[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) Snohomish County Prosecutors have charged Benjamin Richey, 20, of Lake Stevens, Washington with a felony hate crime for posting an apparent handgun in a Snapchat post with the caption, “killing minorities soon.” In a report in the Everett Herald, the former Marysville Pilchuck High School student is no stranger to the police. Charging documents indicate he has been investigated previously for hiring racial slurs at People of Color. Richey is the adult child of a Marysville Police Officer at the time of the January 28, 2021 incident.
On December 14, 2020, in an Associated Student Body Junior Leadership virtual meeting, things took an ugly turn for Marysville Pilchuck High School students. Two students during a Zoom meeting stated, “let’s kill all Black people,” and then went on to identify several Black students by name in the call.
A criminal investigation followed, and Marysville police interviewed two impacted Black families. According to police and a press release from the NAACP, one family stated they did not want to pursue charges. The two students that made the statements received suspensions from school and were transferred to a different facility.
On January 28, 2021, a different student came forward and provided images of Snapchat conversations. In one of the screenshots, one of the students involved in the December incident was brandishing a handgun with the caption, “killing minorities soon.” The student who reported this went on to state this wasn’t the first time this type of comment was made.
During the investigation, Richey told the police it was a joke. Students, faculty, and civic leaders didn’t interpret the incident that way, and the phone that was used was the same one involved in the December 14, 2020 incident.
Marysville Pilchuck High School was the site of a 2014 shooting that left five dead, including the perpetrator. Prosecutors argue in charging documents that, given this history, it was reasonable to fear harm from the social media threat.
On March 27, impacted families, the Snohomish County NAACP, and civic leaders called upon the Marysville School District and Snohomish County Prosecutors to take action against the threats.
OUR COVERAGE AND FULL INTERVIEW WITH DR. JANICE GREENE OF THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY NAACP
Richey will be appearing in court on a summons for arraignment on August 5. He is not allowed to possess or has access to firearms, he cannot contact Marysville Pilchuck High School, or violate any other laws as a condition of his release.
[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) Online retailer Amazon continues to wrestle with items for sale that embolden white nationalism with dozens of vendors selling “white privilege” cards. The cards of the same design declare, “White Privilege Card Trump’s Everything,” and are described as “inspirational” by sellers.
Although some may consider it humorous on the surface, two men in California have been indicted for conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive a building used or in affecting interstate commerce. One of the men carried the same white privilege card for sale on Amazon.
The unfounded belief the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump allegedly inspired Ian Rogers and Jarrod Copeland to hatch a plot to blow up the Democratic Party Headquarters in Sacramento, California.
When investigators searched Rogers’ house in January, he allegedly had five pipe bombs, which court documents say were live. They also reportedly seized between 45 and 50 firearms, including at least three fully automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Amazon has come under fire for selling Nazi memorabilia and white supremacist items as far as 2018. As recently as last year, Amazon said they would not sell these types of products.
Amazon’s published policies for Offensive and Controversial materials state that “products that promote intolerance based on race, religion, and sexual orientation” cannot be sold on the platform. Despite this policy, multiple sellers were offering one-day Amazon Prime delivery, and at least one was offering a coupon promotion.
[MILL CREEK] – (MTN) Savannah Jackson had a vision of creating a welcoming and inclusive place for the Black community while introducing her customers to Ecuadorian delights. On June 19, that vision came to life when Mixed Coffee opened its doors in Mill Creek. The cozy and welcoming cafe has artwork from local artists and even a conference room for meetings.
“Our coffee is from Arken Roasters,” Jackson, who is Black-Latinx, told us. “They get their beans from all over South America and Africa. The blend we are using is a Latin American blend, and it tastes so good.” Jackson isn’t just passionate about starting with great beans. She is also passionate about enabling her staff to be successful. “We all went to Seattle Barista Academy. We had two days of full jam-packed training.”
Mixed Coffee is more than just great coffee. The food menu is full of standard fare such as breakfast pastries but offers so much more. Sandwiches make Mixed Coffee a place for lunch, and they have other drink options beyond all the coffee-based drinks you can imagine, tea, and hot chocolate.
