Tag Archives: Washington state

The Seattle Times reports: As deadlines draw near for tens of thousands of state workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, some Washington agencies have started sending separation notices to employees who have not shown they are vaccinated. Meanwhile, other large agencies — like the Washington State Patrol, Department of Corrections, and the Department of Social and Health Services — are …

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights: Yesterday, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a legal challenge seeking to invalidate the State of Washington’s 2018 law protecting minors from conversion therapy by state-licensed therapists. Conversion therapy is a dangerous and unethical practice that claims to change sexual orientation or gender identity and has been …

The New York Post reports: A Washington state lawmaker apologized Thursday after he wore a yellow Star of David at an event to make a statement against COVID restrictions. “This gesture went too far,” state Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican, said during a radio interview with host Jason Rantz. “It was inappropriate and offensive and I’m terribly sorry that it …

The Seattle Times reports: A Washington state lawmaker critical of COVID-19 vaccine mandates wore a yellow Star of David at a speech over the weekend — a symbol the Nazis forced Jews to wear during the Holocaust. State Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, had the star affixed to his pink shirt during a speech to conservative activists at a Lacey church …

The New York Post reports: If karma is real, here’s evidence. A boat full of bigots swarmed an LGBTQ family on the water — just before the bigots’ vessel exploded and was “charred to a crisp,” according to one of the victims of their harassment. The passenger also shared footage showing the mayhem as it unfolded. Over 4.8 million have …

Spokane’s CBS News affiliate reports: A three day-long super-spreader event in Republic, Washington is causing a spike in COVID-19 cases in Ferry County. As of Wednesday, nearly 100 people had been infected. The event was set up to recruit new Eagle’s Club members the weekend of April 9-11. Some said it was advertised as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions. Health …

The Seattle Times reports: Last Friday, Molly Stearns, chief development officer at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, emailed about 110 donors who gave more than $10,000 to the Eastside hospital system, informing them that highly coveted vaccine slots were available. “Dear Overlake major donors…” the email read. “We’re pleased to share that we have 500 new open appointments in the …

The New York Daily News reports: A Washington entrepreneur who branded himself a biotech expert and sold an alleged COVID-19 “vaccine” he created in his personal lab has been arrested. Johnny Stine, 56, has been charged with introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce after he advertised his concoction for between $400 and $1,000, according to the Department of Justice. The …

The Tacoma News Tribune reports: The video footage is clear, and hard to watch: a Tacoma Police patrol car running into and through a group of pedestrians. The 48-second clip, shot shortly before 7 p.m., was shot in the downtown area. The patrol car, surrounded by groups of shouting people, revs its engine and suddenly surges forward, striking the group …

Seattle’s NBC News affiliate reports: Gov. Jay Inslee has announced new statewide restrictions to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, which includes closing indoor service for restaurants and bars and prohibiting indoor social gatherings. These rules will mostly go into effect on Monday at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect until Dec. 14. In-store retail limited to 25% …

Fox News reports: A man in Washington state was arrested Saturday and charged with assault after allegedly breaking the jaw of a 72-year-old disabled veteran in a hotel lobby in a dispute over coronavirus masks. Cody P. Hansen, 35, [photo] was arrested at his home in Spokane, Wash., on Saturday after police received an anonymous tip. He has been charged …

Seattle’s NBC News affiliate reports: A man allegedly pulled a gun on another customer over being asked to wear a face mask at a Fred Meyer in Tumwater this week, according to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office. According to court documents, the man arrested, who has not yet been charged, is accused of pulling a gun on another customer who …

Via press release: Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s new rule vastly limiting anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act. Among many other changes, the rule removes explicit protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping. This allows for discrimination against LGBTQ patients — particularly transgender patients. The rule also …

CBS News reports: More than 100 students living in fraternity houses near the University of Washington campus have reported testing positive for COVID-19, with hundreds of results pending. The Interfraternity Council, a student-led governing board for UW fraternities, said that at least 105 residents living in 15 fraternity houses have self-reported that they tested positive. University spokeswoman Michelle Ma said …

The Seattle Times reports: Just as Seattle’s mayor and police chief were wrapping up a Sunday night news conference about ongoing protests against police brutality, a 27-year-old man at a demonstration on Capitol Hill was shot by a gunman who drove into the crowd. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition, and …

The Seattle Times reports: As demonstrators of Washington’s stay-at-home order to slow the new coronavirus converged Saturday on the Capitol campus to again protest the restrictions, opposition has taken a darker turn online. Two Facebook pages during the past week posted names, emails and phone numbers of state residents who had complained to the state about businesses allegedly violating Gov. …

The Associated Press reports: Boeing and a small number of other manufacturers around the U.S. geared up Monday to resume production amid pressure from President Donald Trump to reopen the economy and resistance from governors who warn there is not enough testing yet to keep the coronavirus from rebounding. Boeing, one of the Pacific Northwest’s biggest employers, said it will …

From a joint press release: Today, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced an agreement on a shared vision for reopening their economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future. COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting …

PBS reports: Joe Biden has been declared the winner of last week’s Democratic presidential primary in Washington state, giving him victories in five out of six states that voted March 10. After nearly a week of counting votes, the former vice president on Monday held onto a small lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that turned out to be insurmountable. …

Seattle’s Fox affiliate reports: The Seattle Public School District will close for at least two weeks amid concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus. The district announced the closure in a message sent to families. “The decision to close the district was extremely difficult,” the message said. “We know that closing our schools will impact our most vulnerable families and …