Latest Washington Headlines

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

Heavy Rains Cause Widespread Flooding, Some Rescues in Pennsylvania

Jul 31 2017 // Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and prompted some evacuations and rescues in western Pennsylvania, but no major injuries were reported.Forecasters said a stalled system resulted in conditions more similar to winter...

Report: Climate Change May Pose Threat to Nation’s Electric Grid

Jul 27 2017 // Climate change may pose a serious risk to the nation’s electric grid, according to a new report.The report was prepared by Johns Hopkins University with help from Swiss Re. “Lights out: The risks of climate and...

Verisk: Texas 2nd in Number of Households at Risk for Wildfire

Jul 20 2017 // The 2017 Verisk Wildfire Risk Analysis shows that Texas is ranked second behind California for the number of households at high or extreme risk from wildfire.The analysis determined the number and percentage of households...

Senate GOP Fails with Obamacare Repeal Effort

Jul 18 2017 // Republican efforts to overhaul or repeal Obamacare collapsed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, dealing a sharp setback to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s seven-year quest to kill former President...

Washington Worker Files Suit Following Poisonous Gas Injury

Jul 10 2017 // A former worker at a Washington recycling facility injured after opening an unlabeled tank containing poisonous gas has filed a lawsuit.The Spokesman-Review reported in a story that Felix W. Shuck filed the lawsuit against...

How States Rate in Preventing Home, Auto, Work Accidents

Jun 28 2017 // No state goes far enough to protect its residents from leading causes of preventable deaths and injuries – commonly known as “accidents” – on the road, in homes and communities and at work, according to the...

Weed Warning: Legalizing Marijuana Tied to Rise in Crashes in 3 States by HLDI

Jun 23 2017 // Legalizing recreational marijuana use in Colorado, Oregon and Washington has resulted in collision claim frequencies that are about three percent higher overall than would have been expected without legalization, a new...

Protecting Unions Is a Labor of Love for Union Insurance Group

Jun 23 2017 // It can be pretty tough keeping an independent insurance agency up and running successfully long-term if you’re just in it for the money, according to the leader of a Chicago-based agency that is celebrating its 20th...

Lockton Northeast Names Connolly Chairman to Succeed Calabrese

Jun 21 2017 // Robert Connolly has been named chairman of Lockton Northeast, succeeding Michael Calabrese, who will continue to serve as vice chairman of Lockton’s Northeast operations.Connolly has been the president of...

3.6M Temblor Shakes Washington Area Northwest of Seattle

Jun 19 2017 // A magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook an area of the Olympic Peninsula northwest of Seattle, Wash., the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. It was centered less than a mile east of Quilcene. The USGS says the small earthquake...

Judge Tosses Fines Against Tesoro in Deadly Washington Refinery Blast

Jun 13 2017 // A Washington state administrative judge threw out $2.4 million in fines levied against refiner Tesoro Corp. for a 2010 explosion that claimed the lives of seven workers at the company’s Anacortes, Washington,...

Washington County Insurer to Pay $2.25M Wrongful Conviction Settlement

Jun 12 2017 // The insurance company for Spokane County, Wash. will pay $2.25 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit that contended the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office engaged in witness-tampering and recklessness to...

Former Washington Insurance Agent Charged in Theft of Clients’ Money

Jun 9 2017 // A former insurance agent in Washington has been charged with stealing premiums from his clients.Levi Watson, 44, of Bothell, Wash., faces one count of first-degree theft and one count of money laundering, both felonies....

Automakers Seek Changes to Federal Autonomous Vehicle Guidelines

Jun 6 2017 // President Donald Trump’s administration will unveil revised self-driving guidelines within the next few months, the head of the U.S. Transportation Department said on Monday, responding to automakers’ calls for...

For UIG, Protecting Unions Is a Labor of Love

Jun 5 2017 // It can be pretty tough keeping an independent insurance agency up and running successfully long-term if you’re just in it for the money, according to the leader of a Chicago-based agency that is celebrating its 20th...

12 States Have Advanced Tougher Distracted Driving Bills This Year

Jun 1 2017 // As auto accidents and fatalities increase on America’s roads, a dozen states have taken legislative action this year to further combat distracted driving.According to an analysis by the Property Casualty Insurers...

Wildfire near Leavenworth, Washington, Forces Evacuations

May 25 2017 // Evacuation orders are still in effect in as crews battle a wildfire north of Leavenworth, Washington.Brendan Cowan, a spokesman for the Northwest Incident Management Team, says the blaze covered about 40 acres as of...

Insurance to Pay for up to $57M in Damage to Washington Waste Treatment Plant

May 22 2017 // An analysis says equipment failures caused between $49 million and $57 million of damage at the Washington’s largest sewage treatment plant.KING-TV reported the analysis was released related to damage at the West...

Washington Governor Signs Law Banning Holding Cellphone While Driving

May 18 2017 // Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a measure that bans holding hand-held devices while driving.The measure, signed by Inslee in Tacoma Tuesday, prohibits holding an electronic device, including phones, tablets and other...

Brother of Washington Man Who Died in Hospital Fall Sues for Wrongful Death

May 16 2017 // A Washington man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Eastern State Hospital staff after his brother died under their care.The Spokesman-Review reported that Kenneth Peters has accused doctors of not rendering...