Law

U.S. Labor Dept. backs drywall workers claims for back wages

Paula Wissel — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Hanging drywall is a dirty, hard job. And 250 workers at Summit Drywall, Inc., based in Issaquah, say it was even worse for them because they didn’t get paid the wages they were due.

The U.S. Department of Labor is suing Summit Drywall on behalf of the workers, claiming the company failed to pay minimum wage and time and a half for overtime.

Natural DNA cannot be patented, Supreme Court rules

Mark Memmott — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:45:12 +0000

In a decision that could have broad-reaching effects on the future of science and medicine, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that:

-- "A naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated."

-- But, synthetically created "strands of nucleotides known as composite DNA (cDNA)" are "patent eligible" because they do not occur naturally.

The case, The second overtime session is necessary because lawmakers have yet to find agreement on a budget for the next two years. Taxes and controversial policy measures are the chief hang ups.

Meanwhile, Governor Jay Inslee will gather his cabinet to begin to make preparations for a possible July 1 government shutdown – if there’s still no deal by then.

Government shutdown imminent? Inslee calls second special session

Austin Jenkins — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 06:45:00 +0000

Washington Governor Jay Inslee will call lawmakers back into a second special session beginning at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Workers who prepare specialty meals for airlines say their own dietary needs are ignored

Paula Wissel — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 01:45:22 +0000

Workers near Sea-Tac Airport, who prepare the meals served on many airlines, say their employer is failing to accommodate their religiously-based dietary needs. Gate Gourmet provides meals for employees who are not allowed for security reasons to bring their own food into the facility or to eat lunch off-site.

We need more lawyers, says Tacoma

Paula Wissel — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:13:03 +0000

It’s been twenty years since Tacoma lost its only law school. Now, civic leaders are hoping they can bring back a legal-degree program to the South Sound. They say it will help train lawyers who stay and work in Tacoma and add energy to the city's intellectual climate.

Liquor Control Board swamped with comments on pot rules

Paula Wissel — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:36:26 +0000

Everyone waits until the last minute. That apparently was the case with reaction to proposed rules for the legal sale of marijuana in Washington.

As Monday's deadline for public comment approached, the Washington Liquor Control Board received so much input on its first draft of rules that it plans to delay the final draft of the regulations.

Minority leaders were among those expressing concern about how the new marijuana law will be implemented.

Who is Edward Snowden, the self-styled NSA leaker?

Mark Memmott — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:46:27 +0000

Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old former CIA technical assistant who has stepped forward to say he's the source of explosive leaks about government surveillance programs was among "thousands upon thousands" of such analysts hired to manage and sift through "huge amounts of data," NPR's Tom Gjelten

Some Democrats in the US Congress are pushing measures to bring marijuana dispensaries in the Northwest under the federal tax code. Since federal law prohibits possession and sale of marijuana, dispensaries can't take advantage of any federal tax deductions.

Several members of Congress have introduced legislation that would allow the IRS to recognize pot businesses in states where marijuana is legal.

Microsoft, FBI say they've disrupted $500 million botnet

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:31:30 +0000

Working jointly with the FBI, Microsoft says it has disrupted a botnet responsible for stealing more than $500 million from bank accounts worldwide.

In a blog post published late last night, Microsoft said this was its "most agressive botnet operation to date" and the "first time that law enforcement and the private sector have worked together" to "execute a civil seizure warrant as par

Police urge caution—not panic—after rash of kidnapping attempts

Gabriel Spitzer — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

It’s the stuff of bad movies: a masked man snatches a toddler, tucks him under his arm and runs off. And yet the King County Sheriff’s office says that’s exactly what happened Sunday in White Center.

It was one of four attempted kidnappings reported in the area over just a few days. All the kids were returned safely, and the incidents appear to be unconnected. But the rash of seeming abduction attempts have Seattle-area police and parents on edge. But just how much should people worry?

FBI report: Seattle, Tacoma saw spike in murder, robbery in 2012

Paula Wissel — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:49:47 +0000

Violent crime has gone up in our region, according to the latest statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the FBI's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2012, Seattle and Tacoma saw more murders, robberies and aggravated assaults in 2012 than in 2011. Some other Washington cities, including Bellevue, also saw more crime.

Inmates’ families: Video-only visits have financial, emotional costs

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:12:34 +0000

Even if you've never visited a jail, you probably have a pretty clear image of what inmate visitation is like: a shatterproof glass barrier, two people sitting on either side, speaking into telephones. But that's changing in some parts of the Northwest.

More and more county jails are switching to privately-operated video conferencing systems that are not unlike Skype for inmates. But these systems have technical difficulties, and come with costs for the inmates’ families.