2020 VIBES

Washington Guv Unwittingly Gives Maggot-Infested Apples to Wildfire Victims

It was a kind gesture that went horribly awry and may have broken the law.

State authorities are trying to track down apples gifted to wildfire victims by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee—because they were infested with maggot larvae. The apples were picked by Inslee’s wife at the governor’s mansion, where a quarantine to stop the pests from spreading is in effect. The governor didn’t realize that when he brought the honeycrisps to Bridgeport, where he was surveying wildfire damage, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. And he apparently didn’t know that he was breaking the law—a misdemeanor—by transporting them. The maggots pose a serious threats to orchards, and now agricultural officials are asking anyone who got them to contact the state.