Washington
Jeff Bezos Hasn’t Delivered What He Promised With The Washington Post
The latest plan for reversing losses at The Washington Post prompted the departure of its top editor, while raising questions about CEO Will Lewis, whose plan was cobbled together during months of discussions with owner Jeff Bezos. The plan itself remains largely a mystery and what little has been revealed isn’t reassuring.
When Bezos bought the Post for $250 million in 2013, the Amazon founder sought to assure staffers and customers that “the values of The Post do not need changing.” Bezos has consistently championed editorial independence since then, and has accepted the financial and reputational risks of owning a publication dedicated to covering politics and government.
Despite former President Donald Trump’s efforts to punish Amazon for coverage in the Post that he disliked, Bezos has never publicly complained about the Post’s critical coverage of the White House or of Amazon and himself.
Few questioned whether Bezos, whom Warren Buffet had called “the ablest CEO in America,” could fix the Post’s business. Under the Graham family’s leadership, the company had remained profitable by cutting expenses, but it lacked the resources to invest in the Post’s future. So, it was sold to Bezos, who promised the money and patience needed to ensure a turnaround.
Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos delivers remarks during the opening ceremony of the media company’s new location January 28, 2016 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
But after a decade of investing in technology and expanded coverage, the Post says it lost $77 million in 2023 and that it has lost half its audience since 2020. The losses have continued this year. The results are consistent with those reported by other large urban publications.
Under Bezos and the Grahams, The Washington Post has sought to compete with The New York Times. It frequently does so editorially—it was awarded three Pulitzers this year and was a finalist in three other categories—but not as a business. The Times had net income of $232 million in 2023, up from $65 million in 2013. More impressively, at the end of 2023, the Times had 9.7 million digital-only subscribers, compared with only 760,000 digital subscribers a decade earlier. Acquisitions including The Athletic and Wirecutter, together with expanded sections devoted to recipes, gardening, and puzzles have buttressed the Times’ news coverage.
“While there may be a global audience for The Post’s coverage of politics, it is unclear what else readers outside the Beltway will pay for.”
Lewis announced on June 3 that Matt Murray—former editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal—had replaced Executive Editor Sally Buzbee, and that Murray would serve as interim editor through November’s presidential election. Murray will then lead a new unit, reportedly focused on local service journalism, and Robert Winnett—deputy editor of London’s Telegraph Media Group—will become the editor responsible for core coverage, including politics, international investigations, and business news.
The Washington Post Building at One Franklin Square Building on June 5, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Anguished editorial staffers questioned Lewis about Buzbee’s departure, and also about reports that surfaced following the announcement that Lewis had sought to kill stories in the Post and on NPR about allegations of improper behavior years earlier, while working for Rupert Murdoch in London during Britain’s notorious phone-hacking scandal.
Lewis denied the allegations, but may have made matters worse by questioning the NPR writer’s integrity. The New York Times and others reported he also questioned Buzbee’s competence for thinking the allegations newsworthy.
I don’t know Lewis and I have rarely spoken to Bezos since TIME named him its Person of the Year in 1999. It may come as a surprise to journalists, but Bezos—like other billionaires I have known or worked for—doesn’t like losing money. Bezos’ net worth is close to $200 billion, but he has no interest in funding Post losses for the next 2,000 years, or, for that matter, the next 2,000 days.
Like other billionaires, Bezos has diverse interests and he has rarely been a visible presence in the Post’s newsroom. He has also shown a penchant for relying on his instincts. He chose Fred Ryan, Lewis’ predecessor, on the recommendation of Jean Case, a friend and a former technology executive.
Lewis reached out to Bezos last fall while in London trying to line up financing to buy his old newspaper, the Telegraph. He has told friends that Bezos turned him down, saying that owning one money-losing publication was enough. Lewis has said Bezos then encouraged Lewis to speak to Patty Stonesifer, an Amazon board member who was running the Post while leading the search for a permanent CEO to succeed Fred Ryan.
The Post is one of many investments that require Bezos’ attention. He remains executive chair of Amazon, the company he founded that now has more than 1.5 million employees and annual revenues of more than $500 billion. He has invested in Uber, X (formerly Twitter), Business Insider, and Airbnb, as well as several private companies, including Blue Origin, an aerospace and defense company, and he has launched philanthropic organizations, including the Bezos Earth Fund.
