Latest Washington Headlines

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

Washington Commissioner Asks Insurers to Extend Additional Living Expenses for Wildfire Victims

Jun 26 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is asking insurers to extend the additional living expenses benefit for wildfire victims who are nearing their 12-month limit on that coverage. Many policies that include...

The Rest Is History: How Carriers Can Navigate Backdating Variations to Operationalize Just-In-Time Appointments

Jun 26 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. One of the trickier aspects of compliance administration and producer management for carriers is maintaining producer appointments. Sure, if your carrier only works in...

Washington Asbestos Removal Company Fined Nearly $800K

Jun 17 2024 // A Lynnwood, Washington, asbestos removal contractor is facing stiff fines for knowingly and repeatedly exposing employees and homeowners to extremely hazardous conditions. The Washington Department of Labor &...

People: PEMCO in Washington Names Strong Chief Claims Officer, Reddy Chief Data and Analytics Officer

Jun 3 2024 // PEMCO Mutual Insurance named Calvin Strong chief claims officer. It also named Shashi Reddy chief data and analytics officer. Strong will lead the claims function at PEMCO. Calvin Strong Sashi Reddy Strong has more than 30...

Washington Contractor, Grower Face $650K in Fines After Worker Dies in Apple Storage Room

Jun 3 2024 // Two Washington companies face a combined $650,000 in fines for violations in connection with a worker who died from asphyxiation after entering an apple storage facility where the oxygen had been removed from the air. The...

Boeing Pays Millions in Wages After in Washington Investigation

May 31 2024 // A Washington wage complaint investigation resulted in The Boeing Co. paying $11.5 million in unpaid wages to nearly 500 workers. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries reports receiving four complaints...

Washington Premium Change Transparency Rule Kicks in June 1

May 30 2024 // Insurance will be required tell policyholders why their premiums have gone up staring June 1. A new rule by Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler first requires insurers to provide an answer on why premiums...

Washington Asbestos Removal Company Fined Nearly $800K

May 28 2024 // A Lynnwood, Washington, asbestos removal contractor is facing stiff fines for knowingly and repeatedly exposing employees and homeowners to extremely hazardous conditions. The Washington Department of Labor &...

Washington Contractor, Grower Face $650K in Fines After Worker Dies in Apple Storage Room

May 17 2024 // Two Washington companies face a combined $650,000 in fines for violations in connection with a worker who died from asphyxiation after entering an apple storage facility where the oxygen had been removed from the air. The...

Washington AG Says Catholic Church Stonewalling Sex Abuse Investigation

May 13 2024 // The Catholic church is refusing to cooperate with a Washington state investigation into whether it unlawfully used charitable trust funds to cover up sexual abuse by priests, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said, asking a...

First Washington Heat Wave of the Year to Trigger New Heat Rules for Outdoor Workers

May 13 2024 // Forecast temperatures in Washington this week are exapted to will trigger protections designed to prevent heat-related illness in agriculture, landscaping, construction, and other outdoor jobs. The forecasted temperatures...

What Risks Do Advanced AI Models Pose in the Wrong Hands?

May 10 2024 // The Biden administration is poised to open up a new front in its effort to safeguard U.S. AI from China and Russia with preliminary plans to place guardrails around the most advanced AI models, Reuters reported on...

Washington Fines Fred Meyer Stores $100K for Unlawfully Selling Insurance

May 10 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued a cease-and-desist order and fined Fred Meyer Stores Inc. $100,000 for selling insurance without state authorization. Fred Meyer stores reportedly sold the GUARD...

Monsanto Gets $185 Million PCB Verdict Tossed in Washington

May 7 2024 // Bayer AG’s Monsanto unit persuaded an appeals court in Washington state to throw out a $185 million jury award to three former teachers at a Seattle-area school who blamed exposure to the firm’s toxic chemicals...

Inszone Insurance Acquires Tri-Cities Insurance Professionals in Washington

May 6 2024 // Inszone Insurance Services acquired Tri-Cities Insurance Professionals LLC, a multi-member managed broker agency in Pasco, Washington. Tri-Cities Insurance Professionals was founded by Craig Baumgartner, Gerald Tobias,...

National Crime Report Shows Vehicle Thefts Surged to More than 1 Million in 2023

Apr 10 2024 // It was another record-breaking year for vehicle thefts in 2023, with more than one million vehicles reported stolen โ€“ an overall increase of 1% nationwide from 2022 to 1,020,729 last year. A report from the National...

Boeing Crisis of Confidence Deepens With 787 Now Under Scrutiny

Apr 10 2024 // Boeing Co. faces a deepening crisis of confidence after an engineer at the US planemaker alleged the company took manufacturing shortcuts on its 787 Dreamliner aircraft in order to ease production bottlenecks of its most...

Hub International Acquires Pollock Insurance in Washington

Apr 5 2024 // Hub International Ltd. acquired the assets of Pollock Insurance Inc. Andrea Pollock Wood, the firm’s owner, and the Pollock Insurance team, will join Hub Northwest. Pollock Insurance will be referred to as Pollock...

Strippers’ Bill of Rights in Washington Includes Safer Working Conditions

Apr 2 2024 // Legislation in Washington state known as the strippers’ bill of rights, which advocates say includes the most comprehensive statewide protections in the nation, was signed into law. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the...

Russia’s Oil Is Finally Getting Snarled by Sanctions

Mar 25 2024 // The Russian oil-export machine funding the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine is finally getting some grit in its gears. Indian oil refiners โ€” Moscow’s second-biggest customers after China since the 2022 invasion โ€”...