The real magic is empanadas and Jackson’s signature pan de yuca. “Pan de Yuca is up and down South America,” Jackson explained. “You can find it in Brazil, Columbia, and Ecuador, where my family is from. It is tapioca flour, cheese, butter, eggs, and some salt. It is like a cheesy ball bread.” If you’re looking for even more pop for your tastebuds, Mixed Coffee had pan de yuca with bacon.
mixed coffee grand opening on june 19, 2021
Mixed Coffee also offers ice cream including vegan options. The cookies are made in-house, and use Ecuadorian chocolate. That same chocolate is used in the mochas and the hot chocolate Jackson explained, to a very approving audience.
Mixed Coffee is located at 800 164th Street SE, Suite N in Mill Creek, Washington. The cafe is open Monday through Thursday 7 AM to 6 PM, Friday 7 PM to 7 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM. You can learn more by visiting their Facebook page.
[OLYMPIA] – (MTN) Hopes that Washington state could go to full reopening before June 30 crumbled today after the Washington Department of Health Updated the COVID Dashboard. According to the Department of Health, 68.0% of Washingtonians 16-years old and older have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Governor Jay Inslee has previously announced the state would end almost all COVID business and health restrictions on June 30 or if the state achieved a 70% vaccination rate earlier.
Last week the state reported 67.8% had already received their first dose, and approximately 134,000 more residents over 16 needed to get the COVID vaccine. Based on existing vaccination rates, in theory, the state could have moved to reopen on June 25. Instead, it appears Washington will fall short of the 70% goal as residents who got their first dose have slowed to a snail’s pace.
It isn’t all bad news. According to the Biden Administration, over 70% of all residents in Washington over 18 have had at least once COVID dose, joining 12 other states in reaching the milestone. King County was the largest county in the United States to have over 70% of residents vaccinated, achieving King County Health’s goal on June 15.
The slowdown is happening nationally as the Delta variant of COVID is quickly becoming the dominant strain. Many people testing positive for COVID are unvaccinated, and hospitals report 95% to 99% of COVID patients are unvaccinated. Over 34 million Americans have had COVID, and up to 10 million suffer from long-term effects of the illness, known as COVID long haulers. Over 602,000 have died.
A number of false rumors have circulated over the last six months about the COVID vaccine. Disproven claims have included the vaccine includes microchips from Microsoft, trackers that connect to 5G, metal flakes that turn you magnetic, and programming that is somehow activated by 5G or the government.
Another challenge is outreach to low income, rural, minority, and English as a second language communities. Some areas are vaccine deserts, where residents do not have easy access to medical providers. In minority populations such as Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander, there is significant distrust in medical care in the United States due to historic mistreatment by the government. For non-English speakers, language barriers have existed in understanding how to get a vaccine or make an appointment.
Washington state has shifted its vaccination strategy to focus less on large scale vaccination centers to focus on mobile and pop-up clinics, and community outreach. King County is offering free transportation and childcare to get a vaccination. Childcare is also available for those who experience moderate side effects, which many have reported after their second dose.
In King County, you can visit the Department of Health website to find a vaccination clinic, and almost all locations support walk-up appointments. You can also visit the Facebook Group, Find a COVID Shot WA if you need language or technology assistance in making an appointment.
[NEW YORK] – (MTN) The same union-busters who prevented a worker’s union at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, are now helping the company in Staten Island, New York. JFK8, New York City’s only Amazon fulfillment center, has a concerning workplace culture, according to several employees.
Amazon’s JFK8 employs consultants to prevent employee activism, but it’s one symptom of a system designed to increase productivity and one that mistreats women and employees of color, according to four current and former employees. Malcontent News also obtained two federal complaints filed against Amazon with the National Labor Relations Board regarding illegal union-busting techniques and harassment—complaints filed while some workers can’t afford rent and sleep in their cars.
