Latest news with #NickBrown
Geek Wire
11 hours ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Seattle City Council considers ban on tech that landlords use to allegedly set higher rents
The Seattle City Council today is considering legislation to stop the use of software that allegedly allows for collusion among landlords and drives up rental prices. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit in April against property management software company RealPage and nine Seattle-area landlords, accusing them of colluding to inflate rental costs. The Seattle measure, Council Bill 121000, would ban tech companies from providing algorithm-driven, rental cost services; prohibit landlords from using these services; and create civil penalties for violations. Washington lawmakers failed to pass a similar measure in the most recent legislative session. Mike Semko of RealPage testified against the state legislation, saying the technology 'is simply market research and analysis with a suggested price.' An earlier ProPublica report that found in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, 70% of the apartments were handled by 10 property managers who all used RealPage.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington AG exploring potential challenge to new federal travel restrictions
Jun. 10—Washington is "taking a careful look" at where it has standing to challenge President Donald Trump's recent proclamation restricting travel from 12 countries, Attorney General Nick Brown said during a news conference Tuesday. "The president says his travel ban is about national security, but this racist order will not make anyone safer," Brown said. The restrictions, Brown said, have stalled medical care, "struck fear" into Afghan refugees who previously aided the United States military and could hinder international students looking to study at American universities. "We are actively looking at ways to challenge this ban, but it will be difficult," Brown said, adding that the Supreme Court has upheld other travel bans in recent years. Trump last Wednesday announced that citizens from 12 countries — Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — would be barred from entering the United States. The president also partially banned citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. In a video posted on social media, Trump said the "strength of the restrictions we're applying depends on the threat posed" and said countries could be added or removed from the list. "But we will not allow people who enter our country who wish to do us harm," Trump said. "And nothing will stop us from keeping America safe." The restrictions continue a trend by Trump, who issued several bans on international travel during his first administration. The first, which barred travel from seven majority-Muslim countries, faced swift backlash and was challenged within days by then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson. "I'll always be proud that Washington state was indeed the first state to take on that first travel ban, the first state to take on Donald Trump, and the first state to defeat Donald Trump in court," Ferguson said. "It is a little difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that we are back here again on another travel ban." Ferguson said that Washington will lead other states on standing up against Trump's orders. "And I want all Washingtonians to know that," Ferguson said. "We have a new attorney general, but guess what? The good news is he is as deeply connected to this issue, and as resolved to stand up against it, as we were eight years ago." Among those feeling the impact of the travel ban is Katia Jasmin, founder and executive director of Creole Resources in Spokane. During an interview Tuesday, Jasmin said the inclusion of Haiti caught her by surprise. Jasmin said the ban could have wide-ranging effects on Spokane's Haitian community, including deepening the existing trauma that many have experienced. Jasmin said the ban could also result in family separation, as many permanent residents or citizens still have family abroad — something she knows firsthand. "I have my brother that lives in Haiti, and he comes to see us, and now he won't be able to come and see us," Jasmin said. Katia's brother, Jay, was set to serve as the best man in an upcoming wedding — plans that seem to be in doubt. "My brother won't be able to see us, so I don't know how long we'll have to wait to be able to see him," Jasmin said. The restrictions, Jasmin said, will ultimately have minimal impact on safety. "If you people are scared of gang members coming to the States, I don't know how we are scared of the gang members; they don't have visas, they don't have anything. I don't think a gang member from Haiti will come here to the United States to do anything," Jasmin said. "So whatever they try to say that it's for, the security or stuff, it's not true."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
WA joins 15 states suing over deregulation of rapid-fire gun devices
This story was originally published on Washington is joining a multi-state lawsuit targeting a specific type of gun trigger. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced on Monday that he's joining 15 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) over their plans to allow the sale of forced reset triggers. 'Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation,' Brown said in a statement. 'Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense.' Forced reset triggers are devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired more rapidly. The suit says returning the devices to market violates federal law, arguing they turn regular guns into machine guns. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently settled with the maker of the triggers, Rare Breed Triggers, resolving previous lawsuits brought by the Biden Administration. The agreement states Rare Breed Tiggers 'will not develop or design FRTs for use in any handgun.' It also requires the ATF to return the triggers 'that it has seized or taken as a result of a voluntary surrender.' 'This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.' The federal lawsuit announced on Monday was filed in the state of Maryland. Attorney General Brown is joining New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. Read more of Aaron Granillo's stories here.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington sues federal government to block distribution of forced reset triggers
