Articles by Gene Johnson

Washington Schools Suing over Social Media Harm

The public school district in Seattle has filed a novel lawsuit against the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth. Seattle Public Schools filed the lawsuit …

Jury Awards $595K in Washington Salmon Pen Collapse

A Washington state jury on awarded the Lummi Indian tribe $595,000 over the 2017 collapse of a net pen where Atlantic salmon were being raised – an event that elicited fears of damage to wild salmon runs and prompted the …

Jury Awards $100M-Plus to Victims of Washington Crane Collapse

A jury awarded more than $100 million this week to some of the victims of a tower crane collapse that killed four people in Seattle in 2019. Workers were disassembling the 300-foot crane in strong wind gusts when it fell …

Inside the New Mexico Movie Set Where Baldwin’s Gun Fired

Light from a high afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of the weathered wooden church, catching on the plank floorboards and illuminating the stained glass. Outside, the arid ground of the northern New Mexico foothills stretched for miles – …

Family Files Lawsuit in Police Restraint Death in Washington

The family of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died while being restrained by Tacoma police officers who have since been charged criminally, has filed a federal lawsuit over his death. Attorneys for Ellis’ sister, Monet Carter-Mixon, and mother, Marcia …

Uber to Pay $3.4M to Drivers in Seattle Gig Worker Leave Law Settlement

Uber has agreed to pay more than $3.4 million to 15,000 drivers after making mistakes related to Seattle’s pioneering paid sick leave law covering gig workers. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle City Council in 2020 temporarily extended sick and …

Woman Abused by Washington Band Teacher Settles for $2M

A school district in Washington state has agreed to a $2 million settlement after a woman sued over sexual abuse by a band teacher 30 years ago – a trauma so profound she said it caused her to stop teaching …

Washington City Settles Shooting Lawsuit for $8M

The city of Tacoma, Wash., has agreed to an $8 million settlement for a man who was paralyzed and had his legs amputated after being shot by a police officer during a low-speed car chase in 2011. The settlement came …

Small Businesses in Seattle Pinched as Virus Keeps Workers Home

The coronavirus outbreak has largely emptied Seattle’s usually busy downtown streets after Amazon and other companies told tens of thousands of people to work from home. That means far fewer customers for restaurants, shops and other businesses. The Seattle area …

Premera Blue Cross in Northwest to Pay States $10M in Data Breach

Premera Blue Cross, the largest health insurer in the Pacific Northwest, has agreed to pay $10 million to 30 states following an investigation into a data breach that exposed confidential information on more than 10 million people across the country. …