Cascadia today: Feds can tear gas Portland + rural BC mayor says: fuck it I'm raising taxes + Cascadia sad sports news

Good morning! Mark your calendars, Cascadia Day is coming up on Monday May 18! It's the day Loowit (aka Mount St. Helens) erupted in 1980, and also a day to celebrate the awesome power of nature and resiliency in the Cascadia bioregion. There are two celebrations happening in Seattle and Portland you should get on your calendars now. Cascadia Democratic Action is hosting the Casacadia Day Poetry Explosion at 7 pm, Monday May 18 at Vermillion bar and art gallery at 1508 11th Ave in Capitol Hill. It'll be a fun evening of poetry read by Paul Nelson, Matt Trease, Nadine Maestas, and Rhea Melina.

And in Portland, the Gathering Cascadia event from 4 - 8 pm at Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont will feature local artists and musicians, workshops, and discussion pods. Tickets are here. It's going to be fun weekend... more details soon.

Federal court says ICE can tear gas Portland

OPB reports that the federal ninth circuit court of appeals has ruled in favor of ICE in two cases seeking to limit the fed's use of tear gas and other "non-lethal" weapons during protests at the ICE facility in Portland. The court ruled that ICE can now use tear gas to suppress protests and it essentially tossed a lawsuit by residents of a nearby affordable housing building.

Looks like maybe time to file a tort claim under the federal Clean Air act then.

And this is a good reminder that the feds don't care about our health and well-being, just their ability to crush any opposition and dissent.

BC police monitoring protests

Oh, and if you though living in British Columbia would protect you from living in militarized police state like those of us in the US, you'd be wrong: the Tyee reports on an RCMP police unit in BC that's spying on environmental protests against LNG lines – and First Nations. In related news, Divest SPD reports on a Seattle police officer who was reprimanded for escalating conflict by shoving a protester's bullhorn last year. And the University of Washington Daily looks at how the Seattle police officers' union essentially killed a program that brings non-armed response to people in mental heath crisis. All capybaras are beautiful.

Rural BC mayor says fuck re-election, I'm raising taxes

Let us take a moment to honor Merlin Blackwell, mayor of Clearwater, a rural town in the mountains of eastern British Columbia. CBC reports that Blackwell is proposing to raise property taxes by 10% to fund road repairs and wildfire mitigation, even though it might affect his re-election prospects.

Cascadia needs more leaders like this. Spend your political capital and quit sitting on your hands to keep your jobs!

Investing in Albina, Portland's historic Black neighborhood

NextCity has a great, detailed look at a $163 million revitalization project for Portland's Albina district, the city's historic Black neighborhood. The project includes affordable housing, commercial space, and environmental cleanup to address years of discrimination and pollution and push back against gentrification and displacement.

A bunch of men's sportsball news

Cascadia certainly loves is sports teams and the news is full of disappointment this week: the Seattle Times reports that the NBA will not be voting this summer on whether the Seattle Supersonics will be revived in Seattle. But even more serious to Cascadia is the prospect that Major League Soccer is considering moving the Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas. That means the annual Cascadia Cup soccer rivalry will involve some dumb casino town in the Nevada desert. But I guess Vancouver can take consolation that Major League Baseball is considering an expansion team there.

Or y'all could go watch women's sports. Just sayin'.

Thanks for reading. Keep loving and fighting! --A