Bezos and Stonesifer retained Sucherman, a well-regarded advisory firm to vet Lewis and other candidates for the job. Even if concerns about substance and style had surfaced, it is unlikely they would have deterred Bezos from hiring Lewis. Amazon has never shown an aversion to managers with sharp elbows.
Matt Murray, named as a new top editor of The Washington Post, pledged to lead a new era of innovation during a staff meeting Monday, June 3, 2024. The meeting that turned contentious when employees peppered publisher and CEO William Lewis with questions about the abrupt replacement of executive editor Sally Buzbee
Robert Miller/The Washington Post via Getty Images
When Bezos announced Lewis’ appointment several weeks later, he said he thought Lewis was “an exceptional, tenacious industry executive whose background in fierce, award-winning journalism makes him the right leader at the right time.”
While a renewed emphasis on service journalism and local news makes sense, separating service from news does not. The Post had a separate newsroom for digital for several years. It did little to improve its fortunes, and Marcus Brauchli, who served as executive editor from 2008 to 2012, made consolidating the newsroom a condition of his taking the job.
In my opinion, Matt Murray should be responsible for both newsrooms, while keeping the editorial and opinion pages under the control of David Shipley. Bezos should also review the recent decision to kill the Post’s Sunday Opinion section and the Post’s weekly magazine. While neither seemed attractive to advertisers, both were valued by readers accustomed to paying for content. While there may be a global audience for the Post’s coverage of politics, it is unclear what else readers outside the Beltway will pay for.
Bezos was right to keep his Post purchase separate from Amazon and he deserves credit for never asking the Post to do anything at Amazon’s behest. His desire to serve readers’ needs, however, would have benefited from Amazon’s experience with customers. Why not offer Amazon’s pharmacy and other services to Post subscribers?
If Bezos is serious about making The Washington Post profitable, he will need to reduce the number of journalists on staff from its current level of about 1,000 employees. I cannot say by how much, but it will be hard to reconcile the new number with Bezos’ stated commitment to quality.
Norman Pearlstine led newsrooms at The Wall Street Journal, Time Inc., when it published more than 150 titles, and The Los Angeles Times. He also held senior editorial positions at Bloomberg LP and Forbes and is the author of OFF THE RECORD: The Press, the Government, and The War over Anonymous Sources.
SEATTLE – As more heavy rainfall is expected in western Washington this week, the region remains under a Flood Watch, with road closures, evacuations, and power outages persisting.
A Flash Flood Warning was activated and later canceled for parts of south King County after a Green River levee failed. The levee has since been repaired, patched by sandbags after nearby businesses were evacuated.
Desimone Levee breech. (Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor)
Keep reading for live weather updates for Tuesday, Dec. 16.
8:05 a.m.: Resources available in Pacific, WA
Valley Regional Fire listed several resources on behalf of the city of Pacific:
- Warm location that will be serving coffee and breakfast: Senior Center and the gym at the Pacific Community Center (100 3rd Ave SE)
- Auburn Community and Events Center (910 9th ST SE) is open with Red Cross resources
- The Filipino American Community of Puget Sound in Algona (103 6th Ave N) is also offering a warm location
- Alpac Elementary School (310 Milwaukee Blvd N) parking lot is available in addition to restrooms.
- Sandbags are available at 224 County Line Road
7:42 a.m.: Puget Sound Energy crews make significant progress in restoring power outages in WA
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews made great progress overnight after more than 50,000 people in western Washington lost power on Monday. As of 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday, there are only 56 outages impacted 1,343 customers.Snohomish PUD is reporting outages impacting 490 people. Clallam County PUD is reporting 0 outages.
7:40 a.m.: SR 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn
‘Go Now’ evacuation in Auburn
Flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.
The Washington State Department of Transportation said both directions of State Route 167 remain closed on Tuesday between South 212th Street in Kent and 15th Avenue West in Auburn due to flooding.
Drivers are advised to take alternate routes and expect delays on I-5 and I-405.
WSDOT’s David Rasbach told Good Day Seattle there was still water over the roadway in the area.
State Route 167 remains closed between Kent and Auburn.
7:30 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Auburn, WA
There are still evacuation orders in effect in Auburn, Washington. This flooding from the Green River is forcing Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in the area between South 277th and north of 42nd, and east of SR-167 and west of Green River.
There are also Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuations in several neighborhoods along both sides of the Green River, including areas near 104th Avenue Southeast, Pike Street Northeast and Pike Place Northeast – south of the Auburn Golf Course. Anyone who lives there should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice if things get worse.
