Patricia Murphy

Stories

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  Corrections Officers Say Prisons Still Unsafe Two Years After Biendl Death

  Runners in a 5K race will wind through the grounds of the Monroe Correctional Complex on Sunday to remember Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl. Tuesday will

  Jan 25, 2013 at 11:46 am
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  Military Judge Orders Sanity Review For Soldier Accused In Massacre

  Attorneys for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales say they’re unsure if they’ll pursue a mental health defense in the case. But if they do, the judge has ordered

  Jan 18, 2013 at 10:25 am
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  Military Suicide Prevention Should Include Personal Weapon Disclosure, Retired General Suggests

  Suicide is now the number one cause of death for US troops. Nationally, more than two-thirds of suicides of active duty troops involve firearms. Most are personal weapons.Former vice chief of staff for the Army General Peter Chiarelli wants commanders to have the ability to talk to distressed troop members about their private weapons as part of an effort to reverse the trend.In an editorial Chiarelli co-wrote for the Washington Post,  he points out a little-known provision in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that prevents military commanders and non-commissioned officers from asking about their troops’ personal weapons. A new amendment to the 2013 NDAA would reverse that.Chiarelli says the change could help troop members who may be distressed but are not deemed “high risk” by behavioral health specialists. Chiarelli suggests, "Either that specialist or the commander should have the ability to make a recommendation that they separate themselves from their personal weapons."Additional recommendations come from a 2011 study on military suicide by the Rand Corporation. The study recommends implementing measures to help limit at-risk soldiers access to guns.There were 12 suicides among troops stationed at Washington’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord last year. That’s up from 7 in 2010.

  Dec 17, 2012 at 3:56 pm

• Memorial For U-District Needle Exchange Founder

  A public memorial service is planned Thursday for Bob Quinn. Quinn was a public health maverick. He died last month.

  Dec 13, 2012 at 12:00 am

• Native American Veterans Get New Access To Local Health Care

  American Indian and Alaska Native veterans can now see local Indian Health Service providers for care that is covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the agreement the VA will now reimburse local Indian Health Service doctors for providing things like mental health care, pharmacy services, and diagnostic testing.Roughly 6,200 Native American veterans live in Washington. Many live in rural areas, so getting health care at VA facilities meant hours of travel time on the road. The new agreement will lift that burden.It could also improve the relationship between health provider and patient, according to Terry Bentley from the VA office of tribal-government relations for its western region.  "Veterans who get their care at those IHS facilities probably feel that the care is more culturally competent and they're more comfortable [than at VA clinics and hospitals]," Bentley says.Bentley says local access to care for Native Americans and Alaska Natives will also help shorten wait times, which can be significant at VA facilities. Many are hopeful the agreement will serve as a first step for more agreements between the VA and tribal health programs.

  Dec 10, 2012 at 5:27 pm
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  Seattle Web Entrepreneur's Efforts To Re-Brand Marijuana

  Marijuana has been historically cast as a dangerous drug for outcasts and societal dropouts. But with the passage of I-502, marijuana is going mainstream. A Seattle web entrepreneur is building tools for the masses to bring marijuana – and its users – into the 21st century.Up until now, much of the marketing aimed at cannabis consumers is a variation on the stereotypical stoner image. Seattle web entrepreneur Brendan Kennedy has a problem with this. He says, "They're not elevating the conversation. They’re perpetuating the negative stereotype. They are their own worst enemy."Kennedy isn’t just talking smack. The former COO, an MBA from Yale and a six-time Ironman triathlete, left a successful job in the banking industry to start Leafly.com.  The site features a search tool and ratings forum for users of medical-marijuana dispensaries.Marijuana's Dark YearsMarijuana’s counter-culture image grew out of prohibition. The drug was regulated as early as 1860, and by the mid 1930s marijuana was criminalized in every state. Films like "Reefer Madness" -- originally titled “Tell Your Children” -- were used as propaganda and declared marijuana more vicious, more deadly than cocaine and heroin. The approach was not that unlike the disinformation campaigns that surfaced prior to alcohol prohibition.Daniel Okrent, author of "Last Call The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," says one of the most powerful campaigns against alcohol was waged by a group of woman concerned about alcohols impact on families. He says,"The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union lobbied to have what was known as Scientific Temperance Instruction. It was not science, it was mythology, and intimidation and propaganda.”By the time alcohol prohibition was repealed, Macy’s had opened a liquor department. Booze had gone legit; the store was mobbed.Today, though, marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and its counter-culture image has become part of its branding: Cue the reggae and pass the bowl.A New EraStarting December 6, marijuana will be legal for recreational use under Washington state law. Legalization of marijuana by popular vote indicates opinions have shifted and marijuana has gained widespread acceptance.Shifting cultural attitudes and outdated stereotypes may mean that marijuana is poised for a marketing overhaul.Kennedy sees this as an opportunity to distinguish himself from his competitors and market to people who don’t see themselves as stoners. He says, “Cannabis is mainstream; it's gone mainstream; it’s been mainstream; and we’re just creating mainstream brands for people who use this product. “While other websites use images of cartoon pot leaves and invite users to “find their bud,” Leafly’s logo design features three colored blocks. Tucked down in the lower right hand corner of the homepage are three small leafed sprouts.  These may be pot plants, but they’re not recognizable.Chris works in technology sales and is a long-time recreational pot smoker who lives in South Seattle. Because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, he preferred we only use his first name.Chris appreciates the clean, professional design and content that Kennedy created. He says it’s very relevant at the moment. "I do like their strain explorer feature where you kind of get past some of the naming conventions into the physical properties of the herb."By "naming conventions," he means the branding names of marijuana strains. They can range from funny to offensive -- names like: Asian Fantasy, Jack the Ripper and Big Wreck. Those names part of the stoner image Kennedy wants to change, but he can’t. So on Leafly’s website he prints them in tiny letters and on clever panels that look like a periodic table of elements.  Kennedy's efforts to rebrand marijuana have a lot of historical and cultural hurdles to overcome. But alcohol's successful rebranding after prohibition could be an indicator that marijuana has a strong mainstream future. While his efforts may be more of a long Ironman event than a quick sprint, history is on his side.

