NATION: E-cigarette company Juul Labs illegally marketed its vaping products as a safe alternative to smoking, according to a Monday announcement from the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration.
NEWS: Spokane's Community Court, a program where people accused of low-level nonviolent crimes are connected to services instead of jails, reduces recidivism, according to a new study from Washington State University researchers.
NEWS: The Washington State Department of Ecology is taking public comment on its cleanup plan for the Pasco Landfill, which housed industrial and household waste for decades.
IN OTHER NEWS...
Turkey says "send them back"
For almost a decade, Turkey, welcomed millions of Syrian refugees fleeing violence. Now, the government is forcing thousands to leave its major cities and return to Syria. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants to resettle refugees in a swath of Syrian territory controlled by the U.S. and the Kurds. (New York Times)
Washington State Office of Financial Management
According to an OFM report released Jan. 31, "Estimates from 2010-13 show that prior to the start of ACA coverage provisions in 2014, Washington’s uninsured rate hovered at about 14 percent. For the next three years, the uninsured rate continually dropped to 8.2 percent in 2014, 5.8 percent in 2015 and 5.4 percent in 2016. The uninsured rate in each of the three years resulted in a new record low in Washington."
While the number of Americans living in poverty dropped to its lowest level since 2001, more people were without health insurance in 2018 than the year before, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. It was the first spike since the Affordable Care Act went into full effect in 2014, and is partially attributable to the Trump administration's efforts to undermine the law, experts say. (New York Times)
No more talking
After announcing over the weekend that planned peace talks with the Taliban at Camp David were called off, Trump told reporters on Monday that the talks with the Taliban on the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan — the nation's longest running war — were "dead." But he also indicated that he stilled planned to pull American troops from the country. (New York Times)
Property search
With winter approaching, Spokane city officials are working to secure a property for a new homeless shelter. Offers for one or more properties could be going out this week. (Spokesman-Review)
Big new health sciences building
The University of Washington and Gonzaga University both announced that they will move health sciences programs into a coming $60 million facility near the Gonzaga campus. The building is slated to be completed by 2022. (Spokesman-Review)
