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Washington State Auditor: Tacoma Employees' Retirement System
OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Tacoma Employees' Retirement System."
Here are excerpts:
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The Honorable Mayor and Members of the Board of Administration
Tacoma Employees' Retirement System
Tacoma, Washington
REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying financial statements of the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System, a fiduciary fund of the City of Tacoma, Washington, as of and for the year then ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes to
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OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Tacoma Employees' Retirement System."
Here are excerpts:
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The Honorable Mayor and Members of the Board of Administration
Tacoma Employees' Retirement System
Tacoma, Washington
REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying financial statements of the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System, a fiduciary fund of the City of Tacoma, Washington, as of and for the year then ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes tothe financial statements, which collectively comprise the Retirement System's basic financial statements as listed in the table of contents.
In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System, as of December 31, 2025, and the changes in financial position thereof for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS) and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report. We are required to be independent of the Retirement System and to meet our other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements relating to our audit. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Matters of Emphasis
As discussed in Note 1 to the 2025 financial statements, the Retirement System's financial statements present only the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System and do not purport to, and do not, present fairly the financial position of the City of Tacoma, as of December 31, 2025, the changes in its financial position, or, where applicable, its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.
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The report is posted at: https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?arn=1040156&isFinding=false&sp=false
Washington State Auditor: Department of Labor and Industries
OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Department of Labor and Industries."
Here are excerpts:
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Joel Sacks
Director
Department of Labor and Industries
Olympia, Washington
Report on Accountability
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you to promote accountability, integrity and openness in government. The Office of the Washington State Auditor takes seriously our role of providing state and local governments with assurance and accountability as the independent auditor of public accounts.
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OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Department of Labor and Industries."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Joel Sacks
Director
Department of Labor and Industries
Olympia, Washington
Report on Accountability
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you to promote accountability, integrity and openness in government. The Office of the Washington State Auditor takes seriously our role of providing state and local governments with assurance and accountability as the independent auditor of public accounts.In this way, we strive to help government work better, cost less, deliver higher value and earn greater public trust.
Independent audits provide essential accountability and transparency for Department operations.
This information is valuable to management, the governing body and public stakeholders when assessing the government's stewardship of public resources.
Attached is our independent audit report on the Department's compliance with applicable requirements and safeguarding of public resources for the areas we examined. We appreciate the opportunity to work with your staff and value your cooperation during the audit.
Sincerely,
Pat McCarthy, State Auditor
Olympia, WA
Results in brief
This report describes the overall results and conclusions for the areas we examined. In most of the areas we examined, Department operations complied, in all material respects, with applicable state laws, regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over safeguarding of public resources.
As referenced above, we identified areas where the Department could make improvements. These recommendations are included with our report as a finding.
In keeping with general auditing practices, we do not examine every transaction, activity, policy, internal control, or area. As a result, no information is provided on the areas that were not examined.
About the audit
This report contains the results of our independent accountability audit of the Department of Labor and Industries from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
Management is responsible for ensuring compliance and adequate safeguarding of public resources from fraud, loss or abuse. This includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal controls relevant to these objectives.
This audit was conducted under the authority of RCW 43.09.310, which requires the Office of the Washington State Auditor to examine the financial affairs of all state agencies. Our audit involved obtaining evidence about the Department's use of public resources, compliance with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures, and internal controls over such matters. The procedures performed were based on our assessment of risks in the areas we examined.
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The report is posted at: https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?arn=1040014&isFinding=false&sp=false
Washington State Auditor: Clallam County Public Utility District No 1 - Accountability
OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Clallam County Public Utility District No 1 - Accountability."
Here are excerpts:
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AUDIT RESULTS
Results in brief
This report describes the overall results and conclusions for the areas we examined. In those selected areas, District operations complied, in all material respects, with applicable state laws, regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public resources.
In keeping with general auditing practices,
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OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Clallam County Public Utility District No 1 - Accountability."
Here are excerpts:
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AUDIT RESULTS
Results in brief
This report describes the overall results and conclusions for the areas we examined. In those selected areas, District operations complied, in all material respects, with applicable state laws, regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public resources.
In keeping with general auditing practices,we do not examine every transaction, activity, policy, internal control, or area. As a result, no information is provided on the areas that were not examined.
About the audit
This report contains the results of our independent accountability audit of Public Utility District No. 1 of Clallam County from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
Management is responsible for ensuring compliance and adequate safeguarding of public resources from fraud, loss or abuse. This includes the design, implementation and maintenance of internal controls relevant to these objectives.
This audit was conducted under the authority of RCW 43.09.260, which requires the Office of the Washington State Auditor to examine the financial affairs of all local governments. Our audit involved obtaining evidence about the District's use of public resources, compliance with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures, and internal controls over such matters.
The procedures performed were based on our assessment of risks in the areas we examined.
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The report is posted at: https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?arn=1040073&isFinding=false&sp=false
Washington State Auditor: Centralia College
OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Centralia College."
