Joel Connelly

But there are limits to power. Oligarchs cannot dictate the size and strength of hurricanes. Nor can they turn back wildfire at the U.S.-Canadian border. They cannot stop heat waves or high tides flooding streets near the leader's Florida estate.

Democrats hold eight of ten U.S. House seats in Washington and will hold five of six seats in Oregon in the next Congress, along with all four Senate seats. They've been able to hold on in battleground districts and add new frontline members at a time when Democrats elsewhere in the country have struggled. A big reason for that is the Pacific Northwest's congressional delegation has a strong work ethic and a record of delivering results for the region's communities.

Remembered as an outstanding Canadian, John Horgan brought progressive leadership to Canada's westernmost province. He toppled Christy Clark's right-leaning government and expanded the NDP's political power in a subsequent snap general election.

Peltola joined Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez in a “blue dog caucus” of moderate Democrats. They signed on to bipartisan legislation and concentrated on issues of high priority back home.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy want to pick up where past slash and burn warriors marshaled by the likes of Grover Norquist have left off. The country must rise up against this wrecking crew to secure a future for all Americans.

North America's environmentally-conscious Left Coast has made headway in combating the use of single-use plastics with bag ban laws. But global progress has remained elusive, with OPEC countries and lobbyists for oil and gas companies staunchly opposed to adopting the same measures worldwide.

The far left is losing support. There is no sharp right turn — Democrats dominate the urban vote — but rather a center-left trend. Voters are reacting to street crime, open-air drug markets, homelessness, and woke political correctness.

We are trashing the planet with trash. The stuff is lethal to life in our oceans, killing perhaps a million seabirds each year. Sea turtles are severely impacted. I remember demonstrators in turtle costumes, seeking global attention, at the WTO summit a quarter century ago.

The accord, which still must be finalized, increases the likelihood that British Columbia will enjoy progressive governance for several more years. The governing New Democratic Party has been in charge since 2017.

When Trump didn't get what he demanded, namely an increase in the debt ceiling and a tax giveaway for billionaires, he and Elon Musk decided to claim victory anyway. But Trump remains angry at the Republicans who didn't go along with him.