Pacific Northwest - OR,WA,BC

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/23352475

archived (Wayback Machine)

THE DALLES, Ore. (AP) — A wildfire in Oregon prompted officials to issue evacuation orders for hundreds of homes and to close nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of an interstate in the Columbia River Gorge on Wednesday.

The Oregon Department of Transportation said Interstate 84 was closed between Hood River and The Dalles. Hood River, a popular tourist destination about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Portland, is home to some 8,000 people, and more than 15,000 people live in The Dalles farther east.

Department spokesperson David House said in an email that the interstate will be closed indefinitely “due not only to the wildfires but also due to the extreme danger of driving in smoke.”

archived (Wayback Machine)

I moved up north of Bellingham recently and visit Bellingham and Ferndale pretty regularly and those two towns specifically are just so incredibly dog friendly. Or at least they are in the outdoor space, I don't take my dog to shops or downtown or anything.

I've always hiked off leash with him (where allowed) in the various locations I've lived, and there have only been one or two spots we can usually go to. But here in N WA, there's multiple unfenced parks that are off leash and well upkept. There's trails all over Bellingham that aren't just for dogs, but are for everyone and it just so happens that you can also have your dog off leash. It's amazing. I can take him hiking and socialize him without having to deal with the thunderdome of a dog park. I just found out from another someone at one of these off leash parks that there's a few hundred acres that are just sort of free reign as far as outdoor activities go. So there's a lot of hiking and hunting and recreational chilling.

Anyway. It's just awesome and I wanted to blab about it :B

Of the 469 large renewable projects that applied to connect to Bonneville’s grid since 2015, only one has reached approval. Those are longer odds than in any other region of the country, the news organizations found. No major grid operator is as stingy as Bonneville in its approach to financing new transmission lines and substations needed to grow the power supply, according to industry groups that represent power producers.

Efforts to bypass Bonneville didn’t start until this year, when Oregon and Washington legislators considered bills to create their own state bonding authorities for upgrading the region’s high-voltage network.

Both bills died.

The grid’s severe constraints are hindering the Northwest at a time when it desperately needs more electricity. Oregon and Washington lawmakers lured power-guzzling data centers with tax breaks in recent years, and the industry has helped drive electricity demand sky high.

Having failed to add enough green-energy sources or any new gas-fired power, the Northwest buys electricity from elsewhere, at high prices, during extreme weather. Rates paid by customers of major Oregon utilities are now 50% higher than five years ago. The worsening energy shortage threatens millions of residents with continual rate hikes and sporadic power outages — not to mention dashing the Northwest’s hopes of drastically reducing its contribution to climate change.

Intriguing match-ups in the fall elections emerged Friday as Democrats look to retain control of several seats in the Washington state Legislature.

Two Senate contests should provide a test of voters’ views on new laws, higher taxes and spending decisions pushed through by the majority Democrats over the objections of Republicans.

Races for two other legislative seats will showcase strains within the Democratic Party between its progressive and moderate factions.

Three appointed Democratic lawmakers are breathing easy. They drew no challengers before the filing window closed Friday.

This all but assures the trio — state Sens. Tina Orwall of Des Moines and Emily Alvarado of Seattle, and Rep. Brianna Thomas of West Seattle — will retain their seats for the 2026 session.

Here’s where things stood Friday. Candidates have until Monday to formally withdraw from any of the races.

More details in the article.

Archive link: https://archive.is/r8s9n

A cascade of actions from the Trump administration represents a “grave threat” to health care, social, educational and other critical services in Indian Country, including for Native American communities in the Northwest, tribal leaders say.

In early March, the Trump administration announced the cancellation of leases for at least 12 Indian Health Service facilities and 25 Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, representing nearly 30% of all agency locations, including one each in Toppenish, Washington, and Lapwai, Idaho, as part of an effort to decrease federal office space.

Additionally, IHS employees were included in a buyout offer from the Trump administration, alarming tribal officials and Indigenous community leaders who fear that any employees leaving the understaffed, underfunded agency will force the shutdown of critical health services.

Archive link: https://archive.is/NQF4j

Ziply was a dumb pipe with decent rates for symmetrical fiber with moderate usage. No good can come of this for customers, hope Kahn blocks it.

Seattle / PNW: Keep an eye out and call the contact numbers if you have any info

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/flaming-lips-band-member-daughter-missing-seattle/281-d30a9381-3073-4cd8-9bcf-9e505593d11f

I posted about this 3 months ago and it was $750--glad to see the measure is going for it. The $1,600 is per person, not household. Minors count.

Large corps ($25m in revenue minimum) pay.