DAILY NEWS
‘Papers don’t matter’ ● Scalia vs. workers ● Brandi’s supergroup
Friday, August 9, 2019
IMMIGRATION
► In today’s NY Times — ICE raids in Mississippi leave fear and uncertainty in their wake — There were scores of cars and trucks at the trailer park near this small town’s chicken processing plant on Thursday afternoon, the day after federal immigration authorities swept across Mississippi and apprehended hundreds of immigrants in one of the largest workplace actions in recent memory. And yet it felt like a ghost town.
Little girl sobs for her father after he was taken during the Mississippi ICE raids. She pleads for him to be let go: “I need my dad.” https://t.co/XUQAftIVXF pic.twitter.com/68rru8iVvv
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 8, 2019
► In today’s News Tribune — Minimum wage ruling goes in part against firm that runs Tacoma’s immigrant detention center — The company that runs the federal immigration detention center in Tacoma lost an argument this week in a lawsuit about the wages it pays detainees, the state attorney general said. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued The GEO Group in 2017, alleging that the for-profit company was violating the state’s minimum wage law by paying detainees $1 or less a day for jobs such as cleaning and preparing food. Minimum wage in Washington state is $12.
LOCAL
► In today’s Tri-City Herald — Sen. Patty Murray visits Pasco union hall — U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is greeted by Nickolas Bumpaous, president of Central Washington Building & Construction Trades, during her Thursday visit to the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 598 building in Pasco. She listened to a half-dozen union members, leaders and community members share personal stories and discussed details about her worker’s rights bill called the PRO Act.
ALSO at The Stand:
Murray meets with Snohomish, Island unionists on PRO Act (Aug. 6)
Murray, Jayapal meet with Seattle labor leaders on PRO Act (June 7)
► From the Stranger — After mixed results on election night, what’s labor going to do next? — MLK Labor, a big player in local politics, counted some wins and some significant losses among the 33 candidates they endorsed countywide. “We definitely learned some things,” said executive secretary-treasurer Nicole Grant, including that corporations are “willing to spend money to control our city and control our neighborhoods in a way we haven’t seen for a while.”
► From HuffPost — Elderly Ferndale couple in apparent murder-suicide indicated they could not afford medical care — An elderly couple in Ferndale, Wash., was found dead in their home in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said, and police say they discovered notes about the couple’s struggle to afford necessary medical care.
THIS WASHINGTON
► In the Spokesman-Review — Judge dismisses yearslong case after state psychiatric hospitals change policies, ‘culture,’ hire more staff — A five-year court battle over how psychiatric hospitals in Washington treat patients who have been ruled not guilty by reason of insanity came to an end Wednesday when Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice dismissed the case after determining significant improvements agreed to in a 2016 settlement had been made.
THAT WASHINGTON
NATIONAL
► From ProPublica — Rising profits, rising injuries: The safety crisis at Koch Industries’ Georgia-Pacific — Five years ago, the paper and pulp company realized it needed to tackle a soaring injury rate. But in its quest to fix the crisis, Georgia-Pacific stopped short of one thing: slowing down production and risking profits. In other words, it addressed its worker safety crisis the Koch way — and things have only gotten worse.
► More work safety news from CNN Wire — Arizona postal worker cooks steak inside mail truck to show ‘unsafe’ working conditions — Arizona State Rep. Shawnna Bolick is asking for an investigation into what she describes as unsafe work conditions for Valley postal service workers. Bolick sent a letter Wednesday to APWU President Mark Dimonstein urging him investigate reports of hazardous working conditions for mail carriers because of the Arizona heat.
► From The Onion — New Amazon service lets customers boost shipping speed with easy one-click charge to whip delivery person
T.G.I.F.
► Long-time readers know that The Entire Staff of The Stand have been cheerleaders for Brandi Carlile for many years. Now that the Pride of Ravensdale is a Grammy Award™-winning bigshot, what does she do? Assemble a country music supergroup with Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby. Watch and listen as The Highwomen cover the 1977 Fleetwood Mac song “The Chain.” Stephen Betts of Rolling Stone writes, “Shires’ chilling fiddle work accentuates the song’s desolate themes of heartache and anger and the singers’ four-part vocals add even more intensity to this women-only version, with instrumental support from Jason Isbell and brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth.” Enjoy!
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.