GeekWire Podcast: How science and politics are influencing the debate over post-pandemic life

Right here’s what we’re speaking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast:

As numbers on COVID-19 enhance, the talk begins over when and the way Seattle, Washington state and the nation will return to regular life. Gov. Jay Inslee and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have some ideas. Washington’s legal professional common sues Fb for violating the state’s regulation on political adverts. Microsoft says Amazon has solely itself responsible for shedding the Protection Departments JEDI cloud contract. And the return of our Random Channel! We’ll speak in regards to the finale of Lego Masters (spoiler alert) and see what else is ringing our bell this week.

As Washington state COVID circumstances hold falling, right here’s the information driving the continued ‘keep residence’ order

• Washington state had its lowest every day whole of recent circumstances in a month on Wednesday, 89, however has since seen circumstances rise once more.
• If we loosen up social distancing now, projections present new circumstances might bounce to 300 every day by mid-Could, Inslee says. Deaths might additionally bounce. The projections are from the 2 Seattle-area teams: the Institute for Illness Modeling and the Institute for Well being Metrics and Analysis, or IHME, which has come below criticism for its strategy.
• We’d like extra testing earlier than we will start to steadily reopen, Inslee says. He says it’s “unknowable” if he’ll be capable to carry the stay-at-home order on Could 4.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calls for normal COVID-19 testing ‘on a world scale throughout all industries’

• In his annual investor letter, Bezos says that common testing of everybody globally (not simply at Amazon) is the important thing to returning to regular.
• He pointed to Amazon’s efforts to construct its personal testing functionality and different efforts to guard employees’ security.
• First identified COVID-19 loss of life amongst Amazon’s workforce occurred two weeks in the past, firm introduced Tuesday.
• Amazon’s inventory hit an all-time excessive this week, reflecting elevated demand for its services.
• Can Amazon hold its large and rising workforce secure?

Gates Basis’s CEO worries about pandemic politics — and says ‘we now have nothing to cover’

• Gates Basis is allotting $150 million extra to battle the pandemic, $250 million whole.
• Critics declare the muse is stoking fears and pushing vaccines as a part of a “Large Pharma” agenda.
• Invoice Gates decried Trump’s acknowledged intention this week to cease U.S. funding of the WHO, saying blocking funds proper now can be “as harmful because it sounds.”

In different information … 

• Washington AG sues Fb for violating state political advert regulation
• Amazon ‘bid excessive and misplaced’ on JEDI, Microsoft says after launch of DoD watchdog report
• As coronavirus consumes world, Microsoft unveils biodiversity initiative to handle challenges that can outlast COVID-19
• Amazon fires two staff who known as for local weather change reform and higher warehouse circumstances

And in our Random Channel dialogue … 

• Oh, child, ‘LEGO Masters’ finale lands like a brick on outraged followers who dispute alternative of winner
• Goat 2 Assembly is the most recent novelty in on-line video conferences.
• Nature Is Bouncing Again Through the Coronavirus Disaster—however for How Lengthy?

On the present with me this week are Kurt Schlosser, Taylor Soper, Monica Nickelsberg and podcast producer Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.Ok. Caldwell.

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