Good morning, friends! In the month of March, I have a goal to reach 100 paid subscriptions. If you appreciate this daily round-up of news, environmental reporting, and arts coverage – plus feisty commentary about the Cascadia bioregion's pushback against fascism - please consider a paid membership. Your support
Good morning! If you haven't read it yet, I looked at the state of the Cascadia bioregion this week. TLDR: Our economy is strong, transit use is on the rise but we face two serious threats: climate change and Donald J. Trump. The state of the Cascadia bioregionThe
OR passes tax disconnect, saves $291 million Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that the Oregon legislature passed SB 1507, which will disconnect the state's income tax from the federal tax code for a year and a half. By refusing to automatically apply federal tax rate cuts passed last year,
The day after the US emperor gave his annual speech full of lies, I thought it might be good time to review the state of the Cascadia bioregion. The Cascadia bioregion is strong, but it is also under threat. The combined economic output of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia is
One of the most common questions I'm asked when talking about Cascadia independence is: what exactly is included in Cascadia? I find there are two answers to that question. The first involves what we mean when we're talking about the Cascadia bioregion. This vast, interconnected web
As Washington and Oregon face numerous economic threats, including the real possibility of recession, disastrous flooding, continued wildfires, and massive cuts to the federal budget by the Trump administration, it's time to consider an idea that's been gaining traction in blue states hit hard by Trump&
Those who've been reading Cascadia Journal know that I support discussions about independence for Oregon and Washington as an escape plan from the US descent into fascism. Is this the best solution? I don't know. Would it be easy? Certainly not. Support Cascadia Journal But with
Sign up for the free newsletter One day after a crowd of protesters defied a raid by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a Latino neighborhood of Minneapolis, and several days after another crowd shouting "Shame!" surrounded ICE agents attempting to detain people at two restaurants
Sign up for the free Cascadia Journal e-newsletter by Andrew Engelson, Drew Alcosser, and Brandon Letsinger Earlier this month, there was a pivotal moment in Donald Trump’s four-month attack on democracy and the rule of law in the United States. When asked by Meet The Press interviewer Kristen Welker
Observations on news, politics, and the arts in the Pacific Northwest.
The day after the US emperor gave his annual speech full of lies, I thought it might be good time to review the state of the Cascadia bioregion. The Cascadia bioregion is strong, but it is also under threat. The combined economic output of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia is
Fake "con" comments flood WA millionaires tax testimony According to KUOW, many of the comments registered online with the Washington legislature in opposition to SB 6346, the tax on incomes over $1 million were fraudulently posted. According to a statement from Invest in Washington, a nonprofit supporting the
Good morning! Thanks for reading Cascadia Journal, your guide to the Pacific Northwest's pushback against Trump's fascism. Plus, you'll find other news, environmental reporting and artsy stuff. If you're not yet reading this daily newsletter by email, please take a moment to
OR & WA seek to balance budgets OPB looks at the the ongoing battle over the state budget in Salem – which has the usual threats of inadequate funding for education in Oregon. Many school districts are preparing for cuts, the article notes. Meanwhile, Democrats in the Washington house and senate
Good morning! If you appreciate this roundup of news, environmental reporting and arts & culture from across the Cascadia bioregion, please recommend us to a friend! Copy and send our signup link to a friend And if you missed this week's essay, I wrote about thinking of the
The idea of Cascadia has always been a bioregional concept rather than a nationalist project. But the current authoritarian and constitutional crisis is the United States has forced those of us who live in US states within the Cascadia bioregion to consider alternatives to remaining within the US framework. I
Deadlines loom for bills in WA & OR As the deadlines for bills in the Washington and Oregon legislatures approach, Republicans were up to their typical obstruction tactics, with the Republican caucus walking out of the Oregon senate and denying it a quorum for the first time since 2023 , Oregon
BC budget adds to debt as WA & OR squabble over taxes The Tyee covers the announcement of the NDP's proposed provincial budget for British Columbia, which would raise the deficit to $13.3 billion, raise taxes by $500 million and increase spending by $4 billion. CBC has
WA senate passes millionaire tax The Washington state senate did the right thing for once yesterday and passed SB 6346, which would impose a tax of 9.9% on incomes over $1 million, reports Washington State Standard. But true to form, it can never do one thing right without also
Seattle & WA introduce bills to limit ICE Last week, Seattle city council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck introduced legislation that would prohibit new detention facilities (including DHS and ICE) from being built within city limits. In addition, council member Maritza Rivera introduced a bill that would strike language from city
Cascadia has always been at the forefront of protecting the rights of individuals to live their sexuality authentically. Seattle was one of the first cities in the US to expand protections for employment discrimination to sexual orientation in 1973 and for housing discrimination in 1975. Washington state was one of
Good morning! I was honored to be a guest on the City Cast Seattle podcast this week, chatting with host Jane Hu and my friend Marcus Harrison Green, founder of the South Seattle Emerald. We chatted about bills in the Oregon and Washington legislatures that would hold back funds from
