GeekWire

Anthropic takes its most powerful models offline after a U.S. order, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reportedly contributing to the concerns that helped trigger it. Todd and John dig into the Amazon-Anthropic dynamic, how agentic AI is upending Amazon's "working backwards" tradition, an AI-driven school arriving soon in the Seattle area, and the sensor-packed World Cup ball. With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon promises 30-minute delivery with its new Amazon Now service. We put it to the test — live on the show — with help from Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz, co-founders of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners and two of the sharpest Amazon watchers we know. While we wait for our order of yogurt, blueberries, and flossers (long story), Mike and Josh break down why Amazon closed its grocery stores, what its massive future 225,000-square-foot superstore in suburban Chicago could mean, and why Amazon's real play is becoming the ultimate convenience store. Plus: Test your knowledge of Amazon with our weekly trivia question. Will Josh and Mike get it right? Related stories and links:  CIRP Amazon Report on Substack CIRP: By Closing Stores, Amazon Goes All-In on Delivery GeekWire: Amazon closing all Amazon Fresh and Go stores to focus on Whole Foods and grocery delivery Bloomberg: Amazon Dethrones Walmart as World’s Biggest Company by Sales "Learn and Be Curious," the new podcast from Doug Herrington, the Amazon Worldwide Stores CEO. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, edited by Curt Milton.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GeekWire brought Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Seattle tech veteran Charles Fitzgerald together on the phone Thursday after a guest column warning Seattle not to repeat Cleveland's past mistakes sparked a big response — including from Bibb himself. What followed was a constructive conversation about what cities should do when the economic ground shifts beneath them. Plus: a Seattle-to-Cleveland trip may be in the works. Related Links A warning to Seattle: Don’t become the next ClevelandCleveland mayor responds to GeekWire guest column, calls Ohio city a ‘case study of what’s possible’ Mayor Bibb on LinkedIn: "For decades, national narratives have framed Cleveland as a cautionary tale. But that framing misses the bigger story." Note: This is a special bonus episode. Our regular weekly show, recorded live Thursday night in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, will be out Saturday morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 for everyone else. Register here. This week on the show, Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper hit the road for a driving tour of the news, making stops at Starbucks, Microsoft, and an Amazon Fresh store in its final days. First up, Starbucks reports its first U.S. transaction growth in about two years — and announces plans for an AI "ordering companion" that translates cravings into custom drinks. Todd tests it the old-fashioned way, ordering a banana bread latte at the drive-through. Then, Microsoft beats quarterly expectations but sees its stock drop 12% in a single day. The culprit? Investor concerns about the company's exposure to OpenAI, which now accounts for roughly 45% of Microsoft's contracted future cloud revenue. Finally, Amazon is closing all of its Fresh grocery stores and Go convenience stores in the U.S., exiting its homegrown retail formats entirely. Todd and Taylor visit a Seattle location during its clearance sale, and find a long line at a store whose original promise was no lines at all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.