[Mount Vernon, Wash.] – Matt Uyeno set up to distribute water and cooling towels in a Dollar Tree parking lot with permission, but the Hobby Lobby next door called police and reported he was setting up a camp on their property.
Five Fast Facts
Uyeno originally set up near the Safeway gas station on College Way on Friday, but was asked to move so he relocated across the street on East College Way to the Dollar Tree, where the manager gave permission for his activities
The manager of Dollar Tree confirmed that permission was given to KIRO 7 News
On Saturday, Uyeno returned with coolers of cold water and cooling towels, and the Mount Vernon Police Department said Hobby Lobby called and claimed that people were “setting up a camp on the business property”
No one from Hobby Lobby ever spoke to Uyeno, but the police insisted he had crossed a few feet onto Hobby Lobby property; he was trespassed and barred from the property for one year
Uyeno, undeterred, moved further into the Dollar Tree parking lot and continued his assistance until 10 p.m., even ordering 17 large pizzas for the unhomed and the Dollar Tree employees
An independent community activist organizer says he was trespassed by the Hobby Lobby in Mount Vernon as he gave water to the homeless in 90-degree heat on Saturday.
Matt Uyeno told KIRO 7 News that the…pandemic has [sic] fueled an escalating homeless situation in Mount Vernon, which has been especially dire in Skagit Valley…
[WASHINGTON] – (MTN) – Michael Scott Langton, 46, a veteran officer with the Ferndale, Washington, Police Department, was arrested at his Blaine home around 9 p.m. on Tuesday July 26 on a charge of Criminal Attempt, Solicitation of a Minor. The charges were upgraded on Wednesday to Attempted Child Molestation 2nd Degree.
Langton was booked into Skagit County’s jail following his arrest. Information from the jail only indicates he is being held for another agency and does not list a bail status.
Because the charge involves a minor and is sensitive, the Bellingham police will not be releasing any further details at this time according to a city press release.
According to a report in the Bellingham Herald, Bellingham Police Lt. Chad Cristelli reported that his department received a call regarding Langton on July 26 and started an investigation. Cristelli did disclose that one victim has been identified, but the investigation is ongoing.
Whatcom County asked the Bellingham police to investigate to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. However, this is not Langton’s first time being investigated.
The Alleged Oath Keepers Connection
In 2021 an anonymous hacker breached the Oath Keepers security and downloaded data, including emails, from 2020 and part of 2021. The hacker released the data to Distributed Denial of Secrets, a transparency organization, and much of the information ended up posted online.
BuzzFeed reported on the released data, and among the active military members and law enforcement employees who had sent inquiries about joining the Oath Keepers, the article cited a specific email from February 4, 2020, scarcely a week after three members of the Oath Keepers had been indicted for their part in the attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2020. The email in question was from Scott Langton who identified himself as “a current Washington State Police Officer looking for information.”
The Buzzfeed article was published on October 1, 2021, and on October 4, Officer Langton was placed on paid administrative leave while the department and city investigated the incident.
Local community groups in Whatcom County, including the Riveters Collective and Connect Ferndale, advocated for transparency in the investigation. The request fell on deaf ears, and Langton was back on full duty by the end of October. The internal investigation concluded that no violation of law or department policy had taken place.
Local groups were disappointed with the outcome of the investigations into Langton, prompting Connect Ferndale and the Riveters Collective Justice System Committee to release statements calling for independent review, transparency, and policy improvement. They criticized the investigation for the inherent conflict of interest, having been performed by Langton’s colleagues, and the blatant disregard of the published department polices as relates to making contact with such groups.
Prior to the October 2021 investigation, the Riveters Collective Justice System Committee gathered information on police practices and published the data and their analysis. The project, titled Learn Why We Believe Public Safety Reform is Necessary, first appeared on their website in September of 2021. Multiple updates soon followed, and Langton turned out to be a focal point due to the statistically significant number of complaints against him.
Other Incidents Involving Officer Langton
The Riveters Collective Justice System Committee (JSC) looked at 52 complaint allegations dating from 2015 – 2020 for Ferndale Police officers employed at the time of their records request in January 2021. Their findings revealed that the department has sided with officers 94% of the time when the complaint came from a civilian. However, when a complaint started internally, 98% of allegations were either sustained or ruled founded. The name at the top of the list for most complaints was Langston’s.
From 2015 to 2021, Langton has 17 complaints on record. The officer with the next highest number has three.
Langton started with the Ferndale Police Department in August 2012, but prior to July 2021, when SB 5051 went into effect, complaint records at Ferndale PD, Bellingham PD, Blaine PD, and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office were destroyed after six years. The earliest records available at the time dated back to 2015.
Most of the complaints against Langton alleged behavior described him as harassing, discriminatory, rude, insulting, or overly aggressive. Five complainants specifically identified the color of skin as the element that triggered Officer Langton’s behavior towards them.
Of the 17 complaints, 16 were internally investigated, and his colleagues deemed them “frivolous” or “did not occur.” The JSC report noted that at least one complaint acknowledged that Langton is known by many of the areas minorities as “the racist cop.”
Lawsuits
In February of 2020, Langton pulled over a female motorist that he alleged committed a traffic violation. Following his decision to cite her, he continued to detain her at the scene, in violation of federal law and the Fourth Amendment. The lawsuit alleged Langton purposefully delayed citing the woman for a traffic violation so he could have a police dog brought to search the woman’s car.
The case was moved out of Whatcom County Superior Court and into Federal Court in September of 2020. According to the Bellingham Herald, the case was settled out of court and dismissed on April 12.
In June of 2011, while Officer Langton worked for the city of Blaine, he was alleged to have used excessive force against a 54-year-old, legally blind man with limited mobility due to crushed vertebrae. During that encounter, which was initially a call for a verbal dispute between neighbors. Langton was alleged to have struck man, dragged him across a parking lot, and thrown him to the ground. That lawsuit was reportedly settled for $129,000.
