As we brace ourselves for yet another summer day that takes a turn towards the bleak, expect the atmosphere to be humid with air quality worsening. While the morning may deceive with its cool and cloudiness, the afternoon will confirm summer’s tenacity.
The audacity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is on full display in Washington. Despite a 2019 law in Washington State that generally bars state agencies from assisting ICE, it appears that there was an illicit collaboration with the Department of Licensing. In what seems like an ethically questionable maneuver, ICE agents perused the DOL database, relying on the Driver and Plate Search (DAPS) to pinpoint private information. All they needed was a license plate number, partial or full, and the name and address of the vehicle owner were theirs for the taking.
Unsettlingly, ICE is alleged to have utilized this tool in their bid to deport a Kirkland-based man. It comes as some consolation, however, that the state of Washington finally revoked ICE’s access to the DAPS system, sending a needed message about the respect of privacy rights.
In extraordinary and somewhat baffling events, two firefighters working to extinguish the Bear Gulch Fire near Lake Cushman were arrested by federal agents. These individuals were part of a 400-strong team consisting of regular firefighters and additional private contractor crews, all committed to battling the biggest fire in the state. In what was a considerable interruption to critical duties, federal agents spent three hours validating the identities of these contractor crews, while they were supposed to be combating the raging inferno.
These detained firefighters did not even receive the privilege of bidding their families and crew farewell before being taken into custody. The precise agency behind the arrests hasn’t been disclosed, but some believe it was a Border Patrol operation. This hunts of nothing less than an appalling disregard for the Biden policy that immigration officers should not disrupt natural disaster or emergency sites, sadly, indicative of the current state of affairs, Trump’s America indeed.
Meanwhile, at Microsoft, two employees found themselves jobless amidst continued anti-genocide and pro-Palestine protests on their campus. Their dismissal is said to be a result of breaking into an executive’s office, which was considered a breach of company policy.
A horrifying event unfolded during what should have been a peaceful morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis. A shooter, identified as a young woman with affiliations to the school, fatally shot two children aged 8 and 10. Additionally, a chilling 14 children and three adults were injured. As the community struggles in the aftermath, authorities continue to investigate to understand a possible motive behind this dreadful crime.
In other updates, there is a new COVID-19 shot on the horizon but, unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration has introduced restrictions on who is eligible for these inoculations. Despite our previous understanding that vaccines are best delivered to everyone, the shots will only be available for individuals aged 65 and above. Younger people will only have access if they have underlying medical issues predisposing them to the virus. A medical professional will need to be consulted by children.
Furthermore, this flu season is defined by the ironic twist of an antivaxxer, Kennedy, who now determines the approval of vaccines via a CDC advisory panel that he has saturated deliberately with vaccine skeptics and opponents. This heralds the first flu season where vaccines aren’t recommended to everyone.
President Donald Trump has made another bold move with the dismissal of Susan Moranus, a recently appointed chief of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indicative of a tantrum rather than responsible governance, this was a direct reaction to Moranus’ refusal to support alterations to U.S. vaccine policies. This reckless activity has set off a domino effect, with four top CDC leaders resigning along with Moranus.
A glimmer of resistance amidst the chaos comes from Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. She has decided to take a stand and is suing Trump subsequent to his attempts to remove her from her position, seeking an injunction to stop the firing. The audacity of Trump as he disregards established judicial precedence that prevents a president from firing Fed officials due to policy disagreements is on full show. His veil-thin justification for Cook’s dismissal is an allegation of mortgage fraud.
In what appears to be a comedic quest for prestige, Oklahoma City has declared it wants to construct the tallest skyscraper in the U.S. It is a plan that disrupts the expected humility and simplicity associated with the inhabitants of Oklahoma, deviating from their low-key image.
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