Latest Washington Headlines

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

Washington Commissioner Fines Airbnb for Acting as Unauthorized Insurer

May 16 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler fined Airbnb $20,000 for acting as an unauthorized insurer in the state.Kreidler also ordered the vacation rental company to obtain a surplus lines insurance policy to...

Washington Is Determined to Govern AI, but How?

May 15 2023 // U.S. lawmakers are grappling with what guardrails to put around burgeoning artificial intelligence, but months after ChatGPT got Washington’s attention, consensus is far from certain.Interviews with a U.S. senator,...

Washington Irrigation District Facing Fines for Worker Safety Issues

May 12 2023 // A South Central Washington irrigation district is facing stiff fines for not protecting workers from the dangers of trenching the second time this year.The Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District is tasked with delivering...

Washington Commissioner Confirms He Will Not Seek Reelection

May 1 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent an email to agency staff on Monday confirming that he will not seek reelection.The nation’s longest currently serving commissioner has for some time said he was...

Washington Commanders Employees Ask NFL for Protection From Snyder Lawsuits

Apr 21 2023 // Lawyers representing more than 40 former team employees are asking the NFL to make the sale of the Washington Commanders contingent on Dan Snyder not suing people who participated in various investigations.Attorneys Lisa...

Judge Rules BNSF Intentionally Violated Agreement with Washington Tribe

Apr 17 2023 // A judge ruled that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation.The...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Issues $578K in Fines for March Violations

Apr 12 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in March totaling $578,363 against insurance companies that violated state insurance laws and regulations.Following is a breakdown of who was fined, and the...

Washington Shutters Pot Businesses Due to Old Pesticide

Apr 10 2023 // Cannabis regulators have halted operations at several outdoor pot farms and processing facilities on a stretch of former fruit orchards in north- central Washington state after testing found high levels of chemicals...

Washington City Paying $500K to Settle Bikini Barista Dress Code Suit

Apr 10 2023 // A legal battle over a dress code for bikini baristas at coffee stands is ending after a city north of Seattle agreed to pay $500,000 to the owner and employees who sued over it six years ago.The Everett City Council voted...

Hub Acquires Assets of Defranco Insurance in Washington

Apr 10 2023 // Hub International Ltd. acquired the assets of DeFranco Insurance, Inc. in Seattle, Washington. John DeFranco, President, and the DeFranco Insurance team will join Hub Northwest. DeFranco Insurance is an independently owned...

Lawsuit: Celebrity-Friendly Washington Church Required Workers to Tithe

Apr 3 2023 // A Seattle, Washington-area megachurch that counts celebrities such as Russell Wilson and Justin Bieber among its thousands of members has been accused in a lawsuit of requiring employees to donate some of their earnings...

Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Auto Insurance Claim

Apr 3 2023 // A Kirkland, Washington man pled guilty to committing insurance fraud after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit.Jerame Thurik pled guilty to false claims or proof on...

Judge Rules BNSF Intentionally Violated Agreement with Washington Tribe

Mar 30 2023 // A judge ruled that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation.The...

Washington Moves to End Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Time Limits

Mar 29 2023 // People who were sexually abused as children in Washington state may soon be able to bring lawsuits against the state, schools or other institutions for failing to stop the abuse, no matter when it happened.House Bill 1618...

Washington Contractor Fined $300K for Wage Violations

Mar 28 2023 // A Vancouver, Washington contractor was found to owe $201,223 in wages and interest to 20 employees on construction projects at four area schools.The contractor, 360 Sheetmetal LLC, and owner Beverley Martin, were also...

Professional Benefit Services in Washington Acquired by Parker, Smith & Feek

Mar 27 2023 // Parker, Smith & Feek acquired Professional Benefit Services Inc. in Washington. PBS President Jere Meyer and Account Executives Katie Stewart and Lesley Behrndt will join Parker, Smith & Feek’s team of more...

New Heat Rules for Outdoor Workers in Washington Proposed

Mar 23 2023 // Proponents of a new proposal this week to update Washington’s permanent heat rules say they will increase protections for agricultural, construction, and other workers exposed to dangerous outdoor temperatures on the...

Insurers: Washington’s Proposal for More Premium Increase Explanations May Delay Filings

Mar 17 2023 // Insurers say a new regulation proposed by Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler that requires them to explain premium increases to their policyholders in language consumers can understand has the potential...

Washington Greenhouse Gas Allowance Auction Raises $300M

Mar 10 2023 // Washington state’s first auction of greenhouse-gas pollution allowances has generated an estimated $300 million as companies, consumers and the Legislature get a glimpse of the cost of emitting greenhouse gases that...

Washington, Oregon Ending Health Care Settings Mask Mandate

Mar 9 2023 // Washington and Oregon will soon drop mask requirements in health care settings, state health officials said, moving to lift the last major masking requirements meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.Mandates in both states...