Tea & Two Slices is a long-running local news round-up by NEEDS frontman and veteran dishwasher Sean Orr, who lives and works in Gastown, deeply aware of his privilege.

Here is a Western Investor article that appears to defend money laundering with a straight face: Money launderers the latest bogeyman to blame. Although I have said the same thing – that we alone are to blame for this mess – it’s all of the things. It’s speculation, foreign ownership, money laundering, the CHMC, tax loopholes, shadow flipping, bare trust, zoning, luxury supply, greed … all of it.

But wait, there’s more, this time from Business in Vancouver: How slow retail sales would hurt economy if B.C. reins in money laundering. Wow! Stockholm Syndrome much?

Let it out: How to deflate a housing bubble, from Vancouver to Toronto. That we need to explain why a bubble bursting is bad is just mind-blowing.

Hey, here’s an article that totally parrots the right wing without even a mention of the word “bubble”: Nearly $90B in equity wiped off Lower Mainland home values in past year.

Everyone: We want a politician who represents the interest of all people, not just the rich. The rich: ‘You do not represent me’: Protesters rally outside MLA Eby’s office. Yeah, I’m not sure you know how democracy works, but ok…whatever.

Oh wow, what a novel idea! Burnaby passes bold rental-only zoning plan to protect, create housing.

Global News: Could access to low-cost pot in the DTES help with the opioid crisis? Vancouver councillor says yes.

“[They] have suggested that the exclusion zone created by the City of Vancouver in 2015 has only served to further stigmatize the Downtown Eastside instead of protecting its vulnerable population, leaving people at the epicentre of the opioid crisis with no low-cost, legal options if they want to use cannabis as an alternative to more dangerous drugs.

Yeah, no shit. It was the same with alcohol in the 50s.

The Tyee: If We Can Affirm Rights of Animals, Why Not of the Homeless? Sometimes a point is made so well that it’s hard to think of why it had to be made in the first place.

Vancouver is Awesome: Reporting a sexual assault to Metro Vancouver police? Don’t go alone. To serve and deflect.

Deer runs through Strathcona, Chinatown, Downtown Eastside, and Gastown. Gentrification is out of control!

Bonus: Man fined $30,000 for smuggling almost 4,000 kg of cheese into Canada. Mmm, all that illicit cheese….