[SEATTLE] – Two brothers were arraigned on an indictment today in connection with the September 30, 2020, firebombing of a coffee shop on Aurora Avenue in Shoreline, Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Taylor Lemay Rice, 23 and Daniel Lemay Rice 21, pleaded “Not Guilty” and were released on personal appearance bonds. Trial is set before U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on January 3, 2021.
The two men are charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device – in this case four Molotov cocktails. The destructive devices darkened the sides of the building, but did not extensively damage the structure. The men were identified as suspects in the early morning firebombing, after extensive work by law enforcement involving review of surveillance video and cell phone records. Both men have been interviewed by law enforcement and agreed to turn themselves in.
January 14, 2021 coverage of black coffee northwest – security video of September 30 firebombing released
Information in the public record indicates the coffee shop shares the building with Bethany Community Church. The coffee shop was closed and was scheduled to reopen under new operators. The signs for the old ownership remained on the building. Speaking in court at the detention hearing, prosecutors indicated the firebombing may have been motivated by a dispute over one of the brother’s cars being towed from the area around the coffee stand a few months earlier.
Unlawful possession of a destructive device is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
[SEATTLE, Wash.] – (SGN) Nicole Thomas-Kennedy is running for Seattle city attorney against Ann Davison in the general election on November 2. The pair defeated Pete Holmes, an incumbent who had held the job since 2010, in the August primary election.
However, unlike her opponent, who ran for Seattle City Council in 2019 and for lieutenant governor of Washington (as a Republican) in 2020, she is a newcomer to politics.
Interview with Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, Seattle city attorney candidate
“I’ve definitely never considered running for any other office. I don’t really think of myself as a politician, so, I like the specificity of what the city attorney does,” explained Thomas-Kennedy. “I was a public defender and… I saw what the city attorney was doing for misdemeanors in the city, and I thought it was disturbing and that I could do a much better job on that.”
[LEAVENWORTH, Wash.] – (MTN) He went by bloodytnvc5 on Tik Tok and was infamous for using a Pharoh’s face and headdress as his alter ego and for wearing blue medical gloves. A three-month investigation would reveal one of the most prominent creators of hate and Covid-19 misinformation on Tik Tok was a cook at Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth, Washington.
Cascade Medical Center, a 25-bed acute care hospital nestled in a Bavarian-themed town in the Eastern Cascades, fired two employees earlier this month, according to the Director of Public Relations, Clint Strand. Matthew Wilson of Leavenworth, 33, and Alyssa “Lyssa” Riggs of Cashmere, 21, presented themselves as a doctor and nurse on social media, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Wilson was meticulous in hiding his identity, using the Pharoh’s face and only showing his hands, encased in blue medical gloves. He would use a whiteboard to share his content to bypass artificial intelligence moderation while filming himself in examination rooms and surgical suites. His videos frequently used medical equipment as props. As Wilson and Riggs spread their lies, residents of Chelan County were flooding the emergency department gasping for breath, infected with Covid-19.
After months of investigation, Tik Tok creators ThatDaneshGuy and Guilt, along with a team of researchers, tracked down Riggs. Once they discovered her identity, they learned Wilson was the man behind bloodytnvc5.
For months, Wilson, with help from Riggs, created thousands of videos seen by millions of people. Along with medical misinformation, Wilson spread hate and intolerance unchecked by Tik Tok and its moderation staff.
He claimed to have acquired a military “explosive device,” even showing the serial numbers as proof in one video. Investigators concluded the serial numbers were not related to any kind of explosives or component to a bomb but a commercially available gun rack. Despite the bold claims, Tik Tok allowed the video to be viewed and shared by hundreds of thousands.
Content included sharing Nazi images from World War II and tap dancing around the edges of content guidelines while attacking Jews. He created sexist content within the walls of Cascade Health while sharing images and boasting he allegedly owns illegal firearms. Incredibly, he offered to sell fake vaccination cards with impunity from Tik Tok management.
While wrapping himself in patriotism, white nationalism, and a love of the Second Amendment, he pushed medical misinformation. Covid-19 was a hoax, Covid-19 wasn’t that bad, the vaccine was gene therapy, and the government is out to control everyone. His smooth voice and presentation, the gloves, the medical gear, and what appeared to be an understanding of medical terminology made him credible to his audience. His core audience was already thoroughly indoctrinated in medical misinformation and hungry for content to fuel their confirmational bias.
Additionally, he brutally attacked Black people and Black culture. But Wilson had a secret behind his online persona, and a trail of tiny breadcrumbs led to his downfall.
Several small mistakes and the unique architecture of Leavenworth lead to a big reveal
Wilson and Riggs made one critical mistake, each in separate videos, despite efforts to hide their identities. Additionally, Wilson left a trail of smaller clues that led to his identification.
Riggs revealed herself in a single video dressed as a nurse wearing a surgical mask and glasses. A graduate of Cascade High School in 2018, Riggs was feted by former Leavenworth Mayor Cheri Kelley Farivar in 2017 for being part of “Citizens of Washington in a Contemporary World.” According to LinkedIn and WenatcheeWorld, Riggs was on the dean’s list at Wenatchee Valley College, where she studied dental hygiene. The Washington State Department of Health Provider Credential Search portal indicated Riggs does not hold a license in any dental or nursing discipline.
Wilson went to great lengths to hide his identity, and attempts to find him by cross-referencing other social media channels were fruitless. He likely never considered the unique architecture of Leavenworth would provide the critical clue that would end his reign over social media.
Leavenworth, Washington, was founded as a logging town located on a railroad line. The town boomed through the late 1800s into the 1940s. Timber for construction, aircraft manufacturing during World War I, and a need for wood during World War II brought prosperity to the region. After the war, the railroad moved the line, bypassing Leavenworth and the town’s economy collapsed. By 1960, it appeared Leavenworth would disappear off the map.
City leaders came up with an idea to revitalize Leavenworth that forever changed the community. They adopted building codes to match Bavarian architecture and turned the town into a German-themed tourist destination. Almost overnight, Leavenworth became a picturesque mecca nationally known for Oktoberfest, Christmas lights, and the closest village to Stevens Pass and its ski area. Located just a couple of blocks off U.S. Route 2, Cascade Medical Center adopted the same Bavarian architecture when it was built. The unique construction requirements would be the undoing of Riggs and help identify Wilson.
In another video, Wilson revealed a distinctive area of Cascade Medical Center for a brief moment, showing the exposed beam German-inspired architecture. From that single view, investigators identified the facility.
Human resources at Cascade Medical Center was able to identify Riggs when researchers presented their findings, including the small video clip where she appeared just once. There is an old saying that there is no honor among thieves. When Riggs was confronted by Cascade Medical about her online activity and was accused of being the person behind bloodytnvc5, she gave up Wilson.
The hospital told the team of Danesh and Guilt, two employees were fired, and they waited for the story to break in the news. They believed they had revealed a doctor spreading medical misinformation, selling fake vaccination cards, and spreading racial hatred – but the news never came.
The final clues
Investigators went back through the cesspool of content they had gathered, looking for any additional clues for the true identity of bloodytnvc5. The deeper review discovered Wilson had made a critical error in a single video. Ironically, the historical roots of Washington state being part of the Oregon Territory when the Black Exclusion Act was passed in 1844 worked against him.
Almost 200 years later, Washington state is only 4% Black, while the United States is 13%. In a single video, Wilson forgot to put on his blue medical gloves revealing his race. Wilson is Black and lives in a community with 2,057 residents – slightly more than one percent are Black. Investigators believed they were looking for a Black doctor because Wilson presented himself as a medical expert with access to exam rooms, surgical suites, and medical equipment with apparent impunity.
Sprinkled among Wilson’s misinformation, weapons violations, selling fake vaccination cards, and racial hatred, there were morsels of content about food. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Scanning through photos from Cascade Medical Center, investigators had an epiphany. Wilson was in plain sight the whole time, but he wasn’t a doctor or even medically trained – Wilson is a chef. In one photo provided in hospital marketing materials, Wilson’s name was clearly visible on his employee badge, wearing a chef’s uniform, smiling over a table laden with food.
