Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lehman Failure Seen as Straw that Broke Credit Market, AIG
Oct 13 2008 // As finance chiefs gathered in Washington D.C. this weekend to work out what went wrong with the world economy, the refusal of the U.S. Treasury to rescue investment bank Lehman Brothers was being blamed as the straw that...
Global Crisis Claims Japan Life Insurer, Markets Panic
Oct 10 2008 // The global credit crisis claimed its first Japanese financial institution on Friday and the government looked to prop up smaller banks, as Tokyo shares suffered their biggest rout since a 1987 crash. Government ministers...
Washington Commissioner Approves Safeco Sale
Oct 6 2008 // The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner approved the acquisition of the Safeco Group by the Liberty Mutual Group for $6.2 billion. Liberty Mutual indicated that Safeco will keep its name, will remain...
Washington Proposes 3% Increase in Workers’ Comp Rates
Oct 6 2008 // Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has proposed a 3 percent increase in 2009 workers’ compensation rates. Average premiums would go up by under 2 cents per hour worked. “We are...
Washington Group Allowed to Use Workers’ Comp Rebates for Politics
Oct 1 2008 // The Building Industry Association of Washington can continue to spend money on the governor’s race while a court case against the group moves forward, a judge ruled. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine...
Lawmakers to Tackle Wall Street Bailout Plan Again Today
Sep 26 2008 // U.S. congressional leaders will try again on Friday to save a $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan after talks broke down in acrimony against the backdrop of the nation’s biggest-ever bank failure. As negotiations...
Untrustworthy Insurance Agents Will Lose Licenses in Washington
Sep 22 2008 // Insurance agents in Washington state can lose their licenses if they are deemed “untrustworthy.” In an important decision, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler...
Washington Commissioner Approves Safeco Sale
Sep 22 2008 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced that his office has approved the acquisition of the Safeco Group by the Liberty Mutual Group for $6.2 billion. Liberty Mutual has indicated that Safeco will keep...
Washington Proposes 3% Increase in Workers’ Comp Rates
Sep 19 2008 // Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has proposed a 3 percent increase in 2009 workers’ compensation rates. Average premiums would go up by just under 2 cents per hour worked. “We...
Washington Regulator Issues Statement on AIG
Sep 18 2008 // In response to consumer inquiries about insurance companies owned by the troubled financial conglomerate, American International Group (AIG), Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued the following statement...
Bristol West Decreases Washington Auto Rates 10 Percent
Sep 12 2008 // Davie, Fla.-based Bristol West Insurance Co. announced it is decreasin automobile insurance rates up to 10 percent for current and new customers in Washington. The rate decrease is effective Sept. 16, 2008, and is based on...
Neary Joins Insurance Broker Lockton in Washington, D.C.
Sep 10 2008 // Brian Neary has joined insurance broker Lockton in Washington, D.C. as a vice president and producer in the firm’s employee benefits consulting practice. Prior to joining Lockton, Neary was a with Mercer Health...
Washington Jury Awards $14.8M Dental Malpractice Verdict
Sep 2 2008 // A former cheerleader has been awarded $14.8 million by a Spokane County, Wash., Superior Court jury after a series of dental surgeries left her disabled and disfigured with her jaw fused shut. The jury decided that Dr....
Untrustworthy Insurance Agents Will Lose Licenses in Washington
Aug 29 2008 // Insurance agents in Washington state can lose their licenses if they are deemed “untrustworthy.” In an important decision, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler...
Washington Raises Workers’ Comp Benefits, Pays Dividend to Employers
Aug 21 2008 // Workers currently receiving Washington workers’ compensation wage-replacement or pension benefits will receive a 5.018 percent cost-of-living increase, according to the state Department of Labor and Industries...
‘Dramatic’ WTO Farm Deal Close If Talks ‘Can Be Revived’
Aug 14 2008 // A world trade deal that dramatically opens livestock markets in the European Union, Canada and Japan is within grasp, if talks that collapsed last month in Geneva can be revived. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab...
Washington Warns: Beware Hole in One Insurance
Aug 11 2008 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler warns anyone planning a golf tournament in Washington state not to buy hole in one insurance from Golf Marketing. Golf Marketing is not licensed to sell insurance in...
Washington Residents Savvy About Identity Theft, Survey Says
Aug 4 2008 // While Washington state has one of the highest per-capita rates of identity theft in the nation, Washingtonians are aware of the risks and are taking the precautions necessary to prevent identity fraud, according to a...
Washington To Host Public Hearings on Crane Safety Regulations
Aug 3 2008 // Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries has scheduled five public hearings on proposed rules implementing legislation that requires higher standards for construction cranes and crane operators. The...
113 Washington Drivers Ticketed for Cell Phone Use
Jul 25 2008 // Washington state troopers say nearly 300 drivers were stopped for investigation of using hand-held cellular telephones in the first half-month that a ban was in effect, and 113 have gotten tickets. Troopers add that an...
