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Pentagon asks to reconsider part of JEDI cloud decision after Amazon protest


The Pentagon has asked a federal court to give it 120 days to “reconsider certain aspects” of a controversial decision to award an important cloud computing contract known as JEDI to Microsoft, according to a court document made public Thursday. Amazon is suing the Defense Department over the decision, which it claims fell in Microsoft’s […]




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Pentagon watchdog, in probe limited by White House, clears Microsoft’s $10 billion cloud-computing win over Amazon


The 317-page report by the inspector general also found that giving the contract to a single company — Microsoft — rather than dividing it among competitors was "consistent with applicable acquisition standards."




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Pentagon: $10B cloud contract that snubbed Amazon was legal


WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s process for awarding a highly lucrative cloud computing contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon was in line with legal and government purchasing standards, a government watchdog agency said Wednesday. The Defense Department inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the contract award process. But the report said investigators […]




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Many businesses may follow Amazon in stretching out work-from-home policies, crimping downtown recovery


Business and government insiders say other companies and organizations are contemplating similarly extended time frames as they consider the new realities of the workplace in the COVID-19 era.




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Small businesses band together to sue insurers over coronavirus damage


In many cases, the response from insurers has been: We don't cover viruses.




ama

Rev. Jesse Jackson to Amazon: You have the power to lift up our youth, diversify boardroom


Jackson calls on CEO Jeff Bezos to create a board of directors and a workforce that looks more like America.




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Small businesses band together to sue insurers over coronavirus damage


In many cases, the response from insurers has been: We don't cover viruses.




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Caffeine bought online killed teen. But is Amazon at fault?


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Logan Stiner was just days from high school graduation when his brother found him unresponsive in their family’s home southwest of Cleveland in May 2014. Stiner, 18, died of cardiac arrhythmia and seizure from acute caffeine toxicity, a coroner ruled. He had more than 70 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of […]




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Amazon warehouses are safer, but returning workers remain spooked


Sporadic protests continue at Amazon warehouses. The company has fired employees involved in walkouts or organizing in New York and Minnesota for what it says are violations of corporate policy.




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NFL renews Thursday night streaming deal with Amazon


Amazon Prime Video and Twitch also will have exclusive streaming rights to one additional regular-season game in 2020.




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Amazon prepares first earnings report from coronavirus era, as pandemic accelerates retail trends in its favor


The company’s first-quarter earnings report will provide a view of how the pandemic has accelerated trends already working in its favor, and the extent to which coronavirus restrictions on businesses and consumers have boosted Amazon’s sales.




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Amazon has a Europe problem: Unions and regulators are circling


In Germany, unions are pushing Amazon.com to prevent warehouse workers from congregating like bunches of “grapes” before their shifts. In Italy, where a COVID-19 outbreak hit Amazon’s main logistics depot, unions staged an 11-day strike that ended after the company granted employees an additional five-minute break to practice better personal hygiene. And in what amounts […]




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‘The hardest time we’ve ever faced’: Amazon revenue surges, but coronavirus costs may wipe out operating profit


The company's first-quarter sales rose 26% year over year to $75.5 billion. But expenses related to Amazon’s pandemic response weighed on the bottom line in the three-month period ended March 31.




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Amazon will let thousands of Seattle and Bellevue employees work from home until at least October


The extension raises the prospect that one of Seattle’s busiest neighborhoods could be largely deserted for another five months.




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Amazon, Instacart workers launch May Day strike to protest treatment during the coronavirus pandemic


The onset of the coronavirus and the subsequent classification of many of these workers as "essential" have heightened some existing tensions. Workers have accused companies of being slow to provide protective gear and implement precautions, something that may put them in danger.




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Many businesses may follow Amazon in stretching out work-from-home policies, crimping downtown recovery


Business and government insiders say other companies and organizations are contemplating similarly extended time frames as they consider the new realities of the workplace in the COVID-19 era.




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Amazon vice president, a distinguished engineer, resigns to protest firing of employee activists


Tim Bray described the firings as “evidence of a vein of toxicity running through the company culture. I choose neither to serve nor drink that poison.”