Despite being Black himself, Wilson expressed racial hatred and mocked Black culture. Some of his tamer content can still be found on (parental advisory, not safe for work)the website iFunny, including an iteration of the Pharoh iconography he would use.
Epilogue
Wilson and Riggs were both terminated from Cascade Medical Center, but they have not faced additional consequences for their actions to date. Wilson boasted of having illegal weapons in his possession and provided pictures. However, his whole persona online appears to be a complete illusion.
Wilson allegedly has been reported to the FBI, ATF, and local animal control for the crimes he self-documented on social media. An inquiry is being made with the Washington Department of Health to determine if the state will investigate Wilson, Riggs, or both for impersonating a doctor and nurse, respectively. Because this story broke over the weekend, we plan to reach out to the Washington Department of Health on Monday.
Riggs doesn’t hold any medical license (to the best of our research abilities) in Washington state. In theory, if she has completed her education in dental hygiene, she could become a licensed medical professional in the future.
ByteDance has never responded to multiple inquiries we have made about other medical misinformation creators on Tik Tok that operate with apparent impunity on the platform. Wilson and Riggs will likely maintain a low profile, but plenty of other videos already exist spreading harmful content.
We would like to thank ThatDaneshGuy, the creator Guilt, and their researchers for sharing their content with Malcontent News.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the amount of data hacked is 180GB.
[Sammamish, Wash.] – (MTN) Sammamish, Washington based Epik Sofware, the controversial DNS and host provider for websites and apps such as Parler, Gab, and 8Chan was breached by the hacker group Anonymous. The organization announced they were able to access and download ten years of data, with most of it unencrypted. In a message posted by the group, they provided details to access founder Rob Monster’s e-mails, as proof of their claims.
Epik Software provides hosting and DNS to thousands of websites, most involved in the dark corners of the web that spread hate, discuss and plan domestic terrorism, platform QAnon conspiracies, and spread disinformation. A DNS is similar to the physical address of a home or business. Websites use an IP address, which could be thought of as latitude and longitude for a physical location. Most people won’t navigate to an address using that data and instead will look for “100 Main Street.” A DNS provider enables a URL (or multiple URLs) to point to an IP to a common URL.
The potential information on the people or business behind sites such as Parler, Gab, The Storm Front, prolifewhistleblower, 8Chan, BitChute, and Patriot.win, to list a few. Additionally, Anonymous is claiming they have passwords, internal communications, and other data going back ten years. For some sites and apps such as Parler, most information is already known. The bigger reveal could expose thousands of people involved in websites that peddle suicide advice, medical misinformation, and support QAnon.
One-hundred-and-eighty gigabytes of compressed data were released and currently, several sources are working to verify the data and make it usable for researchers and journalists.
The company based out of Sammamish, Washington, and run by Rob Monster, operates under the banner of protecting First Amendment rights. However, the company has a history of not cooperating with criminal investigations when websites have crossed lines into potential criminal behavior.
The company recently made headlines for providing DNS services to the Texas website prolifewhistleblower, after GoDaddy booted the site. The website was created so people could report anyone helping a Texas resident gain access to an abortion, and earn a $10,000 bounty. Less than a week after Epik became the DNS, their legal team also dropped the website. GoDaddy has offices in Kirkland, Washington.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) The United States has over 100,000 people hospitalized due to COVID for the first time since January, a six-fold increase of patients in nine weeks. Local health officials reported a pediatric patient has died of COVID in the state and 9 people have required treatment for Ivermectin poisoning. There is some fresh misinformation circulating about the Pfizer vaccine on social media.
We really want to bring you some good news, and the power is in your hands.
Another day, another record, and another sign that the epidemiological curve for new cases is slowing down. Through August 18, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 525.6 COVID cases per 100K, which is another record. Benton (1,101.1 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,072.4 per 100K), and Franklin (1,210.2 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Douglas, Grant, Lewis, and Lincoln counties are not far behind.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 18, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 12.78%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.41%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population
Washington State Department of Health issues statement on Ivermectin as poisoning calls flood the state
Washington state has treated nine people since the beginning of August after they misused Ivermectin meant for livestock such as horses and sheep. The increasing calls into poison control and people seeking medical assistance force the state to address the issue in a news release this afternoon.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) warns people should not take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, following today’s Health Alert Network advisory released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used commonly in humans and animals. Although it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of some parasitic worms, external parasites, and skin conditions, evidence shows it is ineffective against treating the COVID-19 virus and the side effects can be potentially dangerous.
Side effects may include but are not limited to, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, dizziness, seizures, confusion, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and liver injury (hepatitis). Drugs prescribed for animals are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals and therefore may be toxic to humans. The FDA has received multiple reports of people who were hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses. In July 2021, poison control centers across the country reported a five-fold increase in the number of calls for human exposure to ivermectin.
Despite the dangers, nationwide the CDC has seen a sharp increase in both providers prescribing and patients requesting ivermectin for COVID-19. According to the CDC, during the second week of August more than 88,000 prescriptions were reported nationwide, which is 24-times higher than the number of prescriptions written before the pandemic and more than double the previous peak of prescriptions written in early January 2021. The FDA has established a cross-agency task force that closely monitors for fraudulent COVID-19 products that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure COVID-19.
Eatonville School District scraps contact tracing program for student athletes
The Eatonville School District’s attempt to implement the same contact tracing technology used by the National Football League (NFL) hit a brick wall after community outcry, forcing the program to be shelved. Student-athletes and coaches would wear monitors to provide precision contact tracing, regardless of their vaccination status.
The NFL implemented this program because without it if a player were to test positive for COVID, the whole team would have to be quarantined. This would result in forfeited games, lost revenue, and local impact on employees at stadiums.
Western Washington ICU nurses don’t want to face this latest wave
Last week we reported how anti-mask and anti-vaccination protesters were outside of Providence Everett Hospital, which was the first medical facility in the nation to treat a confirmed COVID case. It seems some inside heard their message, but this probably isn’t the response they expected.
“I got to the point where I felt that the cost of working directly with COVID patients in the ICU was too high to be worth it,” explained Zeh. “I decided to leave because I just couldn’t emotionally or mentally get through another surge of COVID. A big part of me felt like I was needed, my skillset was needed, but I also needed to take a step back and take care of myself first.”
Zeh said the breaking point came as she watched more COVID-19 patients filling up the hospital, most of them were unvaccinated.
This situation is playing out across the United States, with traveling nurses refusing to go to Texas or Florida despite offers as high as $13,000 a week. We reported yesterday that Mississippi has lost 2,000 nurses since the start of the year.
We are waiting to hear from the Department of Health Public Information Officer
We’ve been working with our partners in the Department of Health and we got an update that answers to your questions are coming. What we’ve passed along includes
Explanation on the data difference between the Washington Hospital Association and the Washington State Department of Health, the preliminary answer we have is the DoH numbers are the accurate ones and they are looking into how the WHA counts their numbers
How many Pediatric ICU beds are in Washington state, and if they will start providing tracking information on PICU occupancy
How is the state working to address the shortage of long-term care facilities and what progress has been made
Can we get more granular information on pediatric COVID cases, and we ask specifically if they could break out the data from birth to 11 and 12 to 19 years old
Thank you for your questions, and we will keep trying to find you the answers.
New IHME Forecast predicts the crest of the fifth wave comes in October
The closely watched IHME forecast is projecting almost 3,000 additional COVID deaths in Washington state between now and December 1, 2021. The gloomy model now predicts new cases will peak at the end of September and hospitalizations will peak in the third week of October. The same predicts that if Washington state remains masked with high compliance, the number of fatalities could decline by 1,400.
SPOG President Mike Solan warns of an exodus of Seattle police officers over vaccine mandate
“Every person who makes a decision not to get vaccinated is not just jeopardizing their own health,” she told KUOW, “they’re jeopardizing the health of the people around them,” Durkan said.
