After lobbying from Uber and DoorDash, new proposal could overhaul minimum wage law

After a controversial minimum wage law for food delivery drivers in Seattle went into effect in January, tech giants including Uber and DoorDash made it clear they weren’t happy. Now, after a marketing blitz and lobbying at City Hall, a new proposal unveiled this week could reverse the wage standards set by the law, one of the first in the nation to set minimum pay requirements for delivery drivers. Read more.

Amazon Web Services is releasing new capabilities for its Bedrock artificial intelligence service, including the ability for customers to import their own custom AI models to run alongside models from major providers. The move is part of a larger effort by Amazon to appeal to AI application developers, expanding the capabilities of its cloud platform by offering access to a variety of AI models through the Bedrock managed service. Read more.

More Amazon news:

• Amazon is expanding its free grocery delivery for orders over $35 for Prime members who pay an additional $9.99 per month. Instacart shares were down more than 5% on Tuesday. Read more.

• Amazon Prime Air drones will soon be making deliveries to a community in Arizona. The drones will be dispatched from a same-day delivery site that is part fulfillment center and part delivery station. Read more.

The walk or ride between Microsoft’s east and west headquarters campuses in Redmond, Wash., got a bit safer and greener on Monday with the opening of a dramatic new pedestrian and bicycle friendly bridge over SR 520. The 1,100-foot Redmond Technology Station Bridge connects to a new Sound Transit light rail station that opens Saturday. Read more.

WeWork is looking to hold onto another co-working space in Seattle as the company filed a motion for newly negotiated lease terms for its Ballard location. The move comes amid WeWork’s continued restructuring after filing for bankruptcy last fall. Read more.

Tech Moves: Ex-Meta infrastructure VP joins Microsoft; DoorDash adds Amazon vet to board; former AWS exec joins data startup; and more personnel changes in PNW tech.

Hot Links:

• Xaira Therapeutics, a new drug discovery and development startup backed by more than $1 billion, is using AI models from Seattle’s Institute for Protein Design. (LinkedIn)

• T-Mobile is introducing two new internet plans, including one with expanded home Wi-Fi coverage and another to help travelers stay connected. The company is also facing a lawsuit over its use of facial recognition technology in stores. (T-Mobile; Bloomberg Law)

• Microsoft released the next version of its lightweight AI model Phi-3 Mini, designed to be cheaper to run and perform better on personal devices like phones. (The Verge)

• Dopl Technologies and OneCourt took home prizes at the Flywheel Investment Conference in Wenatchee, Wash. (LinkedIn)