Joel Connelly

I worked for Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1973 until it ceased print publication in 2009, and SeattlePI.com from 2009 to 6/30/2020. During that time, I wrote about 9 presidential races, 11 Canadian and British Columbia elections‎, four doomed WPPSS nuclear plants, six Washington wilderness battles, creation of two national Monuments (Hanford Reach and San Juan Islands), a 104 million acre Alaska Lands Act, plus the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

Atmospheric: It’s Like Being Hit by 25 Mississippi Rivers

Only lately has attention been devoted to the long, narrow jets of air that carry huge amounts of water vapor from the tropics to the Earth’s continental and polar regions. They can run 250-350 miles wide and contain the flow of 25 Mississippi Rivers.

The Dark Wit and Complicated Wisdom of Bob Dole

Dole “has richly earned his reputation as a hatchet man,” opponent Walter Mondale retorted. Dole later acknowledged: “I was told to go for the jugular and I did – mine.”

Energized: Abortion as Urgent Issue

The Court no longer has O’Connor, Souter, and Kennedy to craft a wise ruling.  Roe is on the ropes. How come? Like those teenagers nearly 30 years ago, choice has been a right taken for granted.

A Tribute to Congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld, Dead at 89, and her ‘Life of Wild Adventure’

She would serve six years in Congress.  Unsoeld refused to be addressed by her title and insisted on being called Jolene. 

Canada: Battered by Climate Change and Growing Political Division

Canada is, at this moment, a stormy place. The Great White North is a physically battered country.

Pramila Jayapal, Speaker-in-Waiting?

Rep. Jayapal has seen her power and influence grow on Capitol Hill. But she has an uneven record as power broker on the home front.

Split State Polls: Bad News for Biden, Support for Abortion Rights

Voters like the Biden bills but that doesn't translate into approval for Biden's job performance. Meanwhile, Roe v. Wade shows its political staying power.

Lisa Murkowski Preps for a Tough Senate Reelection Battle

A Trump-backed challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, has been in the field for months. She has labeled Murkowski “Biden’s chief enabling officer” and accused the incumbent of “going against President Trump, whose policies were the best that Alaska has ever known.”

Survey Finds Viral Politicization Over COVID Vaccines

“People’s trusted news sources are correlated with their belief in COVID-19 misinformation,” the Kaiser survey found. It noted trust in vaccination highest among those watching network news, viewers of CNN and MSNBC, and those watching their local news.

How the Democrats Finally got an Infrastructure Bill Passed

The squabbles of America and of the Democratic Party nearly derailed a bill which, among other features, will provide the biggest-yet investment in Amtrak rail service and eliminate congested highway rail crossings.

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