OLYMPIA (AP) — The state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling that says damages to be paid to part-time state employees who were wrongfully denied health benefits must take into account more than actual out-of-pocket costs.

The high court’s ruling sided with a class-action group’s stance on such damages, and it rejected the Washington Health Care Authority’s argument that the state should only pay for actual costs paid by class members during the time they were denied benefits. read more »

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has decided a $324.5 million settlement isn’t enough to cover the damages done to more than 60,000 high-tech workers in a class-action lawsuit alleging Google and Apple conspired with other technology companies to block their top employees from getting better job offers.

The ruling Aug. 8 by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh scotches a settlement reached in April, prolonging a three-year case that paints a mean-spirited picture of late Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs and other prominent Silicon Valley executives. read more »

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon over charges that the company has not done enough to prevent children from making unauthorized in-app purchases, according to a complaint filed Thursday in federal court.

The move had been expected since last week, when Amazon said it wouldn’t settle with the FTC over the charges. Amazon said in a letter to the FTC last week that it had already refunded money to parents who complained and was prepared to go to court.

On Thursday, Amazon said its statements in the letter still apply and did not comment further. read more »

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington labor, government and business officials are still reading and analyzing the dense U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week on union dues for home health care workers, but many believe Harris v. Quinn will have implications for Washington state.

That impact could go well beyond the 35,000 union-represented home health care workers in the state and also affect the thousands who care for children with disabilities in their homes as well as medical interpreters. read more »

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press

SEATTLE — Washington’s Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated a lawsuit brought by workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport who said they were forced to eat food provided by their company in violation of their religious beliefs or go hungry during their shifts. read more »

By GENE JOHNSON, The Associated Press

SEATTLE — A federal lawsuit is challenging Washington state’s authority to tax marijuana as long as marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

The case arises from the state’s attempt to collect sales taxes from a medical marijuana dispensary. But lawyer Douglas Hiatt, who filed it late Thursday, said it could throw a wrench in Washington’s plans for collecting taxes on recreational marijuana, too. read more »

SAN FRANCISCO — Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe Systems have settled a class-action lawsuit alleging they conspired to prevent their engineers and other highly sought technology workers from getting better job offers from one another. read more »

By LISA RATHKE and DAVE GRAM, Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont has raised the stakes in the debate over genetically modified foods by becoming the first state to pass a bill requiring that they be labeled as such in the grocery aisle, making the move despite the opposition of the powerful U.S. food industry. read more »

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Grappling with fast-changing technology, Supreme Court justices debated Tuesday whether they can protect the copyrights of TV broadcasters to the shows they send out without strangling innovations in the use of the internet. read more »