There is some evidence that other incidents exist: A letter from 2013 references a lawsuit involving Langton and the City of Blaine. A 2011 court document described a witness report that they had to avert their eyes due to the rough treatment that Langton applied to a Blaine resident.
Partially due to previous policies around destroying records of complaints, there may be no further information available anymore, and advocacy groups think that’s part of the problem that needs to be addressed in Whatcom County.
Could Ferndale Have Intervened Before Things Went This Far?
It is unclear if Ferndale knew of Langton’s complaint history from Blaine. The Ferndale police policy does have a requirement for comprehensive screening, background investigation, and selection process, but it does recommend reviewing an officer’s complaint history.
Despite this, by October of 2021, when Langton’s email exchange with the Oath Keepers came to light, a third of all complaints against the Ferndale Police Department since 2015 were against Langston. Ferndale existing policies did not catch this outlier in their department, nor considered the significant number of complaints piling up against Langton in comparison to other officers on the force. Additionally, there is an apparent pattern of ignoring the work of community organizations and independent journalists that provided concrete evidence that Langston was violating already published internal policies.
The Present
On Tuesday, when Bellingham police arrested Langton at his home in Blaine, they contacted the Ferndale Police Department informing them of his charges. Officer Langton, who is still listed as an employee on the Ferndale Police Department website, has been placed on paid administrative leave. His annual salary is listed as $98,810 per year.
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 CDC has approved the Pfizer low dose Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old and the first 5,700 doses were available today at Harborview Medical Center. New cases remain stubbornly high in Washington while the gap between the best and worst counties narrowed.
America’s Frontline Doctors aligned Dr. Ryan Cole is under investigation by the Washington State Medical Commission for undisclosed violations. A Covid-19 survivor returned to Harborview Medical Center to apologize and give thanks to the people who saved his life.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 73.1% of eligible Washingtonians are fully vaccinated as the state approaches 80% with at least one dose. Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal reported that the Eatonville School District has still not fired its unvaccinated staff, and is the only district in the state defying the October 18 vaccine mandate.
Dallas County, Texas reported its 5,000 COVID related death. 627 days have passed since the first confirmed Covid-19 case in King County, Washington. How do the two counties with similar populations compare almost two-years later?
Spokane Regional Health opened up new Covid-19 isolation services for people who need to isolate but don’t have the resources. Point Roberts, Washington is getting ready for the land border to open between Canada and the United States, bringing more than 600 days of isolation to an end.
New case rates dipped to the lowest level in months, raising the question if the plateau is finally cracking or if this is an anomaly. Ten Washington counties are reporting 7 day moving average case rates below 100 and two counties, Columbia and San Juan are below 25. A new case rate under 25 indicates Covid-19 is endemic in those counties.
Columbia County is one of the least vaccinated in the state while San Juan County is the highest. Although both counties are remote, the population density in San Juan county is 13 times higher.
The inversion of new cases rates between counties 40% to 49.99% vaccinated and 50% to 59.99% vaccinated continued for the second day in a row. Okanogan, Skagit, and Spokane counties are driving this trend.
Increasing vaccination rates statewide are causing hotspots to form among unvaccinated groups. For example, counties 50% to 59.99% vaccinated contain some of the highest (Skagit) and lowest (Pacific) new case rates.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
206.4 (down)
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
346.7
50.00% to 59.99% (15 counties)
3,433,900
371.9 (down)
40.00% to 49.99% (9 counties)
599,225
355.2 (down)
31.20% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
400.5 (down)
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through November 1, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 317.6 Covid-19 cases per 100K – a significant drop from yesterday and the lowest rate since mid-August.
Four counties, Ferry, Klickitat, Lincoln, and Skagit, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9.
Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Lewis, Mason, Okanagan, Skamania, Spokane, and Stevens counties have a new case rate between 400.0 and 599.9. Pend Oreille, Cowlitz, and Yakima counties were just under 400.
The 7 day case rate was down across all groups, although the decrease for people 80 and older was statistically insignificant. Hospitalization rates were mostly unchanged except for those over 80, with the rate falling to the lowest level since we began tracking the data by age.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
141.3 (down)
0.5
Ages 12-19
123.5 (down)
0.9
Ages 20-34
136.4 (down)
3.8
Ages 35-49
148.8 (down)
7.7
Ages 50-64
112.7 (down)
11.9
Ages 65-79
85.5 (down)
18.3
Ages 80+
76.8
20.3 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 31 deaths on Monday. We reported that on October 20, the Eatonville school board voted to take no action against unvaccinated staffers. The state indicated that the school was risking losing funding if it did not comply with the October 18 vaccine mandate.
Dr. Ryan Cole under investigation by the Washington Medical Commission
Dr. Ryan Cole, a derma-pathologist in Garden City, is under investigation by the Washington Medical Commission according to a report by KTVB. Cole received a physician license in Washington in 2007, and is licensed in several other western states.
He has drawn criticism from medical doctors and health officials for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, including touting the use of the anti-parasite drug Ivermectin as a treatment for the virus, despite both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control warning that it has not been proven effective against COVID-19. Cole has also opposed the COVID-19 vaccine, referring to it as “needle rape and a “clot shot.”
On September 25, Dr. Ryan Cole joined up to 4,000 protesters from Eastern Washington and Idaho. He was joined by extremists Matt Shea and spoke at the event hosted in part by Turning Point Faith.
On October 30, he spoke at the Alaska Early Treatment Medical Summit in Anchorage, Alaska. On America’s Frontline Doctors new Tik Tok channel, he has appeared with other AFL representatives.
Another big day.
Today, hundreds have already shown up to a ‘Rally for Medical Freedom’ in Spokane’s Riverfront Park.