Officials say evacuees seeking shelter can go to the Auburn Community and Event Center and Ray of Hope Shelter in Auburn.
7:24 a.m.: Person dead after driving car onto flooded roadway in Snohomish County
A driver died overnight in Snohomish after reportedly bypassing road closure signs and plunging into a flooded ditch near East Lowell Larimer Road.
7:03 a.m.: Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation in Concrete, WA; School district closed
There is a Level 3 ‘Go Now’ Evacuation order in place for the Erikson Road neighborhood in Concrete, Washington.
The town says they found a landslide there last week, and with more rain and wind coming, they are asking people to leave the area.There is also an upgraded Level 2 ‘Get Set’ Evacuation near Burpee Hill Road that is impacting 32 homes. This comes after a landslide in the area on Monday.
The Red Cross opened a shelter for people impacted by those evacuations at the Mount Baker Presbyterian Church off Main Street.
County officials say pets can be accommodated.Schools in the Concrete School District are closed Tuesday. The district will continue to monitor conditions to make decisions for later this week.You can find more school closures across western Washington here.
6:20 a.m.: How you can help
GoFundMe has updated their list of verified fundraisers and non-profits providing help to those affected by the flooding.
To donate to Washington and Pacific Northwest flood relief fundraisers, click here.
6:09 a.m.: Flooding impacting local blood supply
The flash flood evacuation from the Green River levee breech is near Bloodworks Northwest’s Renton Lab and Donor Center.
Officials say the stored blood supply remains safe, but the donor center is closed.
Critical blood storage, supplies and vehicles were moved to a different location, and upcoming blood drives may be affected.
Bloodworks Northwest said more than 300 potential donations have been canceled since last week, which created a shortage.
The company is asking donors of all blood types are needed. To donate, click here.
6:04 a.m.: Evacuation efforts in Pacific, WA
Valley Regional Fire Authority crews are working to help residents evacuate in Pacific.
Officials said about 100 residents have been evacuated and no injuries have been reported.
The affected areas primarily are S of 1st, and E of Butte, S of Stewart, and Skinner Road.
5:20 a.m.: Tracking school closures and delays
Several school districts in western Washington announced delays.
Here is the latest list.
5 a.m.: New evacuation orders in Pacific
Early Tuesday morning, police in Pacific announced after 1:30 a.m. there was a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order due to a levee break on the White River.
The evacuation order affects the areas east of Butte and South of Third.
National Weather Service Seattle issued a Flash Flood Warning before 1:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Tuesday weather forecast
Heavy rain, gusty winds and mountain snow returns to western Washington by Tuesday evening, with the potential to push river levels even higher and knock out power to thousands due to downed trees.
The Skagit, Snoqualmie, Green, White, Cedar, Cowlitz, Stehekin and Skykomish rivers are back under Flood Warnings.
A Flood Watch remains in effect for parts of Western Washington through Thursday afternoon. (FOX 13 Seattle)
A Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday for heavy mountain snow.
Green River levee fails, Flash Flood Warning
A Flash Flood Warning was activated on Monday after a Green River levee failed in Tukwila, prompting evacuations in areas downstream from the levee break.
While the warning was canceled just before Monday evening, the Desimone levee breach was at one point described as “life-threatening” and reportedly threatened nearby structures.
Most of western Washington remains under a Flood Watch through Thursday due to the rainy forecast ahead, along with already high river levels.
Road closures in Western Washington
Several critical roadways across western Washington are closed due to weather effects, including highway washouts that will continue to impact travel.
On Interstate 90, eastbound lanes of the freeway are closed near North Bend due to a landslide. Additionally, though not weather related, all westbound lanes are closed near Cle Elum due to construction of the Bullfrog Road overpass.
U.S. 2 Stevens Pass is closed at Tumwater Canyon after a section of the highway was washed out by flooding last week. It’s blocked between Skykomish and Leavenworth, and there is no estimated time for when the road will reopen. Highway 410 is also closed at Enumclaw due to a washout.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the websites and social media pages of various agencies and emergency management departments across western Washington, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
NC State (16-2-4)
NC State secured a 2-1 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday, weathering a late Billiken rally to hold onto the win. After dominating the middle portion of the match, the Wolfpack survived a tense final 10 minutes following a successful Saint Louis penalty conversion.
