Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Washington State Sues to Block Kroger and Albertsons Proposed Merger
Jan 18 2024 // Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation’s largest grocery chains. In the suit filed in King County Superior Court, Ferguson argued...
Blizzard Knocked out Power and Closed Highways and Ski Resorts in Oregon and Washington
Jan 11 2024 // A blizzard pounded mountainous areas of Oregon and Washington on Tuesday, knocking out power and prompting the closure of highways and ski resorts. The Washington Department of Transportation closed two mountain passes:...
If China Invades Taiwan, It Would Cost World Economy $10 Trillion
Jan 11 2024 // War over Taiwan would have a cost in blood and treasure so vast that even those unhappiest with the status quo have reason not to risk it. Bloomberg Economics estimate the price tag at around $10 trillion, equal to about...
AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Members of Enumclaw in Washington
Jan 11 2024 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” (Excellent) of Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance...
Report: California 4th Most Expensive State for Business Owners, Washington No. 2
Jan 10 2024 // California ranks fourth for high business startup and maintenance costs, following No. 1 ranked New York as as the most expensive state for entrepreneurs, with high commercial rent costs, weekly wages, and LLC filing...
Federal Agency Blames ‘Poor Safety Culture’ for 2021 D.C. Metro Train Derailment
Jan 9 2024 // A top federal transportation safety official on Thursday harshly criticized Washington’s regional transit agency, saying a “poor safety culture” led to an October 2021 derailment that caused hundreds of...
Washington Commissioner’s Fines Include Order to Stop Selling Insurance, $50K Fine
Jan 5 2024 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued several fines for insurers, agents and entities in December, including ordering Zion Health to stop selling insurance illegally in Washington, fining the company...
Washington State’s New Safety Management Rules for Petroleum Workers
Jan 2 2024 // The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries filed a formal update to workplace safety rules designed to prevent catastrophic events the Tesoro explosion that killed seven workers in 2010 and the Equilon...
Top West Insurance Journal Stories of 2023
Dec 29 2023 // Insurers pulling back from an increasingly risky California market grabbed the attention of Insurance Journal readers this year. This was the subject of the top four most popular stories in Insurance Journal’s West...
Firefighters Battled Blaze in Historic Firehouse Near U.S. Capitol
Dec 18 2023 // Firefighters in Washington, D.C., on Friday battled a three- alarm fire that started in a three-story former firehouse under renovation near the U.S. Capitol. DC Fire and EMS said one firefighter declared mayday and was...
Washington Insurance Commissioner Issued $305K in Fines
Dec 18 2023 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in November totaling $305,694 against insurance companies and insurance producers for violations of state insurance laws and regulations. Following are the...
Washington College Student Dies, Others Sickened in Apparent Carbon Monoxide Leak
Dec 15 2023 // Authorities brought in outside experts to find the source of carbon monoxide believed to have killed one student and sickened two others at a college in Washington. The experts, from a forensic engineering firm that...
NOAA: Arctic Summer Surface Air Warmest on Record
Dec 15 2023 // A report out this week from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the Arctic summer surface air temperatures were the warmest on record, with some areas, including northern Alaska and Canada, 7.2...
Crews Work to Contain Gas Pipeline Spill in Washington
Dec 13 2023 // Responders set up a containment boom after a gasoline spill from the weekend failure of part of a pipeline in northwest Washington, but federal regulators reported no signs of any fuel reaching the Skagit River. About...
Washington Cancer Center Patients Get Threatening Emails Following Data Breach
Dec 12 2023 // Some patients of a Seattle, Washington-based cancer center received threatening emails following a data breach last month. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center officials said a Nov. 19 hack hit a portion of the health care...
Six Killed, Businesses Destroyed as Severe Storms Hit Central Tennessee
Dec 11 2023 // NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities. Three people,...
Washington Fruit Grower Fined After Workers Die in Tractor Rollovers
Dec 11 2023 // A Yakima, Washington, fruit grower and processor was fined nearly $300,000 by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries after two orchard workers died in tractor rollovers almost exactly a month apart. The...
Violations Against Washington Roofer Bring Fines to over $3.5M
Dec 4 2023 // A Snohomish, Washington roofing company faces more than $400,000 in fines for reportedly disregarding safety rules it has violated 60 times over the past four years. The Washington State Department of Labor &...
Ohio Settles Lawsuit With Chemical Companies For $110 Million Over PFAS Contamination
Dec 1 2023 // DOVER, Del. (AP) – The DuPont Co. and two spin-off firms will pay $110 million to the state of Ohio to settle a lawsuit over environmental threats from toxic chemicals used at a former DuPont facility in neighboring West...
Washington Workers’ Comp Premium Rate Going up an Average of 4.9% in 2024
Dec 1 2023 // The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced a 4.9% increase in the average workers’ compensation premium rate for 2024. The increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, means employers and...