According to a Truthout report, Amazon pays multiple union-busting companies like the Burke Group thousands of dollars to prevent organizing. Natalie Monarrez, an Amazon employee of three years, says on May 4 she spoke with Bradley Moss, President of the Eastern Division of the Burke Group. Moss is the same union-busting consultant who worked at the Bessemer location.
“He said the organizers [at Bessemer] were just Black Lives Matter protesters,” Monarrez said. “Then he shifted over to, ‘These guys in front [of JKF8 are] never gonna get off the ground. They’re just a bunch of thugs.’ I knew exactly what he meant.”
Monarrez says Moss was referring to union organizers outside JKF8 who pass out literature, connect with workers and host barbecues—and who are Black. It’s not the first time Amazon was racist; Vice reported in 2020 that during one executive meeting CEO Jeff Bezos attended, a company exec called organizer Chris Smalls, who is Black, “not smart or articulate.”
Hiring union-busters aren’t the only way Amazon prevents unionization. Employee and organizer Derrick Palmer recently filed a complaint with the NLRB after an incident on June 12. An Amazon manager took union literature and papers Palmer left on the break room table for other employees. Palmer says the manager wouldn’t reveal who told him to confiscate the material and says complaints have been filed previously for the same thing. After recovering his property, another manager tried to take similar literature from worker organizer Connor Spence.
Amazon has also put up anti-union signs in the bathrooms, according to Palmer, and Malcontent News obtained photos of anti-union digital signs inside the building with messages like, “Be careful who you trust.” Although there has never been an Amazon Labor Union, or ALU, at JKF8, the signs say the ALU has a “history of financial trouble.” This is in addition to a fence Amazon built around JKF8, which according to the Commercial Observer is designed to make organizing harder. Palmer filed charges with the NLRB because of the fence on May 11.
amazon anti-union ads ran on the amazon twitch platform in 2021
Employees say the internal culture is racist, too. Palmer says he believes being Black is part of the reason he hasn’t been promoted. After showing managers he had achieved enough “Matrix points,” a sort of internal tallying system of leadership and experience, management denied him an interview for promotion even though he had exceeded the requirements. Additionally, the New York Times reports that while many hourly workers are people of color, management is overwhelmingly white. Spence agrees, saying many managers are white men hired “fresh out of college.”
The company culture and union-busting do nothing to help employees who are struggling, Monarrez says. Monarrez, who also filed an NLRB report after a now-terminated manager physically prevented her from using the bathroom, says she and nearly 100 other JKF8 employees are homeless and sleep in their cars in the parking lot after work. Monarrez has been homeless for three years. She lost her job after the 2008 recession and had a difficult time finding work, so she moved to New York City and began working for Amazon in 2017.
Monarrez lives on just more than $19 an hour, but in New York City rent can be more than $2,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, which she can’t afford it. She says she’s gotten a gym membership so she can take a shower. However, it’s not easy to work 10-hour shifts handling around 1,800 packages per hour and not be able to afford basic necessities.
“I wish people knew the truth,” Monarrez says. “It’s really bad, and we need help.”
Smalls, Palmer, Spence, and other labor organizers at JFK8 are doing their best to help. Every employee Malcontent News spoke to knew about each other’s struggles and had established relationships. Smalls says the barbecues he hosts outside the building help workers come together.
Because JKF8 has about 5,600 employees, Spence says they need about 1,700 signatures to vote on creating a union. They’re making steady progress, and Spence says they may hit their goals and push for a vote this year. But if it takes longer, they’re willing to put in the work.
In Bessemer, union efforts failed after 738 voted for, and 1,798 voted against a union. However, Amazon installed a mailbox there, and some reports say it’s possible Amazon tampered with votes. In addition to union-busting tactics, JKF8 has a turnover rate of about 150 percent. Spence says this means that in a building of 6,000 people, they may hire and fire as many as 9,000 employees in a year, making it difficult to unionize.
amazon’s union busting training video – full version – from 2019
“It’s not the only reason they do it, but trying to prevent labor organizing is one of the components of that business model,” Spence says. “High turnover prevents labor organizing.”
