Cascadia today: Portland councilor's home burns + MPOX returns + WA to kill wolves

Good morning, friends! Here's your roundup of news, environmental reporting and arts coverage from across the Cascadia bioregion. I'm just four new members short of my goal of 70 paid subscribers by the end October. If you can, your monthly support of $5 per month helps me put out this newsletter and cover how the Pacific Northwest is standing up to the Trump administration. Thanks!
--Andrew

Portland councilor's home engulfed in suspicious fire

OPB reports that the home of Portland councilor Candace Avalos was engulfed in flames early Sunday morning in a fire that investigators say is "suspicious in nature.” The councilor was able to escape safely. Avalos has been a vocal critic of ICE, introducing a bill in the city council that would increase sanctuary for immigrants and place restrictions on federal immigration officials.

I'm sure the FBI will conduct a thorough investigation if political violence was involved.

Guard deployment on hold, clock ticking of food benefits

Meanwhile, Donald Trump's attempt to deploy 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to Portland was again on hold as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considered whether a broader panel of judges should consider a recent 2-1 ruling allowing the feds to deploy the Guard, OPB reports. And as the federal shutdown continues, SNAP food benefits are set to expire in Washington and Oregon, with hundreds of thousands of residents at risk of losing food assistance.

If you can, please take a moment to donate to Northwest Harvest in Washington or Oregon Food Bank.

MPOX returns to King County

The Stranger reports that King County public health has seen a surge in MPOX cases, the highest level since 2022. (The disease was initially known as monkeypox, but the WHO recommended the change because it was culturally and racially inappropriate and stigmatizing). If you are high risk (gay and bisexual individuals or those who regularly have sex with them, sex workers, or someone you know has contracted MPOX) please get the vaccination. I wrote about the previous outbreak in 2022 for Cascade PBS News.

WA issues order for more wolves to be killed

Columbia Insight reports that the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is planning to kill more wolves in northeastern Washington that have been hunting and killing cattle. The threatened wolf packs of the region are under immense stress and the culling is opposed by several environmental groups.

“If the Sherman pack loses another adult, it will be virtually impossible for the mother who is left to provide for her pups,” – Francisco Santiago-Ávila, Washington Wildlife First.

In food deserts, community growers can help

As Seattle faces closure of grocery stores and the mayor, mayoral candidate Katie Wilson, and city council all support a bill that would seek to block agreements that close additional groceries and pharmacies, residents of south Seattle and King County are working to increase access to home grown, culturally relevant food. Real Change reports on a program that's promoting these efforts at farmers' markets in Delridge and SeaTac south of Seattle.

“I had done so many markets, but the problem I was finding as the years were going by was that people weren’t willing to support Black people or BIPOC people in those market spaces,” Porter said. “Or they were coming into the space and just like, completely ignoring us.” --Danitra Porter owner of Queen Sugar Baking Company

Thanks for reading! – Andrew