Cascadia today: ICE flies 500 people out of Seattle + 21 candidates run for 3 PDX seats + WA sues feds over endangered species act
ICE has flown more than 500 people out of Seattle
KUOW reports that in the past several weeks, ICE has flown more than 500 detainees out of Boeing Field, most of them formerly housed at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Immigrant activists say the uptick coincided with a court ruling that forced to ICE to offer bond hearings to those in custody. So, of course ICE caused pain and separation to families rather than follow the law. Meanwhile, the Washington Trail Association issued a statement condemning ICE's terrifying seizure of five men in the middle of the night on a family camping trip in the central Cascades. US Forest Service rangers, supposedly tasked with protecting hikers and campers, help facilitate the kidnapping.
Tired of ICE terrifying our neighbors? Join Cascadia Democratic Action's campaign for independence.
A crowded field for Portland's city council district 3
The Portland Mercury profiles the 21 candidates vying for three seats in the Portland city council to represent district 3 – which includes most of southeast Portland. The ranked-choice voting system will result in three winners, and the list includes the three incumbents: democratic socialist and effective legislator Angelita Morillo, moderate Steve Novick, who has strong backing from state elected leaders and unions, and Tiffany Koyama Lane, a progressive who has been skeptical of the Moda Center renovation plan, and is backed by the Oregon Working Families Party, and various state elected leaders and unions.
In other municipal politics news, one day after Vancouver, BC progressives united behind Green party candidate Pete Fry, another centrist announced she's still in the running for mayor, the Tyee reports. Two-term centrist Rebecca Bligh said she's still in it to win it – and doesn't believe that the fact there are two other centrist candidates will result in vote splitting. Incumbent center-right candidate Ken Sim is facing high disapproval ratings.
WA sues over feds plan to weaken endangered species act
KUOW reports that Washington and Oregon have joined 18 other states suing to block the Trump regime's plan to weaken the endangered species act by severely limiting the law's application in protection of critical habitat for species such as chinook salmon and resident orcas.
In other salmon news, low water levels in southern and eastern Vancouver Island are causing concern among biologists about the health of this year's returning salmon runs, CBC reports. Meanwhile, the scientific journal Nature has published a study confirming that salmon runs on the Klamath river in southern Oregon and northern California have dramatically rebounded after four dams were removed from the river. And the Narwhal looks at how British Columbia's coho salmon populations are being devastated by 6PPD, a chemical found in car tires that is extremely toxic to coho.
“We are treating our water so poorly, and not looking after all the issues we bring forward. On all of the bridges and all of the highways, there’s 6PPD-Q coming in everywhere,” he said. – Qutxulenuhw Tim Kulchyski, Cowichan Tribe
Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy
