Cascadia today: Huge hunger strike at Tacoma ICE camp + tribes hit hard by wildfires + a new worker-owned Seattle restaurant

Thanks for reading Cascadia Journal, your feisty, opinionated news source for the Pacific Northwest. Do you enjoy this roundup of news, environmental reporting, and arts coverage from across Cascadia? Appreciate my reporting on the Cascadia bioregion's pushback on Trump's fascism? Want so see more reporting on what make our bioregion resilient and a great place to live? Please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I can't do this without your financial support. And to those who are already subscribers, thank you! --Andy

More than 140 detainees on hunger strike at Tacoma ICE camp

Through the Static reports that more than 140 detainees the Northwest Detention Center have started a hunger strike to protest insufficient and unsanitary food, lack of medical care, and poor conditions. The immigrant rights organization La Resistencia posted a disturbing video on Instagram showing detainees pleading to be fed and given medical care, while private prison employees of GEO denied them food and medicine.

This is absolutely unacceptable and we need to send a message to our local leaders that they're not doing enough to help shut down the ICE camp in Tacoma and stop ICE from pursuing its terror campaign on Cascadia's immigrant communities. Join La Resistencia and Tsuru for Solidarity from 1 - 3 pm this Saturday, August 15 outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma calling to shut down NWDC and to end deportation flights out of Boeing Field in Seattle. Email King County Executive Girmay Zahilay at kcexec@kingcounty.gov and tell him that King County needs to enforce fueling rules that ICE regularly ignores, endangering the lives of those in its custody when loading deportation flights out of Seattle.

Homes destroyed on Okanagan, Colville tribal lands

CBC reports that hundreds of homes, historic structures, and sacred sites have been destroyed on Okanagan Indian Band lands in south central British Columbia. “Our community is totally unrecognizable,” said Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson. Support members of the Okanagan Indian band and others impacted by wildfires in the region here. Meanwhile, the Modrite fire in north central Washington has hit the Colville Federated Tribes hard, with at least 50 homes and other buildings destroyed. "Our whole entire rez is on fire," said Faith Zacherle, a Colville member who's volunteering to help those affected. Donate to the Colville Federated Tribe's wildfire recovery program here.

Conservative Vancouver mayor Ken Sim on path to re-election

The Tyee has published a wakeup call to progressives in Vancouver, noting that pro-cop, pro-corporate mayor Ken Sim and his center-right ABC party are poised to be re-elected this year. Even though 52% of Vancouver resident disapprove of Sims, the left is running a crowded field of opponents, even though it's made noises about cooperating. One City, the Green Party, and COPE are all running candidates and if they don't coalesce behind one, expect Vancouver to be stuck with Sim for another four years.

New WA income tax to bring in $3.1 billion per year

Washington State Standard reports that the new Washington state income tax on those making $1 million or more per year will bring in more than previously estimated: at least $3.1 billion in revenue. That's money for schools, health care, transportation, and the social safety net – as long as rich jerk Brian Heywood's repeal doesn't pass this fall. This isn't rocket science: do you want good schools, affordable housing, and things like free school lunches? Make sure the wealthy pay their fair share.

Thousands in Juneau evacuated after glacial flood warning

Southeast Alaska is experiencing the direct impact of climate change as thousand of residents of the Mendenhall Valley region of Juneau have been evacuated due to severe risk of glacial outburst flooding. The outburst floods are becoming common during the summer in Juneau, thanks to climate change's rising temperatures and the shrinking of glaciers worldwide.

Pidgin, a new cooperative restaurant in Seattle

The Stranger reports on a fascinating new development in Seattle's restaurant scene, which has been in crisis lately as many longtime eateries have closed. Pidgin Cooperative, a pan-Asian joint in north Queen Anne is a worker-owned co-op that pays living wages and sources from local farms. Its menu looks amazing, definitely pay Pidgin a visit and support Seattle's sustainable restaurant economy.

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