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Lawyers for Washington state will have past grocery chain mergers – and their negative consequences – in mind when they go to court to block a proposed merger between Albertsons and Kroger. Albertsons and Kroger own more than 300 grocery stores in the state and control more than half of grocery sales there. They are trying to get the case dismissed, arguing a state court isn’t the proper venue to consider a nationwide ban. Albertsons and Kroger insist that their plan, including the sale of stores to C&S, will lower grocery prices and preserve competition. In 2016, Albertsons acquired a Haggen supermarket and then promptly closed an Albertsons store about a mile away in Birchwood.

Persons: general's, Haggen, ”, Tina McKim, Bob Ferguson, Kroger, Brad Weber, Locke, Judge Marshall Ferguson, Ferguson, Weber, McKim, ” McKim, “, She’s Organizations: Albertsons, Kroger, Federal Trade Commission, S Wholesale Grocers, Safeway, Fighters, Democrat, King County Superior Court, Walmart, Costco, U.S, FTC, Associated Press Locations: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Bellingham , Washington, Washington —, Bellingham's Birchwood, King County, Seattle , Washington, Dallas, Birchwood

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A “whistling sound” was heard on a previous flight of the Boeing 737 Max 9 whose door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, an attorney representing passengers in a lawsuit said in new court documents. On Wednesday, he filed an amended complaint that adds 18 additional passenger plaintiffs and includes the new allegations concerning the previous flight. He did not specify who they were and declined to confirm whether they were passengers or crew members on the previous flight. He also declined to specify when the previous flight occurred. She cautioned, however, that the pressurization light might be unrelated to the door plug blowout.

Persons: Mark Lindquist, Lindquist, “, ”, Max, Jennifer Homendy Organizations: Boeing, Max, Alaska Airlines, Court, Associated Press, AP, National Transportation Safety, NTSB, Alaska, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: PORTLAND, Portland , Oregon, Washington state's King County, Max, Alaska, United

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

☆ 3 passengers sued Alaska Airlines for emotional distress over off-duty pilot accused of trying to turn off the engines mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Three passengers on the flight where an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to turn off the engines sued Alaska Airlines. They said they'd suffered emotional distress and that the pilot should never have been allowed in the cockpit. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementSEATTLE (AP) — Three passengers sued Alaska Airlines, saying they suffered emotional distress from an incident last month in which an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a plane while riding in the cockpit from Washington state to San Francisco. "The pilots and flight attendants operating Flight 2059 responded without hesitation to ensure the safety of all onboard," it added.

Persons: they'd, —, Matthew Doland, Theresa Stelter, Paul Stephen of, Joseph David Emerson, Emerson, Aubrey Gavello, Daniel Laurence Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Service, King County Superior Court, Horizon, ABC, Airlines Locations: SEATTLE, Washington, San Francisco, King County, Paul Stephen of Kenmore , Washington, Alaska, Portland , Oregon, Oregon

SEATTLE (AP) — Three passengers sued Alaska Airlines on Thursday, saying they suffered emotional distress from an incident last month in which an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a plane while catching a ride in the cockpit from Washington state to San Francisco. Alaska Airlines said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing the complaint. “The pilots and flight attendants operating Flight 2059 responded without hesitation to ensure the safety of all onboard,” it added. “Emerson’s statements while in the air and shortly after his arrest show that had the airlines here done so, he would never have been allowed aboard. Emerson has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges in Oregon state court and faces arraignment later this month on a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew.

Persons: Matthew Doland, Theresa Stelter, Paul Stephen of, Joseph David Emerson, “, Emerson, Aubrey Gavello, ” Daniel Laurence Organizations: SEATTLE, Alaska Airlines, King County Superior Court, Horizon, ABC News, “ Locations: Washington, San Francisco, King County, Paul Stephen of Kenmore , Washington, Alaska, Portland , Oregon, Oregon

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 —

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."

☆ A software engineer borrowed an idea from 'Office Space' to steal funds and goods worth about $300,000 from his company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Seattle software engineer is accused of stealing more than $300,000 from his former employer. Court documents stated Ermenildo Valdez Castro was inspired by the cult 1999 movie "Office Space." Castro is a former software engineer for the e-commerce site Zulily that's based in Seattle, Washington. Court documents stated he was directly involved in writing code for the customer checkout process. A document called "OfficeSpace project" was found on Castro's work laptop, according to a report by the Seattle Police Department that was attached to the court documents.

☆ Albertsons’ $4 Billion Dividend Payout Remains Blocked as Washington State Attorney General Seeks Appeal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kroger is the top U.S. supermarket operator by sales. A Washington state judge on Friday extended a temporary restraining order blocking a $4 billion dividend that Albertsons Cos. planned to pay its shareholders amid its plans to be bought by Kroger Co.Judge Ken Schubert for the King County Superior Court in Washington sided with Albertsons and Kroger, allowing Albertsons to pay the dividend. The ruling came after the state’s attorney general filed a lawsuit in November against the companies to block the dividend.

☆ Albertsons’ $4 Billion Dividend Payout Remains Blocked
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ 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.