The Wolfpack offense broke through in the 69th minute when Donavan Phillip scored off a clinical sequence involving Isaac Heffess and Calem Tommy and ending in a perfectly placed header. Taig Healy quickly doubled the advantage at the 72:04 mark, burying another header assisted by Riley Moloney to put NC State up 2-0.
Saint Louis found a lifeline in the 80th minute. Following a foul in the box by NC State’s Justin McLean, Quinten Blair stepped to the spot and converted the penalty kick to cut the deficit to one.
Defensively, both goalkeepers remained busy. NC State’s Logan Erb made two crucial saves, including a stop on Jack DiMaria in the 85th minute to prevent an equalizer. Saint Louis’ Jeremi Abonnel finished with four saves, notably denying Ibrahim Conde and Frankie DeFrancesco in quick succession to keep the Billikens within striking distance early in the second half.
Washington (15-6-2)
Behind a dominant multi-point performance from Charlie Kosakoff, Washington defeated Furman 3-1 in the semis to advance to the national championship. The Huskies controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, outshooting the Paladins and consistently testing the frame.
Washington’s offense ignited late in the first half. Zach Ramsey opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, converting a pass from Alex Hall. Kosakoff, who was a constant threat throughout the match, doubled the lead in the 40th minute with an unassisted strike to give the Huskies a 2-0 cushion at the break.
Despite a more aggressive Furman side in the second half, Washington put the game away in the 86th minute. Asher Hestad, appearing as a late substitute, found the back of the net off a surgical assist from Kosakoff. Furman managed to spoil the shutout just over a minute later when Luke Hutzell scored off a double assist from Braden Dunham and Connor Dunnigan, but the Paladins could not find a path to a comeback.
Furman goalkeeper Ivan Horvat delivered a heroic performance in defeat, recording eight saves to keep the score respectable. His work was highlighted by a string of four saves in the second half against a relentless Washington counter-attack. Washington’s Jadon Bowton earned the win, making one key save on a Wilfer Bustamante attempt late in the first half that could have switched the momentum.
Bolt transitions into role after driving impact as Fractional CMO earlier this season
Washington, D.C. (12/15/2025) – The Washington Spirit today announced the appointment of Kim Bolt as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, a newly created executive role that reflects the club’s continued evolution into a high-performance, growth-oriented organization.
Bolt transitions into the role after joining the Spirit earlier this season as Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, where she played a key role in strengthening the club’s marketing strategy, analytics foundation and demand-generation efforts during a pivotal stretch of the year.
In her expanded role, Bolt will oversee Marketing, Communications, Brand, Strategy and Analytics, with a mandate to build a modern, data-driven commercial engine that accelerates fan growth, deepens engagement, elevates the Spirit’s brand and supports the club’s long-term ambitions on and off the pitch.
With more than 20 years of marketing and strategy leadership across technology, fitness and sports, Bolt brings deep experience scaling mission-driven brands. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Google, Lyft, Under Armour and Disney, as well as serving as Chief Marketing Officer of the Washington Nationals. An expert in marketing technology centered around fan data, Bolt has also advised League One Volleyball and served as Fractional CMO for OnDeck Partners, an Avenue Sports Fund portfolio company focused on minor league baseball.
“As we evolve from a team that wins into an organization built for sustained excellence, Kim’s experience and mindset are exactly what we need,” said Kim Stone, CEO of the Washington Spirit. “She understands this market, this moment and the scale of the opportunity in front of us. Her global brand experience, strategic rigor and early impact with our organization strengthen the foundation we’re building and position us for long-term, sustainable growth.”
A former youth soccer player, Bolt was drawn to the sports industry by her belief in its unique ability to create emotional connection and lifelong memories, a passion shaped early by her family’s love of the game. Throughout her career, Bolt has championed a leadership style grounded in empathy, resilience and accountability. She is committed to supporting women in sports and business and believes high performance and personal balance can, and should, coexist.
“The first time my daughters came to a Spirit match, they memorized the roster and their eyes lit up when they saw a player who looked like them,” said Bolt. “That was the moment I knew I wanted to be part of this organization. Having worked closely with the team this season, I’ve seen firsthand the ambition, the talent and the opportunity ahead. I’m honored to step into this role and help build a brand and growth engine that matches the excellence we’re striving for on the field.”
Bolt resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, three children and two dogs. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cornell University. As the Spirit’s first Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Bolt will lead the club through the offseason and into the 2026 season, helping shape the next chapter of the organization’s growth.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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