International Business News - Seattle http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif Port of Seattle Commissioners changed their minds and decided not to increase the tax the port collects from King County property owners. In adopting a budget Tuesday, commissioners decided to keep the tax at the $76 million collected in 2008. Earlier this month commissioners indicated they would approve an 11 percent increase in the 2009 levy. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081126/port-of-seattle-decides-not-to-raise-taxes.htm Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:33:53 EST The Seattle Times is making the year's third round of staff cuts. The newspaper told its employees by e-mail Monday morning that the tough economy and dropping advertising revenue are forcing it to lay off more people. Officials declined to say right away how many jobs would be eliminated, though specifics were to be announced Monday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081103/seattle-times-announces-third-staff-cut-this-year.htm Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:11:04 EST Greg Nickels said he hasn't spoken to anyone with the NBA since the SuperSonics left Seattle in the summer, but the Seattle mayor feels "the door is open" to the league returning to what would be a remodeled KeyArena. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081021/seattle-mayor-still-eyeing-nbas-return.htm Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:18:40 EDT Gerard Schwarz, who brought the Seattle Symphony to prominence as music director since 1985, is stepping down in three years. Schwarz, 61, said Wednesday he will become conductor laureate after the 2011-12 season. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/127606-seattle-symphony-schwarz.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080911/seattle-symphony-music-director-stepping-down.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080911/seattle-symphony-music-director-stepping-down.htm Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:24:25 EDT City officials have finally gotten rid of five high-tech self-cleaning toilets that cost Seattle $5 million--but sold online for just $12,549. The city installed the modernistic stand-alone toilets four years ago, hoping they would provide tourists and the homeless a place to do their business while downtown. But the automated loos became better known for drug use and prostitution than for relief. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/109781-ebay-toilets.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/seattle-relieved-to-lose-its-high-tech-toilets.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/seattle-relieved-to-lose-its-high-tech-toilets.htm Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:24:51 EDT Seattle City Light is asking its customers in the downtown core to cut power usage to avoid a blackout, after banks of transformers failed. Utility spokesman Mike Eagan says workers were doing maintenance on two bank of transformers at the Union Street substation Friday when two others failed. That means only two of the six banks there are working. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/downtown-seattle-asked-to-cut-power-usage.htm Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:34:41 EDT Seattle's five problem-plagued public toilets could be yours if you're flush. City officials decided to pull the plug on the multimillion-dollar self-cleaning toilet stalls and instead put them on the auction site eBay. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/seattle-sells-5-of-its-troubled-toilets-on-ebay.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:36:17 EDT Biotechnology company Seattle Genetics Inc. said Tuesday it licensed tumor-fighting technology to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo Co. for $4 million, plus future milestone and royalty payments. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080708/seattle-genetics-licenses-tech-to-daiichi-sankyo.htm Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:23:54 EDT Clay Bennett finally found a dollar amount that would sever his contentious relationship with the city of Seattle--$75 million. As a result, the SuperSonics are headed to Oklahoma City with Bennett leading the way, leaving behind the team name, colors and 41 years of history. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/84708-supersonics-seattle-trial-basketball.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080703/last-minute-deal-lets-sonics-move-to-oklahoma-city.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080703/last-minute-deal-lets-sonics-move-to-oklahoma-city.htm Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:32:08 EDT The SuperSonics rested their case to move to Oklahoma City atop a comical drawing of a brain. Sonics lawyer Brad Keller enlivened closing arguments Thursday to the trial over whether the Sonics will stay for the final two years of their lease in KeyArena or move. He asked how former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton could have been involved in a plan to inflict financial harm on Sonics owner Clay Bennett and force him to sell the team to local investors without telling Seattle's top leaders. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080627/nba-sonics-trial-ends-decision-coming-wednesday.htm Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:18:06 EDT A federal judge denied a request Thursday to allow Seattle's deputy mayor testify in court that he and the mayor's office had no direct knowledge of a plan to inflict financial pain on SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080626/mayors-testimony-barred-in-supersonics-trial.htm Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:51:15 EDT Turns out, Seattle leaders have some issues with e-mail, too. After months of enduring bombshell releases of incriminating messages that seemed to doom their case, the SuperSonics have produced damning e-mail from Seattle power brokers in the trial that will determine whether the team will move to Oklahoma City or be forced to play the final two years of its lease at Seattle's KeyArena. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080625/sonics-turn-tables-on-seattle-with-new-e-mails.htm Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:01:03 EDT The SuperSonics said in court Friday that the city of Seattle tried to make it too expensive for them to leave town. The accusations stemmed from a previously sealed document that was admitted Friday as an exhibit in the city's lawsuit against the team. It discussed "locking them into losses" and exposing "the league to embarrassment in a market they like." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080620/testimony-to-end-friday-in-sonics-lease-trial.htm Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:23:13 EDT SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett testified Wednesday that he made mistakes in dealing with the city of Seattle after he bought the team in 2006. "We bought this team with grand visions for success," he said. "Did we do everything right, and did we understand everything there was to understand? Certainly not." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080619/owner-of-nbas-supersonics-acknowledges-mistakes.htm Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:16:13 EDT SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett testified Wednesday that he made mistakes in dealing with the city of Seattle after he bought the team in 2006. "We bought this team with grand visions for success," he said. "Did we do everything right, and did we understand everything there was to understand? Certainly not." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080618/supersonics-owner-back-on-stand-admits-mistakes.htm Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:08:13 EDT Biotechnology company Seattle Genetics Inc. said Wednesday that it received a milestone payment from Genentech Inc. after that company filed an investigational new drug application for an antibody-drug conjugate using Seattle Genetics technology. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080618/seattle-genetics-gets-milestone-payment.htm Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:36:33 EDT SuperSonics owner Clayton Bennett testified Tuesday that the team's financial losses at KeyArena are "ever-growing," but that he has the resources to absorb them. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080617/team-owner-bennett-takes-stand-in-sonics-trial.htm Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:37:20 EDT A deal is a deal, and the SuperSonics should stay, a Seattle lawyer told a judge Monday as a federal trial over the team's KeyArena lease began. SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett is trying to move the team--Seattle's oldest professional sports franchise--to his hometown of Oklahoma City, two years before the lease expires. Bennett, who sat expressionless at the defense table, is hoping to pay Seattle no more than $10 million in lost rent for the next two seasons. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080616/seattle-lawyers-tell-judge-sonics-should-stay.htm Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:07:04 EDT One of the most anticipated trials in Seattle history is set to begin Monday, complete with bloggers and protesters. The six-day, no-jury trial in federal court will settle the final two years of the SuperSonics' lease at KeyArena. Sonics owner Clay Bennett has gained the NBA's approval to move the team to his hometown of Oklahoma City, but Seattle argues its lease forces the franchise to play two more seasons before departing. The contentious showdown has turned personal between the... http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/72840-supersonics.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080616/supersonics-seattle-trial-begin-monday.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080616/supersonics-seattle-trial-begin-monday.htm Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:11:10 EDT