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Amazon wins business from reluctant brands after coronavirus closes stores


Before the pandemic, many brands and wholesalers kept Amazon at arm's length. Now, consultants that help brands navigate Amazon's marketplace say the company is attracting a broad range of vendors that sold at physical stores.




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Amazon engineering elites engage in rare public debate over company’s coronavirus safety response, worker treatment


The public back-and-forth about a controversial, high-profile topic is unusual for a company that has lately enforced policies limiting what employees can say publicly without authorization, and for the seniority of those involved.




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Senators want to know if Amazon retaliated against whistle-blowers


In a letter sent to Amazon, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a frequent critic of the e-commerce giant, and the eight other senators asked Amazon to provide more information about its policies for firing employees.




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Sara Naftaly of Amandine Bakeshop shares her perfected recipe for a very British, very comforting malt loaf 


British baked goods are known to be soothing; there’s a whole afternoon-tea tradition built around them, not to mention a more-recent cult-favorite TV series. Here is a recipe for malt loaf, studded with sultanas and tiny currants.



  • Food & Drink
  • Pacific NW Magazine

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Review: Michelle Obama, unplugged (kinda) in ‘Becoming’ doc


In the lovely new Netflix documentary “Becoming,” set around Michelle Obama’s book tour for her memoir, the former first lady makes a comment about the massive venues she’s speaking to. “What I experience in these big arenas is the power of gathering,” she says. “The shared experiences.” Not everything in film has me reflecting on […]




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Gonzaga’s season ends just short of Final Four in dramatic loss to Texas Tech in West Region final


The No. 1 seed Bulldogs took a two-point lead over third-seeded Texas Tech into halftime of their NCAA tournament West Region final. But with 16 turnovers, Gonzaga couldn't hold on and fell just short of its second Final Four in school history.




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Quest for a coronavirus treatment involves door-to-door blood collection and a llama named Winter


With a vaccine probably at least a year away, antibody therapies have become, in the eyes of some experts, one of the most promising weapons against COVID-19. The work involving Winter the llama's antibodies shows promise.




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False advertising: They call it the ‘Amazon tax,’ but it’s so much more


The $500 million a year "Amazon tax" before the Seattle City Council would also likely hit some firms in the health sector that are working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.




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Edean Ihlanfeldt, amateur golf star and first UW women’s coach, dies at 90


Ihlanfeldt (her maiden name was Anderson), grew up in Helena, Montana, and won the first of six straight state amateur championships at age 14. She went on to win four Washington amateur titles and five Pacific Northwest Golf Association titles.




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Amazon prepares first earnings report from coronavirus era, as pandemic accelerates retail trends in its favor


The company’s first-quarter earnings report will provide a view of how the pandemic has accelerated trends already working in its favor, and the extent to which coronavirus restrictions on businesses and consumers have boosted Amazon’s sales.




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Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement


The event, titled “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020,” is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and will air on the major networks plus digital streaming services.




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Former Gonzaga guard Quentin Hall stays upbeat, busy rebuilding house damaged by Hurricane Dorian


Eight months after being slammed for days by Hurricane Dorian’s sustained 185-mph winds, life is slowly returning to normal for Quentin Hall and his family in his native Bahamas.




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Washington seems to be avoiding the dramatic nationwide spike in deaths during coronavirus pandemic


As the nation’s overall death toll soared past historical averages, preliminary data shows a less dramatic trend in Washington during the first months of the novel coronavirus outbreak. 




ama

Many businesses may follow Amazon in stretching out work-from-home policies, crimping downtown recovery


Business and government insiders say other companies and organizations are contemplating similarly extended time frames as they consider the new realities of the workplace in the COVID-19 era.




ama

Small businesses band together to sue insurers over coronavirus damage


In many cases, the response from insurers has been: We don't cover viruses.




ama

NFL renews Thursday night streaming deal with Amazon


Amazon Prime Video and Twitch also will have exclusive streaming rights to one additional regular-season game in 2020.




