Latest Washington Headlines

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

Washington Utility Commits to Maintain Low Levels at Lake over Quake Fears

Feb 27 2017 // Updated earthquake concerns for Mossyrock Dam, the tallest structure of its kind in Washington, have prompted Tacoma Power to commit to a new, reduced water level at Riffe Lake that will likely stretch well into the next...

With Growth of the Gig Economy, States Rethink How Workers Get Benefits

Feb 23 2017 // As more and more Americans hold nontraditional jobs that don’t have benefits attached — think freelance graphic designers or Uber drivers — cities and states are exploring ways to ensure those workers still have...

Landmark Restaurant in Washington Suffers $1M in Fire Damages

Feb 21 2017 // A fire at a Marysville, Wash. landmark caused about $1 million in damage.The Daily Herald reported that a fire broke out on Sunday at the Village Restaurant. It’s a landmark with a history that dates back to the...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Fines State Farm, Others

Feb 13 2017 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in January totaling $15,000 against insurance companies, agents and brokers for violating state insurance regulations.Following are the entities, the fines and...

Washington Construction Firm Fined More than $200K for Safety Violations

Feb 9 2017 // A Puyallup, Wash. construction company faces a large fine for numerous repeated safety violations that exposed workers to potential falls and other hazards at a residential construction site in Olympia, according to the...

In Washington, Louisiana Governor Seeks More Flood Assistance

Feb 9 2017 // Gov. John Bel Edwards is making his sixth trip to Washington to lobby for $2 billion more federal flood aid for Louisiana.The state has received $1.6 billion from Congress so far to respond to the March and August...

Washington Judge Orders Energy Drink Maker to Pay $4.3M

Feb 9 2017 // A King County judge has ordered the makers of 5-hour ENERGY to pay nearly $4.3 million in penalties and attorneys’ fees for violating the Washington state Consumer Protection Act.Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a...

Former Washington Corrections Officer Jailed over $100k Workers’ Comp Scam

Feb 6 2017 // A former Washington state corrections officer accused of holding three jobs while claiming he was too disabled to work will serve seven days behind bars along with home detention.John J. Gruden, 44, late last month pleaded...

E&S Market Continues to See Growth in Premium: Texas Stamping Office

Feb 6 2017 // Overall, 2016 ended on a positive note for the U.S. excess and surplus lines insurance industry, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX).Nationally, nearly $26 billion in surplus lines insurance...

Coalition Urges Modernization of National Flood Insurance Program

Feb 1 2017 // A U.S. flood insurance program that is drowning in billions of dollars in debt can be modernized to bolster its finances while curbing the public’s exposure to flood risks, a national coalition said in a reform...

Trump’s ‘2-for-1’ Deregulation Scheme Easier Said Than Done

Jan 31 2017 // President Donald Trump set a daunting goal for government agencies bound by complex procedures, ordering his department heads to kill two regulations for each new one they issue.The two-for-one order is “a big...

Former Washington Corrections Officer Jailed In $100K Workers’ Comp Scam

Jan 26 2017 // A former Washington state corrections officer accused of holding three jobs while claiming he was too disabled to work will serve seven days behind bars along with home detention.John J. Gruden, 44, pleaded guilty to...

NAIC Leader Says Insurer Systemic Risk Process Is Unnecessary

Jan 26 2017 // Although the Financial Stability Oversight Council created by the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform Act could serve an incredibly useful purpose, FSOC’s activities so far have been misguided, an insurance regulator...

Texas Stamping Office: Upward Trend Continues for Surplus Lines

Jan 24 2017 // Overall, 2016 ended on a positive note for the U.S. excess and surplus lines insurance industry, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX).Nationally, nearly $26 billion in surplus lines insurance...

Washington Puts Landslide-Inspired Topo Maps Online

Jan 20 2017 // Washington’s Department of Natural Resources is following through with a key safety recommendation that arose in the aftermath of the Oso mudslide, as it starts to post intricate topographical maps online.The state...

Washington Lawsuit Says Special Needs Student Sexually Abused by 3 Students

Dec 30 2016 // A lawsuit has accused a Washington school district of failing to protect a female special needs student from a male special needs classmate who sexually abused her in 2012.The News Tribune reported the lawsuit was filed...

Trump vs. California Climate Battle Brewing

Dec 29 2016 // California vs. Trump, so to speak, is shaping up to be a heavyweight match.On one side is the world’s sixth (or so) largest economy – home to Disneyland, Hollywood and Big Sur. On the other is the reality show...

Widow of Pilot Killed in Washington Crash Files Suit against Aircraft Companies

Dec 28 2016 // The wife of one of the men who died after a plane crashed into Washington’s Spokane River has filed a lawsuit against the companies that built and maintained the aircraft.The Spokesman-Review reported that...

Activist Kids in Washington Allowed to Go Forward with Climate Case

Dec 22 2016 // Eight Seattle children should have “their day in court” to argue that Washington state and others aren’t protecting them from climate change, a judge ruled.King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill on...

Anthem-Cigna Merger Trial Pits Efficiency Claims vs. Loss of Competition Claims

Dec 19 2016 // Anthem Inc. and the U.S. Justice Department extended their clash over whether the insurer’s planned takeover of rival Cigna Corp. will raise costs, as government witnesses testified Friday that the deal will harm...