Bidding for Bezos: Raleigh, NC Mayor Weighs in on Amazon HQ2
Amazon plans to invest over $5 billion and create 50,000 jobs for its new headquarters. Amazon HQ2 could ultimately change the economic trajectory of the winning city for years to come. Nancy McFarlane, Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, was with us to discuss the city's chances.
Amazon culled its list down from 238 to 20, Raleigh among them. Mayor McFarlane shared what she believes landed her city on the short list. The Mayor stressed that Raleigh is a great environment for a tech company to grow. Tech jobs in Raleigh have grown 38.5% from 2010-2015, second only to San Francisco and ahead of Austin, Boston, and other innovation hubs.
Amazon's presence transformed the real estate market in Seattle. In July, home prices in the city increased 13.5% compared to last year, according to reports. Mayor McFarlane said it would be part of the discussion if Amazon were to move in because maintaining affordable housing is a priority, but careful planning would help avoid the displacement of residents.
Microsoft reported a 20% spike in quarterly profits Tuesday, helping to fuel its battle to get ahead of rivals like Google, Amazon and Facebook parent Meta in selling the latest artificial intelligence technology.
Visa Inc. said its adjusted third-quarter profits rose by nearly double digits, as the global payments company continues to benefit from the broad shift by consumers to using credit and debit cards instead of cash.
Even after inflation has steadily eased this year, the Federal Reserve's policymakers still think prices are rising too fast and are almost certain to lift their key interest rate by a quarter-point on Wednesday.
