Cascadia today: BC losing 3,500 affordable homes + elk hunters nervous about fed logging + Puyallup Tribe at World Cup

Good morning, friends. To readers who are soccer fans of the Canada and USA men's teams, my condolences. It's been fun to see people from all over the world descending on Seattle and Vancouver to celebrate a global, peaceful competition. Best of luck to the remaining teams and cities that host the final series of games. Cascadia definitely shined during the matches:

Cascadia shines for the World Cup

As World Cup soccer fans have flooded Seattle and Vancouver for matches, it’s brought an energy an excitement to Cascadia’s two largest cities.

Cascadia JournalAndrew Engelson

BC losing 3,500 affordable homes after budget cuts

The Tyee looks at the impact of cuts to British Columbia's affordable housing programs and finds that 3,500 to 4,000 units of affordable housing will likely not be built. This, as average rent in Vancouver climbed to $2,800. In Seattle, which is facing a steep decline permits and construction of new apartments, a proposed break in the city's Mandatory Housing Affordability fee was shelved by mayor Katie Wilson's office. That will likely stall housing starts further.

With the US federal government giving up on meaningful housing policy and Canada focused on building new pipelines, it's time for Cascadia to take a path of fiscal autonomy and create a system that pays for the things we actually need in the Northwest: affordable housing, universal health care, quality schools, and free college tuition.

Microsoft eliminates another 4,800 jobs

KUOW reports that Redmond-based Microsoft announced it's laying off 4,800 workers – about 2% of its total workforce – especially in its XBox division. Meanwhile, Amazon continues to trim its workforce as global retailers shifts programming tasks to AI. Cascadia's tech-reliant economy seems to be on the brink, though the recent unemployment rate in Washington held steady at 5%. In related news, Oregon governor Tina Kotek convened a "prosperity council" to look at boosting her state's economy. At the Oregon Journalism Project, two economists take opposing views on what Oregon needs to do to improve its economy – one is for lowering taxes, the other insists that creating a robust education, health care, and transportation system is crucial.

Portland to vote on using climate funds for cops

A dumb ballot measure that would use Portland's PCEF climate fund to pay for more cops likely harvested enough signatures to get on the November ballot, Willamette Week reports. The campaign has been accused of lying about the content of of the measure to voters. In related news, Divest SPD finds that Seattle Police are lowering hiring standards in order to get more cops on the street – the sort of behavior that led to them previously hiring Kevin Dave, the fired Tucson cop with a checkered history who later hit and killed a pedestrian.

Elk hunters nervous about fed logging in Blue Mountains

OPB talks with elk hunters in Oregon who are wary of the Trump regime's plan to triple the amount of logging done in the Blue Mountains. The article notes that hunting adds $125 million to Oregon's economy, and hunting is integral to the culture of rural and Indigenous communities across Cascadia. But the feds only care about board feet and billions of dollars for their corporate cronies.

Puyallup Tribe has a key role in Seattle World Cup celebrations

KNKX reports on how the Puyallup Tribe of Washington has had a key role in matches and celebrations during World Cup matches in Seattle. It's hosted watch parties, led a World Cup powwow, created exhibits highlighting the Lushootseed language, and hosted coastal protocol events with other tribes from across Cascadia. Great to see Indigenous nations in the foreground of an international event.

Thanks for reading! Keep loving and keep fighting. -Andy