Cascadia today: OR approves $120 million for wildfires + WA health plans to rise 22% + Seattle's Egyptian theater to reopen
OR legislature approves $120 million to address wildfires
Oregon Capital Chronicle reports that the Oregon legislature's join emergency board, which is authorized to portion out funds with the legislature isn't in session, has approved $120 million to fight and address wildfires across the state. Fires have burned at least 2.5 million acres and costs are expected to top $350 million – on track for the most costly fire season in the state's history. In July, the Trump regime denied two FEMA emergency wildfire grant requests from Oregon.
WA ACA health insurance to rise 22% next year
Washington State Standard writes that premiums for Washington residents enrolled in the state's Affordable Care Act health insurance plans will rise 22% on average next year, after an increase of about 21% last year. That's because of steep cuts by Republicans in their Big Nasty Bill or whatever they called it.
Seattle schools leader asks legislature to boost education by $2 billion
Seattle schools superintendent Chris Reykdal is sending a formal request to to governor Bob Ferguson and the Washington state legislature to boost statewide funding for K-12 education by $2 billion in the 2027-2029 budget. That's a steep ask when the state is confronting budget deficits but it also highlights the state is failing to meet commitments it promised to meet after the 2012 McCleary court ruling finding Washington was not meeting its constitutional obligation to public schools.
Seeing a theme in today's posts? Cascadia needs funding to cover the basics for its residents: health care, education, addressing the impacts of climate change. We can better do that on our own without contributing to a bloated $1 trillion military budget wasted on illegal wars.
Andrew Engelson
Data centers killing farms in Oregon
Columbia Insight has a powerful video feature about one farmer's fight to preserve her land while being literally surrounded by noisy data centers in Hillsboro, Oregon. It's an astonishing glimps at the future of farmland throughout the Willamette valley as data centers proliferate and suck massive amounts of power and water – so chuds like the US president can post AI-generated slop in their social media feeds.
Seattle's Egyptian Theater to re-open
The Stranger reports that a group of investors will re-open Seattle's historic Egyptian Theater before the end of the year. The longtime cinema venue will show classic and forgotten films and have midnight showings on weekends of campy cult films. The business model is something similar to Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California. Great to see this beloved movie house re-opening its doors!
Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting! --Andy
