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☆ Microsoft AI employee warns FTC the company’s Copilot Designer AI tool is prone to creating harmful images
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Shane Jones, a Microsoft principal software engineering lead, claimed that the company’s AI text-to-image generator Copilot Designer has “systemic issues” that cause it to frequently produce potentially offensive or inappropriate images, including sexualized images of women. He said he spent months testing Microsoft’s tool — as well as OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, the technology that Microsoft’s Copilot Designer is built on — and attempted to raise concerns internally before he alerted the FTC. He said he found more than 200 examples of “concerning images” created by Copilot Designer. Jones’ letter comes amid growing concerns that AI image generators — which are increasingly capable of producing convincing, photorealistic images — can cause harm by spreading offensive or misleading images. In his letter to Microsoft’s board of directors, Jones called on the company to take similar action.

Persons: Shane Jones, Jones, ” Jones, Lina Khan, “, OpenAI’s DALL, Microsoft “, OpenAI, Jones ’, Taylor Swift, Gemini, Bob Ferguson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, US Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Copilot, Google, Washington, US, Commerce, Science, Transportation Locations: New York, United States, White

It is the first advertising company to reach a major settlement over the toll of opioids in the U.S. It faced a lawsuit in at least Massachusetts but settled with most states before they made court claims against it. James' office said the materials played up the abuse-deterrent properties of OxyContin and promoted increasing patients' doses. As part of the settlement, Publicis agreed to release internal documents detailing its work for Purdue and other companies that made opioids. The first began after OxyContin hit the market in 1996 and was linked mostly to prescription opioids, many of them generics.

Persons: Letitia James, Publicis, James, Bob Ferguson, Rosetta, ” Publicis, Sackler, OxyContin Organizations: Publicis, Publicis Groupe, New York, Purdue Pharma, Washington, Purdue, State Pharmacy, U.S, Supreme Locations: Paris, U.S, Massachusetts, Connecticut

The announcement Thursday came just weeks before Attorney General Bob Ferguson's case was set for trial against Providence Health and Services, which operates 14 hospitals in Washington under the Providence, Swedish and Kadlec names. “Hospitals — especially nonprofits like Providence — get tax breaks and other benefits with the expectation that they are helping everyone have access to affordable health care,” Ferguson said at a news conference. “When they don't, they're taking advantage of the system to their benefit.”Providence has already erased about $125 million in medical debt following the state's lawsuit two years ago, Ferguson said. “Charity care and financial assistance are vital resources for patients who cannot afford health care,” said Providence Chief Financial Officer Greg Hoffman. The state is still pursuing related claims against two debt-collection firms Providence used.

Persons: Washington —, Bob Ferguson's, ” Ferguson, Ferguson, ”, Greg Hoffman, Providence Organizations: SEATTLE, Providence Health and Services, Providence, ” Locations: Providence, Washington

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state attorney general announced a $149.5 million settlement Wednesday with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role fueling the opioid addiction crisis. If approved, the deal would send over $20 million more to respond to the opioid crisis than if the state had signed onto a national settlement in 2021 involving Johnson & Johnson, the attorney general’s office said. Washington state’s Democratic attorney general sued Johnson & Johnson in 2020, alleging that it helped drive the pharmaceutical industry’s expansion of prescription opioids. “The Company’s actions relating to the marketing and promotion of important prescription opioid medications were appropriate and responsible,” according to the statement. The attorney general’s office noted that the company was one of the largest suppliers of the raw narcotic materials needed to produce opioid drugs.

Persons: drugmaker Johnson, Johnson, Bob Ferguson, Democratic Sen, June Robinson, Geoff Mulvihill Organizations: Washington State Department of Health, Johnson, Democratic Locations: The Washington, U.S, Washington, Cherry Hill , New Jersey

☆ Washington state wants to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Washington state is suing to block the proposed $25 billion merger between supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, warning that if approved it could raise prices and harm consumers. In a suit filed Monday by the state’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson, his reasons for opposing the merger are because it would “severely limit” grocery store options for Washington residents and “eliminate vital competition” among the brands. “This merger is bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson said. Kroger announced it was buying Albertsons in 2022 with the transaction expecting to close later this year, depending on regulatory approval. The companies say they will reach 85 million households.

Persons: Bob Ferguson, ” Ferguson, “, Kroger, ”, ” Kroger Organizations: New, New York CNN, Albertsons, Washington, “, Kroger Locations: New York, Washington

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation's largest grocery chains. Kroger and Albertsons have more than 300 locations in the state and account for more than half of its grocery sales, according to the suit. “This merger is bad for Washington shoppers and workers,” Ferguson said in a news release Monday. "Workers, shoppers and our communities need to prevent this proposed mega-merger from taking place,” Yasmin Ashur, a union member who works in an Albertsons grocery store, said in a union statement Monday. The grocery chains say they must merge to compete with Walmart, Amazon and other major companies that have stepped into the grocery business.

Persons: Bob Ferguson, Ferguson, ” Ferguson, ” Kroger, Fred Meyer, Kroger, ” Yasmin Ashur Organizations: SEATTLE, Kroger, Albertsons, King County Superior Court, Seattle Times, “, Safeway, Federal Trade Commission, United Food & Commercial Workers, The Seattle Times, Workers, S Wholesale Grocers, Walmart, Amazon Locations: Washington, King County, Cincinnati, Boise , Idaho, Oregon, Idaho

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington 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. King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee issued the award on Tuesday, eight months after the state Supreme Court unanimously rejected the attorney general's claims that marketing practices by the thrift store chain were deceptive. “Defending and fully prevailing in this lawsuit was burdensome and costly,” Richard Medway, Savers Value Village general counsel, said in an emailed statement. Savers Value Village paid $580 million to charitable partners globally in the five years ending in 2022 and kept 3.2 billion pounds of goods out of landfills, the company said. Two of the major charities it works with in Washington — Northwest Center, which supports people with disabilities, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound — had urged the attorney general’s office to drop the case.

Persons: Bob Ferguson's, David Whedbee, general's, Richard Medway, Ferguson —, —, Puget Sound —, Ferguson's, Whedbee, Brionna, Aho Organizations: SEATTLE, Democrat, Value, Center, Big Brothers, Puget Sound Locations: King, Bellevue , Washington, U.S, Canada, Australia, Washington —

☆ A federal watchdog is suing a tech boot camp, accusing it of loading students up with 'predatory' debt and telling them it could collect 'more than the consumer legally owed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The CFPB and state attorneys general sued a career boot camp that declared bankruptcy in 2022. Prehired sued nearly 300 former students last year, saying they'd defaulted on their loans. "Prehired also represented that consumers would pay nothing until they got a job and 'partner[ed] with' Prehired in their career. The lawsuit also accused Prehired of "falsely representing the amount of debt owed by consumers by stating that Prehired could collect more than the consumer legally owed." The complaint said Prehired filed more than 280 lawsuits in 2022 demanding that former students who it said had defaulted pay $25,000 each.

Persons: Prehired, they'd, Bob Ferguson, Washingtonians, bootcamps, Ben Kaufman Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial Protection, California's Department of Financial Protection, Innovation, LinkedIn, Delaware's Department of Justice, Washington Attorney General's Locations: Wall, Silicon, Prehired

☆ California, other states join FTC bid to block Amgen deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - The states of California, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin have joined a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit to stop Amgen's (AMGN.O) $27.8 billion deal to buy Horizon Therapeutics (HZNP.O), according to a court filing on Thursday. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his state had joined the lawsuit because "monopolies harm consumers" and the merger could allow Amgen to "dominate" prescription drug markets. The FTC acquisition marks a change for the agency, which previously had typically flagged therapeutic overlaps in companies and waved deals through after requiring one of the medicines to be divested. Amgen said in a statement last month it was disappointed by the FTC decision and it believed it had "overwhelmingly demonstrated" that the deal had no legitimate competitive issues. The last major pharmaceutical deal approved by the FTC was AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) $39 billion acquisition of Alexion Pharma in April 2021, about two months before FTC Chair Lina Khan was appointed by the Biden administration.

Persons: Bob Ferguson, Rob Bonta, Amgen, Lina Khan, Biden, David Shepardson, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Horizon Therapeutics, . Washington, FTC, Horizon, Alexion Pharma, Thomson Locations: California , New York , Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, California

☆ A radio host is suing OpenAI for defamation, alleging that ChatGPT created a false legal document that accused him of 'defrauding and embezzling funds'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A radio host is suing OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT generated a fake legal complaint about him. The bot falsely identified Mark Walters in a case he had no involvement in, court documents said. ChatGPT told an editor Walters was accused of defrauding and embezzling funds, the documents added. A radio host is suing OpenAI for defamation, alleging that ChatGPT created a fake legal complaint about him. The bot falsely identified Walters as involved in the case and said he was accused of "defrauding and embezzling funds," per court documents.