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New on Amazon in May 2020: ‘Rocketman,’ ‘The Goldfinch,’ ‘Upload,’ ‘The Hustle’ and more


The musical retelling of the life of Elton John leads the blast of releases coming to Amazon Prime Video.




ama

Review: Michelle Obama, unplugged (kinda) in ‘Becoming’ doc


In the lovely new Netflix documentary “Becoming,” set around Michelle Obama’s book tour for her memoir, the former first lady makes a comment about the massive venues she’s speaking to. “What I experience in these big arenas is the power of gathering,” she says. “The shared experiences.” Not everything in film has me reflecting on […]




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AP source: MLB to cut amateur draft from 40 rounds to 5


NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball will cut its amateur draft from 40 rounds to five this year, a move that figures to save teams about $30 million. Clubs gained the ability to reduce the draft as part of their March 26 agreement with the players’ association and MLB plans to finalize a decision […]




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Verzet tegen coronamaatregelen groeit in Duitsland: 'Aan ons is niks gevraagd'

In Duitsland groeit het verzet tegen de door de overheid opgelegde coronamaatregelen. Vandaag worden in Stuttgart bij de zevende 'Wake voor de grondwet' opnieuw duizenden mensen verwacht. Ook in Berlijn en andere steden wordt gedemonstreerd.

Op steeds meer plekken worden demonstraties of acties aangemeld, ook het aantal deelnemers neemt toe. De actievoerders komen uit verschillende hoeken: antivaxers (tegenstanders van vaccinaties), linkse intellectuelen, bezorgde ondernemers, bekenden uit het extreemrechtse milieu, complotdenkers.

Een ding hebben ze gemeen: ze wantrouwen de koers van de regering, ook nog nu er flinke versoepelingen zijn aangekondigd. Woensdag kondigde bondskanselier Merkel namelijk aan dat het land grotendeels van het slot zal gaan. De deelstaten hebben de regie bij de versoepelingen. Maar Merkel benadrukte wel dat bij een bepaald aantal besmettingen (50 per 100.000 inwoners) de maatregelen weer ingesteld moeten worden.

In Berlijn zijn er zes weken op een rij wekelijkse demonstraties geweest op de Rosa Luxemburgplatz. "Het hele parlement, alle partijen, alle fracties hebben zich achter de koers van de regering geschaard", zegt initiatiefnemer Anselm Lenz. "Daarnaast lees je in de media bijna alleen maar dat het virus extreem gevaarlijk is en dat alle maatregelen die worden genomen terecht zijn."

Volgens Lenz is het parlement praktisch "gleichgeschaltet", gelijkgeschakeld, een term die verwijst naar het uitsluiten van dissidente stemmen door de nazi's in de jaren dertig.

"Wij vinden dat in Duitsland nooit meer het hele volk zich achter de regering moet scharen. Wij zijn de oppositie." Ook het harde optreden van de politie is volgens Lenz onwettig.

Hij werd zelf opgepakt tijdens het uitdelen van verzetskranten:

Maar voeren demonstranten dan alleen actie, zodat er oppositie is? Nee, zegt Lenz. Hij gelooft dat de Duitse regering de verkeerde strategie heeft gekozen.

"Ik zeg niet dat dit virus niet gevaarlijk is. Dat is het wel. Maar de maatregelen zijn niet in verhouding." Wat nog erger is, volgens Lenz, is dat de bevolking niet heeft mogen meebeslissen.

"Aan ons is niks gevraagd. Niet aan de ouderen of ze opgesloten willen worden, aan ouders of ze hun kinderen thuis willen houden, of aan mij of ik zo'n vernederend mondkapje op wil, ook al is de wetenschap het er nog niet eens over eens of dat helpt."

Op de demonstraties in Berlijn en Stuttgart komen ook bekende rechtsextremisten en complotdenkers af. Voormalig journalist en radiopresentator Ken Jebsen valt in die laatste categorie. Ook Lenz interviewde hem voor zijn krant. Volgens Jebsen misbruiken Bill en Melinda Gates de coronacrisis om de wereld te 'kapen' en verplicht te laten inenten. Een theorie waarvoor geen enkel bewijs bestaat.