Pfizer, which was the first vaccine to receive full FDA approval, is in phase 3 clinical trials for their booster shot and found there was a threefold increase in antibodies.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated (18+), and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
On August 25, 87.8% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,091 acute care beds available statewide and 242 in King County. The state has gained 31 staffed beds since yesterday. The Northwest, North Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West, Central, and East Regions are over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,401 adult COVID patients in acute care, 94% unvaccinated. This is an increase of 25 from yesterday, which is 15.7% of all acute care patients.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 25, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 87.4% occupied with 153 staffed beds available, 53 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU increased to 354 and the state gained 13 staffed ICU beds. A combined 1,755 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, breaking yesterday’s record.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 25, 2021
A hospital is considered to be under “extreme stress” when more than 20% of their total patients have COVID, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Another factor is how many ICU patients a hospital has. If COVID is impacting more than 30% of patients in intensive care, a hospital is considered to be under “high stress,” and at 60% it is considered to be under “extreme stress.”
Apply this measurement to Washington State Hospital Regions, only the Central Region which includes Seattle and Bellevue, and the East Region, which includes Spokane, are not stressed. The West, North Central, Southwest, and South Central regions are under extreme stress with acute care patients and the North and Northwest regions are under high stress due to ICU patients.
The North Central District, which includes Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, and Grant counties is of particular concern with 21.1% of acute care patients and 56.3% of ICU patients being treated for COVID.
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The East Region remains critically low on ICU capacity with 10 beds available in the latest report.
Georgia continues to set new records with 90% of all ICU beds in use. Almost 50% of the ventilators available in the state are in use. Wellstar Health System, which runs several large hospitals in Georgia reported that 91% of all COVID patients are unvaccinated and 97% of ICU patients are unvaccinated.
Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis continues to refuse to declare a state of emergency as liquid oxygen shortages start to impact state infrastructure and space operations. Tampa Bay residents, already reeling from Red Tide and COVID have been asked to conserve water. In a statement on Wednesday, Tampa Bay Water announced they would have to replace oxygen with bleach to purify water, impacting 2.5 million customers. Officials are sounding the alarm noting that hospitals need oxygen and clean water to operate.
Florida hospitals are using 300% to 400% more oxygen than normal treating over 17,000 patients. A recent survey indicates that 68 hospitals in the state have less than a 48-hour supply of oxygen on site. Twenty-nine hospitals have gotten to a 12 hour supply or less since July 1.
Hawaii
Leaders from the Native Hawaiian community held a joint press conference at the state Capitol urging the native community to get vaccinated and wear masks.
“We are asking the Hawaiian community – based on our history of disease – to take charge and consider getting the vaccine, wearing a mask indoors and outdoors, and social distancing.”
“The Pono Coalition for Informed Consent is spreading misinformation about these lifesaving vaccines. This is dangerous. The Coalition proliferates misinformation about the severity of the disease and the safety of the vaccines.”
Dr. Lorrin Pang, the Maui District Health Officer is a co-founder of the organization and was not mentioned in the statement.
“There’s a wide variety of positions available, a wide variety of skill sets — we need positions in every part of the state,” Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Public Health, said at the briefing, according to The Associated Press.
The state also announced they were opening three monoclonal antibody treatment centers in North Idaho, East Idaho, and the Treasure Valley. The program hopes to capture symptomatic COVID patients before they require hospitalizations. Monoclonal antibodies are effective if given within 96 hours of treatment and for patients who don’t require oxygen support.
Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene had to convert a classroom into a patient care unit to avoid running out of staffed beds. The hospital is housing a record 97 COVID patients, 37 in ICU and 97% of all COVID patients are unvaccinated.
Illinois
Illinois joined a growing list of states requiring vaccinations for teachers and healthcare workers. PreK through grade 12 teachers and staff and higher education personnel and students, will have to be fully vaccinated by September 5 or receive weekly testing. The same applies to a range of healthcare workers in the state.
Governor J.B. Pritzker has also issued a statewide indoor mask mandate that will begin on Monday. The governor got into a testy exchange with WIND radio talkshow host Amy Jacobson during the announcement, which led to accusations of her spreading, “misinformation.” Jacobson has been an outspoken critic of COVID mitigation programs and in 2020 compared the governor to Hitler, at a rally to protest lockdowns.
Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson spoke with the Associated Press from the hospital briefly and told the agency he was doing “fairly well” and responding to treatment. Jackson was hospitalized 3 days ago along with his wife. Jackson was vaccinated in January, however, his wife Jacqueline was not due to a pre-existing health condition.
“Stats of the day: there are 133 people in the hospital with COVID-19 in Maine right now. Fifty-nine are in the ICU and 27, on ventilators. Of 332 total ICU beds in Maine, 34 are available right now. Yesterday (Wednesday), there were 39 available beds. And on Tuesday, there were 52,” Shah said in a tweet. Maine hospitalizations for COVID peaked at more than 200 in mid-January.
Maine is roughly the same size as Indiana.
Mississippi
The Mississippi State Department of Health reported that a sixth child has died of COVID. Officials reported on Wednesday that the child was under 5 years old. Mississippi has been teetering on the brink of a systemwide hospital collapse, forcing officials to issue the strictest quarantine rules in the United States. Hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, but officials may be looking at their next major challenge with Tropical Depression 9 expected to be a major hurricane this weekend.
“We have patients waiting to get onto life support,” ICU Dr. Somnath Ghosh said. “The turnaround is so rapid, it’s pretty sad.”
ICU nurse Clarissa Carson said relatives used to be able to stay in rooms to grieve after loved ones passed as long as they wanted. Now, they have to be out in less than an hour so another COVID patient waiting down the hall can get in.
Cirko apologized and said she was drunk at the time of the incident. A Luzerne County judge called Cirko’s conduct “totally outrageous” and sentenced her to one to two years in jail, to be followed by eight years of probation. She also was ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution.
Tennessee
On the early topic of the NFL and contact tracing, nine players of the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Team officials report that 97% to 98% of the Titans are vaccinated – but they did not indicate if that included just players, or players, coach staff, and back office.
“This tragedy serves as a reminder that children, even without underlying health conditions, can get seriously ill and die from COVID-19,” said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the City of Houston. “Getting vaccinated is not only about protecting you, it’s about protecting everyone close to you, especially your family, from serious illness and death.”
“It’s so distressing to see the governor of this state doing everything else he can possibly do to stop us from saving (children),” Wolff said.
The case will go back to the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio, who will further consider the temporary injunction.
Misinformation
A burst of content has been spread stating that the FDA did not give full authorization to the Pfizer vaccine. Instead, the agency only extended emergency approval, and sometimes they provide an end date.
“Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 12 years of age and older.”
That looks like the case is closed, but it isn’t. The first page of the document states clearly that the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer is an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. It is also authorized for emergency use in individuals 12 to 15 years old.
“COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) is an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer for BioNTech. It is approved as a 2-dose series for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older and is also authorized for emergency use in individuals 12 through 15 years and to provide a third dose to individuals 12 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromised. The FDA-approved COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and the EUA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine have the same formulation and can be used interchangeably to provide the COVID-19 vaccination series.“
Misinformation based on some degree of fact can be the most dangerous because it can be harder to disprove. We rate this as mostly false. The Pfizer vaccine has full FDA approval for individuals 16 and older.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Moderna has completed their FDA full approval request, Johnson & Johnson booster shot shows a good response, your author got a COVID test today, and COVID numbers keep growing in Washington state.
This is an abbreviated update because I feel like lukewarm death today.
There are some signs Washington state is hitting a plateau with new cases slowing down. Hospitalization and deaths are trailing indicators, so expect both to continue to rise quickly over the next 3 to 6 weeks, with fatalities leveling off last. Through August 17, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 514.2 COVID cases per 100K, which is another record. Benton (1,099.7 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,040.7 per 100K), and Franklin (1,206.1 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Grant, Lewis, and Lincoln counties are not far behind. Garfield County now has 13 active cases, beating yesterday’s record. The USA Today COVID Tracker had not been updated when we prepared this story.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 17, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.97%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.86%. This is almost unchanged from yesterday. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission, driven by the unvaccinated.