Notable speakers include Matt Shea, former SV republican rep. who was accused of domestic terrorism and expelled from the WA Republican Caucus in 2020. @KREM2pic.twitter.com/Ugi5eeAA7r
Unvaccinated Covid-19 survivor returns to Harborview Medical Center to apologize and give thanks
Richard Soliz spent 28 days at Harborview Medical Center fighting for his life from COVID. The graphic designer told KOMO he had fallen down a social media hole, “after reading about side effects, claims of microchipping during the vaccination process and questions about government approval of the vaccines.”
“It’s emotional for us to see someone do well,” Dr. James Town, a pulmonologist and director of the medical ICU at Harborview Medical Center said. “Particularly when things are so dark.”
When Soliz made the rounds to thank the staff who saved his life, they were touched.
“Oh wow, you look great,” nurse Kimmy Siebens told him. “To see you alive is just amazing. You look so great.”
While it’s not unusual for trauma patients to return and thank the medical personnel who helped them, very few COVID-19 patients have done the same, according to hospital workers.
“We do put so much of our own heart into the care and worry,” Siebens said. “We never really get to see people get that much better. And so it’s amazing. It makes it feel like it’s definitely all worth it, you know?”
73.1% of eligible Washingtonians are fully vaccinated
The Washington State Department of Health reported 79.1% of all residents 12 and older have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 73.1% are fully vaccinated.
Rates climbed statewide driven in part by a number of local, county, state, federal, and private employer mandates.
Eatonville School District fails to fire unvaccinated employees as deadline passes
KING 5 is reporting the school district still has not removed unvaccinated staff. According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, Eatonville is the only district in the state challenging the mandate. The district has not released any information on how many employees could be impacted, but statewide the impact among teachers and administrators was negligible.
Eatonville is one of the only school districts in the state that was forced to move to remote learning when a spike of cases popped up at Eatonville Middle School.
The Eatonville School District appears to be headed toward a showdown with the state.
Dallas County, Texas versus King County, Washington two different approaches, two results
King County, Washington experienced the first Covid superspreader event in February 2020, the first death, and had the first mass casualty event at a hospital in the United States. A month later, Texas suffered its first Covid-19 death. Over the next 627 days King County implemented some of the strictest COVID rules in the nation while Dallas County took a more open approach.
So was there a major difference between approaches? King County has 2.30 million residents compared to 2.65 million residents. On November 1, Dallas County reported its 5,000 COVID-related death while King County reported 2,022. Simply put, 1 in every 530 residents of Dallas County has died of COVID since March 2020 versus 1 in every 1,137 residents in King County since February 2020.
Both counties have multiple regional hospitals, a major children’s hospital, and a Level 1 trauma center. In Dallas County, 88% of hospitalizations and 98% of fatalities were unvaccinated compared to 90% and 88% in King County. The number of vaccinated deaths in King County are higher due to the false data fallacy. In Dallas County only 60.7% of all eligible residents have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine compared to 88.6% in King County.
King County has maintained maks mandates, instituted vaccine mandates, followed the CDC back to school protocols, and was one of the last places in the country to fully reopen in spring 2021. Many large employers have maintained work from home rules for their employees. Additionally large scale testing centers were readily available through most of the pandemic and the county had specific outreach programs to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and poor communities to increase vaccination rates.
The protocols, mandates, and rules have been hard on King County residents and businesses, but is there a price tag on 2,318 lives? To provide some contrast, 2,744 people died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001.
Spokane Regional Health opens Covid-19 isolation services in cooperation with the Salvation Army
Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) has partnered with Salvation Army to provide isolation services for individuals in the community who test positive for COVID-19 and do not have the resources to isolate themselves at home.
Isolation is a crucial component in the fight against COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic response, isolation has been provided for members of the community whose living situation makes it difficult to isolate safely from others. This could be due to many reasons such as living in a multigenerational household or within a congregate setting.
Contracted through Spokane County, Salvation Army will provide isolation services within six of their studio apartments for the next 12 months. Two of the apartments are adjoining rooms to help assist larger families. Transition from the United Gospel Mission (UGM) facility took place yesterday.
Dr. Francisco Velázquez, SRHD health officer, explained UGM’s support was instrumental to ensuring isolation was provided at a time it was most needed when cases were rising. It gave SRHD time to find a long-term solution that meets the needs of Spokane County.
“Having Salvation Army as a long-term isolation partner is essential to our recovery efforts,” Velázquez said. “Salvation Army’s commitment to serve the community and support public health is invaluable.”
Washington state to provide no cost Covid-19 testing for Canadian citizens who own property in Point Roberts
A geographical anomaly isolated from the rest of the United States, Point Roberts has endured over 600 days of isolation from the rest of the world due to the land border closure of the U.S. – Canada border. On November 8, land travel will be permitted again for vaccinated individuals but for Point Roberts, there is a unique challenge.
Canadian citizens who own homes in Point Roberts will be able to check on their property for the first time in 18 months. Not only do they need to provide proof of vaccination, but to cross the border they also need a negative Covid-19 test in the last three days. That requirement goes both ways, mandating a second test to return to Canada.
Normally, foreign nationals in the United States would be required to pay for that test, which creates a significant barrier for those who need to move across the border. To add complexity, Canada won’t accept a rapid test, and PCR testing is only available in Port Roberts on Wednesdays and Sundays.
To support Canadians that own property in the U.S. enclaveve, Point Roberts has arranged for the state of Washington to pay for testing for Canadians who own property there but cannot afford the test or do not have private U.S. health insurance to cover the cost.
“The majority of people coming in will be property owners and they already pay property taxes to the State of Washington,” he said. “Therefore to provide an international traveler that owns property in Point Roberts a test to go back home after coming into the community and seeing their home for the first time in 18 months, I think is the right thing to do.”
Travel Advisories
We are very encouraged by the hospital readiness data for the East Hospital Region and believe we can end the travel advisory in the next five to 12 days. For now, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited.
Additionally, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska and the Idaho Panhandle are experiencing an extreme number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency. Data out of Wyoming is encouraged and we may drop our travel advisory in the next 14 to 21 days.
