Daily Digest: Fight Fascism on May Day, BC fails climate goals, and go read a poem!

Happy May Day! Go fight fascism 🌹

Today is May Day – not, as some in the US would have you believe, a Hallmark card holiday – but a day of international action supporting rights and fair wages for working people. Hundreds of protests across the country will take the opportunity to speak out against Trump – who, Charles Mudede correctly observes, should now be considered a dictator. The Stranger has a guide to actions in Seattle while the Mercury has a guide to protests in Portland.

"Even if Trump doesn’t run for a third term and make himself the ruler for what remains of his life, nothing will really change if the composition of our society isn’t transformed. You will not find a better time to think in this way than right now." – Charles Mudede

BC falling short on climate goals

The Tyee reports that the British Columbia government likely won't meet its 2025 or 2030 climate change goals – and that the province saw a huge one-year spike in emissions in the latest data. On top of that the Narwhal reports that a new study shows that British Columbia's government has failed to protect 81% of habitat critical for endangered species. BC's ruling party, the NDP, as well as Canada's ruling Liberal party, have taken a less-than-urgent approach to environmental protection in the province – for instance newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former central banker, had a lackluster climate platform during the campaign.

As more federal cuts loom, state legislators play it safe

Every day there's another story about a program illegally ended by the Trump administration that's likely to have a huge negative impact on the most vulnerable people in Cascade. OPB notes, for instance, that a $25 million program that helps kids navigate court appointments and foster care, is likely on the chopping block. Meanwhile, Oregon and Washington are part of a lawsuit aimed at stopping Trump from destroying AmeriCorps, that evil program that helps connect young volunteers to community projects across the nation. In the face of all these threats, some progressives are wondering what exactly governor Bob Ferguson is doing opposing tax cuts and increasing funds for cops. And critics say the WA legislature also failed to significantly increase funding for schools this session.

How to read a poem

National Poetry Month just finished, but that doesn't mean you should stop reading poetry. A the South Seattle Emerald, four Seattle-based poets and writers (including Claudia Castro Luna and Laura Da') offer advice for reading poems. Included in the piece are suggestions the will help you read Da's poem "Bad Wolf" that begins
"I husk the houses from the land, each one
as similar in size and shape as the battered
crates behind the shipping store "

--Andrew Engelson