iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Congrats to Cascadia Daily News Murrow Fellow Sophia Gates. As her two-year Murrow fellowship ends, she's continuing at CDN as its lifestyle editor and reporter. She'll take Cocoa Laney's mantle as Cocoa leaves the role. www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/oct/01/... #journalism

Cascadia Daily News promotes former Murrow fellow to editorial role | Cascadia Daily News

Cascadia Daily News has promoted its former rural-issues reporter and Murrow fellow to lifestyle editor and reporter. Sophia Gates will transition to ...

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Smart coverage from GeekWire focused on the AI issues at stake in informational picketing by Seattle Times journalists. (Also noted: AI provisions in McClatchy's latest contract for its Washington and Idaho newspapers.) www.geekwire.com/2026/seattle...

geekwire.com

Seattle Times journalists picket over AI, calling for job protections in contract talks

Members of the Seattle Times Union held a lunchtime picket outside the newspaper's offices Wednesday, calling on the company to guarantee that AI won't replace any newsroom jobs. The company has agree...

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

And let's not overlook the letter about the Borg. (Really.)

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Finally got worked up enough about an issue to get a letter to the editor in Cascadia Daily News. I pick all the important topics. www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/29/...

Text that reads:

Editor,
A minor correction to Jonathan Martin’s introductory column, “A journalistic unicorn in Bellingham” (CDN, Sept. 17, 2026):

In it, Martin writes of the “scene in ‘The Matrix,’ where we learn that we’re all just AA batteries powering the Borg.”

Any good student of science fiction would know that the Borg actually are from the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” universe, and “The Matrix” is its own, different intellectual property.

This is not a pop-cultural transgression on the scale of, say, confusing “Lord of the Rings” with “Game of Thrones.” But as a writer who has occasionally penned science-fiction stories myself, I’ve found the most dangerous throw-away lines tend to be the obvious ones that don’t seem to need checking.

Of course, that’s not what Martin is at CDN to write about, and I wish him well in his real-world job. As long as we don’t have to play science-fiction trivia on the same team.

Frank Catalano
Bellingham

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This closing 'graf: "On Monday morning, Saunders received yet another phone call: an 86-year-old Canadian woman in Detroit was being questioned about previous voting. In this case, the green card holder of 58 years told Saunders she indeed remembered voting. She cast her ballot for Trump."

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The Bellingham Herald posts no staff masthead online or in print. But based on my scan of recent bylines, this Salish Current story maps to my estimate of reporters remaining after McClatchy's layoffs: Robert Mittendorf, Alyse Smith, Julia Hawkins & Hannah Edelman. salish-current.org/2026/09/25/b...

salish-current.org

Bellingham Herald newsroom staff cut by a third

Two Bellingham Herald reporters among nationwide McClatchy layoffs Bellingham Herald said goodbye to housing and homelessness reporter and editor Rachel Showalter this week, and Jack ... Read more

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Last week, I experimented. I published a Franksplaining Business newsletter just one week after the previous one. Not two weeks. The total open rate dropped from 69% to 59%. The agritourism story is one of my best. If you didn't read it then, maybe now? franksplaining.substack.com/p/agritouris...

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Two weeks from tonight, join me for a fundraiser for local, independent, nonprofit news. I'll be emceeing Salish Current's "America at 250" event on Oct. 7 in #Bellingham, featuring a discussion and local art auction. Free to attend with RSVP. Auction items posting soon. salish-current.org/events/

Image of a screen that reads:

America at 250: Who Are We? Where Are We Going?
A Fundraiser for Local News
Join eminent historian and Western Washington University scholar Johann Neem and journalist Ron Judd to discuss the search for a common narrative to describe what our country means to us.
Wednesday, October 7, 5:30-7:30pm
Hotel Leo
Live and Silent Auctions of Fine Art from Local Artists
Raising a Paddle for Community News
No-host bar and appetizers
salishcurrent.rsvp@gmail.com
salish-current.org/events

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

If you're a journalist who puts out calls for experts to respond for a story, you may want to screen even more carefully. That "expert" might be fake, AI-created by a company that wants real ink. pressgazette.co.uk/news/promine...

pressgazette.co.uk

Prominent art therapist quoted by Vice, Forbes and others is AI-generated

Expert in residence for art materials website is widely-quoted psychology expert.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A note of thanks to Evan at The Hamster Wheel newsletter. It is nice, and rare, when someone can summarize and introduce my writing in a way that’s better than I could. Yet Evan does. I always appreciate when something I write is included. www.bellinghamsterwheel.com/p/hee-haw-or...

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This is the most fun I've had with the NYT in a while. (Spoiler: I got 16 of 18. The congrats message says I'm ready to be the Times' next executive editor. Nope. I like days off.)

