Articles about Katie Wilson

What’s Howard’s end? Former Starbucks CEO is ripping Washington state again

For the second time in the past 60 days, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has penned an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal that takes direct aim at the state’s political leadership, calling Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson “inept” and noting that Gov. Bob Ferguson continues to “burden businesses with one tax increase after another.” Read More

Five years in, new analysis links Seattle’s ‘JumpStart’ tax to downtown decline

A new Downtown Seattle Association report says the city’s JumpStart payroll tax has helped drive jobs and office value out of downtown over its first five years, pointing to booming Bellevue as the contrast. Supporters, including Mayor Katie Wilson, call the tax a success. Read More

Podcast

Following through in Cleveland: A GeekWire trip report, plus data center ‘theater’ and the SpaceX IPO

John Cook and Charles Fitzgerald call into the podcast from an abandoned Westinghouse factory in Cleveland to debrief on a Rust Belt city’s comeback and what Seattle can learn from it. Plus: the new data center moratorium, and why Fitzgerald is sitting out the SpaceX IPO. Read More

‘This is Seattle’s position on AI’: City Council votes unanimously to pause big new data centers

The Seattle City Council voted 9-0 to halt applications for data centers larger than 20 megavolt-amperes for one year, while the city studies their impact on the power grid, water supply, utility rates, and economy. The moratorium takes effect as soon as Mayor Katie Wilson signs it. Read More

Zillow co-founder and Seattle tech icon Rich Barton takes up residence in Las Vegas

Rich Barton, who co-founded Zillow and Expedia in the Seattle area, says he’s now officially a Las Vegas resident, citing an empty nest and a new chapter. His move comes amid a heated debate over Washington’s new taxes on wealthy residents. Read More

Opinion: You can’t blame data centers in Seattle for our skyrocketing electricity prices

Seattle’s mayor is exploring a moratorium on new data centers, but the city’s real utility challenges — skyrocketing electricity prices, a looming capacity gap, and an eastside water defection — have nothing to do with data centers. Read More

Seattle mayor floats moratorium on new data centers in city limits

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson raised the possibility of a moratorium on new data centers in the city, following a report that four companies have approached Seattle City Light about building five large-scale facilities. Read More

Seattle puts Microsoft Copilot expansion on hold as new mayor takes stock of AI

Five months after releasing its “responsible AI plan” providing guidelines for the technology’s use, the City of Seattle has tapped the brakes on artificial intelligence. Read More

Seattle’s downtown paradox: Commercial engine sputters amid improved safety and visitor growth

Seattle is witnessing a curious role reversal in its economic narrative. While the city finally gains ground on perennial challenges like crime and transportation, its traditional growth engine — the tech sector and downtown employment — is beginning to sputter. Read More

‘We are not going anywhere’: Key Amazon exec reaffirms tech giant’s commitment to Seattle region

The comments by David Zapolsky, Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer, follow years of political disputes in Seattle over taxes and other policies that contributed to Amazon shifting more of its workforce to Bellevue, Wash., and Northern Virginia. Read More

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