Cascadia today: Dems cave on shutdown + Seattle mayor's race close + Cascadia gets new women's hockey teams

Dems cave on shutdown, Cascadia senators vote no

A record 40-day federal government shutdown will end after a group of right-leaning Democrats broke with their caucus to vote 60-40 to take steps to end the shutdown. Those Democrats did not gain an agreement on renewal of health care subsidies, meaning it's quite possible hundreds of thousands of residents of Cascadia will see their ACA insurance premiums skyrocket. All four senators from Oregon and Washington voted no, with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) writing on X that the vote, without a deal on health care was a "brutal blow."

Meanwhile, governor Bob Ferguson and leaders of the Democrats in the Washington legislature have indicated they're not interested in raising new revenue in the coming 2026 session and have told their members not to suggest any new spending. So, as the Trump administration has slashed funds to our region and threatens to increase health care costs, our leaders in Cascadia have decided the appropriate response is to do nothing.

If you live in Washington, please call or email your state legislators and let them know you support a version of last year's House wealth tax bill 2045 which would have imposed a tax on capital gains and other assets valued at over $50 million. And tell them you support a state-based universal health care system:

Cascadia deserves universal healthcare

Earlier this week, after Washington state opened enrollment in the Washington Health Plan Exchange, I logged in to my account to see how much my monthly premiums will go up if Congress fails to renew federal subsidies for Obamacare, which expire this year. The rate, with subsidies, will be the

Cascadia JournalAndrew Engelson

Ballot drop today may clarify Seattle mayor's race

Another count of ballots today may clarify who's likely to become Seattle's next mayor. Incumbent Bruce Harrell's lead has is down to 1.8 percent as more progressive-leaning late ballots trend in favor of transit advocate Katie Wilson. Another count of ballots is expected late this afternoon. If you're a Seattle voter, take a moment to check that your signature was verified and your ballot was counted. Meanwhile, new Seattle city attorney Erika Evans, who won decisively, shares with the Urbanist how's she'll approach the office differently from her predecessor.

Man arrested for starting fire at Portland councilor's home

The Portland Mercury reports that Portland police have charged a man, who was living without shelter, with starting a fire to keep warm in councilor Candace Avalos' garage in early November. Meanwhile, the Portland city council is considering cuts to homeless services and shelters, and Portland this month has begun a new campaign of issuing citations to people living on the streets. In related news, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim's budget calls for $120 million in cuts, and it's unclear yet how budgets for parks will be affected the Tyee reports.

Seattle and Vancouver get women's hockey teams

Cascadia's two largest cities will get expansion women's professional hockey teams, KNKX reports. The team names were announced last week: Seattle's team will be called the Torrent, and Vancouver's is the Goldeneyes. The expansion will bring the total number of teams in the PWHL to eight. The season begins Nov 21.