INSIDER
Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
Read full article: Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second termDemocratic governors and attorneys general are set to reprise their roles in battling President-elect Trump's policies.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Washington state's primaries
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Washington state's primariesFive months after holding its presidential primaries, Washington state is looking further down the ticket to select candidates to compete for federal and state offices in November.
US judge rejects challenge to Washington state law that could hold gun makers liable for shootings
Read full article: US judge rejects challenge to Washington state law that could hold gun makers liable for shootingsA federal judge on Friday rejected a challenge to a Washington state law that cleared the way for lawsuits against the gun industry in certain cases.
After Washington state lawsuit, Providence health system erases or refunds $158M in medical bills
Read full article: After Washington state lawsuit, Providence health system erases or refunds $158M in medical billsProvidence health care system is refunding nearly $21 million in medical bills paid by low-income residents of Washington — and it’s erasing $137 million more in outstanding debt for tens of thousands of others — to settle the state’s allegations that it overcharged those patients and then used aggressive collection tactics when they failed to pay.
Thrift store chain case was no bargain for Washington attorney general; legal fees top $4.2 million
Read full article: Thrift store chain case was no bargain for Washington attorney general; legal fees top $4.2 millionWashington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s long-running legal case against the thrift store chain Savers Value Village turned out to be no bargain, as the state has been ordered to pay the company nearly $4.3 million in legal fees.
Ex-US attorney, who appeared on 'Survivor,' to face state senator in Washington AG race
Read full article: Ex-US attorney, who appeared on 'Survivor,' to face state senator in Washington AG raceNick Brown, who recently stepped down as U.S. attorney for western Washington, has announced he is running to become the state's next attorney general.
Court rejects deception charges against Savers Value Village
Read full article: Court rejects deception charges against Savers Value VillageThe Washington state Supreme Court has handed the thrift store chain Savers Value Village a unanimous win in a long-running legal fight with Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Judge orders Meta to pay $10.5M in legal fees to Washington
Read full article: Judge orders Meta to pay $10.5M in legal fees to WashingtonFacebook parent company Meta has been ordered to pay $10.5 million in legal fees to Washington state, atop a nearly $25 million fine for repeated and intentional violations of campaign finance disclosure laws.
Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states
Read full article: Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from statesWhen the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion, it sparked legal changes and court challenges in states nationwide.
Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributors
Read full article: Washington reaches $518M settlement with opioid distributorsMonths into a complex trial over their role in flooding Washington with highly addictive painkillers, the nation’s three largest opioid distributors have agreed to pay the state $518 million.
Trade group settles GMO-labeling case for $9 million
Read full article: Trade group settles GMO-labeling case for $9 millionA trade group that represents some of the biggest U.S. food companies has agreed to pay $9 million for violations of Washington campaign finance laws, after the state Supreme Court upheld a penalty twice that much.
Washington justices uphold $18M fine in GMO-labeling case
Read full article: Washington justices uphold $18M fine in GMO-labeling caseThe Washington Supreme Court has narrowly upheld an $18 million fine levied against an association of large food brands that funneled dark money into a state political campaign.
Oregon, among last holdout states, to join opioid agreement
Read full article: Oregon, among last holdout states, to join opioid agreementOregon is on the verge of signing onto a $26 billion settlement with the three largest distributors of opioids and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson after being one of the latest holdout states to join.
Uncertainty follows court's rejection of Purdue opioids deal
Read full article: Uncertainty follows court's rejection of Purdue opioids dealA federal judge’s decision to reject a multibillion dollar opioid settlement involving OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is being hailed as a step toward justice by advocates who have long called for greater accountability for the family that owns the company.
Cities wracked by opioids close to getting $26B settlement
Read full article: Cities wracked by opioids close to getting $26B settlementThousands of towns across the United States that were wracked by the opioid crisis are on the precipice of receiving billions of dollars in the second-biggest legal settlement in U.S. history.
Planning questions emerge at tornado-destroyed candle plant
Read full article: Planning questions emerge at tornado-destroyed candle plantThe Mayfield Consumer Products factory was the third-biggest employer in this corner of western Kentucky, an important economic engine that churned out candles that lined the shelves of malls around the U.S. But why its Friday night-shift workers kept making candles as a ferocious tornado bore down on the region remains unknown as rescuers continue scouring the wreckage of the plant for signs of life.
Company halts work program instead of upping detainee pay
Read full article: Company halts work program instead of upping detainee payThe company that runs a for-profit immigration jail in Washington state has suspended its detainee work program, rather than pay the detainees minimum wage for cooking, cleaning and other tasks.
Washington sheriff charged over confrontation with Black man
Read full article: Washington sheriff charged over confrontation with Black manThe Washington state attorney general has filed two misdemeanor criminal charges against a county sheriff stemming from his confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier in January.
Greyhound settles lawsuit over immigration sweeps on buses
Read full article: Greyhound settles lawsuit over immigration sweeps on busesGreyhound Lines Inc. will pay $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit over the bus line’s practice of allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to board its buses in Washington state to conduct immigration sweeps.
