Each week, we review the week’s news, offering analysis about the most important developments in the tech industry.

Greetings from Seattle, where we have seven straight days of rain in the forecast. I’m Karen Weise, the tech correspondent here. Let’s start with our local giant, Amazon:

Amazon may have taken some hits in the Democratic debate on Tuesday, but in its hometown, it has come out swinging. Seattle is fast approaching one of the most contentious local elections in recent memory, and Amazon this week dropped an additional $1 million into the fray.

Amazon’s new contributions, made to the political action committee run by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, bring its total to more than $1.4 million this year, a staggering sum for a city election, let alone from a company that was M.I.A. in local politics for years. Four years ago, Amazon gave just $25,000 to the PAC.

Seven of the nine seats on the City Council are up for grabs in November, presenting an opportunity to virtually remake the booming city’s leadership at a pivotal time for addressing the stresses of growth, affordability and homelessness. In a poll released on Wednesday, two-thirds of likely voters said they were looking for change.

In addition to the political contributions, Amazon has hosted a candidates’ forum and has been encouraging employees to vote like never before. It has also invited local journalists to at least two off-the-record happy hours, one leading up to the primary election and the other this month.

These are all signs that Amazon has been rethinking its lackadaisical approach to its hometown after the downsides became particularly clear last year, when it got into a bruising fight. The Council was considering a per-employee “head tax” on large companies to pay for homeless services and affordable housing, and as the vote drew near, Amazon turned to its old playbook, threatening to halt some of its development plans in the city.