Latest Washington Headlines

All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Judge Permits Short-Term Health Plans in Blow to Obamacare Supporters

Jul 19 2019 // The Trump administration can expand the sale of short-term health insurance policies that don’t meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act, a federal judge ruled, advancing the government’s efforts to undo...

Boeing Creates $50M Crash Victims’ Fund; Hires Feinberg to Oversee

Jul 18 2019 // Boeing Co. said on Wednesday it will dedicate half of a $100 million fund it created after two crashes of its 737 MAX planes to provide payments to families of those killed, with veteran U.S. compensation expert Ken...

Premera Blue Cross in Northwest to Pay States $10M in Data Breach

Jul 16 2019 // Premera Blue Cross, the largest health insurer in the Pacific Northwest, has agreed to pay $10 million to 30 states following an investigation into a data breach that exposed confidential information on more than 10...

4.6, 3.5 Magnitude Earthquakes Rattle Greater Seattle Area

Jul 15 2019 // Two earthquakes shook the Puget Sound region in Washington state early Friday morning, with the temblors felt into British Columbia and across the Cascade Mountains into the eastern part of the state.There were no...

Alliant Acquires Degginger McIntosh & Associates in Washington

Jul 8 2019 // Alliant Insurance Services Inc. has acquired Degginger McIntosh & Associates in Washington.Keith Degginger, the firm’s president, along with fellow principal Ken McIntosh and the entire Degginger McIntosh team,...

Trump Administration to Ease Rules on Truckers’ Maximum Hours on Road

Jul 3 2019 // Truck driver Lucson Francois was forced to hit the brakes just five minutes from his home in Pennsylvania.He’d reached the maximum number of hours in a day he’s allowed to be on duty. Francois couldn’t...

Complacency Cited in Fatal 2017 Washington Train Crash

Jun 27 2019 // The vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board in the final report on a deadly Amtrak derailment in Washington in 2017 blasted what he described as a “Titanic-like complacency” among those...

Former Washington Agent Pleads Guilty to Writing Fake Auto Policies

Jun 26 2019 // Lilibeth Brulotte, a former Washington insurance agent, pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to third-degree theft in connection with writing fake auto insurance policies.Brulotte’s sentence was deferred...

Washington State Utility Caused Fatal Fire, Lawsuit Contends

Jun 26 2019 // The family of a Washington man who died in a house fire has filed a lawsuit against a public utility.The Everett Herald reported that the family of 93-year-old Glen Allen filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the...

Washington Hotel Owner Faces Charges Over Asbestos Removal, Fined $355K

Jun 24 2019 // A Seattle, Wash. hotel owner is facing a felony perjury charge and state Clean Air Act violations after authorities said he lied about having uncertified workers remove asbestos during a renovation.Attorney General Bob...

Oil Shippers Continue Sailing Through Strait of Hormuz – with Heightened Security

Jun 21 2019 // A series of attacks on oil tankers near the Persian Gulf has ratcheted up tensions between the U.S. and Iran – and raised fears over the safety of one of Asia’s most vital energy trade routes, where about a fifth...

Washington Supreme Court Rules Against Florist in Gay Wedding Case

Jun 17 2019 // A florist who refused to provide floral arrangements for the wedding of a same-sex couple violated the state’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws, Washington’s Supreme Court has ruled.The ruling...

Washington Proposes Changes to Safety Rules for Refinery Workers

Jun 17 2019 // Washington state officials are working to revise regulations that aim to keep oil refinery workers safe.The state Department of Labor and Industries has developed a new set of rules that include updates to equipment safety...

Washington Insurance Fraud Cases Result in Guilty Pleas

Jun 13 2019 // Two insurance fraud suspects pleaded guilty and one suspect entered a diversion program after investigations by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit.Abdikarin A. Mohamed pleaded guilty...

Elk Damage to Washington Farms Estimated at $1.4M

Jun 11 2019 // The growing elk population in the Skagit County, Wash. is costing farmers $1.4 million a year, according to a new estimate.That figure is slightly down from the $1.5 million estimate released in January, the Skagit Valley...

Washington Supreme Court Rules Against Florist in Gay Wedding Case

Jun 7 2019 // A florist who refused to provide floral arrangements for the wedding of a same-sex couple violated the state’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws, Washington’s Supreme Court has ruled.The ruling...

Washington Proposes Changes to Safety Rules for Refinery Workers

Jun 5 2019 // Washington state officials are working to revise regulations that aim to keep oil refinery workers safe.The Skagit Valley Herald reported that the state Department of Labor and Industries has developed a new set of rules...

Washington Couple Charged with Auto Insurance Fraud

Jun 3 2019 // Brittany Jones and Steven Jones, of Marysville, Wash., each were charged with one count of filing a false insurance claim in Snohomish County Superior Court on May 14.The charges stem from an auto insurance claim and...

Driver Involved in Washington Duck Boat Crash Gets $2M Settlement

May 28 2019 // The driver of a duck boat vehicle in the 2015 deadly crash in Seattle has accepted a $2 million settlement for his claims against the tour company.SeattlePI.com reports Eric Bishop announced the settlement Friday in...

Washington Man Pleads Guilty, 4 Others Charged in Pay-As-You-Crash Cases

May 28 2019 // One man was sentenced and four people were charged in separate insurance fraud investigations by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit.Paul Albarella, of Kennewick, pleaded...