Techub News reported that Seattle’s minimum wage will increase to $22.14 per hour in 2027. The figure is $5 higher than Washington state’s statutory minimum wage, according to the report. The adjustment is based on a legal mechanism that updates the wage each year using the cost-of-living index. The item cited @Kalshi as the source. No other details were provided in the brief.
AI BioDesign, a new institute launched in Seattle on Sept. 3, is taking a different path from AlphaFold-style biology. Backed by $94.6 million from the Paul Allen estate and led by 2024 Nobel chemistry laureate David Baker and genomics researcher Jay Shendure, the group is focused on designing molecules that nature never evolved rather than predicting structures that already exist. Its core idea is not to spend the money on a larger general-purpose model, but on experimental throughput. The institute runs a loop in which AI proposes designs, the lab builds and measures them, and the results are fed back into the model for the next round. In one recent experiment, researchers tested 6 million designed DNA sequences in a single tube, a scale the article says would have taken years with traditional methods. The group argues that the bottleneck in protein design is no longer generating candidates but validating them fast enough. It also says its models, datasets, methods, reagents, and benchmarks will be open. At the same time, the effort raises biosafety questions around synthetic DNA screening, which Baker says should be addressed with sequence registration and purchaser records.
Jimothy, a meme coin on Solana, climbed sharply on July 23, with GMGN data showing its market capitalization briefly reaching a record $47 million before pulling back to $36 million. The token was still up 25% over the past 24 hours, with trading volume around $17.4 million and nearly 27,000 holding addresses. The token’s character is based on a raccoon from Seattle that gained online attention after a local resident posted a video on July 14. The animal, described as having an unusual body condition linked to a rare congenital issue, has since become a meme subject, inspiring community-made images, murals, and merchandise. The video has drawn nearly 8 million views. BlockBeats said the latest rally may be tied to broader cultural attention around the character. The Seattle Mariners reportedly incorporated the Jimothy character into an event, while city councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said she plans to release a “Jimothy Summer” city proclamation this Sunday. At the same time, non-crypto-native official accounts including NASA Earth, World of Warcraft, and the University of Washington have joined the online meme trend. BlockBeats also noted that meme coins remain highly volatile and are largely driven by sentiment, community attention, and narrative rather than stable fundamentals.
Following Washington state approval for digital currency use in cannabis sales, several Seattle dispensaries are adopting Bitcoin payments through Posabit to reduce cash risks and work around card restrictions.