Here are excerpts:
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Board of Trustees
Centralia College
Centralia, Washington
We have audited, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of the business-type activities and the aggregate discretely presented component units
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OLYMPIA, Washington, July 9 -- The office of the Washington State Auditor issued the following performance audit report entitled "Centralia College."
Here are excerpts:
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Board of Trustees
Centralia College
Centralia, Washington
We have audited, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of the business-type activities and the aggregate discretely presented component unitsof the Centralia College, as of and for the year ended June 30, 2025, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the College's basic financial statements, and have issued our report thereon dated June 29, 2026.
Our report includes a reference to other auditors who audited the financial statements of the Centralia College Foundation (the Foundation), as described in our report on the College's financial statements. The financial statements of the Foundation were not audited in accordance with Government Auditing Standards, and accordingly, this report does not include reporting on internal control over financial reporting or compliance and other matters associated with the Foundation that are reported on separately by those auditors.
REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL
REPORTING
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements, we considered the College's internal control over financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our opinions on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the College's internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the College's internal control.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the College's financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described above and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and therefore, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies may exist that were not identified.
Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses.
REPORT ON COMPLIANCE AND OTHER MATTERS
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the College's financial statements are free from material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the financial statements. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
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The report is posted at: https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?arn=1040037&isFinding=false&sp=false
S.D. Attorney General's Office, DCI to Investigate Officer Involved Shooting in Sioux Falls
PIERRE, South Dakota, July 9 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release on July 8, 2026:
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Attorney General's Office, DCI to Investigate Officer Involved Shooting in Sioux Falls
Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), at the request of the Sioux Falls Police Department, is investigating the officer involved shooting that occurred Tuesday, July 7, at about 10 p.m.
Sioux Falls Police officers responded to a call at a residence in the 3200 block of E. 20th Street. A person opened fire on the officers.
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PIERRE, South Dakota, July 9 -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued the following news release on July 8, 2026:
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Attorney General's Office, DCI to Investigate Officer Involved Shooting in Sioux Falls
Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), at the request of the Sioux Falls Police Department, is investigating the officer involved shooting that occurred Tuesday, July 7, at about 10 p.m.
Sioux Falls Police officers responded to a call at a residence in the 3200 block of E. 20th Street. A person opened fire on the officers.One officer was injured and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The suspect, identified as James R Meyer, 55, of Sioux Falls, died at the scene
At the completion of the investigation, DCI will issue a case report and shooting summation to be reviewed by the Attorney General for a final determination on the officer's actions. The release of the summary is anticipated within 30 days.
This is the third Officer Involved Shooting in South Dakota this year.
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Original text here: https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=3106
Ariz. Corporation Commission Repeals Outdated Electric Energy Efficiency Standards Rules, Eliminating Surcharges
PHOENIX, Arizona, July 9 -- The Arizona Corporation Commission issued the following news release:
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ACC Repeals Outdated Electric Energy Efficiency Standards Rules, Eliminating Surcharges
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted 4-0 to repeal the Electric Energy Efficiency Standards Rules (EEE Rules) - A.A.C. Title 14, Chapter 2, Article 24 during the July 8, 2026 Open meeting. The Commission reiterated its findings that the rules created an unjust subsidy whereby affluent rate payers were getting subsidized by low-income rate payers through uniform surcharges. The Commission noted that
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PHOENIX, Arizona, July 9 -- The Arizona Corporation Commission issued the following news release:
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ACC Repeals Outdated Electric Energy Efficiency Standards Rules, Eliminating Surcharges
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted 4-0 to repeal the Electric Energy Efficiency Standards Rules (EEE Rules) - A.A.C. Title 14, Chapter 2, Article 24 during the July 8, 2026 Open meeting. The Commission reiterated its findings that the rules created an unjust subsidy whereby affluent rate payers were getting subsidized by low-income rate payers through uniform surcharges. The Commission noted thatthe rules had served their purpose, the market had advanced to a point where subsidies and mandates were counterproductive, and the renewable markets were achieving parity and market saturation that did not exist in 2010.
"The repeal of the EEE Rules does not eliminate current Demand Side Management (DSM) and Energy Efficiency programs," said Chair Nick Myers. "The EEE mandate basically handed a blank check to utilities because any time you mandate programs, the utilities will seek to financially recover those costs from ratepayers. Evaluating DSM and EE programs on a case-by-case basis is the more prudent approach, rather than imposing an arbitrary mandate that inevitably leads to subsidies and cost shifting."
"I fully support the use of energy efficiency and demand side management programs which have demonstrated energy savings," said Vice Chair Rachel Walden. "But, the solutions must be cost effective. The repeal of the rules does not mean that energy efficiency or demand side management programs go away. I urge technology stakeholders to continue to propose these types of solutions to offset new generation needs."
The Commission held two public comment sessions regarding the repeal of the EEE Rules IN December 2025 and nearly two dozen people provided public comments during the July 8, 2026 Open Meeting.