Mistrial halts case on minimum wage for immigrant detainees
Read full article: Mistrial halts case on minimum wage for immigrant detaineesA trial over whether the GEO Group must pay minimum wage — instead of $1 a day — to immigration detainees who perform tasks like cooking and cleaning at its for-profit detention center in Washington state has ended with a hung jury.
Trial to determine if GEO must pay detainees minimum wage
Read full article: Trial to determine if GEO must pay detainees minimum wageAfter nearly four years of litigation and pandemic-related delays, a trial is underway to determine whether the GEO Group must pay minimum wage to detainees who perform cooking, cleaning and other tasks at its Northwest immigration detention center in Washington state.
Officers face charges in restraint death of Black man
Read full article: Officers face charges in restraint death of Black manThe Washington state attorney general charged two Tacoma police officers with murder and another with manslaughter in the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died after telling them him he couldn’t breathe as he was being restrained.
AP Source: McKinsey to pay $573M for role in opioid crisis
Read full article: AP Source: McKinsey to pay $573M for role in opioid crisisThe global business consulting firm McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $573 million settlement over its role in the opioid crisis, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Without naming McKinsey, the attorneys general in at least North Carolina and West Virginia have scheduled announcements for Thursday morning regarding the opioid crisis. Purdue agreed to pay $225 million to the U.S. government. Members of the Sackler family who own the company agreed to pay the same amount in a separate settlement announced the same day. The company and family members reached separate agreements with U.S. Justice Department, both announced Oct. 21, 2020.
Judge orders USPS to provide info on service changes
Read full article: Judge orders USPS to provide info on service changesYAKIMA, Wash. – A federal judge in Washington state is giving the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service 10 days to turn over records and information about service changes that critics say could undermine mail-in voting in the November election. More than 20 states filed lawsuits last week over the changes, including 14 states that sued in U.S. District Court in Yakima. U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian on Thursday granted the states’ request to speed up discovery in that case. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the same day the lawsuit was filed that he was halting many of the changes, which included reducing overtime and removing mail sorting equipment.
Judge orders Postal Service to take extraordinary measures
Read full article: Judge orders Postal Service to take extraordinary measuresPostal Service facility in McLean, Va. A U.S. judge on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed mail nationwide. The judge called them "a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" before the November election. Postal Service to take “extraordinary measures” to deliver ballots in time to be counted in Wisconsin and around Detroit, including using a priority mail service. “The Postal Service continues to implement extraordinary measures across the country to advance and expedite the delivery of the nation’s ballots." Postal Service that challenged the Postal Service's so-called “leave behind” policy, where trucks have been leaving postal facilities on time regardless of whether there is more mail to load.
DOJ nearing antitrust action on Google; Trump eyes tech curb
Read full article: DOJ nearing antitrust action on Google; Trump eyes tech curbWASHINGTON – As the Trump administration moves toward antitrust action against search giant Google, it’s campaigning to enlist support from sympathetic state attorneys general across the country. Lawmakers and consumer advocates accuse Google of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. Separately, the Justice Department's antitrust officials are expected to discuss their planned action on Google in Washington meetings and a conference call with the state attorneys general on Thursday. Some Republican attorneys general could be expected to join the federal case, while another group of states may opt to pursue their own actions. Antitrust regulators in Europe have cracked down on Google in recent years by imposing multibillion-dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices.
States ask judge to reverse changes at US Postal Service
Read full article: States ask judge to reverse changes at US Postal ServiceFILE - In this April 2, 2020 file photo, a United States Postal Service worker makes a delivery with gloves and a mask in Warren, Mich. A group of states suing over service cuts at the U.S. Postal Service is asking a federal judge to immediately undo some of them, saying the integrity of the upcoming election is at stake. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya,File)SEATTLE – A group of states suing over service cuts at the U.S. Postal Service is asking a federal judge to immediately undo some of them, saying the integrity of the upcoming election is at stake. Michigan spent $2 million earlier this year on envelopes that met election mail standards — only to learn that the Postal Service wouldn't treat them as First Class mail.
Postal Service halts some changes amid outcry, lawsuits
Read full article: Postal Service halts some changes amid outcry, lawsuitsSeveral vowed they would press on, keeping a watchful eye on the Postal Service ahead of the election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing ahead with Saturdays vote to prevent election-year mail changes and provide emergency postal funds. A Postal Service spokesman declined to comment beyond DeJoys statement. Ferguson and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced they were leading collections of other states in suing to block service changes at the Postal Service, just as the postmaster was making his own statement Tuesday. The Postal Service is among the nations oldest and more popular institutions.
Reports: Washington to shed 'Redskins' name Monday
Read full article: Reports: Washington to shed 'Redskins' name MondayFILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, the Washington Redskins logo is seen on FedEx Field prior to an NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Redskins in Landover, Md. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson says Seattle-based Amazon will begin pulling Redskins team merchandise from its online marketplace. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally, File)ASHBURN, Va. Washingtons NFL team will get rid of the name Redskins on Monday, according to multiple reports. USA Today, ESPN, The Washington Post, Washington Times and Sports Business Journal reported Sunday night that owner Dan Snyder is set to retire the name. That came in the aftermath of prominent sponsors FedEx, Nike, PepsiCo and Bank of America asking the team to change the name.