  Nov 29, 2012 at 1:29 pm
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  Army's I Corps Role Will Shift To Pacific Rim

  This month Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta laid out plans for the future of the US military. And as troops return from Afghanistan, that strategy includes shifting security operations to the Pacific Rim. Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) will play a major role in that plan.The Army’s I Corps is headquartered at JBLM. They’ve played a major role in the war in Afghanistan. Now Lieutenant General Robert Brown, I Corps commander says their mission will shift to Japan, China and Indonesia.“It’s been about four or five years since the Corps has been able to focus solely on the Pacific," says Brown. "We’ve done little things here and there, of course, but now, as units come back, they won’t go back to Afghanistan. For the first time in 11 years they’ll go to the Pacific.“Brown says much of that work will be humanitarian assistance and disaster response. But he stressed troops must continue to train for the worst case scenario. “You know it wouldn’t be smart to train for humanitarian assistance and then, say something happens, God forbid, in the world, and you have to go and you don’t have the skills you need. We can’t afford that,” says Brown.Brown made his comment during an informal chat with reporters.He says some soldiers from JBLM will remain in Afghanistan after the expected troop drawdown in 2014. Brown says chemical battalions, military police and intelligence units are indispensable in Afghanistan. Between 500 and 1,000 troops will remain.He says it’s too soon to tell how anticipated fiscal cuts at the Department of Defense will affect the shift to the pacific.

  Nov 19, 2012 at 7:38 am

• Afghan Witnesses Describe Horror At Bales Hearing

  Updated: Tuesday, November 12, 1:00 p.m.Witnesses and survivors recounted a horrific scene following a massacre at two villages in Kandahar Province March 11 that killed 16 civilians and wounded six. They testified via a live video link from Afghanistan during a pretrial hearing for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.Prosecutors say Bales slipped away from his camp twice in the early morning hours to commit the murders.Bales stared intently at the video feed but showed no emotion as witness Khamal Adin, speaking through a translator, recounted finding the bodies of 11 family members. Adin said he found most of them piled up in one room.  Many had been shot in the head and partially burned in the family compound in Najiban, in Kandahar Province.Adin said seven of the dead were children. He recalled that some had boot prints on their faces, as if they had been stomped.In other testimony, an Afghan soldier who stood patrol the night of the killings said he was shocked to see an American soldier walking down the main road toward the camp around 1:30 a.m.  When the Afghan  asked him to stop the American soldier greeted him in Farsi and kept walking.The  hearings from Afghanistan are being held overnight to accommodate the Afghan witnesses.The proceedings at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are also known as an Article 32 hearing. They will determine whether the case will advance to Court Martial.  If the case moves forward the government has stated it plans to seek the death penalty.Attorneys for Bales say he has post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered a concussive head injury while serving in Iraq. They’ve also tried to make the most of contradictory statements made by witnesses that suggest Bales was not alone the night of the murders. 

  Nov 10, 2012 at 9:45 am

• Reporter Update: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier Accused Of Massacre

  Pre-trial hearings continue this evening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He’s accused of massacring 16 civilians in Afghanistan, including nine children. Prosecutors say he left his base last March and went on an overnight five-hour killing spree.The hearings will determine whether the case will advance to court-martial, where the government has said it plans to seek the death penalty. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Patricia Murphy, who’s covering the hearings.

  Nov 09, 2012 at 11:46 am

• Afghan Witnesses Testimony Next Step In Bales Hearings

  Pretrial hearings for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales continue tonight when Afghan villagers and soldiers are expected to testify by video. The hearings are expected to run into the early morning hours US time.

  Nov 09, 2012 at 12:00 am