Ziet hij er geen gevaar in zulke theorieën te verspreiden en met deze mensen ten strijde te trekken? SPD-partijsecretaris Lars Klingbeil waarschuwde in de Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung voor complotdenkers. "Die willen helemaal niet discussiëren over of het verstandig is de kinderopvang te sluiten of niet, mondkapjes te dragen ja of nee. Ze zijn er op uit om ons systeem te destabiliseren", zegt hij tegen de krant.

Lenz ziet het gevaar niet zo. Discussie betekent niet dat hij het ermee eens is. "Als ik in deze tijden moet kiezen of ik een gesprek aan ga met Ken Jebsen, hoe freaky het ook is, of sluit ik me aan bij de totalitaire koers van de andere media, dan weet ik wel waarvoor ik kies."

'Querdenken'

Jebsen is ook voor vandaag uitgenodigd bij de demonstratie in Stuttgart. Initiatiefnemer van de demo's in die stad is IT-ondernemer Michael Ballweg. Hij heeft de beweging Querdenken opgericht, omdat hij vindt dat de grondrechten te makkelijk en op te grote schaal zijn ingeperkt. Hij vocht het demonstratieverbod tot aan het Constitutioneel Hof aan, en kreeg gelijk. Op de laatste Querdenk-demo kwamen zeker 4000 demonstranten af. Voor vandaag heeft hij er 10.000 aangemeld.

Ballweg reageert niet op onze interviewaanvragen. Op zijn website valt te lezen dat hij alleen met de pers praat als ze een uitgebreid formulier ondertekenen, waarin staat dat ze geen censuur toepassen.

Het wantrouwen in de pers uitte zich bij eerdere demonstraties ook op een gewelddadige manier. In Berlijn zijn twee teams van de publieke omroep aangevallen. Zes mensen belandden daarbij in het ziekenhuis. Het is nog onbekend uit welke hoek de daders komen.




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Opnieuw protesten tegen coronamaatregelen in Duitse steden

In meerdere Duitse steden is opnieuw gedemonstreerd tegen de coronamaatregelen van de Duitse regering. In Berlijn, maar bijvoorbeeld ook in Stuttgart, kwamen bij de zevende 'Wake voor de grondwet' weer duizenden demonstranten bij elkaar.

In Stuttgart verzamelden duizenden mensen zich op de Cannstatter Wasen: een groot festivalterrein aan de rivier de Neckar. De initiatiefnemers hadden 50.000 mensen aangemeld voor de demonstratie, maar uiteindelijk waren er maximaal 10.000 toegestaan. Het ging er rustig aan toe in Stuttgart, maar in Berlijn zouden er demonstranten zijn gearresteerd.

IT-ondernemer Michael Ballweg is de initiatiefnemer van de demonstratie in Stuttgart. Hij heeft de beweging Querdenken opgericht, omdat hij vindt dat de grondrechten te makkelijk en op te grote schaal zijn ingeperkt. De demonstranten wantrouwen de koers van hun regering. Ze vinden dat de maatregelen tegen het virus veel te ver gaan.

Afgelopen woensdag werden er flinke versoepelingen aangekondigd. Merkel liet toen weten dat Duitsland voor een groot deel van het slot zal gaan. Zodra binnen een regio het aantal nieuwe besmettingen per week de grens van 50 per 100.000 inwoners overschrijdt, worden de versoepelingen echter per direct weer teruggedraaid.




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Obama Endorses Joe Biden

Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Joe Biden as the Democrat candidate for president. In a 12 minute long video message Tuesday, Obama said his former vice-president could unify and heal the United States as it passes through some of its darkest moments. "I'm so proud to endorse Joe Biden to be president of the United States," Obama said. "Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of




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Thai Stock Market May Take Further Damage On Thursday

Ahead of Wednesday's holiday for Wisakha Bucha Day, the Thai stock market had snapped the four-day winning streak in which it had accelerated almost 45 points or 3.4 percent. The Stock Exchange of Thailand now rests just beneath the 1,280-point plateau and it may extend its losses on Thursday.