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I am skeptical about this. But if it's really good at what it does — summarizing government documents and meeting transcripts in an understandable way for broader public consumption — that's a good supplement to human #journalism (feet-on-the-street, eyes-on reporting).

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Update on the McClatchy Media layoffs at the Bellingham Herald: Based on LinkedIn posts, both Jack Belcher and Rachel Showalter are being let go. A pretty deep cut for a relatively small newsroom. But with no news staff list on its site, hard to tell how deep. www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/18/...

Bellingham Herald reporters cut amid layoffs at major newspaper chain | Cascadia Daily News

McClatchy Media also eliminated positions at outlets in Tacoma, Kennewick, Olympia

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What AI can't replace. In-person visits to six farms. Eyes-on observation. Live interviews with a half-dozen farmers and tourism experts. Someone has to write the original story before AI can steal and zombie-rewrite it. I'm that someone. franksplaining.substack.com/p/agritouris... #journalism

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

While CDN's new editor-in-chief may mix science-fiction metaphors (The Matrix & Star Trek's Borg), he does outline his plans and hopes for Cascadia Daily News as his tenure begins. This'll be worth watching and reading for #journallism in Northwest Washington. www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/17/...

A journalistic unicorn in Bellingham | Cascadia Daily News

What Cascadia Daily News' new editor-in-chief sees for its future

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It's harvest time. Can't you feel the seasonal pull of ... agritourism? Farmers are increasingly looking to farm-related activities to attract visitors. And supplement income. But it's not without growing pains. More in the new Franksplaining Business. franksplaining.substack.com/p/agritouris...

Agritourism grows as small farms seek income

Benefits, but also business obstacles and land use conflicts

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Great profile of Bellingham author Becky Mandelbaum in advance of her third book, the novel "Homewrecker." And an observation with which I fully agree: "I just think writing is a nice way to spend a life." In Cascadia Daily News, no paywall: www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/12/...

Wherever this up-and-coming Bellingham novelist is, her characters follow | Cascadia Daily News

Becky Mandelbaum on how fiction unfolds. Her upcoming book, 'Homewrecker,' bodes well for young career

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Active week in local Northwest Washington #journalism staffing. Bellingham Herald layoff (by McClatchy, number let go undisclosed). Cascadia Daily News' new editor-in-chief starts. I suspect more is to come at both news outlets as a result of these changes. www.cascadiadaily.com/author/jonat...

Photo of Jonathan Martin and text:

Jonathan Martin, Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Martin is the editor–in–chief of Cascadia Daily News and Cascadia Daily Life. He has been a journalist in the Pacific Northwest for three decades, including 23 years as a reporter, columnist and editor at The Seattle Times. Jonathan oversees newsroom standards and ethics, sets the mission and strategy for Cascadia publications, and is an ambassador for Cascadia Media Company in the community. He loves helping journalists get the most out of their work and delivering stories that inform and delight readers.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Yup. I’ve got the numbers. If you follow unemployment rates, it helps to also understand how the labor force affects percentages. Workers are apparently leaving these counties. Or opting out. Or … something. More in a Franksplaining Business data dive. franksplaining.substack.com/p/unemployme...

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

McClatchy, which owns the Bellingham Herald, Tacoma News Tribune, Tri-City Herald and The Olympian, reportedly laid off a third of its unionized #journalists in the PNW among national cuts Thursday described as "its most severe layoffs in years." www.poynter.org/business-wor...

poynter.org

McClatchy cuts more than 90 staff in its most severe layoffs in years - Poynter

At least 13 papers — including The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and The Kansas City Star — lost reporters

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Journalists at three Adams MultiMedia papers in Northwest Washington have approved a new contract. But it doesn't have the full AI protections they wanted. However, they are now guaranteed $20/hour minimum pay. salish-current.org/2026/09/10/s...

salish-current.org

Skagit News Workers settle for deal

AI usage, pay raises included in new contract Skagit County journalists voted unanimously on Sept. 4 to ratify a new two-year contract, with stipulations for ... Read more

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The #unemployment rate keeps dropping in Northwest Washington counties. But that's not the full story. Dig into data and you'll see so has the number of people seeking work and even those with jobs. What's with this missing labor force? I brought charts. franksplaining.substack.com/p/unemployme...

Unemployment drops — so does the labor force

Whatcom, Skagit counties show atypical declines

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Similar guidance by the Associated Press also applied to the Gulf of Mexico. www.ap.org/the-definiti...

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Civics is important. Rumor control is part of that. Kate Starbird and the crew of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington have restarted The Election Rumor Rundown newsletter, just in time for the 2026 general. uwcip.substack.com

uwcip.substack.com

The Election Rumor Rundown @ Center for an Informed Public | Substack

Welcome to the Election Rumor Rundown Substack by the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, covering rumors about election processes and procedures in U.S. elections. Click to...