Still, there are ways the public can help. Smalls says locals are welcome to come and volunteer and that anyone can donate.
“We are self-funded,” Smalls says. “Donate whatever you can on amazonlaborunion.org. Help us amplify anything online. If they can volunteer, they can come on down.”
[LOUISIVILLE] – (MTN) A $2500 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of two individuals who were caught on a security camera vandalizing a mural of Breonna Taylor, less than a week after it was revealed. The mural located in Lannan Park in Louisville, Kentucky, was revealed to the public ten days ago.
The mural, painted on a recently renovated basketball court, featured Taylor and an urbanized version of the iconic “coexist” graphic. The project to create the mural was greenlighted by the city in August 2020, and involved local and national artists. Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, was at the unveiling on June 4, and in an emotional statement said, “I’m happy…to have so many people, good people around to honor and support it.”
The surveillance video shows two individuals arriving on a small motorbike or scooter driving onto the court.
Palmer released a statement that said in part, “It’s very disappointing and heartbreaking that other people of the community would go to this length to say a black woman’s life didn’t matter, a woman who still deserves justice today.”
On March 13, 2020, Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville Metro police officers service a search warrant on her apartment. A lengthy investigation found that the warrant was issued under false allegations, the police did not follow proper procedures, and the person they were targeting for arrest was not only not in Taylor’s apartment, but was already in custody. Members of a grand jury commissioned by the state of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron claim they were never instructed to consider criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death.
Breonna Taylor of Louisville, and George Floyd of Minneapolis, became eponymous within the Black Lives Matter movement that was reinvigorated after both their deaths.
[SEATTLE] – (MTN) King County Health announced that the county is the largest in the nation to achieve 70% of the population 16 years and older fully vaccinated today, and will drop the indoor mask mandate on June 29. Currently, 77.8% of King County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, and 70% of those 16 and over have received both doses. The 14 day lag from the immunization milestone is to let the second dose for those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination reach full efficacy.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee had previously announced that Washington state would move to full reopening on June 30 or earlier if the state could achieve 70% of residents with at least one dose. It appears the state will get close to the goal but not achieve it.
Despite the victory, the vaccination rate for Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander populations lag behind their white counterparts. King County is still experiencing 2 COVID deaths a day on average. Black/African American and Latinx residents have the lowest vaccination rates among racial/ethnic groups in King County, with about 52% have completed their vaccination series compared to 66% for Whites, 74% for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, 76% for American Indian/Alaskan Natives and 79% for Asian Americans.
New cases are down 90%, and the COVID Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom was responsible for a fourth wave of cases. Currently about 10% of those tested are testing positive for the Delta variant out of India. That variant is between 40% to 80% more contagious and is making people much sicker.
There have been signs of vaccination success, including closing the mass vaccination site at Lumen Field over the weekend. The county is offering free transportation to get vaccinated and is even offering free childcare for vaccination appointments and the recuperation period. Although side effects are mild, many have reported feeling fatigued, experiencing headaches, and having brain fog 24 to 48 hours after the second dose for a day or two. The one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been reported to have lesser side effects, but that evidence is anecdotal.
Vaccine hesitancy still is holding along political lines. Twenty-eight percent of Republicans and 20% of Independents have stated they will not get vaccinated. However, in that same survey 50% also reported they were taking a wait and see approach, and were somewhat likely or likely to get vaccinated in the future.
If you or a family member needs to get vaccinated in King County, you can visit the Getting Vaccinated King County page on the Public Health website.
[AUBURN] – (MTN) Family, friends, activists, politicians, and community leaders gathered in the parking lot where Jesse Sarey was shot by Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson two years ago to hold a candlelight vigil. Sarey was gunned down by officer Nelson on May 31, 2019, in an interaction that ended with Sarey dead of two gunshot wounds. Nelson was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault in the shooting and is the first officer to be charged under Washington’s I-940.
