Cascadia today: Atmospheric river dumps on Cascadia
Good morning! Hope you're safe and warm as a late autumn storm brings rain and flooding to the Pacific Northwest. If you enjoy reading these updates, I'm asking you to please consider a paid subscription for the cost of a latte each month – just $5. It really helps me produce this newsletter – which isn't AI generated, but written daily by an actual journalist. I focus on ways Cascadia is standing up to US authoritarianism, and look forward to doing more original journalism here in 2026. Thanks for your support. --Andrew
Atmospheric river causes flooding across Cascadia
A week-long "atmospheric river" storm has brought high levels of rain and flooding on some rivers across the bioregion. KUOW reports that Snoqualmie Falls is at record levels and the road between Fall City and Carnation was closed. OPB reports that the Grays and Naselle Rivers were at flood stage and that roads were closed in Clackamas county and along the Oregon coast. In northern Washington, the Bellingham Herald reports that the Nooksack river in Whatcom county is at flood stage and the Olympian reports that more than 3 inches of rain fell in Thurston county, sending the Skookumchuck river into flood stage and putting pressure on the Nisqually river as well.
More rain is expected today and there are multiple flood warnings for rivers across Washington and Oregon. Avoid driving in flood prone areas and obey all road closures, please. If the feds and FEMA deny requests for emergency relief funds (as they have 12 times since Trump took office), governor Ferguson needs to reconsider his pledge to an austerity budget and tax the wealthy to fund his state's critical needs in the face of Trump's disdain for our region.
Four Spokane ICE protesters accept plea deal
RANGE Media reports that four of the "Spokane 9" protesters against ICE activity have agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges and parole rather than fight felony charges that could have, at a maximum, included six years in prison. The four protesters, who attempted to block transport of immigrants into custody in Spokane in June, will be found guilty of "depredation of government property" and face thousands of dollars in fines. In related news, Pete Serrano, the US prosecutor for Eastern WA appointed by Trump, failed to get support from Washington's senators to confirm him, and will step down.
Feds reject protections for chinook salmon
OPB reports that the feds have denied a request to declare chinook salmon in coastal Oregon and northern California endangered. It's yet another case of the Trump administration ignoring the pressing environmental concerns here in Cascadia. However, state governments aren't perfect – Columbia Insight reports that the Oregon court of appeals sided with environmentalists and tribes who claim the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife secretly and incorrectly changed "fish passage" definitions to including putting migrating salmon in trucks.
It's time for Oregon and Washington to assert autonomy over its lands and environment. Though I disagree with his political motivations, Idaho congressman Russ Fulcher has suggested transferring US Forest Service lands to state ownership and control. He wants to do it for more clearcut logging, I would support this in Washington and Oregon because Cascadia do a better job at managing at our ecosystems.
Andrew Engelson
Seattle city council passes cop contract
KUOW reports that the Seattle city council passed a new police contract offering sweet raises and almost no meaningful new accountability measures to the Seattle Police Department yesterday. Three council members, responding to a progressive shift in the city, voted no. In related news, SPD released body cam video of an incident in which officers fatally shot a man with a handgun in south Seattle last week, which remains under investigation. And in Portland, the Portland Mercury reports that a PPB officer has been arrested on domestic violence charges.
Five Cascadia authors to support this holiday season
The Stranger has a great guide to five under-appreciated Pacific Northwest authors to support this holiday season with gifts for your friends, loved ones, or yourself! Those writers include Diana Xin, Sara Jaffe and Abi Pollokoff. Check out the whole list (plus five bonus authors also worth your time) here. And remember: support independent booksellers, not that big awful union-busting online retailer!
Thanks for reading! Please help me reach my goal of 100 paid subscribers by January 1, thanks! --Andrew
