Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna last week announced a $25 billion national mortgage settlement with five of the nation’s largest banks – the largest consumer settlement in history. David Huey, senior counsel with state Attorney General’s consumer protection division – one of the lead state negotiators in the settlement — answered questions about the settlement this week during a live chat with The Seattle Times.

Who goes Indianapolis before the Super Bowl and leaves before the big game?

When President Obama proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, he explained that: “we are working to protect victims of human trafficking with effective services and support, prosecute traffickers through consistent enforcement, and prevent human rights abuses by furthering public awareness and addressing the root causes of modern slavery. The steadfast defense of human rights is an essential part of our national identity, and as long as individuals suffer the violence of slavery and human trafficking, we must continue the fight.”

This morning, Shared Hope International released its annual Protected Innocence Initiative, which grades states on their work to combat human trafficking. In the AP video covering the event, former human trafficking victim Holly Austin Smith bravely talks about her frightening experience being forced into prostitution.

An AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study shows that one in six deadly crashes involves drowsy driving. And, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than 100,000 accidents. According to the Washington State Patrol, in 2010, there were 17 people killed and 74 seriously injured in Washington state because motorists were either drowsy or had fallen asleep while driving. 

Gannett News service reports on another case of a teen arrested in a Backpage.com-related crime