Latest Washington Headlines

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

Financial Firms Fear Hensarling May Fill Gap Left by Cantor’s Exit

Jun 11 2014 // Wall Street could count on Eric Cantor to take its side in the U.S. Congress. It won’t have the same luck with a top lawmaker in line to replace him.House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, who...

Washington Doctor Accused of Sexting During Surgery

Jun 11 2014 // The Washington state Medical Quality Assurance Commission says it has suspended the license of a Seattle anesthesiologist accused of frequently exchanging sexually explicit texts during surgeries.A statement issued Monday...

Washington Commissioner Disciplines Producers for Violations

Jun 10 2014 // Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines to several insurance companies, agents and brokers who violated state insurance regulations during May.The fines totaled $12,250. They are: Insurance companiesBenefit...

Cyber Theft, Already a $445 Billion Business, to Grow Bigger

Jun 9 2014 // Cybercrime remains a growth industry.That’s the main message from former U.S. intelligence officials, who in a report today outlined scenarios for how $445 billion a year in trade theft due to computer hackers will...

S&P Loses Bid to Keep 16 States’ Lawsuits Over Ratings in Federal Court

Jun 5 2014 // Standard & Poor’s suffered a defeat on Tuesday in litigation accusing it of issuing misleading credit ratings prior to the 2008 financial crisis, as a federal judge ruled that lawsuits by 16 U.S. states and...

MetLife Unwavering in Battle Over Systemic Risk Rules

Jun 3 2014 // Steven Kandarian got MetLife Inc. out of banking to escape Federal Reserve oversight. Now, the insurer is fighting again to avoid the central bank’s reach.Kandarian, MetLife’s chief executive officer, has...

Oregon Crashed Caused by Man Holding Breath in Tunnel

May 28 2014 // A 19-year-old man caused a three-car crash when he fainted while holding his breath as he drove through a tunnel northwest of Portland, Oregon State Police said.Daniel J. Calhon, of Snohomish, Washington, told...

Tsunami Debris Skiff Found On Washington Coast

May 23 2014 // More than three years after the tsunami hit Japan, evidence of the disaster continues to haunt the West Coast where residents know they also are vulnerable.A skiff that was once used by someone near Sendai washed ashore in...

Leavitt Group in Washington Hires Rutledge

May 23 2014 // Leavitt Group’s Tacoma, Wash. office has hired Sam Rutledge. Rutledge will focus on employee benefits. Prior to insurance, Rutledge managed the sales and marketing department for an enterprise resource planning...

Dodd-Frank, Flood Insurance Foe Hensarling Faces Test on TRIA Renewal

May 22 2014 // When Jeb Hensarling took over the congressional panel that spawned the Dodd-Frank Act, he vowed to roll back the landmark Wall Street law and eliminate government programs that backstop private markets.More than a year...

Chinese Hacking Raises Cyber Attack Disclosure Issue for Companies

May 21 2014 // Three U.S. public companies identified as Chinese hacking victims didn’t report the theft of trade secrets and other data to investors, despite rules designed to disclose significant events.Two of the companies...

More Money Sought For Landslide Research in Washington

May 19 2014 // Members of Washington’s congressional delegation are urging more money for landslide research and mapping following the deadly Oso mudslide. U.S. Reps. Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott sent a letter to...

Court Exempts Airlines from Developer’s Sept. 11 Environmental Claim

May 7 2014 // American Airlines, United Airlines and the World Trade Center leaseholder do not have to pay a property developer environmental cleanup costs from the Sept. 11, 2001 hijacked plane attacks, a U.S. appeals court ruled on...

AG Comes Down On Washington Business For Asbestos Training

May 2 2014 // Two Tacoma business owners entered guilty pleas on Friday in Pierce County Superior Court after Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson leveled multiple charges against them for allegedly selling substandard asbestos...

CSX Oil Tank Cars Derail, Catch Fire in Lynchburg, Virginia

May 1 2014 // A CSX Corp. crude train derailed in Lynchburg, Virginia, Wednesday, sparking a fire in at least three tank cars, spilling oil into a river and forcing a partial evacuation of the city’s downtown.No injuries were...

Washington Commissioner Fines Producers More Than $24,000

Apr 30 2014 // Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler in March disciplined and issued fines totaling $24,250 against insurance companies, agents and brokers who violated state insurance regulations.Insurance companies Unitrin Auto and Home...

Safety Board Says Rail Oil Tanker Rules Should Be Put on Washington Fast Track

Apr 25 2014 // Spurred by a series of fiery train crashes, a push by government and industry to make safer tank cars used for shipping crude oil and ethanol has bogged down in squabbling and finger-pointing over whether they’re...

Democrats Seize on Koch Brothers, Republican Opposition to Flood Insurance

Apr 20 2014 // 17 Apr 2014 09:00Democrats are exploring a new attack line against the Koch brothers and Republican allies, telling voters the billionaire energy executives want to let home flood insurance premiums soar to help corporate...

Independent Insurance Agents Find Some Pundits, Politicians in Washington Agree

Apr 16 2014 // News flash: a conservative and a liberal in Washington agree — on quite a few matters, in fact.Before an audience of independent insurance agents, commentators Tucker Carlson, a conservative, and Paul Begala, a liberal,...

Independent Insurance Agents Find Some Pundits, Politicians in Washington Agree

Apr 13 2014 // News flash: a conservative and a liberal in Washington agree — on quite a few matters, in fact.Before an audience of independent insurance agents last Friday, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and liberal...