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Vaccination
CDC Director authorizes Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in children 5 to 11 – vaccine is immediately available
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave the final approval required to make the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine available to children 5 to 11 years old in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the low dose version of the Pfizer vaccine in a 17-0-1 vote last week. Due to federal rules on distribution, the CDC is required to clear the FDA recommendation. The CDC Advisory Panel granted unanimous approval in a 14-0 vote, with Dr. Walensky granting final approval a few hours later.
The immune responses of children 5 through 11 were comparable to adolescents and young adults. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and no serious side effects.
King County, Washington is reporting over 88.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. 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 and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines and boosters are free for anyone 5 and older. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.0% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 654 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 88.3% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 295 patients with 60.0% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 140 additional ICU patients.
On Monday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 107. The Department of Health reported 1,046 Covid-19 patients statewide on November 1, with 176 requiring ventilators.
The vast majority of hospitalized Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated and the number of patients won’t decline significantly until the number of new cases moves lower.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Alcott (5) – Bell (24) – Blackwell (1* – see notes) – Carson Elementary (6) – Clara Barton (3) – Eastlake High (48) – Ella Baker (6) – Finn Hill Middle School (6) – Frost (5) – ICS (4) – Juanita Elementary (1) – Juanita High (17) – Kamiakin Middle School (25) – Keller (6) – Kirk Elementary (10) – Lakeview Elementary (7) – Lake Washington High School (7) – McAuliffe (1) – Muir Elementary (1) – Redmond Middle School (1) – Redmond High School (52) – Rockwell (2) – Sandburg/Discovery (4) – Timberline Middle School (28) – Twain Elementary (15)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (3) – Bothell High School (15**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (3) – Canyon Park Middle School (1) – Crystal Springs Elementary (11) – East Ridge Elementary (3) – Fernwood Elementary (5) – Frank Love Elementary (13) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (3) – Inglemoor High School (23**) – Kenmore Elementary (21) – Kenmore Middle School (5) – Kokanee Elementary (7) – Lockwood Elementary (7**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (2) – Morelands Elementary (1) – North Creek High School (9**) – Northshore Middle School (12) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (10**) – Shelton View Elementary (8) – Skyview Middle School (18**) – Timbercrest Middle School (1) – Wellington Elementary (7**) – Westhill Elementary (18) – Woodin Elementary (8**) – Woodinville High School (4) – Woodmoor Elementary (11)
None
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
There was a parent confirmed Covid-19 case reported at Blackwell Elementary in the Lake Washington School District. Because LWSD updates data weekly, we add a footnote for parent-reported cases during the week.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. We would also encourage parents to request the Bellevue School District include data on close contacts. These two changes would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event on November 6
The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Juanita High School. Hosted by the City of Kirkland in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, the event will provide Covid-19 vaccination, information, education, and more.
At this time, organizers are not planning to provide vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old, according to David Wolbrecht, Senior Neighborhood Services Coordinator with the City of Kirkland.
Save the date! The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event takes place 10 am – 2 pm, Sat 11/6 at Juanita High School. We are partnering with @KCPubHealth to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine info & education, & much more! More information to come. pic.twitter.com/JJcFnqggrJ
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 121,139 new cases and 1,201 deaths nationwide on Tuesday. The United States will break 750,000 COVID-related deaths since February 29, 2020 tomorrow or Thursday.
“Without acting on this vaccine requirement, we could lose substantial federal contracts, and with them jobs that support more than 750 employees and their families,” said Pitney. “In addition, the ripple effect of the loss of these contracts would be widely felt as UAF’s research enterprise works with local contractors and suppliers across the state.”
The decision is in response to President Biden’s executive order (EO) 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, which requires all employees paid by or supporting new or modified federal contracts to be vaccinated by early December. The order requires not only people directly paid by federal contracts but also anyone who works to support them or works in the same facility to get a COVID vaccine.
According to a report in the Daily Beast (a publication we reluctantly share, other sources are behind a paywall), roughly 1,200 attendees flocked to the Alaska Early Treatment Medical Summit on Saturday, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Organizers told the outlet that attendees paid $20 for tickets to hear from doctors who have been shunned from mainstream medical circles for pushing unproven drugs touted as miracle treatments to fight COVID-19 infection.
“I’m just here to tell you after a long dinner and meeting with these folks, this is the best science available,” Dave Bronson proclaimed during a nine-minute speech on Saturday at Anchorage’s ChangePoint Church.
According to a video of the event, posted by organizers from the Alaska Covid Alliance, Richard Urso, a Houston ophthalmologist who helped launch America’s Frontline Doctors and has defended using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, told the crowd that Bronson had “helped organize a lot of what’s happening behind the scenes.”
Mayor spokesperson Corey Allen Young backpedaled on Monday, suggesting Bronson was not involved in any planning for the event. He also stated that Bronson nor any other city employee was compensated.
Idaho
State officials reported that hospitals are still operating at crisis standards of care today and 11.5% of Covid-19 tests are coming back at positive. The weekly update by Idaho officials had audio problems so hospitalization was not shared.
While the Panhandle has had no relief since early September, officials reported that 6 of the 7 counties with the highest case rates are now in Eastern Idaho.
The Idaho State Board of Education on Tuesday approved a decision joining a federal lawsuit to block contractor requirements in President Joe Biden’s executive orders that include COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but colleges and universities will meanwhile abide by the order.
It’s not clear how many workers in Idaho would be affected by the order.
Montana
Montana reported 371 people were hospitalized, down significantly from two weeks ago, however with 1,100 new cases being added a day, 1% of Montanans are catching COVID every 10 days.
The state’s positivity rate of new cases is still more than double the 5% goal set by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Shaw-Tulloch said. More than 1,000 new cases were reported to the state on Monday, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. More than 3,570 Idaho residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
New York
In 24 hours, 2,000 of the 9,000 vaccination mandate holdouts among New York City’s municipal employees got their first dose administered. City officials belief between completed vaccination and approved exemptions, less than 3% of all municipal employees will leave their jobs.
