Washington

Douglas County detectives arrested 18-year-old Michael Yakimov of Kent on first-degree manslaughter and arson charges after fireworks allegedly ignited the 10,000-acre Chelan Hills Fire, killing one resident.

More than 20,000 primary ballots were disqualified for late postmarks across Washington, marking a 32 percent surge as election officials warn against mailing ballots.

The Washington Department of Ecology has issued $1.04 million in penalties against Crystal Clean, Inc. for altering customer manifests and diverting hazardous waste to unpermitted facilities.

Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association reached a tentative contract agreement late Tuesday, avoiding a strike and opening classrooms for 50,000 students on Wednesday morning.

Washington state has joined the FTC and 21 other states in a major lawsuit against Amazon, alleging the e-commerce giant imposed undisclosed surcharges on its advertising customers.

Thousands of state employees represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees plan coordinated walkouts at over 125 locations this Monday.

Washington state joins a massive multistate agreement forcing Meta to implement daily time limits and school-hour blocks on Instagram and Facebook to protect young users.

Washington state declares an emergency for Walla Walla County as the Paradise Fire threatens the Mill Creek Watershed and the drinking water for 35,000 residents.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Washington state, arguing that offering in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students violates federal immigration laws.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson introduces the "Away for the Day" policy, aiming for a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in all K-12 public schools to improve academic focus and student mental health.

The fast-moving Avery Fire has forced sudden evacuations in Wishram Heights and closed a major transportation corridor along the Columbia River Gorge.

T-Mobile USA plans to lay off 77 Washington employees and close seven retail locations this fall, according to a notice filed with the state Employment Security Department.

Attorney General Nick Brown co-leads a coalition of states suing the USPS over new rules that threaten mail-in voting access.

A 6-3 Supreme Court ruling lets the Trump administration begin building a federal voter list ahead of Washington's Nov. 3 election. Washington's governor, a senator, its top elections officials and AG Nick Brown say the fight is far from over.

Victor Garcia, appointed to Washington's Fish and Wildlife Commission in a contested 2025 shake-up, has died. Gov. Bob Ferguson must now fill the seat on a commission still under investigation.

A windshield sighting in Vancouver led to Washington's first confirmed emerald ash borer detection, triggering a statewide firewood quarantine and a race to protect Puget Sound's ornamental ash trees before the beetle spreads.

A new Goat Fire triggered Level 3 evacuations in Kittitas County's Cle Elum Valley Sunday, adding a third active wildfire to a stretch of the Cascades already fighting the Three Queens and King fires.

Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, suspected in the deaths of five people and several animals near Forest Grove, Oregon, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound behind a King County grocery store Sunday, pulling in agencies from both states.

The Colwash Fire grew from 8,000 to more than 34,700 acres overnight, forcing new Level 3 evacuations south of Prosser, closing Highway 22, and pulling state resources already stretched thin by other Washington wildfires.

A vegetation fire near Toppenish grew from 30 acres to roughly 8,000 in twelve hours Saturday, triggering Level 3 evacuations across two counties amid Washington's worst wildfire season in a decade.

A Longview domestic violence call turned fatal Friday night, and a four-agency manhunt ended with Josiah Karr, 24, booked on suspicion of second-degree murder.

An independent state watchdog says 35 children died and 49 more nearly died in Washington's child welfare system last year, well above the department's own count of 23 deaths and 34 near-deaths.

A new state filing splits the cuts between store-design roles and IT staff who declined to relocate to Nashville, the fourth round of Washington layoffs in 18 months even as Starbucks posts revenue growth.

A new online work zone and first responder course becomes mandatory Nov. 1 for first-time Washington drivers under 25, the first piece of a training overhaul that phases in through 2030.