Internal email: Expedia Group makes tech layoffs

• "The technology’s there. We have it,” said Leah Missik, senior Washington policy manager for Climate Solutions. “It is possible to cover the majority of school bus routes, of transit routes, across the country, across Washington.” 

• But the battery-powered buses are expensive, costing two to three times more than their diesel counterparts. To help bridge that gap, state and federal initiatives are allocating billions in grants and rebates to rapidly increase the number of e-buses on the road. Read more.

Expedia Group layoffs: The Seattle-based travel giant is letting go of an unspecified number of workers in its technology organization, according to an internal email viewed by GeekWire. It’s the latest in a series of moves by the company to overhaul its workforce. Read more.

• Related: More recent layoff news at T-Mobile, Ada Developers Academy, and SkyKick.

With the news this week that GM-backed Cruise has started testing its autonomous vehicles in Seattle, this analysis by Ars Technica is worth a read: “Cruise’s record is not impressive as Waymo’s, but there’s still reason to think its technology is on par with—and perhaps better than—a human driver,” asserts the author, Timothy B. Lee, based on an in-depth review of accident reports filed by the two companies in California.

Hot Links:

• Meta is reportedly considering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram with no advertising to avoid regulatory scrutiny in Europe. (The New York Times)

• Tiny house village residents in the Seattle area are getting internet service thanks to a donation of Wi-Fi hotspots from the county and public library system. (KUOW)

• “Dungeons & Dragons” is a popular escape. The legendary board game from Renton, Wash.-based Wizards of the Coast even has players on death row at one Texas prison. (The New York Times)

• Stephen King’s take on generative AI and Luddites gets it wrong, says one tech columnist. (Los Angeles Times)