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DEBUSSY, C.: 12 Études / Préludes, Book 1 / Images / Suite bergamasque (Idil Biret Solo Edition, Vol. 10-11) (8.571401-02)

“For well versed insiders of music, Idil Biret is since years a trusted, respected and beloved artist. Her Skrjabin, Bartók and Prokofiev interpretations are exemplary classical benchmarks. The discipline of her powerful grasp and approach of the music has led, especially for works of our century, to a stylistic congruence between the written score and the interpretation, which is way outside of the unusual norms of conventions with so called “Star raving and rantings”, which, in the case of Idil Biret, makes us all aware of an outstanding artistic potency of the highest standards of excellence!” – DIE WELT, Germany 1979 “Idil Biret takes the opening movement of Debussy’s Children’s Corner very briskly and impetuously, but the performance then settles down and is sensitive and well characterized, especially the closing Golliwog’s Cakewalk. Good recording and recommendable couplings, too.” – PENGUIN GUIDE, England 2009 “There is no question whatever that Biret’s reading of the Ravel Gaspard de la nuit takes its place among the most delicately wrought Ravel interpretations by any of the many great pianists renowned for their performances of French piano music.” – SOHO WEEKLY NEWS, USA 1977 “For years, Debussy’s Études, which are dedicated to ‘the memory of Frederic Chopin’, had been distanced from the programs of pianists, seen as dry, abstract, annoying pieces. However, apart from their importance in piano learning, these études are actually concise, emotional colorful masterpieces that are products of imagination.” – Ilhan Mimaroğlu (from an article on Debussy), Turkey 1961




ama

Amanda St John - Made Myself A Name (Arvo Party mix)

Very well worth a few minutes of anyone’s ears.




ama

Joe Bonamassa - A Conversation With Alice

...I’m surprised by just how damn good the single actually IS.




ama

Amazing story of baby born with rare birth defect

HELPLESSLY watching her newborn son Colton fight for his life just hours after she nearly died in childbirth is something mother-of-three Kaila Stace will never forget.




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COVID-19 in NYC, a century-old blood therapy returns, embrace the bidet, Mariko Tamaki on Wonder Woman & more

The coronavirus hits New York City hard, doctors revisit a century-old blood therapy in the hopes of treating COVID-19, a hockey commentator is doing play-by-play for fans' pet videos, what the coronavirus outbreak means for the zero waste movement, toilet paper shortages spark an interest in bidets, Mariko Tamaki is taking over writing DC's Wonder Woman comic, and more.



  • Radio/Day 6

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Wednesday, April 15, 2020: Paul Feig, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and more

Today on q: actor and director Paul Feig, actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, chef and television personality Matty Matheson, an oral history of the Beatles' Hey Jude.




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How matchbooks were used to track down Osama bin Laden

From big beer and tobacco companies, to the war effort, to Hollywood, to the smallest mom and pop businesses, matchbook advertising was effective and affordable for everyone. And believe it or not, even the U.S. State Department used matchbook advertising recently to hunt down Osama bin Laden.



  • Radio/Under the Influence

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Sawayama

Reminiscent of the early 2000s top musical styles, Rima Sawayama mixes nu-metal with R&B-Pop to rave reviews. As Brittany Spanos wrote for Rolling Stones, "Sawayama sounds like Britney Spears’ Blackout by way of Korn — and it inexplicably works."




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Sidelined patients reject being 'collateral damage' because of COVID-19

Canada’s provinces and territories began postponing elective medical and surgical procedures days after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Patients fearful for their health say advocating for care may make a difference.




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Wall Street negeert dramatisch banenrapport

(ABM FN-Dow Jones) Wall Street koerst vrijdag richting een hoger slot. De SP 500 stijgt 1,4 procent met nog een paar uur handel te gaan. De Dow Jones index wint 1,5 procent en de Nasdaq gaat ook 1,5 procent hoger.