Cascadia today: Imports plummet + far-right rally coming to Seattle + Asian American hardcore punk
Imports to Seattle & Tacoma plummet
KING5 News reports that imports to Seattle and Tacoma dropped 25 percent over the same period last year, thanks to Trump's irrational tariff policies. Port of Seattle commissioner Ryan Calkins noted increased duties on imports will be passed on to consumers in Cascadia:
“All of those goods now have a 20% increase in cost at the border, and that's getting passed on through the wholesaler to the retailer and eventually to us. We're all going to feel that in our pocketbooks over the coming months.”
Oregon is one of twelve states currently suing the Trump administration, claiming that the executive orders imposing the tariffs are unconstitutional. Dan Rayfield, Oregon's attorney general, recently told NPR in an interview that the president doesn't have the authority to impose these tariffs unilaterally.
As the US continues to descend into an imperial presidency, there's a an increasingly realistic option for building our region's economy, which is critically dependent on international trade: a peaceful referendum on independence.
Far right rally invades Seattle Aug 30
PubliCola reports that organizers of a far-right Christian nationalist rally will be granted a permit to gather in Seattle's Cal Anderson Park on Aug 30. The rally will be led by Christian Nationalist Sean Feucht, whose message of hate includes angry criticism of homosexuality and trans people. He's prayed with Trump his mega-church has made him millions – and he's come under criticism for financial misconduct, including diverting funds to himself.
Feucht complained when cities in Canada denied permits for his provocative rallies, and in Spokane, Feucht is suing the city council for $2 million for a resolution criticizing his anti-queer rhetoric. And in related news, who is the Trump administration promoting to be US attorney in eastern Washington? Former Pasco mayor Pete Serrano who served as Feucht's lawyer in the Spokane lawsuit.
Interested in participating in protests against Feucht's campaign of hate? Sign up for alerts from Cascadia Democratic Action, which will demonstrate at Cal Anderson on Aug 30.
OR overdose rise not due to decriminalization
Oregon State Standard reports on a new study from Portland State University’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice examining drug policy changes found that Oregon's law reducing criminal penalties for drugs, passed in 2020, was not responsible for increases in crime or overdose, counter to what critics have said of decriminalization. The COVID-19 pandemic combined with the arrival of fentanyl, were the main drivers. Harm reduction strategies such as Vancouver's safe supply pilot, have saved lives, and efforts by Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell and city attorney Ann Davison to recriminalize drugs and prosecute crimes of poverty have proven ineffective.
Hardcore in Little Saigon
Michael Wong, writing for The Stranger has a great review/essay on attending a hardcore punk show by Asian American band Cherub Chains in Seattle's Little Saigon neighborhood. It's great investigation of culture, vulnerability, resistance, and redefining what "culture" means. Of Cherub Chains, Wong writes:
Lyrically, they write with fervor about identity, trauma, and the world around them. For a new hardcore listener, the way the sound invites you in and hypnotizes you will surprise you. For veteran hardcore fans, Cherub Chains will feel like comfort food, the type that makes you feel at home but simultaneously ready to run through a brick wall.
Keep on loving and fighting hard. --Andrew Engelson
