Amazon slams House antitrust findings | GeekWire Summit preview

Seattle investor flexes his grunge chops | Pizza-making startup raises $3M ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Hear from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates, Expedia CEO Peter Kern, Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, and Dreambox Learning CEO Jessie Wooley-Wilson and other tech and business leaders at the 2020 GeekWire Summit, Oct. 13-29: [Learn more and register before early bird rates end.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Amazon responds to antitrust probe: A long-awaited report [from a U.S. House antitrust subcommittee]( finds that Amazon “has monopoly power over most third-party sellers and many of its suppliers,” and proposes sweeping reforms for U.S. tech giants including “structural separations to prohibit platforms from operating in lines of business that depend on or interoperate with the platform.” Amazon [called the report fundamentally flawed]( saying its “fringe notions on antitrust” presented an inaccurate view of the market and competitive landscape. If implemented, recommendations from the [450-page report]( would have sweeping implications for Amazon’s third-party e-commerce marketplace, one of the pillars of the Seattle tech company’s business. Seattle investor flexes his grunge chops: Steve Hall worked — and rocked — with the late Paul Allen for years. And he thinks his old boss would get a kick out of Hall’s new viral music sensation. The Bainbridge Island, Wash., dad has covered Temple of the Dog’s 1990s hit “Hunger Strike” as a one-man band, playing four instruments and singing the iconic vocals of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder. [Check out the song and learn how he did it](. ‘Mysterious $60B woman’: A new profile on MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, offers a revealing look at one of the richest women in the world. [Marker journalist Stephanie Clifford reports]( on Scott’s upbringing, schooling, early days at Amazon and how Scott is giving away vast sums of money earned through the tech giant. GeekWire Summit preview: You may have seen the news that [Bill Gates has joined the GeekWire Summit lineup]( for an hour-long interview on Oct. 15. But the Microsoft co-founder and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair is just one element of our signature technology conference. [In this post and special episode of the GeekWire Podcast]( we offer a sneak preview of what’s in store. [Register here for our virtual event](. Tech Moves: A former Airbnb HR leader joins Seattle startup Convoy; Highspot taps a Microsoft technical fellow as chief scientist; Apptio has a new EVP of marketing; [and more key personnel changes from across the PNW tech industry](. Picnic raises $3M: The Seattle robotic pizza-making startup has seen increased demand for its high-tech machine during the pandemic from customers looking for ways to prepare food with less contact. [Read more](. Labor Department probes Microsoft: The U.S. government is [taking a closer look at the company’s new diversity-related hiring initiative]( and whether it constitutes unlawful discrimination on the basis of race. Thanks for reading, and see all of our latest headlines below. -- GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and Geek Life reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [The 2020 GeekWire Summit returns October 13-29, with an immersive and content-rich agenda that you will not want to miss!]( The fully virtual 2020 GeekWire Summit will take place over three weeks, allowing attendees to digest the in-depth fireside chats, interactive panels and brainy power talks in consumable bite-sized chunks. Get your pass and access all of the great sessions, including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates, Expedia CEO Peter Kern, Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, and Dreambox Learning CEO Jessie Wooley-Wilson; in addition to timely discussions about COVID-19 with leading health and biotechnology executives on the Regence health tech stage. This year, your GeekWire Summit pass allows you to participate in networking opportunities, discussion forums, polls and view sessions on-demand. Register for tickets, [here](. LATEST HEADLINES [GeekWire Summit Preview: A glimpse of the future of tech, health, education, jobs and more]( [‘Mysterious $60B woman’: Profile offers rare look at MacKenzie Scott’s distribution of Amazon wealth]( [Seattle investor who worked — and rocked — with Paul Allen goes viral with his cover of a grunge hit]( [Tech Moves: Airbnb HR leader joins Convoy; OutSystems hires Microsoft vets; Highspot’s new chief scientist; and more]( [How tech-savvy farmers are harnessing big data to tend the fields of the future]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Experience Wildwood in North Beacon Hill]( [House antitrust probe says Amazon has ‘monopoly power’ over sellers, company slams ‘fringe’ findings]( [Pizza-making robot startup Picnic raises $3M as pandemic puts spotlight on food automation]( [U.S. government scrutinizes Microsoft’s hiring practices as tech giant looks to boost diversity]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Libro.fm: Senior Android Developer]( - [Libro.fm: Senior iOS Developer]( - [INRIX: Senior Java Data Engineer]( - [INRIX: Strategy Analyst]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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