Amazon’s new back-to-office policy | Seattle police union rejects body cam analysis tech

Amazon wants its corporate and tech employees back in the office at least three days per week, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to workers on Friday.

• Amazon previously left the return-to-work decision to individual team leaders. Jassy laid out a number of reasons for why returning to the office a majority of the time is a good idea. Read more. 

Digital trucking marketplace startup Convoy conducted its third round of layoffs over the past year and said it would close its Atlanta office.

• The workforce cuts and real estate footprint reduction are tied to a change in the company’s customer service model, as well as “running a more efficient business overall and speeding our path to profitability,” said CEO Dan Lewis. Convoy, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, raised $260 million last year at a $3.8 billion valuation. Read more. 

The Seattle Police Department discontinued its use of an artificial intelligence platform designed to analyze body-cam footage because of pushback from the union that represents officers.

• Mike Solan, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, told GeekWire on Thursday that “basically the department was spying on their employees” and that the union objected to SPD’s use of technology from Chicago-based startup Truleo. Read more. 

The Seattle band that took a shot at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos while playing during a Seattle Kraken hockey game has released the noteworthy song.

• Who Is She? dropped the single “My My Orca Card” this week and said that they weren’t trying to be heroic, but that Bezos was the obvious choice for “local villain.” Read more.

What do you do with dead batteries?

• Washington state lawmakers are considering rules for keeping fuel cells out of landfills. A new bill would require producers of batteries and battery-containing products to fund a state-approved stewardship program for collecting and recycling batteries. Read more. 

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• Our annual event celebrating the top innovators, entrepreneurs and technology leaders in the Pacific Northwest is coming up on May 18 in Seattle. Submit your nominations here.