Daily Digest:Seattle Mayor dislikes nude queers, farmers confront tariffs & Cascadia arts orgs hit by NEA cuts
Good morning! Here's your roundup of news, politics, environmental reporting, and arts & culture from across Cascadia. Sign up for the free e-newsletter if you like what you see here!
Seattle Mayor doesn't like nude queers
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, running a city facing threats from Trump's slash-and-burn federal spending cuts, as well as a continuing homeless crisis and a new spike in overdose deaths – has decided in his wisdom to send cops to a longtime nude beach frequented by LGBTQ folks on Lake Washington and pressure the sunbathers to get dressed, the Stranger reports. Ron Davis, at the Urbanist, has a detailed critique of Harrell's failed policies to curb homelessness. And the city council, working to address an array of threats facing the city, has decided a high priority is lowering standards for ethics violations.
Farmers face difficulty from tariffs, immigration crackdown
British Columbia farmers are already in a tenuous position, but Trump's trade war with Canada – not to mention climate change impacts – are expected to put extreme pressure on the province's farmers, especially family-owned operations, the Narwhal reports. At the Seattle Times, there's a detailed profile of Washington farmers, who are often Trump supporters but are now questioning the immigration crackdown that could dry up their supply of cheap labor. OPB has a great feature on programs that support Latino-owned farms in Oregon – in Washington county, about 7 percent of farms are run by Latinos.
Will WA gov veto food wholesaler surcharge?
Washington State Standard reports on a business tax on food wholesalers and medical providers tucked into the Washington legislature's budget that could generate $100 million in revenue but could drive up costs of food and health care. If gov Ferguson vetoes the tax, it could send the legislature into a special session. In other budget angst news, OPB looks at how school districts in Oregon are facing huge deficits thanks to federal funding cuts. At what point will Washington and Oregon realize we may need to do this on our own?
NEA cuts a disaster for the arts across Cascadia
Meanwhile, Trump's plan to eventually eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities – beginning with steep cuts – is having a disastrous effect theaters, dance companies, and other arts organization in the Northwest. Oregon Arts Watch reports on how multiple arts organizations in Oregon – including Portland Playhouse, which had to cancel a production of an August Wilson play this season – have been notified of grant cancellations. Oregon Arts Watch has a helpful guide to orgs looking for strategies to deal with the grant emergency. The Seattle Times reports on how museums and arts companies are struggling in the face of at least $10 million in cancelled grants.
--Andrew Engelson
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