Researchers revise their timeline for the Coronavirus’ rise in Washington State, annual innovation report details Seattle’s growing tech and science ecosystem, and more from this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

Researchers Revise Their Timeline for the Coronavirus’ Rise in Washington State

GeekWIre | Alan Boyle | May 28

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/researchers-revise-timeline-coronavirus-rise-washington-state/

“Epidemiologists are coming around to the view that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S., involving a Snohomish County traveler who got sick in mid-January, may not have been the one that touched off the West Coast’s coronavirus outbreak. The revised scenario is based on an analysis of hundreds of virus genomes, and laid out in a research paper that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. University of Arizona evolutionary biologist Michael Worobey and his colleagues focused on the January case, known as WA1, as well as a viral variant that spread through Washington state in late February, known as WA2.”

Annual Innovation Report Details Seattle’s Growing Tech and Science Ecosystem

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | May 26

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/annual-innovation-report-details-seattles-growing-tech-science-ecosystem/

“The latest Seattle Tech Ecosystem Report shows that the region’s innovation ecosystem continues to grow, though the short and long-term effects of COVID-19 crisis are still to be determined. The fifth annual report from the University of Washington-Bothell School of Business and iInnovate Network provides an overview of the tech, health, and life sciences activity in and around Seattle. It cites various reports and rankings, and provides lists of resources including local investors, accelerators, service providers, and other groups supporting the ongoing innovation. Seattle and the state of Washington continue to be a national hub for STEM jobs, GDP growth, and venture capital investments in 2019, the report noted.”

Washington’s Constitution Protects K-12 Funding. The Coronavirus Will Test That Promise

Seattle Times | Dahlia Bazzaz and Hannah Furfaro | May 25

https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/washingtons-constitution-protects-k-12-funding-the-coronavirus-will-test-that-promise/

“As the nation once more descends into economic uncertainty, scenes like this could play out in Washington’s schools again. This time, state leaders face a budget challenge of unknown proportions that will test their ability to preserve education funding, as the state Supreme Court ordered them to do in 2012. State officials are confident they can, but in a bleak budget situation, there are still ways for important programs to lose money. K-12 education funding makes up more than half of the state’s $53.3 billion biennial operating budget.”