USA Today is no longer showing the 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths and is now reporting a total number. According to the USA Today COVID tracker Washington reported 34 deaths statewide on August 24.
72.4% of Washington residents 12 and up have had at least on dose of the COVID vaccine
As of August 22, 72.4% of all Washingtonians age 12 and up, have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Employer and college mandates along with Delta bringing a harsh reality to vaccine hold outs is driving the increase. The concept of “herd immunity” comes from veterinarian medicine. Epidemiologists believe that you need a vaccination rate of 85% to 90% of a total population to end community transmission.
Critical patient dies in Eastern Washington due to no ICU beds available
KOMO News is reporting that an unidentified person died at a rural Eastern Washington hospital. The person, who was not brought to the hospital for COVID, required intensive care but no beds were available The patient died before an available facility could be found.
At least one woman died while waiting for an ICU bed, said Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“This patient who was severely ill and unfortunately she actually did pass away in this small hospital when after eight hours of trying, we were unable to find an ICU bed that could help sustain her life at that point,” Mitchell said at a press conference with state health officials.
Another patient had to wait six hours for a lifesaving surgery, and one patient had to be transferred to a hospital in Idaho that had a bed available, he said.
“Sadly for large periods of time now, we have reached a point where there are actually no critical care beds that are able to accept those patients throughout our entire state,” he said. Hospitals are short on all levels of staff, from janitors to clinical staff, he added.
“This BLA submission for our COVID-19 vaccine, which we began in June, is an important milestone in our battle against COVID-19 and for Moderna, as this is the first BLA submission in our company’s history,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93% through six months after dose 2. I want to thank the people who participated in our clinical studies, as well as the staff at clinical trial sites who have been on the front lines of the fight against the virus. I would again like to thank our partners at NIH, NIAID, and BARDA who have helped us advance the clinical development of our mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. I would also like to thank the U.S. FDA for their hard work and guidance through the BLA submission process and the entire Moderna team for their relentlessness in pursuing our mission of delivering on the promise of mRNA science.”
The FDA Fast Track designation received on May 12, 2020, has permitted Moderna to submit sections of the BLA on a rolling basis and Moderna announced the initiation of the BLA submission on June 1, 2021. The completed submission includes clinical data from the Phase 3 COVE study of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which enrolled more than 30,000 participants in the U.S. and was conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine showed 93% efficacy, with the efficacy remaining durable through six months after the administration of the second dose. In the COVE study, reported adverse reactions included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, chills, nausea/vomiting, axillary swelling/tenderness, fever, swelling at the injection site, and erythema at the injection site.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated (18+), and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
On August 23, 87.0% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,158 acute care beds available statewide and 267 in King County. The state has gained 42 staffed beds since yesterday. The Northwest, North Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West, Central, and East Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,376 adult COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 31 from yesterday, which is 15.4% of all acute care patients.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 24, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 88.1% occupied with 144 staffed beds available, 46 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU dropped to 344 and the state gained 3 staffed ICU beds. A combined 1,720 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, breaking yesterday’s record.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 24, 2021
A hospital is considered to be under “extreme stress” when more than 20% of their total patients have COVID, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Another factor is how many ICU patients a hospital has. If COVID is impacting more than 30% of patients in intensive care, a hospital is considered to be under “high stress,” and at 60% it is considered to be under “extreme stress.”
Apply this measurement to Washington State Hospital Regions, only the East Region, which includes Spokane, was not stressed. The West, North Central, and South Central regions are under extreme stress with acute care patients and the remainder of Washington state is under high stress due to ICU patients.
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The West Region, which includes Tacoma, and the East Region, which includes Spokane, remains critically low on ICU capacity. Each region has 11 ICU beds available as of Monday morning, which is little changed from Friday.
Johns Hopkins University reported over 134,245 new cases and 1,405 deaths yesterday. The number of reported deaths is the highest since the summer surge began.
Eva Madison, a county elected official, raised the issue of jail inmates being given the drug ivermectin during a finance and budget committee meeting Tuesday night. Jail officials were presenting their 2022 budget, which included the jail’s physician, Dr. Rob Karas, asking for a 10% increase in the medical services contract.
Madison informed committee members and the jail officials that a county employee, who has opted to stay anonymous to the public, told her that he had been sent to the jail’s clinic to get tested for COVID-19. When the person tested negative, they were given a $76 prescription for ivermectin. He was concerned about the prescription and asked his primary care physician about it, and the physician told him to “throw that in the trash,” Madison said.
Sheriff Tim Helder defended the decision and said that Dr. Karas “has been regularly prescribing ivermectin at the jail during the pandemic,” according to Madison.
Madison said that when she spoke to Karas, he confirmed he had been prescribing the medicine to detainees at the jail, and that he and his family members were also taking it.
This has serious Constitutional implications as it is forcing inmates to take an off-label drug that has specific guidance to not use as a COVID treatment by the FDA and the drug manufacturer Merck.
District of Columbia
Attorney John Pierce, a fierce anti-vaccination advocate whose client list included Kyle Rittenhouse and a number of January 6, insurrectionists, is in the hospital with COVID and on a ventilator. Pierce’s failure to appear in court today, and a flood of his clients filing requests to change lawyers created speculation on his condition.
When Pierce failed to appear at a Wednesday court hearing for Capitol riot suspect Shane Jenkins, his colleague Ryan Marshall told the judge, “Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive.”
Florida
Another county in Florida has decided to go against Governor Ron DeSantis and mandate masks in school. Orange County, Florida, which includes the city of Orlando, mandated masks in schools after 400 students tested positive for COVID in a single day.
As a stricter mask mandate requiring a medical excuse took hold Sunday in Florida’s capital county, Dr. Brian Warden posted a notice on a statewide anti-mask site inviting Leon County parents to contact him if they need a medical exemption letter. In another post, Warden said he’d provide a medical opt out letter on signed stationery for $50. Screenshots of the posts ricocheted around social media.
Dr. Pang, who has served for more than two decades as the Maui district health officer for the state Department of Health, is co-founder of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent.
His state job entails administering state public health programs and acting as the principal public health representative for the director of the state Department of Health, who is currently Dr. Libby Char.
Pang, in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, said that as a member of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent, he is speaking as a private citizen and doesn’t always agree with views espoused by other members of the group. He stressed that he supports the state’s efforts to increase vaccinations against COVID-19.
He outlined his treatments in a videotaped discussion with Pang that was moderated by Travis and recently posted on the group’s Rumble account. It involves using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as early treatment options, drugs that the FDA has warned people not to take to treat COVID-19.
Mississippi now has at least 2,000 fewer nurses than it did at the beginning of the year, according to the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Center for Quality & Workforce. The staff shortages add to the growing strain on the state’s hospital system — both due, in large part, to the Covid-19 pandemic. When asked if the health care system is reaching a breaking point, Singing River Nursing Manager for Personal Care Buddy Grager said, “I think we already broke.”State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said Tuesday that Mississippi set a new record of Covid-19 related deaths. And of the 875 staffed ICU beds across the state, more than 93% are in use and more than 63% of those beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Oregon will deploy “crisis teams” of hundreds of nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, and nursing assistants to regions of the state hardest hit by a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations that have stretched hospitals to the limit, Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday.
The state has finalized a contract with a medical staffing company that will send up to 500 health care providers to central and southern Oregon, where hospitals have been slammed by a surge in coronavirus patients, most of them unvaccinated. Smaller teams will also head to long-term care facilities around the state.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 990% in Oregon since July 9, according to health officials.
South Dakota
Yesterday we reported on the impact of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and how the numbers eight days after didn’t look good. Data came out today now that 14 days have passed and it looks worse.
South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, up from 644 cases in the 14 days preceding it. That makes it the state with the largest percent increase in Covid cases in the past two weeks.
The state’s rate of Covid-19 infections per capita in the past two weeks is in the bottom half of the country, but it’s the sharp and sudden increase in case counts that sets it apart.