Much like in Washington state, dire predictions of massive staff losses have not come to pass.
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) New Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations remain stuck on a plateau exhausting medical personnel across the state. Skagit County has a significant surge in new Covid-19 cases that continued to grow over the weekend.
The United States is approaching 750,000 Covid-19 deaths while the world passed 5 million confirmed fatalities in less than 23 months today.
The eviction moratorium ended for most Washingtonians today, but help is available for Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, and King County residents.
Vaccination rates increased across the state and in King County, 88.6% of all eligible residents have had at least one dose.
A long list of public figures including Jen Psaki, Jason Momoa, Jon Bon Jovi, and Kristy Swanson reported they have Covid-19 in the last 48 hours. Only Swanson is in the hospital. After dire predictions in New York of thousands of police officers walking off the job, only 34 were suspended this morning.
The U.S. Marine Corps reported 93% of all active-duty troops are at least partially vaccinated with the deadline looming on November 28. The Corps made it clear they will take no prisoners among those who refuse to get vaccinated, and servicemembers will face discharge.
On Friday, Cornell Beard, the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Witchita, Kansas went on an anti-Semitic rant to the applause of the Kansas legislature. Not to be outdone, protesters outside New York governor Kathy Hochul’s house on Sunday said they will burn down schools and town halls.
In disinformation, we dive into why two different studies about myocarditis have been pulled by medical journals.
County vaccination data was updated today and the tiers for new case rates have been updated. The least vaccinated counties have 197% more new cases per 100,000 residents than the most vaccinated. The 7 day moving average new case rate in San Juan County has been under 25 for four days. It is the only county in the state where the Covid-19 situation could be called, “normal.”
For the first time since we started tracking new case rates by vaccinated population, a lower vaccinated group of counties has a lower rate. The number of new cases in Skagit County has increased over the weekend pushing up the average.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
220.4
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
356.3
50.00% to 59.99% (15 counties)
3,433,900
392.0
40.00% to 49.99% (9 counties)
599,225
378.5
31.20% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
434.3
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through October 31, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 334.6 Covid-19 cases per 100K – statistically unchanged from Friday.
No counties are reporting a new case rate above 800.0. This is the first time this has happened since August 17.
Four counties, Ferry, Klickitat, Lincoln, and Skagit, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9.
Asotin, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Garfield, Grant, Lewis, Mason, Okanagan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, and Stevens counties have a new case rate between 400.0 and 599.9.
It appears new cases and hospitalizations dropped significantly for people over 79 years old. However, Monday’s report is typically incomplete and the numbers will likely be adjusted tomorrow.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
159.8
0.5
Ages 12-19
146.7
0.9
Ages 20-34
147.4
3.9
Ages 35-49
166.2
7.3
Ages 50-64
127.2
11.5
Ages 65-79
95.1
18.2
Ages 80+
80.8
26.8
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
Washington state Covid-19 related eviction and foreclosure moratorium ends
Almost 21 months since the first Covid-19 case was identified in Everett on January 21, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee let the eviction moratorium come to an end. The governor created a bridge over the summer, extending eviction relief until October 31 due to issues at a state, county, and local level in distributing funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan.
Seattle, Burien, and Kenmore extended eviction protections until early 2022.
The unemployment rate in Washington dropped to 4.9% in September.
Travel Advisories
We are very encouraged by the hospital readiness data for the East Hospital Region and believe we can end the travel advisory in the next five to 12 days. For now, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited.
Additionally, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska and the Idaho Panhandle are experiencing an extreme number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency. Data out of Wyoming is encourage and we may drop our travel advisory in the next 14 to 21 days.
Thank you
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The immune responses of children 5 through 11 were comparable to adolescents and young adults. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and no serious side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week on November 2 and 3 to discuss further clinical recommendations.
“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 is administered as a two-dose series, three weeks apart, as a 10 microgram dose. Individuals 12 years of age and older receive a 30 microgram dose. Full efficacy is reached two weeks after the final dose is administered.
Health and Human Services have purchased 28 million doses with regional distribution beginning next week.
King County, Washington is reporting over 88.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. 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 and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
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.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.2% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 641 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 88.7% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 295 patients with 54.0% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 137 additional ICU patients.
On Sunday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 94. The Department of Health reported 1,026 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 31, with 159 requiring ventilators. Data on Monday is typically incomplete and will likely be adjusted tomorrow.
Although the percentage of Covid-19 patients continues to slowly decline, most hospitals remain near capacity as elective surgeries restart.
During the Washington State Hospital Association briefing today, Dr. Mary Fairchok of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma said during September 114 pediatric patients tested positive for Covid-19 in the emergency department. Almost 40% of those patients, 45, developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C). MIS-C is a rare complication that school-age children can get during and after a COVID infection. Discovered in the U.K in 2020, it is similar to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease.
The vast majority of hospitalized Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Alcott (5) – Bell (24) – Carson Elementary (6) – Clara Barton (3) – Eastlake High (48) – Ella Baker (6) – Finn Hill Middle School (6) – Frost (5) – ICS (4) – Juanita Elementary (1) – Juanita High (17) – Kamiakin Middle School (25) – Keller (6) – Kirk Elementary (10) – Lakeview Elementary (7) – Lake Washington High School (7) – McAuliffe (1) – Muir Elementary (1) – Redmond Middle School (1) – Redmond High School (52) – Rockwell (2) – Sandburg/Discovery (4) – Timberline Middle School (28) – Twain Elementary (15)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (5) – Bothell High School (21**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (4) – Canyon Park Middle School (2) – Crystal Springs Elementary (9) – East Ridge Elementary (7) – Fernwood Elementary (4) – Frank Love Elementary (17) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (1) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Kenmore Elementary (4) – Kenmore Middle School (6) – Kokanee Elementary (4) – Leota Middle School (1) – Lockwood Elementary (16**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (5) – Morelands Elementary (1) – North Creek High School (9**) – Northshore Middle School (11) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (14) – Shelton View Elementary (4) – Skyview Middle School (3) – Timbercrest Middle School (5) – Wellington Elementary (8**) – Westhill Elementary (9) – Woodin Elementary (10**) – Woodinville High School (7) – Woodmoor Elementary (14)
None
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Northshore School District moved back to yellow status with active Covid-19 cases dropping at Bothell High School and Lockwood Elementary School.
