Congrats to the activists who seem to be getting the youth jail closed by 2025. There’s still work to do, but this is a great direction. It would have been better if it hadn’t been built in the first place. Still and all, it’s a victory.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

I should probably write something…

Listen, I hate to do anything to benefit Portland, but if you’re able people I follow on social media recommended bail funds here. It’s scary what’s going on down there. The local police are scary enough, but add in the Feds kidnapping people off the street, and holy shit. Anyway, do what you can if you can.

Also, wash your hands right now.

They’re breaching a dam on the Nooksack River. It seems like it will help with salmon and trout recovery. Very exciting, and I hope it leads to more dam removal around the state.

But for now, wash your hands.

Sorry I didn’t post this morning. I had some work stuff early this morning and then I forgot to write it at lunch. So um. Here it is now.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Your primary ballots are dropping this week. So I guess look out for them next week. And then you will have until August 4 to get your ballot postmarked or dropped off.

Anyway, please wash your hands right now.

The Seattle City Council has committed to defunding the police department by 50%. Will replacing police duties with people from other city departments work? Will it provide better service? Will it reduce police shootings and other escalation of force? Will it reduce crime? I don’t know. But the status quo is not working.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Tim Eyman is a horse’s ass. But he’s also the only one of the Republicans running for governor who I had any idea about. Who else is running? Wasn’t there some guy who wasn’t going to enforce gun laws? Is he doing anything recentlOHGOD.

In a long-running lawsuit, a woman accuses police and deputies in Ferry County of failing to properly investigate when she reported a pattern of rape and molestation spanning 12 years of her childhood.

Among the defendants is Loren Culp, who is now the police chief in the town of Republic and a Republican candidate for Washington governor. The lawsuit alleges Culp and two other law enforcement officers intimidated the victim, threatened to charge her with making false claims and failed to report her allegations to child welfare authorities as required by law.

Of course a lawsuit filed isn’t the same as all of the accusations proven. But yikes.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

I saw my parents for the first time since the quarantine started over the weekend. We had a socially distanced, masked walk and a picnick. It was a relatively low risk thing, but it was still nervous making. I was glad to see them, but still I don’t know.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

It’s depressing how the CHOP/CHAZ is ending. There was so much generated there. Art and community. A garden. But when self-declared security forces kill a Black child it’s tough to support the place.

None of this excuses the actions of SPD in the last month or so. None of this means tear gassing protesters is retroactively OK or that we can’t defund the police. Black lives still matter.

(Also wash your hands right now.)

(At some point I will get back on track with these.)

The Supreme Court had another goodish ruling (pdf, I haven’t read it yet since I’m on lunch) in a high profile case. I am still concerned that Roberts is a swing vote in these decisions.

It’s definitely good that we’re winning these (for lack of a better phrase) culture war cases. But the court ruled on an exact same law a few years ago. It stinks that we have to play defense. If Justice Kagan (or Garland) were the swing vote, it would probably be on better cases.

Anyway, go wash your hands right now.

Forgot about a thread today. Here’s a limerick in honor of mask wearing being mandatory in Washington starting today.

.

You really should wear a mask, it

Is not much of a thing to ask, it

Will be a breeze,

And will slow the disease.

It might even keep you out of a casket.

.

Also, please wash your hands right now.

I am glad that new rules for face masks are going into effect on Friday (pdf). It seems like a good public health measure. As with when it was Yakima County, I would prefer that this be on the government and employers rather than on individuals. I also hope you don’t call the police on some random person not wearing one.

Still, the coronavirus is spreading too much and some of you are not masking up. Come on.

Also, wash your hands right now.

It stinks that Governor Inslee has to issue an order to wear masks for Yakima County. But it is the correct thing to do. I would prefer the state put the mandate on businesses or made sure masks are available, rather than it fall to individuals. Although, I don’t know what the government’s power to force companies to act or local governments to spend money.

In any event, wash your hands right now.

King County is in Phase Two of the coronavirus response. The link has what various types of businesses can do. I am still pretty nervous about any indoor gathering for the foreseeable future. Like, you’re only as safe as the worst person around. And card rooms seem particularly no good. Ick.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.

Man, I don’t know if it’s just me getting older or something to do with the quarantine, but I am not sleeping well at all. I am still going to sleep and getting up at the same time as before. But now I am just exhausted all the time.

Anyway, wash your hands right now.