Science says sweeps are bad. A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that continued involuntary displacement can contribute up to 15% to 24% more deaths within a ten-year period among unsheltered people who inject drugs.
Researchers asked how repeated sweeps would impact health outcomes for these people. Using CDC data from unsheltered people who use IV drugs in 23 US cities, scientists created a simulation of what 10 lived-years looks like for them. They ran two scenarios with this model: “No displacement” and “continued involuntary displacement.” The tests accounted for several factors (overdoses, serious infections associated with injection drugs, treatment, and time).
There’s a stark difference in the results. In a hypothetical, virtual world with sweeps that mirror our own, hospitalizations and deaths rise as fewer people begin taking drugs to treat addiction. “These findings have implications for the practice of involuntary displacement, as well as policies such as access to housing and supportive services, that could mitigate these harms,” wrote the researchers. Hmm.
The state is trying to increase housing density. The state Senate passed a bill allowing duplexes and fourplexes in most neighborhoods, regardless of local zoning rules. The goal of House Bill 1110, aka the bipartisan “missing middle” housing bill, is to increase supply and fight the state’s housing crisis that’s driving high rent, high housing prices and homelessness across Washington. People just don’t have anywhere to live (Seattle alone needs at least 112,000 units). Opponents argue these decisions should be handled locally, where there is also a housing crisis. Even Republican minority leader Sen. John Braun likes it, because he doesn’t think cities should tell anyone what to do with their property.
State lawmakers weakened restrictions on police pursuits. The Washington House passed Senate Bill 5352, which allows officers to pursue suspects if they have “reasonable suspicion” someone has committed, or is committing, a violent or sexual crime, is driving while intoxicated, or is escaping from police. Before, police had to have a higher threshold of proof of a violent crime, sex crime, or DUI. The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability opposes the bill because they say pursuits are too dangerous and don’t always result in arrest. Law enforcement agencies have been outspoken in their support, saying the restrictions gave criminals license to flee.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson has sued “Puppyland” for predatory loans and false advertising. Fair warning, this story sucks. The pet store chain allegedly lied about its breeding standards and made health guarantees it couldn’t back. Customers claim they brought home sick but very expensive puppies, some of which became violently ill and died. One dog allegedly died in a young child’s arms. The lawsuit also claims Puppyland pushed customers toward predatory loans with near 200% interest rates and made them sign illegal non-disclosure agreements–agreeing not to disparage the reputation of Puppyland. Ferguson believes at least 7,000 people bought animals from Puppyland.
If we know anything about Bob Ferguson… it’s that he really loves protecting consumers with our strong consumer protection laws. He’s always getting our damn money from Facebook or the Sacklers or whoever else. So watch out.
Washington passes protections for trans people fleeing other states. HB 1469 passed the state Senate 29-20 yesterday, making Washington the 10th State to pass a shield law protecting trans people (or their supportive parents and doctors) from out-of-state subpoenas, prosecution, or extradition for accessing or providing “protected healthcare services.” Our lawmakers are throwing a life raft to people fleeing the numerous states restricting bathroom access, banning (or to trying to ban) gender-affirming care, and otherwise attacking their basic dignity and civil rights. What’s happening is super not normal!
So sure, celebrate, but don’t party too hard. As with the rollback on abortion rights, progressive trans laws here do not cancel out restrictive policy in neighboring states. Yes, Washington lawmakers may be paving a road to safety for trans people and their families, who may want to leave states like Montana, Idaho or Utah, but fleeing for your safety is neither good, nor affordable.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order to strengthen background checks before someone buys a gun in his state. Under the order, criminal activity from a gun owner must be reported to authorities. It also ordered the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to evaluate and issue a report on the current process of buying a gun there. Gov. Lee is asking the Legislature to pass “red flag” laws to temporarily take guns from people deemed dangerous. He issued the executive order two weeks after a former student killed three adults and three children at a Christian elementary school in Nashville. Democrats posted inaction from Republicans, who responded by expelling two Black legislators, while allowing a white Democrat (who also protested) to stay. Nashville’s city council has already voted to reinstate Rep. Justin Jones. Fellow House member Rep. Justin J. Pearson has not been reinstated.
When you get off the plane with the legendary Joan Baez you know it’s a movement of the spirit. She stands with us in our struggle in Tennessee and said she’s hopeful to see young voices leading.
“WE SHALL OVERCOME…”
Serendipitous, indeed. pic.twitter.com/f4bj5akUte
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 9, 2023
The company known as Twitter “no longer exists,” only X Corp! Muah-ha ha-ha-ha! Twitter has merged with its shell company, X Corp., which does make me laugh. We know this because of a document filed in a California court against the company (and former CEO Jack Dorsey) by white-nationalist Laura Loomer (monkeys, typewriters, etc.). The document states that Twitter “no longer exists” because of the merger. Bloomberg writes billionaire owner Musk has suggested that buying Twitter for $44 billion last year was an “accelerant” for creating X–an “everything app” to rival the popular WeChat. On Tuesday, Musk tweeted “X.” Cool! He also owns the domain “X.com”–the online payment company Musk started, which later merged with Paypal.
X
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 11, 2023
Russia is cracking down on draft dodgers. Its parliament is likely to pass a measure to prevent people from leaving the country if they’ve been drafted into the army for its war against Ukraine. The amendments to existing laws were passed by Russia’s lower house of parliament. The upper house of parliament must approve the changes, but the New York Times reports they usually do without many changes, if any at all.
Arnold Schwarzenegger hates potholes. He got so mad about a pothole in his Los Angeles neighborhood that he “terminated” it himself (throw all the tomatoes you want!) and tweeted a video of his process yesterday. It has a pretty funky soundtrack.
Today, after the whole neighborhood has been upset about this giant pothole that’s been screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks, I went out with my team and fixed it. I always say, let’s not complain, let’s do something about it. Here you go. pic.twitter.com/aslhkUShvT
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) April 11, 2023
This is a guy who tries to live within the law, sometimes: When filming the first Terminator on a small budget, he apparently got very nervous when James Cameron asked him to punch out a window of a random car because they were filming without a permit. So, he must have really despised this pothole. According to the Associated Press, there are a lot of them in LA right now. Residents have made nearly 20,000 requests to fix potholes since December. The City has fixed around 17,549. Arnold has fixed one.
The first strike in Rutgers University’s 250-year history continues. Nine-thousand unionized staff and faculty walked off the job in a fight for a fair contract–classes and research have come to a collective halt. Governor Phil Murphy says there’s a lot of “goodwill” in the room, but not enough progress has been made. The university’s president alluded that it would seek an injunction to prematurely end the strike, but it has backed off after Gov. Murphy asked him not to.
Chicago will host the 2024 Democratic National Convention next August. My home city beat out Atlanta and New York for the spot. Billionaire benefactor and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s pledge to fund the convention–with fundraising dollars and his own personal dollars–might have helped clinch it.
