Daily Digest:Cascadia eyes LA protests, Trump seeks to sell public lands & Portland Book Week
California resists as migrants fear reporting harassment
Good morning! Things got heated in California over the weekend, as protests in Los Angeles against ICE raids broke out and Trump activated the National Guard (and California sued to stop him). Cascadia watched with intense interest and was relieved that Washington governor Bob Ferguson signed a law this year preventing National Guard troops from other states entering Washington. Oregon's governor Tina Kotek has expressed concern over activation of Oregon's National Guard to assist in ICE's crackdown. For more on why Cascadia needs to reject ICE, read last week's essay. Meanwhile, Investigate West has an excellent report on how farmworkers in central Washington are less likely to report sexual harassment in the Trump administration's climate of intimidating immigrants and migrant workers.
If you hear of or witness ICE activity in Seattle, Portland or other cities in Cascadia, please message Andrew Engelson via Signal at @andyjourno.55
Vancouver sends member of First Nation to parliament
The Narwhal profiles Wade Grant, the first member of the Musqueam Nation to enter Canada's parliament – representing his reserve as well as a wealthy neighborhood in Vancouver as a member of the Liberal party. Meanwhile, prime minister Mark Carney, also of the Liberals, is looking into building yet another pipeline across British Columbia.
Trump seeks to sell public lands
Oregon Capital Chronicle looks at an effort by the Trump administration to sell off federal lands to several Western states. In general, I think this is bad idea if the purpose is for resource extraction. But if in the current authoritarian crisis Trump decided to over Washington and Oregon's 44 million acres of federal lands to the states, I think we'd likely manage them better. In related news, KUOW reports that attempts by the Trump administration to ax funding for salmon recovery will likely fail because of treaty obligations to tribes across Cascadia.
Portland offers reparations to Black residents
OPB reports that the city of Portland will pay $8.5 million to the families of about 20 Black residents who were forced from their homes and businesses in the mid-twentieth-century for the building of "urban renewal" projects. Portland and Oregon are trying to heal wounds from a long history of racism and exclusion in the state, including urban planning.
Celebrate Portland Book Week!
It's only the second annual Portland Book Week, but it's already become an integral part of the the city's culture. The Portland Mercury has a great guide to activities at 60 bookstores, including everything from readings at Powell's to a wine tasting inspired by banned books.
