Oregon lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a one-year moratorium on data centers’ eligibility for one major property tax break this week, the first time the state has taken any step to rein in the industry's extraordinary incentives.
www.oregonlive.com/silicon-fore...
Yes, I think that's what they have in mind. And I get the value of "agility". It's a powerful word.
But it's not at all clear to me that "humanoids" is a better word to describe their product than "robotics"
They say the new name followed "extensive brand audit and period of creative development."
"Agility represents flexibility, durability, and forward motion – qualities our customers need as they integrate humanoids into real operations.”
Agility Robotics says it'll now call itself...Agility.
The Salem-based company now describes itself as providing "commercially deployed humanoids."
(Previously, it said, "Agility's humanoid robots are deployed today in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics.")
The Oregon Legislature is moving toward imposing a 1-year moratorium on major new tax breaks for data centers.
This is a big, surprising reversal. Gov. Kotek had been pushing to expand data center inventives.
www.oregonlive.com/silicon-fore...
Camas-based nLight Corp., whose lasers can shoot down attack drones, is up 17% in early trading this morning to an all-time high, $65.82/share.
As Oregon's data center tax breaks have grown they've become more expensive to manage.
Counties want help covering those costs. They're not getting it, so they're opposing Gov. Kotek's economic development bill (which further expands data centers' tax breaks.)
www.oregonlive.com/silicon-fore...
Gov. Kotek says data centers’ impact on Oregon is “not sustainable” at the current growth rate, citing impacts on water, energy and community resources.
But she's pushing ahead to expand tax breaks through a program that primarily benefits data centers.
www.oregonlive.com/silicon-fore...
Many states are considering reining in tax breaks for data centers, citing rising energy costs and environmental impacts.
Gov. Tina Kotek's economic development bill would take Oregon in the other direction, substantially boosting the state's data center giveaways.
This is the kind of quirky, insightful, distinctly Oregon bit of whimsy that only @editorswindler.bsky.social can deliver.
“I wasn’t going out like that.”
After winning his third 3-Point Contest, Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard says he’s “representing strength” as he fights back from Achilles injury:
www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
The government is pouring billions into leading-edge chip factories. But without advanced R&D in the U.S., too, those plants would rely entirely on overseas tech — “stuck in time” in case of a disaster in Asia.
Intel’s Oregon researchers could be the solution, if they can deliver.
a) Everyone has known for a long time that the NBA was going to demand Moda renovations
b) The city/state/county had no one to deal with while the ownership was in flux
c) Now that there's a (almost) a new owner, someone (the league? the new owner?) apparently wants immediate action.
Reuters says Intel's deal to buy SambaNova is off.
The chipmaker would invest $100m-$150m instead, according to Reuters.
(Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is, of course, an SambaNova investor and the company's chairman.)
The NBA has Portland at a distinct disadvantage. With employment and business activity down and its national reputation damaged, the city can ill-afford to lose a major franchise.
Portland -- and MultCo, and the state -- do have leverage. It'll be interesting how and if they coordinate to use it.
Here's the concept for the new Lloyd Center. We also now know the main mall will shut down at some point this year, and yes, the whole thing is slated for demolition, including the ice rink:
Fun to see Linda Weston reflect on the early days of professional women's basketball in Portland, and her take on the Fire's launch.
“The more you can build community, the better."
via @nikstreng.bsky.social
For decades Nike has repeated a mantra: Workers in its Asian factories make double the minimum wages.
@matthewkish.bsky.social shows that isn't so.
That leaves many workers struggling to get by, some earning as little as $150 a month.
The family has a pending asylum claim. Read my story to find out more: ICE detains family seeking emergency care for child at Portland hospital www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
Wall Street analysts say the gaffe raises doubts about Intel's ability to deliver on its turnaround plan.
Intel shares had been on a tear but the stock slid 13% this afternoon after executives admitted they had badly underestimated demand from data centers.
“We are working aggressively to address this and better support our customers’ needs going forward," CEO Lip-Bu Tan told investors.
Another $30M for chip architecture startup AheadComputing, which has grown from 80 employees last spring to 118 now. Most work at its Beaverton HQ.
AheadComputing is among several young companies in the Portland area focused on semiconductor innovation.
Intel shares up 11% this morning at $53.87.
January is the first time in 2+ years that the stock has topped $50.
Intel is being buoyed by analyst upgrades, optimism over foundry work with Apple and expectations that AI demand will spill over to Intel's CPUs.
Intel reports Q4 numbers tomorrow.
Gov. Tina Kotek has named a panel of climate and energy professionals to study data centers' impact on Oregon's environment and energy supply, and to issue recommendations.
The panel won't, however, make recommendations about the enormous tax breaks that bring data centers to Oregon.
Google execs say they are all about transparency.
Their track record says otherwise. They tried to keep their water use secret. The Oregonian had to sue to make that information public.
This was one Google executive’s response when I pressed him about the lawsuit.
💯
For sure. But he was a little gassed on that last drive
