Washington state's judges say threats against them are at an all-time high

SEATTLE — The rule of law is protected by a thin, black-robed line, and it’s in trouble. That’s according to experienced judges in Washington, who say threats against the judiciary are at an all-time high, fed by a presidential administration that vilifies dissent and scoffs at the separation of powers.

A trio of judges from both sides of the Cascades spoke on the issue at a town hall Wednesday night at the offices of the law firm K&L Gates, where security to attend was tighter than that in many Washington courthouses.

In Stevens County, for instance, there are no deputies or marshals to protect judges. If something amiss happens in a courtroom, the judge has to call 911. The same holds true in Adams County. In Spokane County, a single deputy is responsible for the security of 13 judges, who all use the same parking area, making them easy to isolate.

In many other counties, the security measures in courthouses, including cameras, alarms, X-ray scanners and lockers for weapons, are privately funded through donations via the nonprofit Foundation for Washington State Courts.

—The Seattle Times

Over 120 women join massive unnecessary surgery lawsuit against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center

NORFOLK, Va. — More than 100 additional women have joined a lawsuit against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and its executives that alleges they allowed an obstetrician and gynecologist to perform unnecessary surgeries on his patients.

In two separate lawsuits filed in Chesapeake City Court since Dec. 29, the plaintiffs — now totaling more than 900 — claim the hospital and its executives are responsible for allowing Dr. Javaid Perwaiz to continue operating there after hospital staff continuously sounded alarms.

“This is the largest civil rights violation in health care in recent U.S. history,” said Anthony DiPierto, co-counsel for the plaintiffs. Some were told they had cancer to justify the removal of their reproductive organs, when they did not, the lawsuit states. Others were forced to deliver their children prematurely, at times resulting in infant deaths, life-altering injuries and disabilities.

The lawsuit alleges that staff — including nurses, administrators and physicians — repeatedly elevated their concerns about Perwaiz’s practices to the hospital’s executives, who either did not respond or asked staff to stay quiet.

—The Virginian-Pilot

Colorado wants drivers on psychedelics to ‘plan your trip before you trip’

DENVER — Colorado transportation officials, anticipating dangerous driving resulting from voters’ decriminalization of certain psychedelic drugs and the growing practice of microdosing, have launched a campaign to prevent driving under the influence: “Plan your trip before you trip.”

Estimating that as many as 5 million people, including 140,000 Coloradans, used psilocybin over the past year, the Colorado Department of Transportation and State Patrol officials announced they’ll team with facilitators at healing centers to encourage safe rides home. Colorado’s laws against driving under the influence of alcohol and cannabis also apply to natural psychedelics and synthetics such as LSD.

“With psilocybin growing in popularity, hundreds of thousands of people across America may now be microdosing,” CDOT spokeswoman Tamara Rollison said. “We know many of these people must be driving.”

As part of the campaign, state social media postings warn that users’ perceptions, reaction time, and decision-making can be altered for hours, advising would-be drivers to “plan your trip before you trip” and stating that “decriminalization doesn’t mean driveable.”

—The Denver Post

NATO intercepts Iran missile over Turkey as conflict spreads

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization intercepted a ballistic missile from Iran that entered Turkish airspace, Ankara said, raising the risk that the military alliance could be drawn more directly into the war in the Middle East.

The interception over the southeast of the country was the second such incident in less than a week. Turkey warned it had the right to respond after the initial incursion on March 4, though Iran denied targeting the nation.

“A ballistic munition fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace has been neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish defense ministry said in a statement.

Debris from the munition landed in Gaziantep province in southern Turkey, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the Incirlik Air Base — where hundreds of U.S. military personnel are stationed and U.S. nuclear weapons are widely believed to be stored.

—Bloomberg News