We are less than a few hours away from the beginning of the biggest virtual grassroots protest the Internet has ever seen. As you may have heard, the Web — or at least a sizable fraction of it — is going on strike to protest two destructive bills pending before Congress that would allow giant media […]
Monthly Archives: January 2012
Posted inEvents, Party Politics
2012 Democratic National Convention shortened from four days to three, Obama to accept nomination in larger venue
This morning, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz made two important logistical announcements about the forty-seventh quadrennial meeting of the Democratic Party, scheduled to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the first full week of September. At a media event in the City of Trees, Schultz revealed that the Democratic National Convention will […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
NPI to participate in Internet strike against SOPA and PIPA on January 18th
Readers who are regulars at Reddit or who closely follow technology news may have heard that the social news site is leading the way in fermenting what’s being called an Internet strike against two destructive, anti-Internet bills being pushed by Hollywood on Capitol Hill (the so-called “Stop Online Piracy Act” and the “Protect IP Act”). […]
Posted inUnscheduled Programming
Western Washington lowlands receive first (and maybe only) major snowfall of winter
It’s snow time! After several weeks of mostly dry/sometimes wet weather, Puget Sound and points to the north and the south are seeing some significant snow… perhaps the only major snow event of winter 2012. The National Weather Service forecast for today and the next few days calls for plenty of snow showers. Temperatures will remain fairly […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Policy Topics, Technology
White House signals that administration opposes SOPA and PIPA as currently written
Responding to a pair of petitions calling on President Obama to take a stand against two bills that threaten Internet freedom (the so-called “Stop Online Piracy Act” and “Protect IP”), three administration officials have published a position paper on the White House website which suggests that the administration does not find SOPA or PIPA acceptable […]
Posted inElections
Suzan DelBene enters congressional sweepstakes in Washington’s new 1st District
Ending weeks of speculation as to whether she would join the crowded field of Democrats and Republicans who want to represent Washington’s new 1st Congressional District, Suzan DelBene has officially declared her candidacy for U.S. House, saying she has the experience and the vision to represent suburban and rural King, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatom counties. […]
Posted inPolicy Topics, Public Planning
Let’s build a constructive future for our region in the Port of Seattle’s second century
Editor’s Note: The following are the remarks that NPI’s President, Gael Tarleton, delivered at the first regular meeting of the Seattle Port Commission for 2012, following her election as President of the Commission for the remainder of the year. Thank you, fellow Commissioners, for the opportunity to serve this coming year as President of the Port […]
Posted inPolicy Topics, Public Planning
NPI’s Gael Tarleton elected to serve as President of Seattle Port Commission
Earlier this evening, the Seattle Port Commission concluded its first meeting for the year 2012, at which Commissioners Bill Bryant and Gael Tarleton (one of NPI’s founding board members) were sworn in for their second terms in office, following the certification of the November general election a few weeks ago. The Commission also elected its officers […]
Posted inElections, Live Coverage
Mitt Romney projected to win New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary
Although most precincts have yet to report in, the traditional media has already declared Mitt Romney the winner of the 2012 Republican primary in New Hampshire… and Romney has taken to the stage to deliver an arrogantly-worded victory speech filled with bold promises that he has no ability whatsoever to fulfill, along with a generous […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Education, Litigation, Policy Topics
Frank Blethen, self-proclaimed champion of higher education, doesn’t want Chris Gregoire intervening in lawsuit against I‑1053
A few days ago, Governor Chris Gregoire let it be known that she intends to ask the courts to rule on the constitutionality of Tim Eyman’s I‑1053, which was challenged by a group of parents, teachers, and lawmakers in a lawsuit last spring. Gregoire is a defendant in the lawsuit (which is being defended by […]
Posted inAnnouncements
Help us track the action in the statehouse: Nominate a bill for the Olympia Newsriver
Regular readers may recall that around this time last year, we launched a younger sibling to Pacific NW Portal called the Olympia Newsriver, which has the ability to track what bills are moving in the statehouse on any given day. The Newsriver gets its name from Dave Winer’s concept of a river of news. It […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Economic Security, Policy Topics
Governor Chris Gregoire announces support for full marriage equality in 2012
In a major boost to Washington United for Marriage’s efforts to make Washington the seventh state where marriage equality is the law of the land, Governor Chris Gregoire this morning declared her full support for legislation to overturn the state’s discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and permit gay and lesbian couples to legally wed […]
Posted inPublic Service
President appoints Richard Cordray to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Fed up with Republican obstructionism in the U.S. Senate, President Obama plans to announce that he is appointing his nominee for Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to the post effective immediately. Richard Cordray, fifty-two, previously served as Ohio’s forty-ninth attorney general before he was nominated by the President last July to run the […]
Posted inBreaking News, Elections, Party Politics
Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney win Iowa caucus
Fundamentalist Rick Santorum (a former U.S. Senator) and Republican establishment favorite Mitt Romney (a former governor) have prevailed in the first nominating contest of 2012, results released by the Iowa Republican Party show. With 99% of the vote counted, Romney and Santorum were almost exactly tied, separated by only a handful of votes, while Ron […]