The Lake Washington School District added seven schools with active COVID cases, but total numbers remain low.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. We would also encourage parents to request the Bellevue School District include data on close contacts. These two changes would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
EvergreenHealth Kirkland reports hospital is treating 29 Covid-19 patients
EvergreenHealth in Kirkland reported they had 29 hospitalized Covid-19 patients on Monday afternoon, with five more admitted after 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
None of the ICU patients are vaccinated and four of the nine are on ventilators. The two breakthrough cases currently being treated are over 60 years old.
Local rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are available
Rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are available for the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville region.
The Bellevue City Council authorized $7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan to support residential rental and mortgage relief. The City of Bellevue Rental and Mortgage Assistance web page provides additional information and links to community organizations accepting applications.
Kirkland has a Rental Relief Resource Center to apply for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance. Additionally, rent and assistance are available for small businesses.
For people who live in unincorporated King County, rental assistance is available for low-income households through the Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program. Renters can visit the Tenant Registration page to learn about eligibility and apply for assistance.
Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event on November 6
The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Juanita High School. Hosted by the City of Kirkland in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, the event will provide Covid-19 vaccination, information, education, and more.
At this time, organizers are not planning to provide vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old, according to David Wolbrecht, Senior Neighborhood Services Coordinator with the City of Kirkland.
Save the date! The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event takes place 10 am – 2 pm, Sat 11/6 at Juanita High School. We are partnering with @KCPubHealth to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine info & education, & much more! More information to come. pic.twitter.com/JJcFnqggrJ
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 17,599 new cases and 164 deaths nationwide on Monday. Most states don’t report data over the weekend so the number should be considered incomplete.
Johns Hopkins University also reported that the planet has recorded 5,005,344 Covid-19 deaths and 247,118,535 confirmed cases since SARS-CoV-2 appeared in China 23 months ago. Researchers believe both figures are undercounted, with the estimated death toll closer to 10 million.
Almost 15% of the confirmed deaths have been in the United States.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has Covid-19
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that she had tested positive for Covid-19. Psaki last met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday of last week, is vaccinated, and said she only has mild symptoms.
In a statement released on Sunday, Psaki reported “members of my household testing positive for Covid-19,” as the reason why she did not accompany President Biden on his European diplomacy trip.
“Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Psaki said. “However, today, I tested positive for COVID. While I have not had close contact in person with the president or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday — and tested negative for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency. I last saw the president on Tuesday, when we sat outside more than six feet apart, and wore masks.”
Actor Jason Momoa tests positive for Covid-19
Days after attending the Dune premiere in the U.K on October 15, the 42-year-old actor Jason Momoa reported he had tested positive for Covid-19 in an Instagram story.
“I got hit with COVID right after the premiere. There was a lot of people I met in England, and so got a lot of aloha from people.”
“And who knows? But either way, I’m doing fine. Thank you for all your concerns and love. And, yeah, I’m just camped out in my house.”
Jon Bon Jovi tests positive for Covid-19
Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID-19 during a rapid test just before he was set to perform a concert in Miami Beach according to a report in the Idaho Statesman. An announcer took to the stage to give the crowd the bad news just before Saturday night’s concert at Loews South Beach was set to begin, WSVN in Miami reported. Bon Jovi, 59, and his bandmates took rapid tests just before the concert and Bon Jovi tested positive. He is fully vaccinated.
Actor Kristy Swanson hospitalized with Covid-19
Kristy Swanson has been hospitalized due to COVID pneumonia according to a tweet she posted early Monday morning. The 51-year-old actress who was Buffy in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie has expressed support for Ivermectin, doubts about the vaccine, and supports a variety of conspiracy theories. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Sunday.
“Prayers for me please,” she wrote. “Yesterday I took an ambulance ride to the hospital. I’m still here with pneumonia, I’m on oxygen etc, all covid related of course. I’m in good spirits and in great hands.”
🙏🏼 Prayers for me please. Yesterday I took an ambulance ride to the hospital. I’m still here with pneumonia, I’m on oxygen etc, all covid related of course. I’m in good spirits and in great hands. ❤️🙏🏼
In a follow-up, she tweeted more details about what led to her hospital stay: “I was just at the tail end of my Covid diagnosis when it jumped into my lungs. So they are treating me with Baricitinib & blood thinners so I don’t clot. I’m ok.”
After multiple news agencies reported on her previous Twitter history, she released a statement declaring she has never been “anti-vax.”
93% of U.S. Marines vaccinated as deadline looms on November 28
As of October 21, 93% of active duty U.S. Marines were at least partially vaccinated according to the Department of Defense.
Barring an approved administrative, medical or religious accommodation, or a pending appeal, Marines who fail to meet the deadline will be processed for administrative separation, the MARADMIN said. General court-martial convening authorities will “retain authority to take any additional adverse administrative or disciplinary action” deemed appropriate.
A Marine is considered to have “refused the vaccine” when they do not have approved administrative, medical, or religious accommodation or a pending appeal, and they “received and willfully disobeyed a lawful order from a superior commissioned officer to be vaccinated against COVID-19;” the MARADMIN said.
The Marine Corps had not approved any religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday, said Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesman.
State Updates
Alaska
Multiple hospitals operate under crisis standards of care across Alaska with 202 Covid-19 patients hospitalized and more than 1,500 new cases over the weekend. Health officials are reporting 610 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 8.5%, offering the first positive news in weeks. A number of hospitals continue to operate under crisis standards of care and 22 ICU beds were available on Monday afternoon.