Persons: OpenAI, ChatGPT, Mark Walters, Walters, Fred Riehl, Riehl, Bob Ferguson Organizations: Amendment, SAF, Bloomberg Law, OpenAI Locations: Georgia, Washington

☆ Christian radio host Dave Ramsey faces $150 million lawsuit from listeners who say they were defrauded by a timeshare exit company he promoted
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dave Ramsey faces a $150 million lawsuit from listeners over his promotion of a timeshare exit group. Lawyers say Ramsey was paid $30 million to promote Reed Hein over a period of six years. Christian radio host Dave Ramsey is facing a $150 million lawsuit from 17 listeners who claim he played a role in defrauding them by promoting a timeshare exit company. The suit said Ramsey was paid millions to advertise Timeshare Exit Team, operated by Kirkland, Washington-based Reed Hein & Associates. Ramsey promoted Reed Hein between 2015 and 2021, and only ceased when the company stopped paying him, according to the suit.

Persons: Dave Ramsey, Reed Hein, Ramsey, Bob Ferguson, it's, Reed Hein's, didn't Organizations: Morning, Ramsey, Hour Media, Washington Western, Court, Religion News Service, Reed Hein & Associates, Lawyers, Washington State, Happy Hour Media Group, Happy Hour Locations: Washington, Kirkland , Washington, Washington State

Companies Alphabet Inc FollowMay 18 (Reuters) - Google will pay Washington state $39.9 million to resolve a lawsuit accusing the company of misleading consumers about its location tracking practices, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said on Thursday. The settlement also requires Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), to implement reforms that increase transparency about its location tracking settings. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies Alphabet Inc FollowMay 18 (Reuters) - Google will pay Washington state $39.9 million to resolve a lawsuit accusing the Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) unit of misleading consumers about its location tracking practices, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said on Thursday. In November, Google agreed to pay $391.5 million to resolve similar allegations by 40 U.S. states. Some states including Washington chose to sue Google on their own about its tracking practices. Arizona reached an $85 million settlement with Google last October in one of those cases. In response to the Washington settlement, Google referred to its earlier statement on the multistate accord, where it said it had addressed various concerns raised by regulators, including "outdated product policies that we changed years ago."

☆ Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, Climate Champion, Won’t Seek Re-Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jay Inslee of Washington State, the nation’s longest-serving current governor and one of the Democratic Party’s leading climate defenders, will not seek a fourth term in office next year, he announced on Monday. “Serving the people as governor of Washington State has been my greatest honor,” he said. “During a decade of dynamic change, we’ve made Washington a beacon for progress for the nation. During President Donald J. Trump’s years in office, Mr. Inslee placed himself on the vanguard of the Democratic opposition to Mr. Trump’s policies. Mr. Inslee and the Washington State attorney general, Bob Ferguson, filed a series of lawsuits against Mr. Trump’s administration, challenging policies on its ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, its separation of migrant children from their parents and its unwinding of climate regulations.

☆ Key court ruling does not restrict abortion pill access in 17 states, Washington state AG says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mifepristone (Mifeprex), one of the two drugs used in a medication abortion, is displayed at the Women's Reproductive Clinic, which provides legal medication abortion services, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on June 15, 2022. The decision by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday night to impose tougher restrictions on the abortion pill does not apply in these states, Ferguson said. "No judge in Texas or the 5th Circuit gets to override what a federal judge in Washington state has decided," he told CNBC. Ferguson's interpretation underscores the messy legal landscape that has emerged following dueling court decisions on the drug's legal status. "We have a ruling that's crystal clear and our full expectation is that the FDA will honor it," Ferguson said.

March 31 (Reuters) - A judge has rejected Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) bid to dismiss California's antitrust lawsuit accusing the online retailer of illegally forcing merchants to accept policies that cause consumers to pay artificially high prices. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had sued Seattle-based Amazon last September. The lawsuit sought to block Amazon from enforcing policies that bar the sale of goods more cheaply elsewhere, and to pay damages and penalties. Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine is appealing a judge's March 2022 dismissal of his similar lawsuit against Amazon. The case is California v Amazon.com Inc, Superior Court of California, San Francisco County, No.

☆ Dueling court cases in Washington state and Texas could determine legality of abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Two federal judges are poised to issue rulings soon in dueling cases that could dramatically impact access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In Washington state, U.S. Judge Thomas Rice is weighing whether to scrap federal regulations on mifepristone that complicate access even where abortion is legal. In the case of Texas, medical associations that oppose abortion are asking the judge to pull the abortion pill from the U.S. market nationwide. Ferguson and the 17 other attorneys general are asking the judge in Washington state to drop these restrictions. The states include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington State.

☆ 12 Democratic-led states challenge restrictions on abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Twelve Democratic-led states have sued the Food and Drug Administration to challenge certain federal restrictions imposed on the distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone, saying those limits are not supported by evidence. Mifepristone, in combination with the drug misoprostol, was approved in 2000 by the FDA for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The decision enabled more than a dozen Republican-led states to adopt new abortion bans. The FDA's special restrictions on mifepristone are imposed under a safety program meant to minimize the risk of potentially dangerous drugs. After last year's Supreme Court ruling, President Joe Biden directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion.

