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On March 23, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a law that will, on June 30, 2027, render thousands of existing noncompete provisions void and unenforceable across Washington state. No court decision. No individual review. No compensation. Just gone.The law is House Bill 1155, and it bans noncompete agreements — contracts that restrict employees from working for competitors after leaving a…
Seattle, WA — Britney Johnson has started setting her alarm for 3:50am.That’s the only way she’ll make it to the bus on time to commute to Seattle from her home in Tacoma – a 74-mile roundtrip.Johnson used to drive to work as a line cook at Meta’s Seattle offices. But then gas prices started to creep up in the spring, topping out at $5.89 per gallon.“And I was…
On June 9, the Seattle City Council voted unanimously to impose a one-year emergency moratorium on applications for new large data centers — making the Emerald City one of the largest cities in the nation to hit pause on the poster child of the AI revolution.The ordinance halts applications for facilities with electrical capacity above 20 megavolt-amperes, roughly the load of 16,000 homes.…
"Artificial intelligence can increasingly perform a white-collar employees tasks. What it cannot do is vouch for the result. Yet a new slasher genre, the jobs apocalypse, threatens that AI will displace the regular nine-to-five and claims to be scarier than your grandfathers zombie flick," writes Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW.Featured on The Washington Post
Come curious. Leave inspired. Wherever you are, the University of Washington offers opportunities to learn and connect with the ideas, people, and research shaping our world. This summer, visit campus for the latest exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, or join us from anywhere through recorded lectures, podcasts, virtual experiences, and more. As a…
Award Recipient Mike Egan The Political Science Department is proud to present the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award to Mike Egan. Mike Egan is the General Manager for Microsoft, U.S. Public Affairs, leading a large team across the country driving economic development and community engagement through all 50 states. He's been with Microsoft for over 27 years and previously…
Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time or…
While February might be just 28 days, the UW College of Arts & Sciences offers an exciting lineup of more than 40 in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University.
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Many are aware of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. Far fewer, though, know that 1776 was also the year that Adam Smith published An Inquiry into The Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nations. Not only was Smith’s classic tome foundational for the study of modern economics, but it was also influential in the…
Award-Winning ResearchIn a resounding affirmation of her scholarly impact, Jihyeon Bae was awarded the prestigious 2025 Stuart Scheingold Prize for Outstanding Paper in Public Law for her groundbreaking work, Invocation of Sovereignty Principle and Regime Types.
The paper examines how domestic political institutions shape…