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VOL 37 NO 26 JUNE 23 – JUNE 29, 2018
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36 YEARS YOUR VOICE
Local bubble tea shops gear up for plastic straw ban
Photo provided by the King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight.
Le family still waiting for justice
From left: Uyen Le, Xuyen Le, Jeffrey Campiche, Deu Ho Yuew, and Linda Diem Tran testifed on June 12 before the Metropolitan King County Council’s Law and Justice Committee.
One year since the shooting death of Tommy Le, his family says they are dissatisfied with the investigation into his case. “This past year was one that was terrible,” said the family in statement. “And now, on the anniversary of Tommy's death, all of us feel disappointed with
the lack of resolution from King County." On June 12 — almost exactly one year since the tragedy — the King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) released the report titled Transparency and Media Relations in High Profile Police Cases — analyzing how the King County Sheriff ’s Office (KCSO) releases see LE on 16
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OCEAN’S 8 » 7 A NIGHT AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY. » 8
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Photo by Han Bui
By Sophia Stephens & Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
By Tiffany Ran NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Local food establishments are making the switch from plastic straws to compostable plastic or paper straws. The local plastic straw ban is part of a larger “Strawless in Seattle” campaign, headed by Lonely Whale to rid oceans and U.S. waste streams of plastic waste. Plastics pollution
poses a growing problem for the environment. It contaminates waterways and local seafood, and causes illness and death in oceanic wildlife, like birds, whales, fish, and more. Beginning July 1, businesses must switch to using compostable plastic or paper straws and cocktail picks. Since 2008, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has worked see STRAW BAN on 16
“Public charge” fears
By Sophia Stephens NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Over the past several months, the Trump administration has made clear on its intent to make sweeping changes to what is commonly known as “public charge” regulations. The proposed changes could deter immigrant families from accessing public benefits like Medicaid and food stamps. The public charge regulations center around the likelihood that an applicant for a visa or green card will be on public assistance, which is defined as receiving over half of your income from financial forms of assistance, including Supplemental Security income, long-term help through Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. According to the National Immigration Law Center, current policy allows officials to consider only two types of public benefits in a public charge determination: cash assistance for income maintenance and institutionalization for long-term care at government expense.
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charge. Programs that would be under con“Though it is still a proposed rule, this is yet another sideration under the attack from the Trump administration on much more revised law would than just the immigrant population. This is an attack on include the Children’s Health Insurance Prolow-income children, seniors, people with disabilities, gram, the Supplemenand people of color.” tal Nutrition Assis— Sarah Domondon of Children’s Alliance tance Program (food Sarah Domondon stamps), the Low-Income Energy Assis“Though it is still a tance Program, Section 8 housing vouchers, low-income proposed rule, this is yet another attack from the Trump components of the Child Tax Credit, Women, Infants, and administration on much more than just the immigrant Children nutrition assistance programs, and Aff ordable population,” said Sarah Domondon of Children’s Alliance. “This is an attack on low-income children, seniors, people Care Act subsidies. Multiple reports detailed that along with the programs with disabilities, and people of color.” that are now being included in the public charge What is currently being proposed by the Trump administration is an expansion to the regulations, and to the desee PUBLIC CHARGE on 11 termination of an immigrant becoming or being a public
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