Terkko Navigator / GeekWire

AOC uses Amazon’s Twitch again, this time to talk Robinhood and GameStop

Washington state eases COVID-19 restrictions for Seattle region

Amazon will create a machine learning research center at the University of Southern California

Seattle-based MicaSense, makers of sensor equipment for drones, acquired for $23M

4 ways tech leaders can become agents of change and help the industry reach gender equality

Qualtrics raises $1.55 billion in IPO, spinning out from SAP with plans to continue Seattle growth

Cybersecurity giant Tanium scores $150 million, following HQ move to Seattle area

Research finds new hires having trouble connecting with teammates and values during remote work

Microsoft cut carbon emissions 6% last year, predicts climate investments will pay off in long run

New study links our built-in sleep patterns to phases of the moon— even in Seattle

Washington state lawmakers target Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and other billionaires with wealth tax

Amazon to host another pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at its Seattle HQ campus on Sunday

Jeff Bezos kicks back with full-thrust firing of Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket engine in Texas

Snow-ridden Ohio plays off Seattle’s rainy weather in clever ad campaign to attract jobs

Robert Downey Jr. backing Seattle bamboo toilet paper maker Cloud Paper as part of new VC effort

Tech Moves: Longtime exec Kurt DelBene to retire from Microsoft; Hiya promotes Kush Parikh to president; and more

Valve’s Gabe Newell on new games, brain-machine interfaces, and moving employees to New Zealand

Bill Gates calls for ‘mega testing’ and global disease alert system to prevent the next pandemic

Junior Geek of the Month: A UW student at 16, Merrill Keating leads other girls along STEM path

Madrona puts Create33 on pause as pandemic upends startup community and co-working space

F5 Networks posts 10% revenue increase, completes $500M Volterra acquisition

Starbucks COO and Amazon board member Roz Brewer will be new Walgreens CEO

SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Project Kuiper stir up a war of words over satellites

Xbox Series X launch and Game Pass push Microsoft’s quarterly gaming revenue past $5 billion

Microsoft profits jump 33% as CEO Satya Nadella cites a ‘second wave of digital transformation’

Elevate Capital raises $26M for second fund to invest more dollars into minority-led startups

Amazon invests in startup producing ‘net-zero carbon fuels’ for transportation

Amazon adding 3,000 new tech and corporate jobs in Boston with lease of new 17-story office tower

Seattle biotech startup Split Biosciences raises $7M, changes name to Parse Biosciences

Why Washington state could finally pass data privacy laws with a bill backed by the tech industry

Kevala raises $4M to address healthcare labor shortage with software for long-term care facilities

Usermind raises $14M as Seattle marketing startup bounces back with digital acceleration shift

‘Huge milestone’ for HaptX as startup releases its gloves for true-contact VR and robotics experiences

Sub Pop Records opens new retail shop in Seattle— at the base of an Amazon headquarters tower

Dustup over Microsoft PAC’s contributions brings calls for company to lead political reform

i2H makes another acquisition, buying Ambassador from Intrado

More transmissible COVID-19 variant confirmed in Washington state as vaccinations ramp up

Techstars Seattle reveals latest class, CEO talks about pros and cons of a virtual startup accelerator

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation giving $1.4M in COVID-19 relief aimed at underserved communities

Photos: Inside Amazon’s pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at its Seattle headquarters

Robert Winglee, 1958-2020: UW’s ‘Rocket Man’ launched thousands of space and science careers

Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Jan. 17, 2021

SpaceX puts record 143 satellites in orbit, with Spaceflight playing a supporting role

What the Biden administration means for tech, from the future of work to regulatory crackdowns

Microsoft’s Erik Arnold merges passion for tech and philanthropy to help nonprofits gain digital success

Gates Foundation gives millions to help persuade ultra-wealthy donors to give more of their billions

Brightly raises $1M for eco-friendly e-commerce and content platform, following the Goop playbook

Tech veteran Suzi LeVine leaving Washington state unemployment agency for Biden administration role

Microsoft will increase price of Xbox Live Gold subscription plans in apparent push for Game Pass

Tech Moves: Microsoft’s Brad Anderson jumps to Qualtrics in wave of pre-IPO hires; Elena Donio joins Databricks board; Hiya, Esper add startup vets