Jun. 9—Washington has joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia in challenging a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plan to return seized "forced reset triggers," a device the Washington Attorney General's office says allows novice shooters to "achieve the firepower of a military machine gun." "Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation," Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement Monday. "Essentially deregulating them is another example of (the Trump Administration) being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense." The lawsuit follows a settlement by the Department of Justice, which announced in May it would resolve a case that challenged the ATF designation of the device as "machine guns." "This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement announcing the settlement. "And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety." The device allows an operator to fire their weapon in quicker succession by mechanically resetting the trigger after each shot. Washington law bans machine guns, as well as any "mechanism or instrument" that does not require the trigger to be pulled for each shot. Federal law similarly bans the possession of machine guns. According to the complaint, at least 100,000 of the devices have been sold throughout the country. "A forced reset trigger uses a spring assist in shoving the trigger shoe back forward, resetting the trigger," said Jeremy Ball, owner of Sharpshooting Indoor Range and Gun Shop. "A forced reset trigger does not change the mechanical makeup of a gun; all it does is assist the shooter in resetting the trigger." Ball added that while the device still requires the user to pull the trigger, it takes less effort and skill to fire the weapon more quickly. Still, Ball said the device has limitations. "Anytime we're talking about shooting a gun fast, the only thing that matters is whether you're able or not to hold that gun on a target," Ball said. Forced Reset Triggers have been at the center of several legal battles in recent years amid an increase in machine gun fire incidents. In 2022, ATF determined that some of the devices would be classified as machine guns under the National Firearms Act, making them illegal to own. According to the Washington Attorney General's office, ATF seized "thousands" of the devices following the designation. The Department of Justice then filed a lawsuit against Rare Breed Triggers, which produced and sold the devices online. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that ATF had exceeded its authority by designating bump stocks, which allows a shooter to fire a gun more rapidly by using the weapon's recoil to bump the trigger, as a machine gun. A federal judge in Texas cited that ruling, finding similarly that the agency could not designate forced reset triggers as a machine gun. As part of the settlement with the Justice Department, Rare Breed cannot develop or design forced reset triggers for use in any pistol and will enforce its patents to prevent infringement. Rare Breed also agrees to promote the safe and responsible use of its products. In May, the U.S. Attorney General's Office noted the settlement is in alignment with President Donald Trump's "Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights" and the "Attorney General's Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force." The lawsuit brought by Washington alleges the settlement violates a federal prohibition on owning a machine gun and seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump administration from distributing the seized devices. According to the Washington Attorney General's Office, machine gun conversion devices allow firearms to shoot up to 20 bullets in one second. Use of the devices has increased in recent years, with machine gun fire incidents up 1,400% from 2019 through 2021, according to ShotSpotter, Inc., which has placed acoustic sensors in about 130 U.S. cities. Ball said while he doesn't "necessarily have a dog in the fight or care" about the disagreement regarding forced reset triggers, a rise in the usage of "Glock switches" is a reason for concern. The small, mostly 3-D-printed devices can be attached to the end of a firearm and transform a semi-automatic pistol into a fully-automatic weapon. "That is a device that legitimately turns a firearm into a machine gun," Ball said. In September, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts seized 350 internet domains that were used to illegally import the switches and silencers from China. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago alone seized more than 1,500 of the devices, according to the agency.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington sues to stop federal plan to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia in filing a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) over a plan to distribute thousands of machinegun conversion devices across the U.S. The lawsuit targets the federal government's decision to stop enforcing restrictions on forced reset triggers (FRTs), devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machineguns, and to return nearly 12,000 previously seized devices. The devices are federally classified as machineguns under the National Firearms Act. 'Communities are less safe with these mass-shooting devices in circulation,' Brown said in a statement. 'Essentially deregulating them is another example of this administration being driven by extreme ideology rather than commonsense.' FRTs are illegal under federal law and in many states, including Washington. They are designed to replace the standard trigger in firearms and allow continuous fire with a single pull, mimicking the function of fully automatic weapons. Firearms equipped with FRTs can discharge up to 20 rounds per second, according to the lawsuit. ATF had previously classified FRTs as machineguns and conducted seizures across the country. But the agency reversed course following a settlement agreement signed under the Trump administration on May 16, which resolved multiple lawsuits, including one in Texas where a judge ruled the devices did not meet the federal definition of a machinegun. That ruling is currently under appeal. The agreement commits ATF to stop enforcing the federal ban on FRTs—even against people and companies not party to the lawsuits—and to return the devices 'to the extent practicable' to any individual or company who had them seized. Attorneys general argue the move not only violates federal law but also risks 'a permanent threat to public safety,' particularly in states where FRTs are explicitly banned. The complaint alleges that redistributing these devices will increase violent crime, mass shooting incidents, and public health costs. According to the complaint, FRT-equipped firearms have already been linked to several shootings across the country, including in New Jersey and Maryland. From 2019 to 2021, incidents involving machinegun fire rose 1,400%, according to ATF data. The agency has also reported an increase in the use of these devices in violent crimes, including homicide and assaults. The coalition is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the ATF from moving forward with the redistribution plan. It also asks the court to declare the agreement unlawful and set it aside. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Other states joining the suit include New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
