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THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES

Microsoft to permanently close physical retail locations; will incur pre-tax charge of $450M

So long, Microsoft Stores. Microsoft is shutting down its entire physical retail operation and instead will focus on its digital storefronts via Microsoft.com, as well as stores in Xbox and Windows.

President Trump plans restrictions on skilled work visas used by tech and other industries

Update: President Donald Trump signed the temporary visa ban Monday afternoon and Amazon was quick to rebuke the policy.

Seattle area sees new spike in COVID-19 cases, weekly count up for 1st time in more than 2 months

More than 400 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Seattle and King County in the past week, up nearly 70% from the week before, according to GeekWire’s calculations from data reported by Public Health – Seattle & King County.

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Amazon buys naming rights to KeyArena in Seattle, will call it Climate Pledge Arena as part of sustainability initiative

Amazon just took its climate change initiative to another level.

Bill Gates calls U.S. response to COVID-19 crisis ’embarrassing’ compared to other countries

Bill Gates warned of a big spike in COVID-19 cases across the U.S.

AWS ‘Honeycode’ makes Amazon a player in booming no-code software movement

A new Amazon service called Honeycode promises to let non-developers quickly create interactive web and mobile apps without knowing how to develop software.

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Wyze launches $49.99 outdoor smart home camera, undercutting competitors on price

Wyze Labs will launch its first outdoor camera, meeting demand for its most-requested product since the Seattle company launched three years ago.

Amazon slams Trump’s new visa ban as ‘short-sighted’ risk to American competitiveness

President Donald Trump’s signature on an executive order further restricting immigration to the U.S.

Washington mandates masks in public statewide as COVID-19 cases rise

Washington state will require all residents to wear face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov.

Confirmed: Amazon’s acquisition of robotaxi startup Zoox adds self-driving cars to its robotic fleet

Update: Amazon on Friday morning confirmed its agreement to acquire Zoox, which will continue operating as a standalone business.

Elon Musk starts another catfight with Jeff Bezos after Amazon buys Zoox self-driving car venture

Another tweet, another catfight: Billionaire CEO Elon Musk has once again accused super-billionaire Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos of being a copycat.

Mixer co-founder on Microsoft pulling the plug, Twitch’s market power, and his startup journey

Matt Salsamendi was barely old enough to drive when he and James Boehm founded a game-streaming startup called Beam Interactive, based on technology that they had developed in their spare time for themselves and their friends.

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s ‘first of its kind’ housing and homeless services facility opens in Seattle

During his lifetime, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s wide-ranging philanthropic initiatives included several programs to alleviate the homelessness crisis in his hometown.

Microsoft vows to use financial strength to fuel societal change in sweeping racial justice plan

Over the next three years, Microsoft says it will double its number of Black-owned suppliers and spend an incremental $500 million with those companies; double its investment activity with Black-owned financial institutions, including a $100 million FDIC program; and establish a $50 million investment fund to support Black-owned small businesses.

British-led consortium favored to acquire OneWeb broadband satellite network

The likeliest purchaser of the bankrupt OneWeb broadband satellite venture isn't Amazon, but a consortium backed by the British government.