Earlier in the month, a series of contentious meetings at Anchorage City Hall debating a mask mandate for Alaska’s large city turned into a super spreader event. Several members of Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration became sick with Covid-19, including some breakthrough cases. William Topel, a well-known anti-vaccination activist was among the hundreds of mostly unmasked people in the packed room.
Topel, 68, had multiple health issues became ill with Covid-19 shortly after the meeting, and quickly declined in health. He was hospitalized in Anchorage and died of COVID-related illness on October 13. His supporters remained defiant at his funeral on October 25, according to Alaska Public Media.
“God’s going to use this as a fulcrum to propel us into victory,” friend and fellow activist Dustin Darden told the crowd after Topel’s burial. “We’re going to take every square inch of Anchorage, everything that Bill stood for every time he was out there, it’s just been amplified 1,000 times.”
After more than a week of theatrics that included Mayor Bronson supporting the use of Nazi symbols, and seven meetings that frequently devolved into screaming matches, the Anchorage Assembly voted to issue an emergency mask mandate. On October 13, the same day Topel died, Bronson vetoed the decision. A day later, the Assembly overrode the veto by vote, requiring masks on October 14.
On October 27, the Anchorage Assembly meeting scheduled to discuss routine city business devolved into an anti-mask debate again.
Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson spoke at the “Alaska Early Treatment Summit” on Saturday. The summit included Covid-19 disinformation spreaders including Robert W. Malone MD, Ophthalmologist Richard Urso MD, and Ryan Cole, MD, who is the head of Ada County Health in Idaho and currently under investigation by the state medical board.
Malone claims he had Covid-19 in February 2020 and suffers from long hauler syndrome. He states he got the Moderna vaccine in hopes it would “cure” his symptoms, but believes the vaccination made it worse.
Paul Kendall, who ran for office several times without success, used the slur toward Chris Constant, a member of the Anchorage Assembly, during a September 29 meeting on a proposed mask mandate for the city. The assembly is Anchorage’s governing body, similar to a city council.
At the meeting, many residents who opposed the mandate spoke to the council. When Kendall took the mike, he said to Constant, “I thought you were just a cocksucker, but you’re a coward,” as documented on video by The Alaska Landmine, a news website. Some people cheered Kendall, who was then escorted from the building. He was later arrested for trespassing.
“I’ve been called worse by better,” Constant, who supports the mandate, said when the meeting closed.
Alaska remains at the top of the list for the highest rate of COVID-19 infection in the country, according to a report by Alaska Public Radio. And with a higher proportion of unvaccinated residents occupying hospital beds, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink is pointing to misinformation and distrust as major factors.
Zink recently wrote an editorial in The Washington Post reflecting on many issues around the pandemic. In part of the piece, Zink writes about treating an unvaccinated patient struggling with COVID-19 who had spent hundreds of dollars on unproven, online remedies that didn’t help.
May the odds ever be in your favor.
Idaho
Idaho reported 37 more Covid-19 deaths over the weekend with 17 in overwhelmed Kootenai County. The Gem State is now in its seventh week of rationing hospital care with no end in sight.
KMVT reported, “Idaho will be able to exit crisis standards of care when the surge of patients being driven by COVID-19 no longer exceeds the healthcare resources available,” said Dave Jeppesen, Director of the Department of Health and Welfare.
COVID data is beginning to show some promising signs of decline, but Jeppesen says the state is still not ready to begin actively restoring conventional care standards.
“Testing positivity declined to 12% this past week, marking the fifth week of decline, but still remains far above the target of 5%,” Jeppesen said. “The number of new cases remains high, but declining and hospitalizations remain too high, but with encouraging downward trends.”
Not only is the current hospital data not yet to a point that conventional standards of care would be possible, but other Idaho COVID trends offer more reason for healthcare officials to be hesitant.
Kansas
On Friday a special legislative hearing was held in Topeka where several state lawmakers met with members of the public to discuss the vaccine mandate pressed by the Biden administration.
“We’re basically saying you’re the modern-day Jew,” Beard told the committee on Friday. “You’re gonna wear that star … and we don’t give a damn if you complain about it or not.”
Several state representatives and senators also agreed with Beard’s comparison to what companies like Spirit and Textron have enforced following the executive order to have all federal contracted workers to be vaccinated by December 8, 2021
Committee Chair Brenda Landwehr, of Wichita, said she agrees with his comparison saying, …”you’re right and I thank you for saying that.” regarding the comments made by Beard of comparing mask-wearing and the stance of being against the mandate similar to being ‘a modern-day racist.”
Montana Public Radio is reporting provisional data show that 1,258 Montanans died last year due to COVID-19. So far in 2021, there have been more than 1,100 deaths due to the virus.
The state’s acting medical director, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek, says the deaths are “almost entirely preventable” with the widespread availability of safe and effective vaccines to protect against the virus.
New York
Anti-vaccination, anti-mandate, and anti-government protesters gathered outside New York governor Kathy Hochul’s Staten Island home and cheered as a speaker declared that schools and city halls would be burned down. The speaker continued to mutilate U.S. history stating that in 1776 American Colonists didn’t talk they just took action.
"If theyre going to push this on the kids, without any type of you know [inaudible], I can guarantee you one thing, town halls and schools will be fuckin burned to the ground" – said speaker during Staten Island rally against the mandates. pic.twitter.com/11yOPsj6HH
After weeks of fear-mongering and predictions from the New York City Police union president that 10,000 officers would quit, only 34 NYPD commissioned officers were on unpaid leave for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Another 40 civilian employees were also on leave, representing just 0.15% of the entire force.
Data from Wyoming is more encouraging as new cases and hospitalizations start to drop. Officials reported 182 hospitalized statewide while the number of new cases dropped to 250 per day.
This is the second study withdrawn in less than 60 days. A study out of Ottawa, Canada was withdrawn on October 1 after it failed peer review. That study alleged to have found that one out of every thousand mRNA Covid-19 vaccinations causes myopericarditis to develop rapidly in otherwise healthy individuals.
