Seattle mayor supports gig worker wage law as tech companies push back

DoorDash revealed new data about decreasing food delivery demand in Seattle and said it has no plans to change a $4.99 fee placed on every order since the city’s new minimum wage law for gig workers went into effect last month. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell tells GeekWire he “stands strongly in support” of the law. Read more. 

Microsoft is investing $2.1 billion in Spain to boost AI and cloud infrastructure in the country. The money is “a testament to our 37-year commitment to Spain, its security, and development and digital transformation of its government, businesses, and people,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith. Read more.

Amazon Fresh shoppers who want to lock in a regular time slot for grocery delivery or pickup can utilize a new feature called “Recurring Reservations.” Along with another feature called “Repeat Items,” Amazon is aiming to streamline weekly shopping. Read more.

In an internal email to employees, Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern addressed the discovery of spy cameras in two bathrooms on the company’s Seattle campus. Read more. 

Biotech giant AstraZeneca completed its $1.1 billion acquisition of Icosavax, a Seattle-based University of Washington spinout developing vaccines that resemble naturally occurring viruses. Read more.

Have you submitted a GeekWire Awards nomination yet? Our annual event returns May 9 and now’s the time to draw attention to such categories as Workplace of the Year or UX Design of the Year. Read more about the event and cast your ballot!

Hot Links:

• Microsoft is reportedly developing new networking card technology in a move that could reduce reliance on Nvidia and help OpenAI. (The Information)

• Tomo, the mortgage startup founded by Zillow alumni, launched a new real estate portal utilizing OpenAI to power text search capabilities for home buyers. (Tomo)

• Seattle-based Ridwell has diverted 17 million pounds from landfills with its business of collecting items not picked up by traditional recyclers. (CNN)

Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great day. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.