Cascadia today: WA Dems likely have supermajority + ICE lied in OR court + BC salmon farms endanger wild salmon

Thanks to all who came out for last evening's Subduction poetry reading in Seattle, including a very talented cast of readers! It was strange to read poems of Cascadia resistance the day after a Blue Tsunami swept across the US. I think we're not quite used to joy and jubilation when it comes to political news. It was a great reading, moving between defiance, grief, and goofy humor. Shout out to Vermillion, a fabulous venue and very generous supporter of the arts in Seattle.

Mark your calendars, the next Subduction event will be 7 pm Wednesday, December 2.

WA anti-trans bill passes, Dems likely have supermajority

The day after Democrats won huge gains in US senate, house, governors' races, and state legislatures, KUOW reports that a Washington ballot measure that bans trans girls from competing in girls school sports has passed.

According to an analysis of WA legislative election results, the Urbanist calculates that the Democrats have likely secured a supermajority in both state houses, allowing them greater flexibility to pass bills. Let's demand that they use it to increase taxes on the wealthy and move toward universal health care.

The race for a US senate seat in Alaska between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan is too close to call, with late-counted rural ballots (including many Indigenous voters) likely deciding that contest. Alaska also elected Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins governor, the first Democrat to serve in that office since 2002.

RANGE Media reports on the strength of Democrats in the Spokane area, including a surprisingly tight race between Republican Michael Baumgartner and Democrat Carmela Conroy for eastern Washington's 5th US congressional seat, in which there are still many votes from Spokane count.

What do to respond to the passage of Washington's creepy, hateful trans girls sports bill? Please take a moment to make a donation to the Gender Justice League, which promotes trans rights in Washington and helps with direct assistance trans folks in need.

Judge says ICE lied in OR warrant case

OPB reports that a federal judge in Oregon ruled that ICE lied to the court and has continued to arrest people in the state without warrants, in defiance of court orders. In related news, the city of Newport reached a settlement in its lawsuit against ICE for trying to locate a detention center in the coastal city, KVAL reports. ICE now has to give 30 days notice if it plans to build a new concentration camp there. Meanwhile, local prosecutors and law enforcement in Hillsboro are considering whether to bring charges against an ICE agent who slashed the tires of the car in which two citizens were legally observing ICE.

How the University of Oregon turned its back on the public

The scrappy anarchist news site Dissonant Times in Eugene has a fantastic, detailed look at how the University of Oregon turned its back on its public mission providing affordable college education to students and prostrated itself before corporate donors, hiked tuition fees, and still found itself $63 million in debt.

Salmon farms endanger wild salmon

The Tyee reports on a new academic study by scientists from Pacific Salmon Foundation, DFO Canada and the University of British Columbia that finds net-pen salmon fishing in BC is much more dangerous to wild salmon that previously known. The spread of viral disease to wild salmon was extensive, the biologists found. A plan to close all salmon farms in BC by 2029 was put on hold in May by Mark Carney's federal government after intense lobbying by global aquaculture corporations.

Poetry by Ashley Varela

Take a moment to read Seattle-based queer poet Ashley Varela's "Whitetail," online at Poetry Northwest:

"Quiet as deer before
the snap."

Thanks for reading. Keep loving, and keep fighting for bold new leaders in the Democratic party.