Washington lawmakers reach deal on drug policy, avoid automatic decriminalization
Democratic and Republican leaders in the Washington Statehouse have reached a tentative deal on a major new drug policy, one that would avoid making the state the second to decriminalize the possession of controlled substances.
Wisconsin Supreme Court won't order ivermectin use for COVID
Wisconsinโs conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled a hospital couldn't be forced to give a deworming drug to a patient with COVID-19, saying a county judge did not cite a legal basis for ordering the facility to administer ivermectin.
Hundreds of thousands without power in Northwest ice storm
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. โ A winter storm blanketed the Pacific Northwest with ice and snow Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power and disrupting travel across the region. Freezing rain left roads, power lines and trees coated in ice in the Portland, Oregon, region, and by Saturday morning more than 270,000 people were without power. The โunsettled winter conditionsโ would likely continue throughout the week, the National Weather Service said Saturday morning. Rain falling on accumulated snow raised the possibility of urban flooding happening Sunday night or Monday in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Idaho's neighbors to the east were blasted by brutally frigid weather, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerous wind chills in Montana and Wyoming.
Washington state eyes 'billionaire tax' on the ultra rich
AdAbout 100 taxpayers in the state have wealth in excess of $1 billion, according to the state Department of Revenue. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Rep. Noel Frame of Seattle, said the measure isn't an attack on the state's richest residents. The Washington state measure โwould be the first of its kind if it passes,โ he said. Frame said Washington โ one of just a few states without an income tax โ leans too heavily on its sales tax, disproportionately affecting those with less income. In a blog post in late 2019, Gates wrote about inequality and his push for changes in the tax code, including his support of an unsuccessful voter initiative that would have created a state income tax.
Social media crackdown continues after siege of US Capitol
The social media company Twitter said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol insurrection. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)LONDON โ Social media platforms are continuing to crack down on fringe groups and conspiracy theories following last weekโs deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Twitterโs sweeping purge of QAnon accounts, which began Friday, is part of a crackdown that also includes its decision to ban President Donald Trump from the service over worries about further incitement to violence. Twitter has been trying to rein in QAnon for months, removing more than 7,000 accounts in July. Twitter's suspensions followed a flurry of actions by tech giants that silenced rival social media platform Parler, a magnet for the far right.
Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riot
The social media company Twitter said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol insurrection. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)LONDON โ Twitter says it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy theory following last week's U.S. Capitol riot. In many cases, a single individual operated numerous accounts, driving up the total number of affected accounts, the company said in a blog post. The QAnon conspiracy theory is centered on the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign against โdeep stateโ enemies and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals. Twitter has previously tried to crack down on QAnon, removing more than 7,000 accounts in July.
State capitols step up security amid new safety concerns
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)State capitols across the nation stepped up security Monday, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers while several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns following last week's violence at the U.S. Capitol. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol. Oregon state police will conduct building security training for those who work at the state Capitol, including journalists, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Michigan lawmakers are to return to session Wednesday.
VIRUS TODAY: State legislatures to convene amid pandemic
Jay Inslee talks to reporters at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. State lawmakers across the country will be convening in 2021 with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic rippling through much of their work and even affecting the way they work. โ Coronavirus hospitalizations are stabilizing in parts of California, but patients are still overwhelming hospitals in a large swath of the state, leading Gov. Intensive care units in Southern California and the agricultural San Joaquin Valley have no capacity remaining, according to state figures. QUOTABLE: โCOVID will frame everything,โ Tim Storey, executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said about state legislatures across the country that will convene in 2021. ___Find APโs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Michigan, Washington state announce new virus restrictions as US cases hit 11M
Jay Inslee announced new restrictions on businesses and social gatherings Sunday for the next four weeks as the state continues to combat a rising number of coronavirus cases. The order also restricts indoor and outdoor residential gatherings, closes some entertainment facilities and bans gyms from hosting group exercise classes. โWe are at the precipice and we need to take some action.โThe directives from Michigan come on the same day that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would enforce new restrictions on businesses and social gatherings for the next month as it, too, continued to combat a rising number of cases. It took 300 days for the U.S. to hit the 11 million mark since the first case was diagnosed in Washington state Jan. 20.
Wildfire smoke brings worst air quality to Portland, Seattle
Olympia is among the places facing unhealthy air quality due to wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. โThe same population that is most vulnerable to the virus is also most vulnerable to the smoke,โ Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan noted during a news conference. San Francisco also continued to suffer from smoke pollution; those four cities topped the list of major cities with the worst air quality Friday, according to IQAir.com, which tracks air quality around the world. In San Francisco, the gray air smelled of burned wood and visibility was clouded by โvery unhealthyโ air, according to the Bay Area Air Quality District. Residents were also asked to avoid activities that could further degrade the air quality, including unnecessary driving, lawn mowing and barbecuing.
Washington recovers $300M in fraudulent unemployment claims
This photo shows a sign at the headquarters for Washington state's Employment Security Department Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Washington state's rush to get unemployment benefits to residents who lost jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak left it vulnerable to criminals who made off with hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)OLYMPIA, Wash. Washington has recovered $300 million paid to criminals who used stolen personal information to file fraudulent unemployment benefit claims amid the COVID-19 crisis, state officials said Thursday. This is a national attack by sophisticated criminals and isnt just happening to Washington state, LeVine said. Nearly 1.5 million claims for benefits with some of that number reflecting people who filed multiple claims were filed for the week of May 17-23, and more than $494.5 million was paid last week to 424,995 individual claims. Washingtons stay-at-home order has been in place since March 23 and the states unemployment rate jumped to a record 15.4% last month.
Spotlight: Northville Highs, Emily Roden is voted Favorite Butterfly Swimmer
Northville High School Emily RodenRole Model: Olympia, Missy FranklinLunch Favorite: PB & J SandwichFavorite School Subject: MathFavorite Musician: Katy PerryFavorite Place in Northville: Custard Time, loves the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Flurry4Frenzys 2019 Fall Fan Choice favorite, Emily, took the lead with hundreds of votes, landing her the award for Favorite Butterfly Swimmer at Northville High School. 2019 Fall Fan Choice Favorite- EmilyShe started swimming at Goldfish Swim School in Farmington at five years old. 2019 Fall Fan Choice Winner- Emily RodenEmily is loved and supported by her team. The best feeling is being pushed and getting through hard practices with my favorite people, says Emily. Northville High Swim TeamCongratulations to Emily for winning 4Frenzys 2019 Fall Fan Choice Award for Favorite Butterfly Swimmer.We would like to thank our 4Frenzy sponsors for their support!
Bodybuilder, actor Franco Columbu dead at 78
(CNN) - Bodybuilder, former Mr. Olympia and actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzeneggers closest friends, has died, TMZ.com and the New York Daily News reported. He was 78, the Daily News said. Columbu died while swimming off the cost of his native Sardinia, according to reports in Italian media, the paper said. I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advices you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared. Besides being a bodybuilder, weightlifter and boxer, Columbu also acted in TV and movies.