Week in Review: Covid vaccinations, homelessness and crime, and Alaska Airlines

Guest host Zaki Hamid discusses the week’s news with Seattle Times Patrick Malone, Geekwire’s Mike Lewis, and Undivided’s Brandi Kruse.

The Washington State Board of Health voted unanimously Wednesday against adding the Covid-19 vaccine to the list of required immunizations for kids in schools and childcare settings in the state. The board was not debating the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine for children but deciding whether it should be required for school and childcare entry.

Despite use of force by Seattle police officers seeing a significant decrease last year, a review released this week shows that Black and Native American people continue to be disproportionately represented when force is used, and that Asian and Black people make up an inordinate number of the victims of police shootings.

After receiving data that he requested from police, Seattle City Councilmember Andrew Lewis, who runs the city’s committee on homelessness, found that 18% of all shots-fired incidents were associated with homelessness. Lewis said that homeless encampments are “massive magnets for crime.” How true is that?

Alaska Airlines has cut its spring schedule by two percent after the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The airline said pilots are in short supply. Pilot shortage is an issue for the industry as a whole, but it has been especially acute for Alaska.