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Microsoft promises more AI investments at University of Washington

Microsoft will ramp up its investment in the University of Washington.
- Joshua McNichols
The great data center space race includes a small company in Redmond

Elon Musk wants to put AI data centers in orbit. A company in Redmond beat him to it.
- Joshua McNichols
WA among states trying to block the sale of people's precise location data

Politicians in over half a dozen Democrat-led states, including Washington, want to ban companies from selling information about people's precise location. This, amid concerns that such data will be used to target vulnerable people, including immigrants. Former public radio correspondent Austin Jenkins covers infrastructure and the disruption industry for Pluribus News. He wrote recently about groups for and against banning location tracking. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm talked to him about his reporting.
- Kim Malcolm
He suffered two strokes. This electric brain implant helped him regain use of his arm

Perhaps the most compelling finding from a UW Medicine study to help stroke victims recover hand movement is that if its first subject applied to be part of the study today, he would not qualify.
- Stephen Howie
Amazon lays off 16,000 employees in major reduction of force

Amazon told about 16,000 corporate employees they’ll soon be out of a job early Wednesday morning. It’s part two of a 30,000-person layoff the company began in October. Taken together, it’s the largest layoff in the e-commerce giant’s history, and it marks a dramatic shift in the tech industry from a decade-long talent war to the artificial intelligence race.
- Monica Nickelsburg
Tech layoffs drive Seattle-area unemployment above 5%

The first major tech layoff of 2026 hit Seattle-area workers at Meta this week. About 330 roles at the social networking giant were eliminated, according to a filing with the Washington Employment Security Department. It’s the latest in a series of tech layoffs, and more cuts are expected across the industry in the coming weeks.
- Monica Nickelsburg
A small town in Central Washington is Microsoft's answer to the data center backlash

Quincy is a small farming town in Central Washington near the Columbia River, home to one of the world’s top french fry producers. It’s also the model for Microsoft’s nationwide data center strategy.
- Monica Nickelsburg
Thousands of Washington state Medicare users could soon have claims denied by AI

Starting Jan. 1, traditional Medicare recipients in Washington state will face a new hurdle to get certain procedures covered — private AI companies that get paid based on how many claims they deny.
- Stephen Howie
Should WA data centers generate their own clean energy to get tax breaks?

A Washington workgroup is preparing to send recommendations to Gov. Bob Ferguson on balancing sustainability and economic goals when it comes to the AI data center building boom. But one omission has conservationists worried.
- Monica Nickelsburg
Can the power of a star lower our electric bills?

Electric bills are rising. AI data centers are gobbling up power. In Everett, two fusion companies are racing to invent the world’s first economically viable nuclear fusion reactor. And investors are opening up their wallets to fund it.
- Joshua McNichols

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