☆ Albertsons $4 bln dividend kept on hold by Washington court
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customer leaves an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Riverside, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. Lawyers for Albertsons and Washington state, which sued over the dividend, agreed at a hearing on Thursday to allow the temporary hold to run at least until Schubert's hearing. Schubert said in court that he believes the state faces an "uphill" legal fight to block the dividend. He said he was not aware of a case in which a court granted an injunction in a similar dispute. A lawyer for Washington state, Eric Newman, said on Thursday that the court was moving too quickly.

☆ Washington State Commissioner Temporarily Blocks Albertsons Dividend Payout
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Washington state court commissioner temporarily blocked a $4 billion dividend that Albertsons Cos. had intended to pay its shareholders next week, announced when the grocer agreed to merge with rival Kroger Co. in a $20 billion deal last month. Commissioner Henry Judson for the King County Superior Court in Washington said during a hearing Thursday that he will grant a temporary restraining order to stop the planned dividend. The ruling came after the state’s attorney general filed a lawsuit this week against the companies to block the payment, which was initially scheduled for Nov. 7.

☆ Jeff Bezos made housekeepers go 'without rest or meal breaks' and work in 'unsafe and unsanitary' settings, suit says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | David K. Li | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos subjected housekeepers to "unsafe and unsanitary" conditions, barring them from rest breaks and easy access to bathrooms, according to a lawsuit filed in Seattle this week. The civil action by Mercedes Wedaa also accused Bezos' subordinates of racial discrimination against Hispanic houseworkers in favor of their white counterparts. In addition to extended work shifts that went as long as 14 hours with no breaks, there was "no reasonably accessible bathroom for the housekeepers," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit later claimed that housekeepers "frequently developed Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)" due to not having easy access to restrooms. Bezos has a network of about $113 billion and is the world's fourth richest man, according to Forbes magazine.

☆ Jeff Bezos sued by former housekeeper over working conditions, discrimination by other staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Bezos, owner of Blue Origin, introduces a new lunar landing module called Blue Moon during an event at the Washington Convention Center, May 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. A woman who says she worked as a housekeeper for Jeff Bezos is suing the Amazon founder and companies that manage his properties, claiming she endured "unsafe and unhealthy work conditions" and was subject to racial discrimination by other staff. Mercedes Wedaa said she was hired by Bezos' staff in 2019 to help maintain the billionaire tech magnate's Seattle-area property. The lawsuit claims there was no designated break room or rest area, and no easily accessible bathroom. Wedaa claims she was ultimately fired from her role after she raised complaints about working conditions and discriminatory behavior.

☆ Judge orders Meta to pay $10.5M in legal fees to Washington
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook 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. The money is to go to the state Public Disclosure Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws. In 2018, following Ferguson’s first lawsuit, Facebook agreed to pay $238,000 and committed to transparency in campaign finance and political advertising. It subsequently said it would stop selling political ads in the state rather than comply with the requirements. Nevertheless, the company continued selling political ads, and Ferguson sued again in 2020.

☆ Meta fined $24.7M for campaign finance disclosure violations
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEATTLE — A Washington state judge on Wednesday fined Facebook parent company Meta nearly $25 million for repeatedly and intentionally violating campaign finance disclosure law, in what is believed to be the largest campaign finance penalty in U.S. history. Where’s the corporate responsibility?”In 2018, following Ferguson’s first lawsuit, Facebook agreed to pay $238,000 and committed to transparency in campaign finance and political advertising. It subsequently said it would stop selling political ads in the state rather than comply with the requirements. “Meta was aware that its announced ‘ban’ would not, and did not, stop all such advertising from continuing to be displayed on its platform,” North wrote last month in finding that Meta violation’s were intentional. North fined Meta $30,000 for each of its 822 violations — about $24.7 million.

FRANKFURT, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer (BAYGn.DE) said on Friday it plans to legally challenge a jury verdict awarding $275 million to a group of people claiming they suffered from exposure to PCB, a chemical that Bayer's Monsanto business produced until 1977. "We respectfully disagree with the divided jury verdict reached in this 13-plaintiff case and plan to pursue post-trial motions and appeals based on multiple errors and the lack of proof at trial," Germany's Bayer said in a statement. Bayer shares were down 0.9% at 0738 GMT while Germany's blue chip index DAX was up 0.7%. Bayer has since 2020 resolved a majority of cases in litigation with municipalities over waste water contaminated with PCB for $650 million but several other claims remained pending. In August, it set aside 694 million euros for an expected settlement with the State of Oregon over PCB in waste water.

☆ MacKenzie Scott files for divorce from second husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNNBusiness —Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has filed for divorce from her second husband after less than two years of marriage. Scott, one of the world’s richest people, married Seattle-based science teacher Dan Jewett last year after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. Scott filed a petition for divorce in the King County Superior Court in Washington State on Monday, according to the Court clerk’s office. The news was first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday. Scott has given away billions of dollars as part of a plan to donate a majority of her fortune.

☆ Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is reportedly getting divorced from her second husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

MacKenzie Scott filed for divorce from her second husband, Dan Jewett, The New York Times reports. Scott, who's worth $27.8 billion, married Jewett in 2021 after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Now, Scott's Giving Pledge page contains a new headshot of her and no mention of Jewett. Recent recipients of grants from Scott have thanked only her, while in the past they thanked both her and Jewett, The Times reports. She recently donated two Beverly Hills mansions worth roughly $55 million to the California Community Foundation, a Los Angeles-area charity — in a statement about the gift, the foundation's CEO thanked Scott alone.

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