Take a minute to [un]wind with our Sunday morning newsletter. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what you may have missed from [un]Divided this week.
Honoring heroes
Today our nation honors the lives lost on September 11 and the servicemembers sent to war in the years that followed, many of whom never returned.
I visited the 9/11 memorial while in New York City this spring. It is a poignant reminder of the strength of our nation and the profound way in which the attacks changed our lives forever.
Christmas on Halloween
Washington Governor Jay Inslee finally acknowledged that his state can continue to battle the pandemic without one-man rule. After more than 900 days of near unilateral power, Inslee announced he will end the state of emergency around COVID-19 on October 31.
“We will continue our commitments to the public’s well-being, but simply through different tools that are now more appropriate for the era we’ve entered,” Inslee said.
Hear my thoughts on this at the start of Friday's episode (and check out my dance moves while you're at it).
The governor’s office released a timeline of “milestones” in the state’s response to COVID in case you care to relive every excruciating month. Conveniently, they’ve left off some of the most controversial aspects of their response – like giving scammers hundreds of millions of dollars for fraudulent unemployment claims.
Why not end the emergency earlier?
Inslee said the remaining emergency orders require time to wean from. For example, one order suspends some testing and certification requirements. It’s meant to help get workers into healthcare settings more quickly as many facilities still face employee shortages.
What will an end to the state of emergency mean for you?
Simply put, Governor Inslee can’t leverage emergency powers to suspend laws or restrict how the public gathers. But should there be an uptick in COVID cases that requires such measures, there’s nothing stopping him from declaring another emergency.
While we're at it, check out this hilarious cartoon from Future 42. As a Lord of the Rings fan, I approve.
Ignoring communities of color
The International District community in Seattle gathered in force this week to protest plans for a massive homeless complex in their backyard.
Our friend Jonathan Choe covered their passionate pleas for King County Executive Dow Constantine to include them in the conversation.
“I wish the decision makers were here, because this is what I want to say to them: ‘How dare you!’” said ID resident Bettie Luke. “It is insane. It is destructive. It will tear apart the safety that the residents here used to feel.”
(Photo: @ChoeShow on Twitter)
At least a thousand people, most of them Asian American, showed up to Hing Hay Park to voice their concerns over a planned homeless shelter that will house around 500 people. They claim city and county leaders never asked for their input.
“This is a county project and I believe they did some amount of research and outreach and talking to communities, and I know that they will continue to do that,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told Choe when confronted at an unrelated event.
Choe noted that he didn’t see any elected officials at the protest – although representatives from the King County Republican Party were in attendance.
More on this coming up this week on [un]Divided.
Assembly Bill 2098
If you watch one thing from [un]Divided this week, check out my interview with California Dr. Houman Hemmati. Hemmati has been pushing back against Assembly Bill 2098, which threatens doctors who spread COVID-19 misinformation or disinformation. The law is vaguely written and risks punishing doctors for advice to patients that politicians deem out of line with “contemporary scientific consensus.”
Dr. Hemmati joined us on Tuesday’s episode (at the 19:00 mark).
Future 42
On Tuesday I announced a partnership with Future42.org – a new nonprofit working to restore sanity to Washington state. As part of that partnership, each Monday we’ll highlight common sense solutions to challenges like crime, homelessness, and runaway spending.
[un]Divided has complete editorial control over segments sponsored by Future 42.
To learn more about Future 42, visit Future42.org. While you’re there, sign up to get their email updates. To learn more about who is behind Future 42, check out their umbrella organization, Project 42.
Housekeeping
Friday, September 16, will be a “Best Of” episode as I’ll be travelling. Enjoy some of our favorite interviews and segments!
Have a great week – thank you all for believing in this mission to bring common sense back to news and politics.
