Cascadia today: Court OKs feds meddling in elections + Seattle improves pedestrian safety + a Log Lady lookalike contest

Cascadia Democratic Action's Cascadia Day poetry reading went so well in May we've decided to start a monthly spoken word and performance series! It's called Subduction, after the geological process in which a coastal tectonic plate sinking deep below the continent creates the volcanoes, mountains, and stunning landscapes of our region. We'll have four readers, plus an open mic at Vermillion in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood at 7 pm, Wed. Sept 2. Join us for poetry rooted in the Cascadia bioregion and help us raise funds for Second Harvest, a Spokane-area food bank providing critical assistance to those affected by wildfires.

Trump's dumb trade war hits Cascadia

The Associated Press reports that Canada has announced $20 billion in tariffs on US products in response to Donald Trump's stupid trade war with Canada, including duties on dairy products, fish, smart phones, steel, and appliances. CBC reports that British Columbia's lumber and wood products industry will be hit hard, noting that exports to the US are valued at $6.7 billion per year. An opinion piece at the Tyee congratulates Prime Minister Carney for standing up to Trump, and urges him to go further and begin detaching Canada from US influence in technology, defense, and the economy.

Those of us here Oregon and Washington working against Trump's fascism and the regime's attacks on longtime allies stand in solidarity with Canada and British Columbia's pushback against the US federal government. If and when Cascadia gains autonomy or independence, we look forward to improving trade relations and building goodwill with all the provinces of Canada.

Court opens door for feds to meddle in Cascadia elections

The AP reports on a 6-3 US supreme court ruling that opens the door for the feds' to move forward on a plan to use the US postal service to limit vote-by-mail. Thought the ruling was not a conclusive green light, it continues the legal fight just weeks before some mid-term ballots are mailed. The feds' plan requires specific formatting of ballots and electronic notification to the postal service of everyone who voted. Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that Oregon's governor, attorney general and top election official said they will continue the legal fight against the feds' attempt to sow chaos in the mid-term elections, and Axios reports that Washington's attorney general says that the feds' plan aims to "illegally suppress legitimate votes."

I've written previously about how the feds' attack on vote-by-mail is another reason Cascadia needs to think about separation from the US:

Another reason for Cascadia to leave: Trump’s war on voting

On Monday, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in a Mississippi case that could end the practice of counting ballots postmarked on election day but which arrive after that date. This would upend the long-established and popular system of vote-by-mail in Washington and Oregon. The authoritarian wing

Cascadia JournalAndrew Engelson

Seattle mayor unveils ambitious pedestrian safety plan

The Urbanist reports on Seattle mayor Katie Wilson's ambitious plan to improve pedestrian safety in the city and to advance concrete steps to meet SDOT's goal of zero pedestrian fatalities by 2030. The plan includes improvements to 20 intersections; lane reconfiguration and traffic calming infrastructure on dangerous roads such as Rainier Ave, MLK Way, and Aurora Ave; more automatic traffic enforcement cameras; and extensive improvements near schools. In related news, SDOT completed new bus lanes in Seattle that have already dramatically improved speed and reliability of the Line 8, one of the city's most used routes and formerly known as the Late 8.

In Portland, according to Willamette Week, TriMet is drastically cutting service on bus and light rail lines in order to deal with a severe budget crisis. Pro tip: don't put yourself deeper in that hole. Elect leaders committed to transit and be bold in funding service. When service improves, people use transit. The Oregon legislature still hasn't passed a meaningful transportation budget, dodging the issue last year with a failed gas tax increase.

OR tests new crabbing regulations to decrease whale deaths

Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that Oregon fish and wildlife officials are experimenting with new rules for the state's crab fishing industry that encourage traps without lines (the new traps have a remote controlled buoy that deploys once the trap is full). Nearly 400 whales have become entangled and killed by crab pot lines on the coast of Oregon and Washington in the past ten years.

Log Lady lookalike contest now in its second year

The Portland Mercury looks at the second annual Log Lady lookalike contest at Portland's Discovery Museum – a costume contest in which contestants attempt to emulate the eccentric character from David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Check out the fabulous photos of the costumes here. The museum also screened the 2025 documentary I Know Catherine, The Log Lady, about Catherine Coulson, the acclaimed Oregon actress who portrayed the character and died of lung cancer in 2015.

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