☆ Democratic attorneys general sue FDA to drop all remaining restrictions on abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A coalition of a dozen Democratic attorneys general sued the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to force the agency to drop all remaining restrictions on the abortion pill, the latest case in an escalating series of legal battles over access to the medication. The attorneys general asked a federal court in the eastern district of Washington to declare that the abortion pill, mifepristone, is safe and effective and that all remaining restrictions on the medication are unconstitutional. The attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont were also part of the suit. The attorneys general also asked the court to prevent the FDA from taking any action that would remove mifepristone from the market or reduce its availability. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, but imposed restrictions on how the medication is dispensed.

Companies U.S. Food and Drug Administration FollowFeb 24 (Reuters) - Twelve Democratic-led states have sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to challenge certain federal restrictions imposed on the distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone, saying those limits are not supported by evidence. Mifepristone, in combination with the drug misoprostol, was approved in 2000 by the FDA for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The decision enabled more than a dozen Republican-led states to adopt new abortion bans. The FDA's special restrictions on mifepristone are imposed under a safety program meant to minimize the risk of potentially dangerous drugs. After last year's Supreme Court ruling, Democratic President Joe Biden directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion.

☆ Washington court paves way for Albertsons' $4 bln dividend, declines to review case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Washington Supreme Court made the decision after a lower court judge refused last month to issue a preliminary injunction against the dividend. The Washington attorney general's office in November sued to block the dividend, arguing that it would weaken Albertsons before Kroger's $25 billion purchase. The merger proposal will be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which polices merger and acquisition activity for compliance with antitrust law. In a statement, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his office was "surprised and disappointed the Supreme Court decided not to hear this case." Chief executives of the two grocers in November defended the $25 billion proposed tie-up at a hearing before a U.S. congressional committee.

☆ If the Biden administration doesn't step in to block the $25 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger, it will be devastating for shoppers and grocery-store workers — while the rich shareholders will get rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Last month, Kroger announced a $25 billion deal to merge with grocery chain Albertsons. During the pandemic last year, local city councils in Long Beach and Seattle passed "hero pay" laws requiring grocery stores to pay their public-facing workers $4 extra per hour. Last month, Kroger announced a $25 billion deal to merge with Albertsons, another major national grocery chain. In the press release announcing the merger, Kroger promised that the consolidation would result in lower prices for customers and better compensation and benefits for workers. But the larger Kroger-Albertsons merger is still on track to conclude in 2024, unless the Biden administration steps in to stop it.

Rep. Kim Schrier is running against Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District. The 8th District is located near Seattle, the largest city in the state. Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier faces off against Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District. 2022 General EmbedsWashington's 8th Congressional District candidatesSchrier is a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Voting history for Washington's 8th Congressional DistrictWashington's 8th Congressional District straddles both sides of the Cascade Mountains and includes eastern King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

Nov 3 (Reuters) - A state court in Washington has temporarily blocked Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) from paying a $4 billion dividend to shareholders before the grocery chain closes its proposed deal with rival Kroger Co (KR.N), documents filed said on Thursday. Kroger Co (KR.N) snapped up Albertsons in a $25 billion deal in last month's mega merger between the No. "By eliminating its cash-on-hand and nearly doubling its debt, Albertsons will be in a weakened competitive position relative to Kroger, thereby harming grocery consumers and workers throughout Washington," State Court Commissioner Henry Judson wrote in issuing the temporary restraining order. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson called the temporary order a "huge victory". In its statement, Albertsons said on Thursday the court order was based on the "incorrect assertion" that the dividend payout would weaken its competitiveness while antitrust agencies review the proposed merger.

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Washington's King County court has granted a nationwide temporary restraining order, blocking grocery chain Albertsons Companies Inc's (ACI.N) $4 billion dividend payment, State Attorney General Bob Ferguson tweeted on Thursday. loading"We'll be back in court Nov. 10 seeking an injunction to keep the dividend on hold while our lawsuit continues," Ferguson said in a tweet. Supermarket operator Kroger Co (KR.N) snapped up Albertsons in a $25 billion deal last month, to better compete against U.S. grocery industry leader Walmart Inc on prices. Ferguson filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to block Albertsons from paying dividends to shareholders before closure of its proposed merger with Kroger. The attorneys general of Washington D.C., California and Illinois also filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in a federal court seeking to block the dividend payment alleging that the proposed dividend was in violation of federal and state antitrust laws by rendering Albertsons less able to compete effectively with other supermarkets.

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