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 Cleveland
Cleveland 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.

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 &mdash; 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
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/a-warning-to-seattle-dont-become-the-next-cleveland/">A warning to Seattle: Don&rsquo;t become the next Cleveland</a> <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/cleveland-mayor-responds-to-geekwire-guest-column-calls-ohio-city-a-case-study-of-whats-possible/">Cleveland mayor responds to GeekWire guest column, calls Ohio city a &lsquo;case study of what&rsquo;s possible&rsquo;</a></li>
<li>Mayor Bibb <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/justinbibb_a-warning-to-seattle-dont-become-the-next-activity-7427377738166071296-AVup/">on LinkedIn</a>: "For decades, national narratives have framed Cleveland as a cautionary tale. But that framing misses the bigger story."</li>
</ul>
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.

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

GeekWire

Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts

Anthropic acquired Seattle startup Vercept on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field.

We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition.

Plus, a new research paper envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing early signs in the news. 

Then, the New York Times reported this week that Jeffrey Epstein built deeper connections inside Microsoft than any other major tech company. We break down the key revelations, including what we found when we searched the Epstein files for "GeekWire."

WSJ: Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties

And stick around for GeekWire Trivia: With Xbox entering a new era under Asha Sharma, we look back at the celebrity who appeared on stage for the original Xbox unveiling 25 years ago.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Anthropic <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/anthropic-acquires-vercept-in-early-exit-for-one-of-seattles-standout-ai-startups/">acquired Seattle startup Vercept</a> on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field.
We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition.
Plus, <a href="https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/2028gic">a new research paper</a> envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/in-seattle-protest-workers-call-on-uber-and-lyft-to-stop-adding-new-drivers-to-flooded-market/">early signs in the news</a>.&nbsp;
Then, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/technology/jeffrey-epstein-microsoft-executives.html">reported this week</a> that Jeffrey Epstein built deeper connections inside Microsoft than any other major tech company. We break down <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/bill-gates-addresses-epstein-fallout-at-foundation-as-new-microsoft-revelations-emerge/">the key revelations</a>, including what we found when we searched the Epstein files for "GeekWire."
WSJ: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-gates-apologizes-to-foundation-staff-over-epstein-ties-67f39ef5?st=DZvEc3&amp;amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties</a>
And stick around for GeekWire Trivia: With Xbox <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/who-is-asha-sharma-a-closer-look-at-microsofts-surprise-pick-to-lead-the-xbox-business/">entering a new era under Asha Sharma</a>, we look back at the celebrity who appeared on stage for the original Xbox unveiling 25 years ago.
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Anthropic acquires Vercept, the AI job crisis scenario, and Microsoft's past Epstein connections

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.

 

Amazon promises 30-minute delivery with <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-launches-new-amazon-now-30-minute-delivery-service-in-seattle-and-philadelphia/">its new Amazon Now service</a>. We put it to the test &mdash; live on the show &mdash; with help from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrlevin/">Michael Levin</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlowitz/">Josh Lowitz</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.cirpllc.com/">Consumer Intelligence Research Partners</a> and two of the sharpest Amazon watchers we know.
While we wait for our order of yogurt, blueberries, and flossers (<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-fixes-alexa-ordering-bug-microsoft-rethinks-ai-data-centers-and-cameras-capture-every-fan/">long story</a>), Mike and Josh break down why Amazon <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/the-end-of-the-line-for-amazons-grocery-stores-brings-a-final-irony-a-30-minute-wait-to-get-in/">closed its grocery stores</a>, what its massive future <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-supersizes-its-walmart-rivalry-with-new-big-box-retail-concept/">225,000-square-foot superstore</a> 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:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cirpamazon.substack.com/">CIRP Amazon Report on Substack</a></li>
<li>CIRP:&nbsp;<a href="https://cirpamazon.substack.com/p/by-closing-stores-amazon-goes-all">By Closing Stores, Amazon Goes All-In on Delivery</a></li>
<li>GeekWire: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-closing-all-amazon-fresh-and-go-stores-to-focus-on-whole-foods-and-grocery-delivery/">Amazon closing all Amazon Fresh and Go stores to focus on Whole Foods and grocery delivery</a> <a href="https://substack.com/@cirp" aria-label="View Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz's profile"></a></li>
<li>Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-19/amazon-dethrones-walmart-as-world-s-biggest-company-by-sales">Amazon Dethrones Walmart as World&rsquo;s Biggest Company by Sales</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/doug-herrington_as-amazonians-our-16-leadership-principles-activity-7429939785294708736-lQg8?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;amp;rcm=ACoAAAAmZBMB4ZPLFVeakJlucqgeZbv9Gl1WRKU">"Learn and Be Curious,"</a> the new podcast from Doug Herrington, the Amazon Worldwide Stores CEO.</li>
</ul>
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, edited by Curt Milton.
&nbsp;

We tested Amazon's speedy delivery live on the podcast: Here's what it says about the future of retail

We're live this week in the "Center of the Universe" in Seattle for a special recording of the GeekWire Podcast, presented by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce at Fremont Brewing Co.

Fresh off the Seahawks' Super Bowl victory, we debate some potential ownership groups for the Seahawks and Sonics — from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to Costco's Jim Sinegal. (Who wouldn't want $1.50 hot dogs and sodas at Lumen Field or Climate Pledge Arena?) 

Then we dig into the debate over Seattle's tech future, sparked by angel investor Charles Fitzgerald's GeekWire column, "A warning to Seattle: Don't become the next Cleveland," which led to a response and ultimately a great conversation with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Fremont Chamber Executive Director Pete Hanning joins us to talk about the neighborhood's tech corridor, why Fremont offices are seeing some of the highest return-to-office rates on the West Coast, and how the neighborhood balances its quirky identity with serious business.

In the final segment: Test your Seattle tech knowledge with our Fremont-themed tech trivia, plus audience Q&A, in which Todd comes clean about his relationship with Claude.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

We're live this week in the "Center of the Universe" in Seattle for a special recording of the GeekWire Podcast, presented by the <a href="https://fremont.com/">Fremont Chamber of Commerce</a> at <a href="https://www.fremontbrewing.com/">Fremont Brewing Co</a>.
Fresh off the Seahawks' Super Bowl victory, we debate some <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/when-the-seattle-seahawks-sell-will-any-tech-execs-step-up-for-the-12s/">potential ownership groups</a> for the Seahawks and Sonics &mdash; from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to Costco's Jim Sinegal. (Who wouldn't want $1.50 hot dogs and sodas at Lumen Field or Climate Pledge Arena?)&nbsp;
Then we dig into the debate over Seattle's tech future, sparked by angel investor Charles Fitzgerald's GeekWire <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/a-warning-to-seattle-dont-become-the-next-cleveland/">column</a>, "A warning to Seattle: Don't become the next Cleveland," which led to a response and ultimately a great <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/clevelands-mayor-seattles-future-a-conversation-about-what-happens-when-a-citys-economy-shifts/">conversation</a> with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
Fremont Chamber Executive Director <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-hanning-1675a14/">Pete Hanning</a> joins us to talk about the neighborhood's tech corridor, why Fremont offices are seeing some of the highest return-to-office rates on the West Coast, and how the neighborhood balances its quirky identity with serious business.
In the final segment: Test your Seattle tech knowledge with our Fremont-themed tech trivia, plus audience Q&amp;A, in which Todd comes clean about his relationship with Claude.
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts

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