that streams of Jackson’s 1986 R&B… Read More

Box founder Aaron Levie talks Twitter, Trump and Seattle’s tech and VC scene vs. Silicon Valley’s

by Kurt Schlosser on October 20, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:53 amComment

You can be suitably entertained by following Aaron Levie’s 140-character musings on Twitter — almost 700,000 followers have figured that out. But for a longer-form version of entertaining banter, let… Read More

How state election officials guard against rigging (or hacking) the vote

by Alan Boyle on October 19, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:41 am1 Comment

It’s finally come to this: Ballots for the general election are in the mail, and within days, Washington state voters can register their choice for president. But how do you… Read More

Microsoft predictions expert: Clinton has a 91% chance of winning and Cubs will win World Series

by Nat Levy on October 18, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:54 am 6 Comments

Hillary Clinton has a 91 percent chance to the win presidency, according to Microsoft Research economist David Rothschild, higher odds than any candidate received in the previous three presidential elections under his forecasting… Read More

Want to keep talking about the election? Amazon updates Alexa so she can answer key questions

by Kurt Schlosser on October 18, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:41 am1 Comment

Like many of us — when we’re not being asked to play more Adele or order more toilet paper — Amazon’s Alexa likes to talk politics. And, you may have… Read More

Clinton or Trump? Here are Microsoft Bing’s data-driven election predictions

by Taylor Soper on October 18, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:41 am 8 Comments

Microsoft Bing is out with its election predictions again this year with a few new features that detail campaign spending by state and search interest by demographic. Bing’s election portal has… Read More

Russians attacking U.S. election systems? Here’s the real risk, from a man who fought Soviet electronic attacks in the Cold War

by Bob Sullivan on October 10, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:42 am 3 Comments

With U.S. officials openly blaming Russia for hacker attacks on state election computer systems, and the myriad possibilities for election chaos such attacks raise, it’s important to put them in… Read More

Video

Hillary Clinton’s top digital strategist talks Trump, Twitter and tech tools for voter targeting

by Lisa Stiffler on October 6, 2016May 31, 2017 at 12:06 pm1 Comment

So what’s one of the high-tech secret tools being wielded by the Hillary Clinton campaign to persuade voters to pick their candidate? Texting. “We’ve been shocked at how many people… Read More

Stephen Hawking and 374 other scientists speak up for climate pact (and against Donald Trump)

by Alan Boyle on September 20, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:01 amComment

An open letter from 375 scientists is voicing concern about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s views on climate change – and urging the United States not to cancel its commitment to… Read More

Libertarian Gary Johnson fills out the foursome for Science Debate’s policy quiz

by Alan Boyle on September 20, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:00 amComment

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson may not be on stage for this year’s televised presidential debates, but he is getting his say on America’s top issues relating to science and technology, health… Read More

Trump vs. Clinton vs. Stein: Climate policy differences show up on Science Debate

by Alan Boyle on September 14, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:03 amComment

If you think something absolutely has to be done about climate change and other environmental worries, Donald Trump isn’t the presidential candidate for you. You probably knew that already, but the… Read More

Do presidential candidates love science? ScienceDebate.org quiz aims to find out

by Alan Boyle on August 10, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:05 am1 Comment

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she loves science. GOP candidate Donald Trump says he loves NASA. The Green Party says it’s bizarre to claim that its nominee, Jill Stein,… Read More

Donald Trump disses America’s space program; what would Hillary Clinton do?

by Alan Boyle on August 3, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:07 am 9 Comments

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has been going through a series of reversals this week, and today’s highlights include the dissing of America’s space program. “Someone just asked me backstage, ‘Mr.… Read More

Neither Trump nor Clinton is addressing the biggest challenge to jobs: automation

by Alan Boyle on July 30, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:10 am 65 Comments

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both promising to bring good-paying jobs back to America, but analysts say neither of them has addressed one of the biggest challenges looming… Read More

‘I believe in science’: Hillary Clinton wows geeks with Democratic convention speech

by Alan Boyle on July 28, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:11 am 13 Comments

Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight may not have been rated as highly as President Barack Obama’s address the night before, but there was… Read More

Five venture capitalists share feelings on Donald Trump, Peter Thiel and the state of the country amid a charged political season

by John Cook on July 21, 2016November 7, 2016 at 10:43 am 8 Comments

The country is at a crossroads. Some see the political landscape as soiled, unsalvageable with two presidential candidates who are largely disliked by the majority of Americans. (Hillary Clinton’s unfavorable… Read More

Trump vs. Bezos: Candidate bans Washington Post, gripes again about ‘owners of Amazon’

by Alan Boyle on June 13, 2016November 7, 2016 at 11:15 am 11 Comments

Billionaire presidential candidate Donald Trump took aim once again at Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos as he revoked the campaign credentials for the newspaper Bezos owns, The Washington Post. Today the presumptive… Read More