Northwest Progressive Institute

Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (June 8th-12th) The week's major votes included House passage of the Faster Labor Contracts Act and a Republican bill to give ICE and CBP even more money, along with Senate confirmation of several Trump nominees. The House also adopted numerous bills purporting to address fraud in federal government expenditures....

Meet the 2026 candidates for Washington State Supreme Court Position #7: Todd Bloom The Navy veteran is campaigning for Position #7 on a promise to “uphold and apply the law impartially and fairly,” but is running behind incumbent Justice Debra Stephens, NPI's Civic Heartbeat research has found....

Trump's destroyers cancel automatic protections for imperiled animals as critics warn of extinctions

Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (July 13th-17th, 2026) The week's major votes included House passage of legislation to make daylight saving time permanent and fund the State Department, as well as barring foreign donations to ballot measure campaigns, and Senate confirmation of more Trump judicial nominees. The Senate failed to take up the National Defense Authorization Act due to an unsuccessful cloture vote....

Trump regime cases against ICE protesters and immigrants crumble in court

Brian Heywood’s IP26-645 (gutting billions in progressive revenue for education and essential services) is getting certified 645 would repeal the state's new million dollar earners tax, which only 20,000 or so of the wealthiest Washingtonians would begin paying by the end of the decade, while leaving in place the legislative authorization for the investments the revenue is supposed to fund, creating an enormous fiscal mess. Language tucked in the measure could also put at risk existing sources of revenue, too....

Right wing talk show host Jason Rantz keeps demonstrating he’d rather blatantly spin poll results than honestly interpret them Two new propaganda pieces that ran in Seattle Red in July of 2026 continue a pattern of deception from the station's top personality. One passes off advocacy issue polling as ballot measure polling and another pretends that a symbolic one-point difference in NPI's congressional polling establishes a Republican lead in WA-03.... https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/07/right-wing-talk-show-host-jason-rantz-keeps-demonstrating-hed-rather-blatantly-spin-poll-results-than-honestly-interpret-them.html

Meet the 2026 candidates for Washington State Supreme Court Position #1: Scott Edwards The longtime constitutional and tax attorney is campaigning for Position #1 on a promise to “take politics out of the courtroom,” but begins the race trailing both of his opponents, NPI's Civic Heartbeat research has found....

The Seattle Times versus The Stranger: How their 2026 MLKC area endorsements compare With each paper's set of endorsements now available to scrutinize, we're bringing back our popular comparison that visually shows you where the papers agree and disagree. You might think the papers would be far apart in their choices, and sometimes they were... but not always!...

WA-03 is still Washington’s tossup district: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and John Braun are tied ahead of 2026 Top Two election Democratic U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger John Braun are running about even for the U.S. House in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, NPI's summer 2026 Civic Heartbeat polling has found. 51% of likely November 2026 voters who say they're also voting in August are backing either MGP or Braun, while in a hypothetical general election matchup, 45% backed Braun and 44% backed MGP, with 11% not sure....

Senator Lindsey Graham: 1955-2026 The long-serving Republican, South Carolina's senior U.S. Senator, passed away on July 11th, 2026, due to an aortic dissection. He was known for his controversial stance on issues and close ties with Donald Trump after bluntly disavowing before the 2016 presidential election. His death could seriously impact floor and committee dynamics in the United States Senate, leading to potential challenges for Republicans as they try to move their agenda before the midterms.... https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/07/senator-lindsey-graham-1955-2026.html

Maine Democrats press ahead with choosing a replacement nominee to face Susan Collins in 2026 U.S. Senate race Oyster farmer Graham Platner has filed the paperwork to formally withdraw, clearing the way for a late-July convention as prospective replacements Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah contend with charges being laid at their doors....

Washington is *still* one of the top states in the country for business, CNBC’s updated 2026 rankings say It's once again narrative-busting time. Business network CNBC's latest Best States for Business rankings just got updated, and Washington remains a top state for business, coming in at number eleven. Washington ranked ahead of every other Left Coast state and every other state in the Pacific Northwest, including Republican-run Idaho, Republican-run Montana, and Republican-run Alaska....

Washington’s Republican legislators keep showing everyone that they are running on empty and unworthy of people’s trust In this open letter to Republican state lawmakers like Senator Judy Warnick, NPI's founder asks why they are fixated on suspending a law that voters already told them overwhelmingly they don't want to overturn, instead of belatedly standing up to Donald Trump.... https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/07/washingtons-republican-legislators-keep-showing-everyone-that-they-are-running-on-empty-and-unworthy-of-peoples-trust.html

Last Week In Congress: How Cascadia’s U.S. lawmakers voted (June 30th – July 3rd) The week's major votes included House passage of the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (H.R. 7757) and the TRIA Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 7128), along with the rejection of H. Con. Res. 108, a resolution to require the removal of U.S. soldiers from hostilities in Lebanon....

Despite Donald Trump’s horrible regime, Canadians still value their alliance and partnership with the United States. That’s why America’s closest ally is celebrating Independence Day along with the U.S. Here’s a statement from Prime Minister Mark Carney on how Canada is observing July Fourth: Today, as the United States marks 250 years of independence, Canada joins in celebration. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated: ‘The noblest monument to peace and to neighbourly economic and social friendship in all the world is not a monument in bronze or stone, but the boundary which unites the United States and Canada.’ President Roosevelt spoke these words before our brave women and men fought side by side on the beaches of Normandy, and in the mountains of Korea and Afghanistan. Before we built the St. Lawrence Seaway to connect our economies and the world. Before we created NORAD to defend our shared continent. Before we pushed to the frontiers of space exploration – a shared ambition that took our astronauts to the dark side of the Moon aboard Artemis II. Canadians and Americans have built our friendship and prosperity one generation at a time. Together, we have stood in the face of tragedy, from American firefighters helping to combat the flames in Fort McMurray, to Canadians opening their homes to stranded American passengers after 9/11. Together, we have built more opportunity and prosperity for our workers than we ever could have apart. Together, we have raised a monument to peace that is an inspiration to the entire world. And today, Canadians celebrate America and our enduring friendship. Canada’s embassy in Washington, D.C., will be illuminated, and Niagara Falls will be lit in red, white, and blue. Canadian military vessels will join the American fleet in the Sail250 in Norfolk, Baltimore, and New York City, a proud display of our longstanding defence partnership. Beyond the lights and the ships, we will also leave a lasting symbol of the roots that connect our peoples: Canada is gifting 250 maple trees to be planted in the U.S. capital and across the 13 U.S. states that border our nation. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my best wishes to the American people as they celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday. Thanks, Canada. We in the Pacific Northwest and patriotic Americans across the country appreciate your friendship and we’re sorry about the trouble our current government is giving you!

The Declaration of Independence, two hundred and fifty later, on America’s semiquincentennial This Fourth of July, take a few minutes to read the Declaration of Independence....