Not exactly a Teams player.
Not exactly a Teams player. Brad Barket / GETTY

Most Idaho abortions would be banned if the Supreme Court overturns Roe: If the Court overturns Roe after considering Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban later this week, Idaho's trigger law banning all abortions except in cases of rape, incest, "or to protect the life of the mother" would take effect 30 days afterward, the Associated Press reports. Abortion providers could face felonies. That ban would likely also strain resources at the Northwest Abortion Access Fund.

Oh, what's this? Another periodic reminder that you can obtain abortion pills online right here? Well, would ya look at that. Man, the Supreme Court sure does suck! I wonder if the Democrats are doing anything meaningful to reform the Court? (The answer is no.)

Microsoft CEO dumps half his stock in the company apparently to avoid helping kids by paying the state's new capital gains tax. Many Seattleites think tech CEOs actually want to help solve the problems their companies create/exacerbate, but, in their defense, they do have worms where brains should go.

Chaser:

The Omicron variant continues to spread: It's in Japan, France, Belgium, Germany, Canada, South Africa and a handful of other countries. Now the Netherlands dates its first case of the variant to a time before South Africa identified it, the Associated Press reports.

No confirmed cases of Omicron in Washington yet: Dr. Seth Cohen, Medical Director of Infection Prevention at University of Washington Medical Center, says, "I would not be at all surprised about Omicron cases being reported here in the U.S. in the next few days or in the very near future. And as we continue to hear about these variants every few months, we will continue to hear about them until we are better able to achieve vaccine equity globally." Today, 74% of Washingtonians ages 12 and up are vaccinated, according to DOH.

Dem politicians say the new variant just means keep doin' what we've been doin': "The discovery of the Omicron variant does not change our approach to fighting the pandemic. We are continuing to urge everyone to get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask and be safe," said Gov. Jay Inslee, Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine in a statement last night.

🎶I believe the children are the future🎶 for Pfizer vaccine boosters against COVID-19. This week the company plans to ask the FDA for authority to give the vax bump to 16 and 17-year-olds, according to the New York Times. Last week I got boosted at CVS after the City's vaccine clinics booked up almost immediately. As of this morning, the City still has no appointments available, which sucks.

Right now, a bunch of rich retired people have the loudest voice in the Sawant Recall.
Right now, a bunch of rich retired people have the loudest voice in the Sawant Recall.

District 3 residents have eight more days (including today) to vote against the recall: So far, the parts of the district dominated by older, wealthier, whiter homeowners with water views have been better about returning their ballots than apartment-dwellers. As of yesterday, just over 19,000 people had voted, but only ~4,600 turned had turned in their votes using the two in-district drop boxes at Seattle Central College and the Garfield Community Center. This is a total guess, but I bet that's a rough indicator for the number of homeowners who've voted vs the number of renters who've voted. If this keeps up, it'll be a bloodbath for Sawant.

If the vote were held today, the rich white enclaves would win.
If the vote were held today, the richer, whiter enclaves would win.

Sumas Elementary School still underwater: Two weeks after flooding in the Nooksack River, the school near the Canadian border is still "completely cut off from the rest of the community," KING 5 reports.

How LA is enforcing its vax requirements: Businesses and venues that fail to check vaccines will get a warning, then an "escalating series of fines starting at $1,000 and topping out at $5,000 for a fourth or subsequent violation," the L.A. Times reports.

New York City chooses harm reduction: As overdoses soar, this week the US's first two safe injection sites will open in NYC, the New York Times reports. Before making the move, the City said it "secured the support of law enforcement agencies," including all but Staten Island's District Attorney. Though the Trump administration sued Philly for trying to open one in 2019, NYC's health commissioner "believes that the facilities will be allowed to operate because of 'a shared sense of urgency' about addressing the overdose crisis." These sites saved lives in Europe, Canada, and even at an unsanctioned site in the US. Seattle's City Council set aside money to fund two sites in 2016 and in 2020. Mayor Jenny Durkan made noises of support, but never followed through. Time for that to change.

Republicans continue obstructing in the Senate: GOP Senators spiked a vote on the so-called "must-pass" war spending bill that everyone loves so much, Politico reports. Though I'm sure there's some not-entirely-heinous stuff in there, the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, negotiated in the House by Seattle Congressman Adam Smith, will give the Pentagon $40 billion more than Trump did, increase the deficit, and spend much more money than Biden's social spending bill, which only currently allocates $1.7 trillion over the course of a decade. It's a fucking disgrace, and so of course it'll likely pass.

Trump is employing an inside/outside strategy to steal the next election: After an unsuccessful coup, the next President of the United States and his supporters appear to be busy infiltrating elections departments in key swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, the Washington Post reports. State and local Republicans are going along with it, though a few impotent establishment GOP types are using phrases like "great big flashing red warning sign."

Meanwhile, in Florida:

Yesterday marked the first day of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Jeffrey Epstein's alleged "partner in crime" stands accused of "recruiting and grooming underage girls," one as young as 14, to pass along to the late American financier and convicted sex offender, the BBC reports. Maxwell's defense will argue that "her accusers might have faulty memories caused by time and contamination 'by outside information, constant media reports and other influences.'"

I leave you with Cande Buasso and Paulo Carrizo performing "Barro tal vez," a cover of a song from Argentine rocker Luis Alberto Spinetta.