The study was based on researching 32,000 doses and reviewing reports of adverse events. However, the actual number was 845,930 doses, resulting in an error that was 25 times smaller than the original result.
Some medical journals with official-sounding names are “pay to play” and there is tremendous competition to get published in the medical field. For smaller journals, tantalizing headlines equals clicks and subscribers which provides revenue. Regrettably, in the race to provide content, due diligence sometimes is delayed and for unethical publishers, ignored.
Myocarditis is a very rare condition that can occur after receiving a dose of an mRNA vaccine, particularly among young men. In the United States, Myocarditis has been reported less than 1,000 times to date.
[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) Skagit County joined eight Western Washington counties today in recommending indoor use of masks for all people, even if they are vaccinated. Eight counties, including Grays Harbor, Callam, Pierce, King, San Juan, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Snohomish released a joint statement on Monday with the recommendation.
The CDC is widely expected to recommend wearing masks in regions with high infection rates today as COVID cases fueled by the Delta and Gamma variants, surges in all 50 states. In a report from Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MD, and epidemiologist, COVID cases have grown 170% in the last 14 days across the United States as tracked by Johns Hopkins University.
The COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a consortium of researchers and medical professionals projects that the so-called Fourth Wave will peak in October, with daily deaths growing to 850 in the United States as the best case, and as high as 4,000 a day in the worst case. The IHME out of the Univesity of Washington projects a peak in September and the United States entering a new normal for fatalities.
On July 14, Washington state achieved its goal of 70% of eligible residents over 16 years old vaccinated. King County is over 80% vaccinated, but there remains significant gaps in South King County in communities such as Federal Way. The number of new cases per 100K has grown to 107 in Washington state, well above the target of 25.
Acute care and ICU beds remain in short supply throughout Washington due to a number of contributing factors, including COVID. KING 5 reported that emergency rooms across Western Washington are overwhelmed including Harborview Medical Center, the state’s only Level 1 trauma center, where patients are waiting as long as 90 minutes to be unloaded from ambulances.
[MOUNT VERNON] – (MTN) Bail was set for $500,000 for Angela Marie Conjin in Skagit County Superior Court this morning. Conjin is accused of shooting a 32-year-old Arlington woman over an altercation involving a political sign for Loren Culp.
According to the Skagit County Sheriff’s department, John Conjin, the husband of Angela Conjin, told authorities he saw a suspicious vehicle that he thought could be involved in mail theft. He went outside to confront the occupants and an argument ensued. Mr. Conjin claims he got into a physical altercation with the driver of the truck, that continued to his front porch, and there was an attempt to steal the campaign sign. The female passenger of the pickup truck got out of the vehicle, and at about the same Ms. Conjin emerged from the home with a firearm, firing several shots. The 32-year-old woman who was killed had not been involved in the earlier physical interaction.
The man in the pickup claims he was punched by Mr. Conjin through an open window before engaging in a further altercation.
Police arrested John Conjin for assault in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor, and arrested Angela Conjin for investigation of second-degree murder. Mr. Conjin has been released, while Ms. Conjin was formally charged on Tuesday afternoon and is still in Skagit County Jail.
Police have not identified the other man who fought with Mr. Conjin, nor if he will face any criminal charges. Authorities have not identified the name of the 32-year old victim. Malcontent News has the name but is withholding it pending confirmed notification to the next of kin.
Public records show Anglea Conjin was a teacher’s aide for the Sedro-Wooley School District. In 2019 she trained to be a hairstylist and started working for La Conner Hair Design. Calls and messages to La Conner Hair Design went unanswered. Investigators have not released the nature of the political sign, but a report from Seattle TV station KING 5, indicates it was a Loren Culp Sign. Loren Culp lost the gubernatorial election in Washington state by 545,000 votes but refused to concede and made baseless allegations of fraud without evidence. Public records show Conjin is a registered Republican in the state of Washington.
UPDATED: February 16, 2021 @ 11:38 PM – neighbors are reporting it was a Loren Culp sign, and not a Donald Trump sign
[MOUNT VERNON] – (MTN) A 32-year-old Arlington woman is dead, and her assailant is in Skagit County jail under investigation for her murder. Skagit County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 55-year old Angela Marie Conjin on second-degree murder charges and her husband John for fourth-degree assault. Anglea Conjin is being held without bail pending her first hearing. Conjin is accused of shooting the 32-year old victim to death after her husband and another man allegedly got into a fight over a Loren Culp sign that was in Conjin’s yard.
According to goskagit.com, deputies responded to a 911 call on Saturday around 5:30 PM, reporting a fight in progress. As deputies were en route, they received another 911 call stating a person had been shot at the same address.
Deputies arrived to find the 32-year-old Arlington woman dead in the driveway. According to a statement made by the sheriff’s department, officers spoke with the home occupants and arrested the couple without incident. Conjin’s first court appearance scheduled for today was canceled. The Skagit County Prosector’s Office reported that charges were filed today using a committee magistrate warrant, and Conjin will have her first hearing on Wednesday at 8:30 AM. Brett Purtzer of Tacoma is her attorney and has a history of taking cases where defendants plead self-defense or mental anguish.
Public records show Anglea Conjin was a teacher’s aide for the Sedro-Wooley School District. In 2019 she trained to be a hairstylist and started working for La Conner Hair Design. Calls and messages to La Conner Hair Design went unanswered. Investigators have not released the nature of the political sign, but a report from Seattle TV station KING 5, indicates it was a Loren Culp Sign. Loren Culp lost the gubernatorial election in Washington state by 545,000 votes but refused to concede and made baseless allegations of fraud without evidence. Public records show Conjin is a registered Republican in the state of Washington.
Conjin’s background indicates she has had financial troubles in the past, including a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but has no prior criminal record.
You can read our latest update by clicking this link.
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