Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Amazon’s second headquarters may be closer to Seattle than you think. Amazon says it plans to grow its presence in Bellevue, in the Seattle suburbs, to 15,000 employees in the next few years. That could be comparable to the number of employees working in the official HQ2 site of Arlington, Va. Will the company find a friendlier climate in the ’burbs? Yes, Virginia, there is an Amazon HQ2, but it’s actually 10 miles outside of Seattle Amazon to bring 15,000 employees to Bellevue as rapid expansion in Seattle-area city… Read More
News Brief: When it comes to the U.S. military, football trumps the government shutdown, even without Boeing’s help. The American Forces Network essentially went off the air once this weekend’s shutdown took effect, which suggested that it wouldn’t be airing NFL football playoffs for overseas military families. That sparked an outcry, and an offer from Boeing to “do whatever needed” to get the games on the air. In the end, the Department of Defense gave the go-ahead to revive two channels, AFN News and AFN Sports, and broadcast today’s conference championships. Boeing, meanwhile, got a nice tweet-out from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee… Read More
OLYMPIA, Wash. — High school math teacher David Shick confessed his crime: playing poker online. Shick testified before the Washington Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee this week that he played online poker from 2003 to 2006, which is when it became illegal in Washington state. He started played again for a period of time in 2009, he testified. “I realized that the state law was just an absolute joke,” he told the Senate committee. “Nobody was being arrested. And so here I am admitting that I’m a Class C felon. If that means I’m going to be arrested, I guess I could be the… Read More
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Skill or chance: Which is it when you play fantasy football? State Sen. Doug Ericksen, R- Ferndale, says fantasy football is a game of skill, and he wants the law to say so, as well. If fantasy football is a game of chance, it is illegal under Washington’s gambling laws. If legislation declares fantasy football a game of skill, it becomes legal under the state’s gambling laws. Small informal leagues among friends have flown beneath the radar on this issue. Rob McKenna, former state attorney general and a lobbyist for DraftKings and FanDuel, testified that fantasy football… Read More