The Commission agreed that the EEE Rules are no longer in the public interest, in part, because they have resulted in millions of dollars being funded by ratepayers through surcharges that would not have been charged without the requirements imposed by the EEE Rules, sometimes to the benefit of relatively affluent customer groups while being paid for by all customer groups, including lower income customers. This has resulted in affected utilities' customers paying more for their service through subsidization of programs that benefit some customers (e.g., those who are buying a newly constructed home) at the expense of other customers.
"I voted to eliminate one of the surcharges on ratepayer's bills across the state," said Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson. "This surcharge had been put in place in 2010 and was outdated and no longer applied. I look forward to working with stakeholders on supporting programs that provide energy efficiency options for families and small businesses in the future for those customers that want to participate. Energy efficiency programs have been beneficial at conserving energy so additional generation resources are not needed."
The Commission has directed Staff to prepare a Notice of Final Rulemaking package and file all necessary documents with the Office of the Secretary of State for publication and codification.
All documents related to this case can be found in the ACC's eDocket system at https://edocket.azcc.gov, Docket No. RE-00000A-24-0025.
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Original text here: https://www.azcc.gov/news/home/2026/07/08/acc-repeals-outdated-electric-energy-efficiency-standards-rules--eliminating-surcharges
AG Nessel Announces $45 Million Multistate Settlement Over Deceptive Practices on Cash App
LANSING, Michigan, July 9 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
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AG Nessel Announces $45 Million Multistate Settlement Over Deceptive Practices on Cash App
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LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is announcing a $45 million multistate settlement with Block, Inc., the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, failed to protect users from fraud on the platform, and didn't provide the fraud protection and resolution that it promised
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, July 9 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
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AG Nessel Announces $45 Million Multistate Settlement Over Deceptive Practices on Cash App
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LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is announcing a $45 million multistate settlement with Block, Inc., the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, failed to protect users from fraud on the platform, and didn't provide the fraud protection and resolution that it promisedand that was required by law.
"Customer safety should always be a top priority, and when a company misleads and fails to protect its users from fraud, it must be held accountable," said Attorney General Nessel. "This settlement requires Cash App to maintain strong safeguards for consumers and commits the company to putting stolen money back into the pockets of Michigan residents. Throughout my time in office, we have worked with multistate coalitions to halt deceptive business practices, and we will continue to pursue corporations that try to put their bottom line over the people of Michigan."
Block told Cash App users their money was safe - implying that the app worked like a bank, with the same protections, which wasn't true. At the same time, Block knew fraud on its platform was rising sharply - and instead of warning users or strengthening protections, it doubled down on marketing.
For years, Block actively promoted direct deposits of paychecks and government benefits into Cash App. It made a particular push to reach unbanked and underbanked consumers - people who would often rely on Cash App as their primary financial account, and who were especially vulnerable to fraud. Block grew its user base without making sure it could support those users when problems arose.
Block's policies didn't just fail to stop fraud - in several ways they made it easier:
* Block's sign-up process was designed to be fast and frictionless, with minimal identity verification. That made it easy for fraudsters to create accounts, not just legitimate users.
* For years, Cash App had no phone support. Users who needed help could only message through the app or on social media. People who got locked out - or just wanted to talk to someone - searched online for a phone number and often ended up calling fake 1-800 numbers run by scammers posing as Cash App. Those scammers would then take over accounts or drain users' other financial accounts. Block knew this was happening and didn't warn users or set up a real phone line until years later.
* Block ran a social media promotion called Cash App Fridays, encouraging users to publicly post their $cashtag - a unique Cash App identifier - for a chance to win a weekly prize. Fraudsters would then contact those users, tell them they'd won, and trick them into handing over their login information. Block knew about these scams and kept running the promotion anyway, for years.
Block's failure to provide adequate customer service and to fulfill its promise to protect users from fraud had real consequences for real people. Innocent users who experience automated account locks for suspicious transactions were frequently locked out of their accounts for weeks without a way to access their money. Victims of fraud through the app were often left with no recourse, because delays made it impossible to get stolen money back from scammers and because Block failed to investigate unauthorized transactions and failed to issue refunds when required by law.
Under the settlement, the State of Michigan will receive $936,540. Block has also agreed to implement and maintain responsible practices to resolve these issues, including to:
* Maintain customer support that can resolve fraud complaints, account lockouts, and other problems.
* Offer live support 24 hours a day, with a human available by phone at least 13.5 hours a day and by live chat at least 18 hours a day.
* Stop making false or misleading claims about Cash App's safety and how it protects users from fraud.
* Discontinue marketing practices known to increase fraud on the platform.
* Directly educate consumers about common types of fraud.
* Fulfill its legal obligations to investigate fraud claims and reimburse users for unauthorized transactions.
The multistate settlement also reaffirms Block's commitment to distribute between $75 million and $120 million to compensate consumers nationwide as part of a settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Additional information regarding the CFPB's settlement is available on the CFPB's website and Cash App settlement website.
A copy of the consent order submitted to the Court can be found here (PDF).
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Original text here: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/07/09/ag-nessel-announces-45-million-multistate-settlement-over-deceptive-practices-on-cash-app