The new order blocks governments from mandating vaccinations, even if the COVID-19 vaccine is fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week, casting doubt on whether Abbott’s previous July executive order – which said businesses and government entities cannot mandate COVID-19 vaccines under “emergency use authorization” – would apply.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) On Monday, Washington state’s renewed mask directive went into effect, the FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine for people 16 and over, and Washington hospitals remain extremely busy. Shortly after the Pfizer vaccine was approved, the Pentagon announced that military personnel will be required to get the jab.
Over the weekend former President Donald Trump was booed after encouraging rally-goers in Alabama to get vaccinated and Mississippi issued an emergency order instituting the harshest laws in the country for people who break quarantine.
If there was any good news in the most recent report, the data is indicating a continued slowdown in the rate of growth for new cases. Through August 15, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 482.1 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set on Friday. Benton, Cowlitz, and Franklin continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Tiny and sparsely populated Garfield County had 9 active COVID cases through the period, the most ever reported. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Friday, Washington reported 3,780 new COVID cases.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 15, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 12.28%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.25%. This is a significant jump from last week and could indicate that the flattening of the curve was an aberration. Other states such as Arkansas and Louisiana saw the same trend. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission, driven by the unvaccinated.
The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 8 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker reported 33 deaths in Washington state Thursday. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. The growing number of fatalities would align with the spike in hospitalizations that started two weeks ago.
“Masks are required for all fans and employees regardless of vaccine status while in indoor areas at T-Mobile Park such as elevators, bathrooms, indoor clubs or restaurants, and the Team Store. Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask at all times. Masks must cover both nose and mouth. You are welcome to remove your mask when actively eating or drinking, or when seated in your seat.”
Proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter Mariners’ games at T-Mobile Park. The next home game for the M’s is on August 26, 2021, at 7:10 PM.
COVID outbreak hits Pierce County Jail, and Benton County offers commisary for vaccinations
The Pierce County Jail is dealing with a COVID outbreak that has sickened 30 inmates and put hundreds more in isolation. The outbreak is hampering operations at the jail, preventing the release of some quarantined prisoners, and forcing officials to book only individuals arrested for suspicion of violent crimes. That includes crimes such as murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault (equivalent to attempted murder under RCW), rape, child molestation, kidnapping, child assault, domestic violence, and possessing explosive devices.
The vaccine was given full approval for individuals 16 years of age and older, according to the FDA, and will continue to be distributed under an emergency authorization to individuals 12 to 15 years old. Additionally, the FDA has given full approval of a third dose to people with certain immunocompromised individuals.
“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”
Phase I testing of the German developed Pfizer vaccine began in May of 2020, jumpstarted by prior research on SARS and MERS vaccines. The vaccine received formal emergency authorization approval on December 11, 2020, and distribution started in the United States on December 14, 2020.
Specifically, in the FDA’s review for approval, the agency analyzed effectiveness data from approximately 20,000 vaccine and 20,000 placebo recipients ages 16 and older who did not have evidence of the COVID-19 virus infection within a week of receiving the second dose. The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older.
For some of the Phase III trial members, the final authorization will close the door on the question of whether they received the vaccine or the placebo.
The agency reviewed over 340,000 pages of information and data as part of the authorization process. This included reviewing a small number of adverse events that included myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of the vaccine. People who were biologically assigned male gender at birth and under 40, had the most risk, with 12 to 17-year-olds having the highest observed number of incidents. There were a handful of hospitalizations and no reported deaths.
The Moderna vaccine remains under review for full approval, which is expected to come in October. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not been submitted for full approval at this time. Full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 to 15 is expected to come early next year, and emergency approval for children 5 to 11 should happen before the end of 2021.
Almost two million Washingtonians who are vaccine eligible remain unvaccinated. The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
On August 23, 84.7% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,368 acute care beds available statewide and 275 in King County. The Northwest and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization and the Central, West, and East Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,284 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 63 over the weekend, which is 14.4% of all acute care patients.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 22, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 85.7% occupied with 173 staffed beds available, 64 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU climbed to 332. A combined 1,616 adult patients hospitalized is a new record.
The Washington Hospital Association is indicating a lower number, and we have requested the Washington State Department of Health to review the disparity between the two data sources.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 19, 2021
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The West Region, which includes Tacoma, and the East Region, which includes Spokane, remains critically low on ICU capacity. Each region has 11 ICU beds available as of Monday morning, which is little changed from Friday.
The state reported 26 new COVID deaths over the weekend.
Locally, the number of COVID patients at EvergreenHealth facilites in Kirkland and Monroe increased from last week. Kirkland was reporting 36 patients hospitalized, up from 26 last week. Monroe reported 6 patients hospitalized, up from 5 last week. The 36 patients is nearly the peak set in January 2021, but well below March 2020 when the Kirkland hospital became the first facility in the United States to face a major outbreak.
“Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance, requiring all service members to be vaccinated. A timeline for vaccination completion will be provided in the coming days, John F. Kirby said at a press briefing.
Of the 1.4 million active-duty service members, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that slightly more than one million are fully vaccinated, and another 237,000 were partially vaccinated at the start of August. Resistance to the vaccine is particularly strong for the estimated 160,000 servicemembers who have not started vaccination. Depending on their rank, servicemembers could face a variety of disciplinary actions, including court-martial.
The Pentagon also announced that COVID testing was being provided to any evacuee from Afghanistan who exhibits or reports COVID-like symptoms before boarding an evacuation aircraft. All persons are then screened upon their arrival at temporary safe havens in Qatar and Germany.
Former Presidents advocates for vaccination and gets booed in Alabama
“You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. You got to do what you have to do, but I recommend: Take the vaccines. I did it – it’s good,” the former President said. The audience fell silent as a wave of boos emerged from the crowd.
“That’s alright. You got your freedoms. But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll call Alabama say, ‘Hey you know what?’ but it is working.”
The unvaccinated are costing American hospitals a lot
Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Cullman, Alabama tomorrow, forcing the city to declare a COVID state of emergency. Alabama added 3,800 new COVID cases on Wednesday and the state ran out of ICU beds the day before. The declaration of the State of Emergency allowed the city to provide the additional personnel and equipment for this weekend’s political rally after it was requested by Cullman Regional Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.
Arizona
The election audit being conducted by Cyber Ninjas took another strange turn on Monday, with the Arizona Senate President Karen Fann reporting that two of the five members of the election audit team, including Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, are “quite sick” with COVID. The final report, which was supposed to be submitted today was not issued. No timeline has been given on when a final report will be submitted to the Arizona GOP.
Now, these doctors are sounding the alarm and pleading for the community to get vaccinated. They said it’s not a political move, but a call for help.
The number of pediatric patients continues to grow in Florida, with children from birth to 19 years old showing the highest rates of positivity for the first time. From August 13 to August 19, children 12 and under that were tested for COVID had a positivity rate of 23%. Those age 12 to 19 were nearly 25% positive. Florida Government Ron DeSantis has defunded school districts that instituted mask mandates. The United States Department of Education has stepped in to fill the funding gap.
As many school systems in the Peachtree State enter their fourth week of school, COVID cases continue to surge. The Metro Atlanta area, with 14 school disticts, has reported 6,300 new cases among students during the previous week. Students five to 12 years old are the most impacted. Two faculty members also died last week. Both were sick before the start of the new school year.
In Marietta, Georgia, former surgical technician Jessica Renzi was fired over the weekend after posting a video on Tik Tok many deemed anti-Semitic. In the video which went viral and was shared across multiple social media platforms, Renzi suggested having her vaccination number tattoed to her arm, in an apparent mockery of Holocaust victims. Renzi, who deleted her social media accounts, also had created numerous videos sharing COVID misinformation while wearing her hospital scrubs.
Amplifying
CW: Racism & Extreme Anti-Semitism@WellstarHealth – this is Jessica Renzi, surgical tech at your Wellstone facility in Marietta, Georgia
Tutu Man Kawaikapu Hewett — a founding member of Hawaii Quarantine Kapu Breakers is calling for stricter measures, including stricter enforcement of Hawaii’s existing COVID restrictions.
“I’m a great-grandfather, a grandfather, a father. I want to make sure that everyone survives this. I’m going to support anything and everything that makes us safer,” Hewett said.