Elaine Simons, Sarey’s foster mother, has become an outspoken champion of his cause and the public face for the Sarey family. Other families who have experienced police violence were on hand to stand in support and tell their stories of loved ones lost.
Friends and family did a balloon release after a four-second pause, to remember the four seconds it took between Nelson’s first shot and his third.
On May 31, 2019, officer Nelson responded to a call about Sarey, who was homeless and struggled with mental illness. When Nelson arrived Sarey was calm, sitting on a curb and chewing on ice cubes. Nelson attempted to take Sarey into custody and a short struggle ensued. Nelson fired one shot which struck Sarey in the chest and was fatal. When he went to fire his second shot his service weapon jammed, forcing Nelson to clear the round and fire a third shot in the head.
Nelson had been with the Auburn Police Department for 11 years, serving as a K9 officer. During his tenure, he was involved in 3 fatal officer shootings, including Sarey. In 2017, Isaiah Obet was shot and killed by Nelson with the same chest and head combination. The city of 85,000 paid a $1.25 million settlement to Obet’s family 4 days after Nelson was arraigned on criminal charges in the Sarey case.
Nelson’s next hearing is on June 3 and his trial is scheduled to start in October 2021.
[OLYMPIA] – (MTN) On March 3, 2020, Manny Ellis’ last words of, “I can’t breathe, sir,” were caught on a Ring security camera as Tacoma Police and a Pierce County Sheriff tasered, hobbled, and put a spit mask over his head. After 14 months of investigation, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced through a press release that three Tacoma police officers will face felony charges.
Four Tacoma police officers were placed on leave two months after Ellis’ death and days after social justice protests erupted across the United States from the police custody murder of George Floyd. Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, Masyih Ford, and Timothy Rankine were put on paid leave and a fifth officer, later identified, was added. Today, Burbank and Collins were charged with second-degree murder, and Rankine was charged with first-degree manslaughter.
According to an eyewitness, Sara McDowell, Ellis approached a Tacoma Police Department vehicle and started talking to officers inside. McDowell reported that an officer suddenly opened their car door, slamming it into Ellis and tackling him to the ground. Ellis then struggled against five identified officers and an additional off-duty officer in a scene reminiscent of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Ellis became unresponsive and died minutes later. Medical personnel performed CPR for 40 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner determined Ellis’ death was a homicide, due to “hypoxia and physical restraint” by the officers. It also indicated that contributing factors were heart disease and methamphetamine intoxication. Ellis’ family said he had struggled with mental illness for years and was working to get back on his feet at the time of his death. At the sober house he was living at, landlords and social workers had said he had been improving for months, accepting treatment for the disease, schizophrenia.
The investigation into this death has been swirled in controversy as it moved to multiple agencies. Approximately a week before Pierce County was ready to release their findings, it was revealed an off-duty Pierce County Sheriff was present during Ellis’ arrest and assisted in hobbling him. Detective Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff Department, now the embattled Sheriff of Pierce County and under criminal investigation himself, at the time expressed he did not feel this violated Washington I-940. Washington law requires independent investigations into police misconduct.
Additionally, during the investigation, Troyer stated none of the officers placed a knee on Ellis’ neck or head. Tacoma Police officers didn’t have body or dash cam during the time of the incident, but eyewitness videos dispute the claims by the sheriff.
Governor Jay Inslee moved in, and the Washington State Patrol took over the investigation. An exhaustive 2,000-page report was released on December 31, 2020, and the state AG has been reviewing the findings to consider charges. Attorney General Ferguson had initially said that a decision would be announced in March, but concerns about a potential conflict of interest within the Washington State Patrol delayed the findings.
The Tacoma Police Union issued a statement vehemently defending its officers. ” We are disappointed that facts were ignored in favor of what appears to be a politically motivated witch hunt. We look forward to the trial. An unbiased jury will find that the officers broke no laws and, in fact, acted in accordance with the law, their training, and Tacoma Police Department policies. An unbiased jury will not allow these fine public servants to be sacrificed at the altar of public sentiment.”
Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
The show from May 10, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.
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