Cascadia today: Cascadia protests Trump + will Chehalis River be dammed? + Portland trans curler banned from Olympics
Good morning! It was busy a busy couple days in Cascadia this past weekend, with 75,000 people protesting the Trump administration in Seattle, and 30,000 turning out in Portland. Scores of other No Kings protests took place across the region, including 25 demonstrations across Alaska, and about 5,000 people turning out in Boise, Idaho to say no to the Trump regime and the legislature's passage of one of the most punitive anti-trans bathroom bills in the US.
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New light rail line opens to east Seattle suburbs
It was also opening day for the new light rail line to Seattle's eastern suburbs. It's the first light rail train in the world to travel on a floating bridge. Thousands turned out for the grand opening and some waited more than two hours to ride the new train. The South Seattle Emerald has more on Seattle's newest station at Judkins Park – which has made some pedestrian access improvements, but has a long way to go.
Makah leader runs for WA state house seat
The Urbanist reports that Patrick DePoe, a leader of the Makah Nation and a commercial fisherman, will run for a state house seat in Washington's 24th legislative district, which covers most of the Olympic peninsula. DePoe previously ran for state public lands commissioner on a platform of increased consultation and involvement of tribes.
BC woman detained in "terrifying" conditions in ICE facility
CBC reports that a British Columbia woman originally from Penticton and her 7-year-old daughter have been detained without cause in a detention facility in Texas where conditions are "terrifying." Meanwhile, Salem Reporter notes that ICE arrested two people in the Marion county courthouse in Salem with only an administrative warrant.
Tribes and environmentalists fight new Chehalis river dam
Columbia Insight has a detailed look and the looming battle over a flood-control dam proposed on the Chehalis River in western Washington. The Chehalis is currently one of the largest un-dammed rivers on the western coast of the US. Official claim the dam will offer protections for salmon runs, but environmental organizations and tribes such as the Quinault nation are skeptical.
Portland curler sits out Olympics because of trans ban
The Portland Mercury has a great feature on Portland curler Sarah Maywalt, who was forced to sit on the sidelines of the 2026 Winter Olympics because of Trump's executive order preventing trans athletes from competing in any federally-sanctioned sports.
“In a way, it’s super disgusting, because they’re basically saying, ‘If you never, ever come out as trans, you might be able to play.’" --Sarah Maywalt
Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andrew
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