Has a recent Washington State Supreme Court decision made it easier for employers to get rid of people with chronic medical conditions? Advocates for people with disabilities say Washington had a perfectly good definition of what constitutes a 'disability,' until the state Supreme Court threw it out last fall in a case, McClarty v. Totem Electric, that involved a worker's carpal tunnel syndrome claims against his employer.

The court replaced the 30-year-old Washington Law Against Discrimination with a federal law -- the Americans With Disabilities Act -- that defines disabilities more narrowly. Advocates for people with disabilities say the federal law just doesn't work in many 'real world' situations, and the change has left people with chronic illnesses without some of the legal protections they used to have in the workplace.

Dylan Malone, chair of the Washington Network for Civil Justice and Accountability, leads a coalition of groups asking the Legislature to reinstate those safeguards.

"We don't want to return to an era where you can find out that somebody has a terrible illness and, as long as you fire them before they're actually 'sick,' then it's okay, because they aren't disabled yet."

Malone says most people with chronic illnesses, such as Lou Gehrig's disease or being HIV positive, and some types of on-the-job injuries, assume they're protected from workplace discrimination and don't realize that may not be the case -- or that they should speak up about it.

"It sounds like an esoteric thing, 'Oh, who cares how they define 'disability?' But it actually makes all the difference in the world. If you have a chronic condition that could threaten your ability to do your job, you need these protections."

The legislation is SB 5340, sponsored by Senator Adam Kline, and HB 1322, sponsored by Representative John McCoy. It would reinstate wording from the original Washington Law Against Discrimination, effectively overriding the court decision. The House hears the new legislation in about a week. Opponents include some business owners and the state Attorney General's office, who claim the new wording is too vague.



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Oregon advocates are shining a spotlight on hunger and related issues ahead of the fall elections.

A recent report from the Immigrant Research Initiative found immigrants constitute 10% of Oregon's population but contribute to 13%, or more than $33 billion, of the state's economic output.

The "Food for All Oregonians" policy aims to extend SNAP benefits to 60,000 Oregonians ineligible because of immigration status.

Karen Caudillo Roman, metro organizing manager for the Oregon Food Bank, stressed addressing hunger transcends mere food provision. She highlighted among those most affected by hunger in her community are single mothers, caretakers, as well as individuals from Black, brown and Indigenous backgrounds.

"These are folks that would already qualify for a lot of the safety net programs that we have in place," Caudillo Roman noted. "But just because of where they were born, they're left out."

She urged Gov. Tina Kotek to prioritize the Food for All Oregonians policy in the next legislative session, arguing access to food is a human right and no one should be denied based on their place of birth.

Reyna Lopez, executive director of Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, an Oregon farmworkers union, emphasized the importance of amplifying the community's voice amid what she describes as "hateful rhetoric against immigrants during elections," and ongoing exploitation in the workplace.

"We're part of this community," Lopez emphasized. "We're going to continue to do the work that is essential and continue to bring some of those urgent needs that all Oregonians are facing."

Lopez added her group along with many advocates are focused on five specific issues for the upcoming election, which include housing for all, a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented workers, fully funded public schools, union rights for every worker and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Women, and particularly Black women, are disproportionately affected by strokes and other health conditions in Missouri.

Keetra Thompson, a stroke survivor, acknowledged the disproportionate effects of heart disease, stroke and diabetes on Black women in the state, attributing it to factors such as poverty, access to healthy food options and lack of resources in certain neighborhoods.

"We have a Walmart and maybe a Schnucks but then everything else is all fast food," Thompson explained. "If I wanted to go to Whole Foods, I'd have to drive 40 minutes. If you don't have access to a car and you can't pay for transportation, you can't even get healthy food. The local grocery stores are so expensive, it's just unattainable."

Keetra expressed a need to advocate for better food choices and resources in underserved communities and reminding Missourians to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The American Heart Association said calling 911 for stroke symptoms is crucial, since the closest hospital may not be the most suitable for stroke treatment and paramedics are trained to do what is best.

Peter Panagos, professor of emergency medicine and neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, emphasized the Time Critical Diagnosis system ensures -- regardless of where you seek treatment, even at a small community hospital -- it is connected to larger hospitals. If a stroke is suspected and local care is inadequate, the smaller hospitals can recognize the symptoms, conduct early diagnostic testing and, through prearranged agreements and communication pathways with other hospitals, arrange timely transport. The system ensures everyone in Missouri receives equally outstanding care statewide.

"We've done a lot of work in the state of Missouri through the Department of Health and other constituent organizations to help to improve the level of stroke care no matter where you live," Panagos pointed out.

Panagos stressed about 55,000 women, more than men, will have a stroke each year based on the numbers, and stroke is the number three cause of death in women in the United States. He added among women, Black women have the highest prevalence of stroke but being armed with knowledge about prevention can help with healthier outcomes.


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Students and faculty at Northeastern University are demanding their school issue a public apology for what they say are false charges of antisemitism during recent protests.

School administrators cited the slurs as justification for police to dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment and make arrests.

Grace Sanford, a second-year student, said it was a counterprotester who made the remarks to provoke a confrontation.

"When those remarks were said by counterprotesters, they were booed by all the individuals taking part in the encampment," Sanford recounted.

Sanford stated the encampment was a space for teach-ins and art making, in which Jewish student groups also took part. Faculty members said the school needs to "correct the record," arguing false claims of antisemitism only heighten the dangers for Jews by distracting from real threats.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested at more than 50 college campuses over the past few weeks as students demand their schools divest from Israeli companies and others profiting from the war in Gaza.

Sanford contended college students have long been on the right side of history when it comes to human rights and students will keep up the effort.

"We're transitioning to be the leaders of all of these different institutions and corporations and governments," Sanford pointed out. "I think we're voicing what we want this world to look like."

Sanford emphasized students and faculty are asking school administration to drop the charges against the nearly 100 protesters arrested at Northeastern, a move announced by Emerson University administrators to their school body last week.


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