What you should know about hunger in America, one of the richest nations in the world. Plus the history of the nation's food assistance program or SNAP and what you can do to help people right now. substack.com/@dgblankinsh...

The November election is less than a week away. Do you know if there’s an election in your city, state or county? Do you know where your ballot is? You’d never have to ask those questions if you live in a state that votes by mail. #election2025 substack.com/@dgblankinsh...

What to know about the bulldozers at the White House. The most famous house in America has been remodeled before, but never like this. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Immigration law is complicated, and I am not a lawyer. But I think we all need a basic primer on how the United States handles immigration, plus how Trump Administration actions seem to ignore both laws and traditions. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Protesters: Stay safe out there. Legal rights, first aid, bystander training, what to do if you are arrested, and a note about protesting while Black, Brown or Queer. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

What to know about the government shutdown. From social security checks to ICE, national parks and unpaid government workers. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut: As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/24/l...

Last words: What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut. As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism. My latest column for the Washington State Standard: washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/24/l...

The U.S. Constitution was a second draft. The nation really struggled with the first, which governed the nation from 1781 to 1789, the first years after the Revolutionary War. An American history guest post by Jim Schlueter. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

You’ve probably been reading that the U.S. government is coming after hate speech. But hate speech is protected from government interference by the First Amendment. That doesn’t mean you should indulge. But it probably won’t land you in jail. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Immigration court is and can be complex. To help you make sense of the system, Cascade PBS spoke with immigration attorneys and advocates in Washington to answer questions regarding recent federal changes and our region’s unique challenges.

WA U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is blocking the Trump administration’s nominee for U.S. attorney in Eastern Washington. Few U.S. attorneys have ever been confirmed without the blessing of a state’s two U.S. senators. (By Nick Geranios for @crosscut @cascadepbs) www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

The fabulous perks of serving in Congress: From a generous pension to perks that continue after retirement (or death). It’s a great job if you can win it. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Congress is back in D.C. Your summer break is over. (Except for those who never took a break). How to call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, keep track of legislation and get involved. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

The No. 1 problem facing Washington farmers … is an issue that predates the Trump administration. My latest for @washingtonstatestandard.com washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/01/t...

Constitutional law for beginners: the First Amendment. And all the ways the Trump administration is taking aim at free speech. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

What’s a gerrymander and when was the political species discovered? Digging into the government, politics and history of gerrymandering. Explaining how redistricting is supposed to work. substack.com/home/post/p-...

How immigration and crime are definitely (not) connected Immigration, both authorized and not, grew tremendously over the past four years. Crime went down. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

New post from my Civics for Adults newsletter. Which is more concerning: The economy or censorship of economic statistics? An explanation of how the U.S. government has tracked jobs numbers since the 1880s. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Experiments in American democracy. From Democracy Vouchers to ranked-choice voting: Seattle is an election petri dish. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

The real tragedy of NPR & PBS budget cuts. City dwellers are pitching in to help their local public media stations after Congress cut federal funding. Who is going to bail out rural broadcasters? open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

What’s the solution to homelessness? Housing. It saves people AND money, according to new study. Seattle Times: Homeless people visited ER less after moving into King County's hotels www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

How to get your hands on federal and state government documents like a boss (because as an American you are the boss). open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

What if Kamala actually won in 2024? Is there still a way to overturn the election? The answer comes from the Constitution, the nation’s history and our current political reality. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Democracy is a participatory sport. If you hope for a better future, you need to contribute toward that goal. Don’t spend Independence Day worrying and complaining about what is happening in the United States. Do something. 6 political actions to take right now. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

In addition to grocery shipping for the 4th. Political actions to celebrate Independence Day: Call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, help your neighbors, run for office, put more protests on your calendar, support civics education. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Despite federal ruling, trans Seattleites can’t update passports. A judge temporarily blocked an executive order on ID gender markers, but transgender citizens are still waiting for officials to comply. (By @jcohenwrites.bsky.social @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social) www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

Trump is stress testing the nation’s courts. The judiciary may be the only thing preventing the collapse of our democracy. A commentary for @washingtonstatestandard.com washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/26/t...