Kentucky
COVID is starting to sweep northward into Appalachia, including the Bluegrass State. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported the state has a record number of patients in acute and ICU care, with more than 20 hospitals facing staffing shortages and converting space to build COVID ICUs.
“This is what’s happening right here, and it’s pretty stark,” Liechty said. “We’re still doing better as a state than most other places, but delta has highlighted the geographic disparities in uptake of the vaccine in our state.”
The statewide vaccination rate is about 62 percent, but there are wide differences between counties.
All persons, including fully vaccinated individuals, infected with COVID-19 must remain in the home or other appropriate residential location for 10 days from onset of illness (or 10 days from the date of a positive test for those who are asymptomatic). A negative test for COVID-19 is not required to end isolation at the end of 10 days, but you must be fever-free for at least 24 hours with an improvement of other symptoms. Mississippi K-12 schools are required to exclude all students and faculty diagnosed with COVID-19 from the school setting during the isolation period (as above).
The failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is, at a minimum, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500.00 (41-3-59) or imprisonment for six months or both. If a life-threatening disease is involved, failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.00 or imprisonment for up to five years or both.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Crhis Lombardozzi of the Spartanburg Regional Health Care System, told WYFF Channel 4 that over 90% of their COVID patients are unvaccinated, and “we are struggling.”
“Like a lot of hospitals, particularly in the southeast, we are seeing a mega surge in COVID-19 cases.”
At the beginning of July, the hospital system was treating three COVID patients, they are now treating 210. The hospital is at 96% capacity and the average age for COVID patients is 53 years old.
Texas
A 77-year old Carnival Cruise Line passenger died last week after catching COVID on a ship sailing out of Galveston. According to her family, Marilyn Tackett, 77, started to feel unwell when the ship arrived for a port of call visit to Roatan, Belize. When her family returned from a shore excursion, Tackett was having difficulty breathing. The ship’s doctor notified the family that Tackett would need to be put on a ventilator immediately.
Belize hospital officials initially refused to treat Tackett without a $5,000 cash payment. Tackett was placed on a ventilator but her insurance would not cover her overseas medical treatment or an air ambulance to return her to the United States. A GoFundMe was set up to raise $30,000 and she was flown to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but Ms. Tackett died on August 14. Tackett was vaccinated.
Carnival reported a total of 27 cases on the ship during the sailing among 26 crew members and Ms. Tackett.
On our social media channels, we shared the story of David Cruz Meza, 38, of Corpus Christi, Texas. Meza tested positive for COVID on July 7 and was hospitalized on July 14. The father of three was unvaccinated and turned to social media to encourage others to get vaccinated.
His condition had deteriorated by July 22, and his family was reported he was placed on a ventilator on July 25. His wife made a public appeal for any hospital that would be willing to take him as an ECMO patient, and another appeal on August 11.
His family reported this morning that Meza passed away on August 16. In the final video he made, he appealed for people to get vaccinated.
This isn’t misinformation as much as it is a misunderstanding. There have been nine major studies about how a person’s blood type may limit or increase their risks of catching COVID, and if certain blood types provide additional protection.
There is solid evidence that type O and Rh-negative blood groups might benefit some degree of extra protection from COVID infection and severe symptoms. Additionally, the same data supports that blood type A may increase the susceptibility to infection.
The misunderstanding comes from some people believing that type O blood instills a higher degree of natural immunity than it truly offers. In some darker corners on the Internet, there are some memes that try to convince people on social media that type O is a shield to symptomatic COVID – that isn’t true.
The National Institutes of Health published a study on July 19, 2021, explaining the Relationship between blood types and outcomes following COVID-19 infection. The report stated in the conclusion, “At this point in time, there does not appear to be any relationship between blood type and COVID-19–related severity of illness or mortality. Current literature does not support blood type as part of a predictive model of viral illness or mortality, and ABO/Rh screening should not be used as a triage mechanism. Future investigations can focus on the creation of a global COVID-19 database to account for population-based differences in blood types and testing protocols.”
This isn’t to say that people with type O blood gain no benefit, or that people with type A should take extra precautions. The evidence that exists today does not indicate type O provides a wall of substantial extra protection.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Multiple sources reported to us today that the state of Washington is considering a plan to place renewed restrictions on gatherings within public indoor spaces, as hospitalizations reached a new record. There is some evidence that the growth of new cases may be slowing down, as more hospitals report they are running out of resources.
There are reports out of Washington D.C. that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine may receive full FDA approval next week. Trials for both the vaccine started more than a year ago, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was released later, requiring more data.
Bonadventure Senior Living is under fire after a recruiter for the company in Oregon posted a video on Tik Tok called for unvaccinated nurses to work for the eldercare company in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. That story took a much darker turn today with new allegations of criminal activity.
Governor Inslee is considering setting capacity limits for indoor public venues, according to several people we spoke to today. The plan being considered would not return Washington state to the phases used during the spring of 2021 but would put limits on the number of people who can gather in one place in specific public settings. No specific date was given, but there were indications if the plan is implemented it would happen end of August or early September.
“Extremists may seek to exploit the emergence of COVID-19 variants by viewing the potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks. Pandemic-related stressors have contributed to increased societal strains and tensions, driving several plots by domestic violent extremists, and they may contribute to more violence this year.”
The report did not mention any specific threats and is a broad assessment of the risk of terrorism, foreign or domestic, at a national level. A large anti-vaccination rally is planned to happen on Saturday in Olympia from noon to 3 PM.
Washington state COVID update
COVID continues to spread through Washington at levels not seen since December of 2020. Through August 12, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 455.8 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Thursday, Washington reported over 3,900 new COVID cases. New cases continue to grow exponentially, with the epidemiological curve showing signs that things are slowing.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 12, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.69%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.69%. We continue to see widespread transmission in the state, with another small decrease in the 7-day average.
The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 8 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker reported 33 deaths in Washington state Thursday. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. The growing number of fatalities would align with the spike in hospitalizations that started two weeks ago.
Are changes coming to the Evergreen State Fair?
In a KOMO News report, Jeremy Husby of Snohomish County Parks & Recreation expressed concern about the upcoming Evergreen Fair. Husby said that capacity limits were already in place, but they were expecting between 18,000 and 24,000 people to attend. According to the Washington State Department of Health, Snohomish County hospitals have reached the same utilization level as early 2021. “When we know we are at a capacity where we can’t not serve the public and we can’t provide a safe space,” Husby said. “We need to make that call to shut down the fair,” Husby told KOMO.
Bonadventure Senior Living
On Monday, TikTok user @thisdaneshguy reposted a recruiting video made by Bonadventure Senior Living employee Shanya Hall, which went viral. Bonadventure, based in Salem, Oregon, manages senior living facilities in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. In the video, Hall says, “I just wanted to tell you that if you are a nurse, a caregiver, a tech, and you now need a new job because of this, hit me up. I’ll hire you. I need nurses, caregivers, med techs, in Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.”
When asked what she would say to families who are concerned about unvaccinated health workers caring for their family members, she said protecting residents is the number one priority for Bonaventure.
“I get being concerned or being scared but we are taking precautions,” she said. “We wouldn’t want to put anybody in the way of danger.”
In the same story, Jeremiah Gray, divisional director of operations at Bonaventure for Oregon, stated that they could not require vaccines for their staff because of an Oregon law. However, that was only partially true while the recruiting video was still on TikTok. On August 5, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority filed a final temporary rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for individuals who work in healthcare settings.
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Gray responded to the TikTok video on the Bonadventure, defending the company, and again stating that they are prevented by Oregon law to require vaccinations. That point became moot, with the federal nursing home vaccine mandate issued earlier this week. Today, in another video posted on TikTok by @thisdaneshguy, the creator claims that multiple employees of Bonadventure have shared internal e-mails with him about directives made by the company that put residents and patients at risk. Among the claims made, eight current and former employees are accusing Bonadventure of falsifying federal issued COVID vaccination cards, including in Washington state. That information has been turned over to The Statesman Journal, which ran a deeper story about Bonadventure yesterday.
