Kelsey H.

A really interesting lawsuit between an Oregon police officer and her department recently ended. The department asked the officer to effectively sign an NDA stating she “shall not publicly criticize or ridicule” the department, its policies or its members, or the city. If she didn’t sign, she was told, she would be fired. Talk about First Amendment rights.

This, of course, was the week of 9/11. I have insanely mixed feelings about it, and I very well may be among the last group of little kids who actually recall sitting in class when it all happened. I suggest reading this amazingly written and complicated piece by Steve Kandell.

Otherwise, the only other piece I could cram into my week for reading pleasure is Mashable’s Women Warriors. There’s a global movement forming to fight online misogyny. It’s an ongoing series. The one I’ve linked takes a look at women’s responses to revenge porn.

Meaghan

This Portland father’s moving letter to his daughter on her first day of preschool brought a tear to my eye, for many reasons.

Your grandparents were never given an opportunity to attend school for even a single day because there was too much work to do in the house, in the field or taking care of the cattle. They couldn’t go to school themselves, so they worked very hard to make sure that your mom and I could, even in the refugee camps in Nepal.

Aven

My fellow ferry commuters can look forward to new vessels and better service in the near future. They’ll even run on hybrid-electric power! I just hope they go with a design that has a bigger galley than the much-decried Chimacum.

Indiana proves once again that pipelines are never safe and in better news, oil demand may be peaking much sooner than most oil companies and their investors are planning for.

Also in good news for the climate: cell-based meats are on their way to the mass market.

  • Our work is made possible by the generosity of people like you!

    Thanks to Anne Phillips for supporting a sustainable Cascadia.

  • If you are able to get tickets to the Christine and the Queens show in Seattle this October, you should definitely do so.

    John

    Relevant to Sightline’s article on salmon and pesticides, along with others on threatened species, the President and CEO of Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo ran this piece opposing changes to weaken Endangered Species protections. The article describes how to submit public comments on the proposed changes; or readers can just add their names to the Zoo’s comments, at this embedded link. Deadline is Sept. 24.

    Grist covered a report by policy experts and leaders, concluding that bold action to combat climate change could save global economies $26 trillion.

    This provides all the more support for a climate summit in San Francisco, and a march to Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice. Democracy Now! covered the march on Monday, and reported on climate change matters during the rest of the week.

    John Abbotts is a former Sightline research consultant who occasionally submits material for Weekend Reading and other posts.