Presidents have been going to war without Congress since at least 1898. While Trump's order of an attack on Iran was definitely shocking, there's plenty of historical precedent to show it probably wasn't illegal and unconstitutional. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

In a parallel situation the Duwamish Community Coalition will not hold a festival this year to protect #community members fearing #ICE. #Duwamish @duwamishgirl.bsky.social

This year, Seattle Pride is ‘fearful but empowered.’ As corporate sponsors revoke support and national policies target LGBTQ+ people, organizers focus on helping the community feel safe and supported. www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/06...

The power of younger voters is like a sleeping dragon: There are about 76 million American adults aged 18 to 35; and 55.8 million aged 65 or older. In 2020, 72% of people aged 65 or older voted in November, while just 48% of those 24 and younger and 55% of those 25 to 44 voted. See what I mean?

Voting is your American superpower. Protests are fun and make a difference, but voting is even more important. So make sure your registration is up to date. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Do not be intimidated by what happened in Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests. The Trump administration’s efforts to scare protesters back into their homes should not keep you from honoring the First Amendment. Stand up for the Constitution. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

The Trump administration’s efforts to scare protesters back into their homes should not keep you from participating in marches and rallies in your own town or city. Not even a president who considers himself a king can mess with your First Amendment rights. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Garfield High community mourns on anniversary of student’s killing. A year ago, Amarr Murphy-Paine was shot outside of the Seattle school. Students, families and officials are debating how to keep it from happening again. By @jcohenwrites.bsky.social www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/06...

Republicans were the progressives of the early 20th Century. Some relevant and interesting history you don't likely remember from high school. Civics for Adults' first guest post by Jim Schlueter. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Impressive effort by former student journalists to put pressure on WWU to be transparent and to pay it forward to help other students do the same kind of watchdog reporting. www.washcog.org/in-the-news/...

Could you pass the test to become an American? Take this quiz to find out. Survey says: only 1 in 4 people born in the U.S. have the civics knowledge to get a passing grade. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Why some government cuts should scare you (if they haven’t already). A summary of the ways the federal government protects Americans from harm and how the Trump administration is taking that protection away. #civics #civicsforadults open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is on a quest to bring back the Blue Dogs. The Democratic congresswoman's strategy of appealing to working class rural moderates won her WA's 3rd District. Will it work elsewhere? (By @olympiajoe.bsky.social @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social) www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

Educators, parents and government officials in Washington state are tracking closely whether President Donald Trump makes good on his threats to cut funding to states that do not prove they have abandoned K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/19/f...

No one is certain how the Trump administration will affect both budgets and policies of Washington’s public schools. But they’re also not standing around waiting to see if the president makes good on his threats. My latest for @washingtonstatestandard.com washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/19/f...

❌ NO: This is not a legit screenshot of a @nytimes.com headline. It's impostor content that was orginally shared by a comedian. To avoid falling for such fabrications: - Beware of supposed screenshots - Search the web for the headline - Seek out a 2nd source 🔗 go.newslit.org/PopeImpostor...

More constitutional law for beginners: What is the emoluments clause and why should you care? #civicsforadults #usgovernment #constitution open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Do Republicans hate poor children? Why are congressional leaders and the Trump administration taking aim at the programs that address child poverty? #civicsforadults #uspolitics open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Cool democracy news: Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper pivots to a nonprofit model. The 131-year-old publication will be donated by the Cowles family to help preserve a crucial source of local news. (By @maiphoang.bsky.social @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social) www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/04...

A simple primer on birthright citizenship plus all the other ways to become an American. Bonus: some of the questions on the test New Americans have to pass. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

USDA to cut $1B for food programs. WA food banks are already struggling to meet demand, and federal cuts could mean empty shelves for the 1 in 4 Washingtonians who visited one last year. Now Congress is talking about cutting SNAP (By @jcohenwrites @cascadepbsnews) www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...