The University of Washington Medicine is allegedly denying organ transplants to patients who refuse to get a COVID vaccine. In an interview with Jason Rantz, Sam Allen of Monroe claims he was removed from the heart transplant waitlist for refusing to get the COVID vaccine. Allen claims he had a “dispute” with his cardiologist over wearing a mask, and then was called.
“The cardiologist called me and we had a discussion, and he informed me that, ‘well, you’re going to have to get a vaccination to get a transplant.’ And I said, ‘well that’s news to me. And nobody’s ever told me that before.’ And he says, ‘yeah, that’s our policy.”
Allen was removed from the waitlist on June 7. Although post-transplant organ rejections are less common, and the medications to prevent the condition have dramatically improved, organ transplant patients face a lifetime of being immunocompromised. University of Washington Medicine would not confirm if this was a policy or part of evaluating how viable an individual patient is for a transplant.
Former University of Washington wide receiver Lamarr Mitchell died of COVID after a 10-day battle. Lamarr was part of the 1991 Rose Bowl team and was described by his family as healthy and fit. He was unvaccinated and went from being on a ventilator to kidney failure in 24 hours. His family was called at 4 AM to come and say their final goodbyes but became stuck in traffic and did not get to the hospital in time. Lamarr’s parents are appealing for people to get vaccinated.
“We got to get the message out there we have to get the message out there; this is real. This is real,” she pleaded.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Vaccination
There are multiple reports tonight that the Food and Drug Administration will issue full approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine as early as Monday. Pfizer started Phase I trials of the COVID vaccine in May of 2020. Researchers used development efforts to create a vaccine for SARS and MERS as a foundation for the COVID vaccine. COVID or SARS-Cov-2 is similar to the original SARS strain, which appeared in 2003, and MERS which appeared in 2012.
Phase III trials were completed in November enabling the FDA to issue an emergency authorization for the vaccine. Distribution began on December 14, 2020, to tens of millions of Americans. Pfizer would be the first to receive full approval because it was the first vaccine to complete its trials in the United States.
Almost two million Washingtonians who are vaccine eligible remain unvaccinated. The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
On August 19, 86.4% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,211 acute care beds available statewide and 210 in King County. The Northwest, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization and the Central and West Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,221 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 16 since yesterday, which is 13.7% of all acute care patients.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 19, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 85.9% occupied with 171 staffed beds available, 52 located in King County. Although the number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU dropped to 327.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 19, 2021
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The West Region, which includes Tacoma, is down to 9 available ICU beds and the East Region, which includes Spokane, has 10 ICU beds available.
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in hard-hit Cowlitz County issued a statement on Facebook that the hospital, “is now at maximum capacity.” The facility appealed that, “only people who are experiencing true medical emergencies come to our E.R. for care.”
In another comment, PeaceHealth stated, “We are experiencing an exceptionally high number of caregivers unable to work due to COVID-19, and we have great concern that – as patient demand continues to surge – we will be faced with a corresponding increase in the number of caregivers unavailable to help.”
The hospital is no longer doing COVID testing and advised people to use urgent care facilities. People were suggesting other locations to get a COVID test but frustration was boiling over.
Barbara Anderson wrote, “The only urgent care center in Longview will not see u unless u are a current Peace Heath [sic] patients [sic]. Where should the rest go?”
The CDC issued a warning tonight for older adults, and people in high-risk groups not to take cruises, even if they are vaccinated. The new guidance applies to older adults, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to Friday’s announcement, the agency recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 avoid cruise ships.
Alabama
Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Cullman, Alabama tomorrow, forcing the city to declare a COVID state of emergency. Alabama added 3,800 new COVID cases on Wednesday and the state ran out of ICU beds the day before. The declaration of the State of Emergency allowed the city to provide the additional personnel and equipment for this weekend’s political rally after it was requested by Cullman Regional Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.
Florida
The Sunshine State only releases COVID data once a week on Friday’s and the data indicates that it may be hitting its COVID peak. New cases were flat week over week for the first time in over two months. However many state residents are complaining they can’t get tested. Of the 150,118 new cases reported, 20,331 were children under 12 years old. Florida has 16,973 people hospitalized with COVID, a new record.
Pictures taken by Louie Lopez at a monoclonal antibody treatment center recently set up by Governor Ron DeSantis went viral late this week. The images show people lying on the floor, barely able to move or breathe, and moaning waiting for treatment. The lobby only had two chairs according to Lopez, and one patient laid on the floor for almost 30 minutes before someone came with a wheelchair. A spokesperson for the city confirmed that according to organizers at the site, the woman in the picture was waiting to be treated with Regeneron.
Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando appealed for residents to conserve water due to a shortage of oxygen. The Orlando Utility Commission treats the city’s water with liquid oxygen and supplies that ordinarily go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals for patients suffering from the virus, Mayor Dyer said.
“We acknowledge that the No. 1 priority for the liquid oxygen should be for hospitals,” Dyer said at a news conference.
The city-owned utility typically goes through 10 trucks of liquid oxygen a week but its supplier recently said that it would be cut back to five to seven trucks a week to accommodate hospitals, said Linda Ferrone, OUC’s chief customer, and marketing officer.
Hawaii
Yesterday we reported that hospitals on the island of Oahu were on the brink of having to implement disaster plans. City officials in Honolulu made a “disaster area” declaration today. At Queen’s West Hospital, a rush of new COVID patients overwhelmed the hospital, on top of many already waiting for beds in the emergency room. The City set up a disaster area and tents.
Hawaii also appealed for traveling nurses, with more than 500 expected to arrive next week. Honolulu having to potentially move to “black tag triage” is coming at the same time that flooding rains are expected this weekend.
Seventy-three Mississippi hospitals have asked for a combined 1,450 healthcare professionals to supplement their staff, as the state’s hospital system teeters on the brink of collapse. Efforts that are described as “last-ditch” to shore up the system included support from the federal government and building two field hospitals in a parking garage.
Mississippi State Department of Health Reported a sharp spike in calls to their Poison Control Center due to Ivermectin poisoning. State officials sent out a health alert warning to health care providers about the use of the horse dewormer. Although Ivermectin is used in humans to treat scabies, it is highly concentrated for livestock. At least 70% of the calls into poison control have been for Ivermectin poisoning.
There is no good news coming out of Oregon today. COVID hospitalizations have set a new record every day since August 10, in the Pacific Northwest State. In the last 30 days, cases have increased 500% putting the hospital system on the brink. Oregon is requesting outside help to come to the state including 35 physicians, 35 advanced practice providers, 300 registered nurses, 10 paramedics, and 100 respiratory therapists.
“A COVID-positive patient was in our Emergency Department, within our four walls, waiting for an open Intensive Care Unit bed to receive life-saving care. It had been several hours because other COVID-positive patients had filled those beds. Even after expanding ICU care onto other floors, there weren’t any beds available for this patient. We didn’t have enough. This patient died in the Emergency Department waiting for an Intensive Care Unit bed.”
Texas
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blamed “Black Texas” for the surge of COVID in the Lonestar State. During an interview on Fox News Patrick said, “The Democrats like to blame Republicans,” Patrick said. “Well, the biggest groups in most states is African Americans who are not vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”
State officials previously were blaming undocumented immigrants for the spread of COVID in the state, but mostly backed away from the claim after the City of McAllen declared a state of emergency. Of the 586,000 undocumented immigrants processed in the city in the first seven months of 2021, 7,500 were COVID posted after testing – a rate under 2%. The state of Texas is at 19.8% positivity as of this Friday.
“We haven’t reached that critical moment yet where we’re unable to provide that care,” said Dr. James Black, medical director of emergency services at Albany’s Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “We’re doing everything we can to stay just ahead of that, but it’s a race and a race that most of us are losing.”
