Key ruling unsealed in Amazon antitrust case

Samantha Holloway (above) spent nearly a decade as a software startup co-founder before becoming an owner of the Seattle Kraken. As the NHL team prepares for its fourth season this week, we sat down with Holloway to learn more about how she’s applying lessons learned from the startup world in her role leading a pro sports franchise — and what it's like working alongside fellow Kraken co-owner, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Read more.  

FTC case against Amazon moves forward: All of the FTC's antitrust allegations against Amazon are proceeding, and a few of the state claims have been tossed, according to a ruling by a federal judge in Seattle on the tech giant's motion to dismiss the case, unsealed Monday morning. At this stage, plaintiffs such as the FTC and the states benefit from an assumption that their claims are true for purposes of assessing legal validity. Read more.

A new chapter for Halo: Microsoft announced a new direction for its blockbuster Halo video game franchise, switching to Epic’s Unreal Engine for development of future installments, and changing the name of its main Halo development studio. Here's what it means. 

Seattle startup Loot Labs, which runs the digital collectibles platform Boxed.gg, raised $6 million and plans to expand into tradable collectibles.

Hot Links:

• Melinda French Gates has reinvented herself “as an ascendant Democratic megadonor.” (New York Times)

• Microsoft's aggressive capital spending on AI and its complex relationship with OpenAI are causing investor concerns despite record revenues. (Wall Street Journal)

• Google is losing market share in online advertising as Amazon, TikTok, and AI-fueled startups add competition. (Wall Street Journal)

• Government funding is helping internet service providers reach consumers in rural areas of Idaho. (Inlander)