An ongoing piece of misinformation is the COVID vaccine has microchips in it. Typically the needle used to vaccinate an adult is 28 gauge and has an outer diameter of 1/3 of an mm. The inner diameter is about 1/6 of an mm (0.184 mm). That’s about thick enough to pass a human hair through with a touch of room to spare. The smallest 5G chip available today is about the size of your fingernail. That’s just the 5G chip, not the microprocessor to run it, not an antenna that can transmit through your body to the nearest 5G tower. It doesn’t include a power source and most critically, it doesn’t include having a heat sink or other way to regulate the temperature.
The RFID chips they inject into pets such as cats and dogs are about the size of a grain of rice. They provide no way to track, only identification with a scanner. The 12 gauge needle used to insert an RFID chip into a dog is almost 3 mm (and anyone who has had a large-bore IV can tell you, needles that big are very unpleasant). Additionally, they are passive RFID chips that don’t require a battery and are incapable of transmitting any data, let alone to a 5G cell tower.
[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) Congress had no appetite to extended the eviction moratorium as the August recess began, allowing it to end at 12:01 AM on August 1. Now, up to 8-million households behind on rent or mortgages are facing an uncertain future.
When COVID-related shutdowns swept the country in March of 2020, U6 unemployment skyrocketed to 18.1%. Even before the public health and financial disaster, 40% of American families didn’t have $2,000 in emergency savings, let alone the 60 to 90 days of living expenses financial planners recommend. COVID wiped out entire industries such as hospitality, travel, and theater, and entertainment. For those in the service industry and gig economy, the slowdown has hit the hardest.
In response to the looming economic collapse, Congress passed the CARES Act, which included a one-time stimulus check of $1200 for some Americans, the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Despite trillions in aid, gaping holes remained that Main Street and American families have fallen through. Banks did not get guardrails on how to manage forbearances. Congress didn’t waive rent, only deferred it, and didn’t provide any financial support for small landlords. At one point, 12 million American households were $5000 or more behind on rent and 6 million households were facing foreclosure. The numbers have improved dramatically, dropping 50% for renters behind and 67% for mortgage holders.
Congressional leaders and the White House agreed on a second stimulus package in December 2020. President Trump initially did not sign the package, waiting until some benefits expired on December 26, before signing it the next day. The delay in signature created chaos for state unemployment systems. In March 2021, President Biden signed a third and almost certainly a final stimulus package, that extended the eviction moratorium another 30 days.
Up to $4 trillion in cash awaits for the foreclosures and evictions to begin
At the start of 2020, private equity firms were sitting on $2.5 trillion in cash. They call it dry powder, money ready for investment where the quants feel the best ROI awaits. By some estimates, there is now as much as $4 trillion on the sidelines.
The United States needs at least 7 million more affordable housing units than what is available today. Although rents in cities like Seattle have declined by 20% in 2020, property values have skyrocketed. Additionally, just as the moratoriums are ending, rents are increasing across the United States, sometimes dramatically.
Private Equity, institutional investors, and banks are already moving in. In 2019, 6% of single-family homes sold went into the rental market. Today it is 20%, and 25% in cities such as Houston. Blackrock and JP Morgan have been buying up entire neighborhoods, up to 140 homes at a time. Large investors are extending all-cash offers 20% to 50% over the asking price in some areas. The plan is to convert these into rentals.
The ripple effect impacts first-time buyers as it constrains an already tight market that can’t compete with the offers. The price raises existing prices for sale, driving up property taxes, gentrifying neighborhoods. For some, living “van life,” in trailers in special communities, or couch surfing has become the fallback plan.
For millions of Americans who are still paying rent, there is a hidden crisis in 2021. As small landlords lose their properties, these renters will get eviction notices from hedge funds and banks, with no interest in working with them to make sure they don’t end up homeless.
According to the Aspen Institute, 80% of those facing foreclosure and eviction are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC). For white households in America, the average net worth is $170,000, while for Black families, it is $17,000. This inequity can’t be explained away by education, income, or indebtedness. For white Americans, once they become homeowners, five percent will fall back into renting. For Black Americans, the rate is double, at 10%. Black-owned small businesses had limited access to government aid programs, and by August, 40% of all Black-owned small companies had failed.
BIPOC communities are more likely to be “needless delinquent.” Analysts estimate 400,000 American homeowners are eligible for forbearances on their mortgage but are not aware or have been given misinformation from their lender. For some of these struggling homeowners, the damage isn’t foreclosure but the destruction of their credit score. A lower credit score impacts interest rates, insurance premiums and can even be a barrier to getting a job.
What a $600 billion transfer in wealth looks like
Court systems from Boston to Seattle are bracing for a flood of forclosure and eviction filings. Here too, banks and large corporate property holders will benefit. With more legal resources and free cash to act, their cases will move to the front of the line. Mom and pop landlords will have to track their court cases independently, without a management company to oversee activity. Already facing a cash crunch, they’ll still have to pay court costs and lawyers’ fees, but that will only be the start of their problems.
The average American house has a value of $296,000. If 2 million households get foreclosed in 2021, that represents $600 billion in property dumped into the market. For the 4 million households facing eviction, the looming crisis is even worse. An eviction on a credit report is a barrier to permanent housing, requiring large deposits. They’re facing thousands in debt and potential judgments with interest they can’t pay. An eviction can be a scarlet letter for years, becoming a barrier to buying a car, getting a job, or buying a home.
Although it may appear to be a boom for landlords with 4 million families hitting a rental reset button, this isn’t the case. For many, the door to another rental will be closed. Landlords may evict a family who can’t pay the rent, only to find applications from families who were just evicted.
Millennials in high-paying office jobs fled the rental market in 2020 for the suburbs to escape COVID restrictions and get more space for a home office. Large investors can amortize their investment and use tax vehicles to lower their expenses. Mom and pop landlords will face a further reduction in their passive income, driving even more homes into sale and foreclosure.
Congress has no financial incentive to stop this nightmare. For both parties, lobbies, PACs, and dark money keep congresspersons and senators in their positions of power. For the 40% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, there is no lobby to bend representative ears and grease the palms.
The reality is if this financial disaster is not averted, the 6 million households on the brink could be the tip of the iceberg.
[PORTLAND] – (MTN) For the third time since March 2021, the bust of York, a slave that accompanied Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery, was severely damaged by vandals overnight. In the most serious damage to the bust to date, York’s bust was knocked off the pedestal and his face smashed in, shattering the installation. No suspects have been identified and no one has claimed responsibility for the destruction.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to modern-day Fort Clatsop, south of Astoria, Oregon. Among them was a slave by the name of York, who William Clark owned. York became the first African to cross North America and reach the Pacific Coast in known history.
Upon their return, York is said to have asked for his freedom which Clark denied. The historical record of what happened to York after the Corps of Discovery is unclear. Still, many believe he was either sold to a new slaveholder or was granted by Clark to move to Kentucky to be closer to his wife. It is believed he died of cholera.
The monument didn’t always have a bust of York. In 1933 a statue of Harvey W. Scott, the editor-in-chief of The Oregonian and later a principal shareholder, was erected at the summit of Mount Tabor. Scott was venerated after his untimely death in 1910. However, his legacy was already being called into question when his statue was erected 23 years later.
Scott fought in a volunteer militia in the Oregon Territory from 1855 to 1856 against the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat first nations. He supported the Union and the new Republican Party editorially during the Civil War while being an outspoken critic of women’s suffrage and public education. On October 20, 2020, his statue was toppled, and in February 2021, replaced by a bust of York by unknown parties.
There are no known drawings or artwork of York, so the bust on Mount Tabor is a representation. The statue was previously vandalized in March 2021, less than a month after its installation. There were no arrests made in that incident.
Jeannette K Grode, 43 years old, vandalized the statue on June 8 while taunting witnesses. She covered the Mount Tabor Park monument in purple spraypaint while telling people to have her arrested and claiming she was racist.
The Portland Police Bureau reported on June 10 that Grode now faces four criminal charges. Criminal Mischief II is the most serious charge, a Class A Misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine. She was also charged with Abuse of Venerated Objects, Unlawful Applying of Graffiti, and Vandalism of Protected Park Property and Vegetation. She was issued citations instead of arrest due to ongoing COVID restrictions limiting bookings.
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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