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I just found that the publisher of a Dummies book on which I'm considered a co-author is claiming 92% of the settlement ... and another party listed as a co-author is claiming 100%. So this is going to be even messier for Anthropic books with multiple authors listed in the settlement.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

In June 1979, an EF2 tornado hit Oconto County, WI. I was the news director at WNFL Green Bay, early in my career. WNFL colleague Randy Hennig recently shared an aircheck of some of our live coverage. It was an all-hands event. I sound ... intense. Then again, I was 20. youtu.be/DsnEq5FaTrI?...

youtu.be

WNFL 1979 special report

YouTube video by Frank Catalano

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I worked in #edtech, as an exec & industry consultant, for nearly 30 years. What @natashanyt.bsky.social describes — accurately & fairly, IMHO — shows how much education technology has changed since around 2010 when iPads as cheap devices plus widespread broadband began to make edtech ubiquitous.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A brief note, with links, about where to find my harder-to-find 2026 writing. Plus all other writing past. Including a longstanding personal favorite: a 14-year-old column on “7 steps to raise a geek child.” (My actual offspring. Now an adult.) franksplaining.substack.com/i/211425068/...

Image of text that reads:
Like many writers, I have an Authory site.

What’s Authory? It’s a service that tracks everything an author writes, links to it in a public portfolio and automatically downloads a hidden backup (just in case, as can happen with internet publications, the original source goes offline).

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

DHS demands journalist records after a protest. Judge says no twice; DHS withdraws court demand. DHS quietly uses a summons under an unrelated customs law to get the records without a judge. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.com

Trump’s DHS is using an obscure law to secretly snoop on journalists, non-profits and unions: ‘It’s outrageous’

Even after judges rejected the same ploy, the Trump administration is going directly to social media and telecommunications companies

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Ron Judd explains how Canadians likely now see us in the US, despite the protests of many on the southern side of the border. Ron is not wrong. And the emotional damage done to the relationship (based on interviews I've done) may take many years to undo. ronjudd.substack.com/p/he-doesnt-...

ronjudd.substack.com

‘He doesn’t speak for us?’ Sorry: Yes, he does

We all own blame for what ‘we’ are doing to Canada — and ourselves

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I'm still scratching my head over this. I'm not one to cast shade on local #journalism (we have lost enough of it as it is). But this is the kind of basic civics mistake that just ... looks bad. Is bad. Shouldn't happen. At least Lynden Tribune acknowledged it. www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/aug/25/...

Lynden Tribune corrects election coverage after false statements about state races | Cascadia Daily News

All candidates running for 42nd Legislative District representative seats will advance to general election

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Not to be a killjoy, but sometimes it’s worthwhile to dig into #Washington state’s annual job growth projections. In this case, a top occupation with openings in Northwest Washington due to growth over 8 years is not glamorous. Definitely not high paying. franksplaining.substack.com/p/a-western-...

Quote text reading: The specific job title with the most annual openings because of growth in any sector, across both periods through 2034, is — please pull up to the window — fast food and counter workers. Other occupations with high average annual openings due to job growth in Northwest Washington are anticipated to be registered nurses, home health and personal care aides, and farmworkers and laborers (crop, nursery and greenhouse).

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Microsoft. UW. Amazon. Undisputed major "suns" of Washington state's #tech universe, with many founders and new companies in their constellations. But Western Washington University as the seventh sun? More from me: franksplaining.substack.com/p/a-western-...

A Western star in the tech universe

New map of tech companies shows founders’ paths

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A preview-without-context of Franksplaining Business dropping Tuesday at 6am. franksplaining.com

A portion of a star map with Western Washington University in the center of a cluster. https://franksplaining.substack.com/

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

The new tariffs could hurt US border towns a lot. As another gut punch to remaining positive sentiment for Canadians to come shop or vacation. I wrote this 2 weeks ago. It's got data. I heard hope then that the situation had stabilized. Now, not so much. franksplaining.substack.com/p/the-busine...

The business cost of cross-border bad blood

New survey of Whatcom County’s businesses shows the toll

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Northwest Washington #journalism item (via Ron Judd's fine Substack): Cocoa Laney's enthusiasm and professionalism were noted by all I met when I wrote for CDN. Sad departure. Great skills. CDN now has an ad for a Lifestyle Editor starting Oct. 1. ronjudd.substack.com/p/a-half-ter...

And Finally: Some legitimately sad news: Cocoa Laney, lifestyle editor at Cascadia Daily News, is leaving the building, Hammer learned this week. A super-talented, multi-skilled artist in the journalism world, she’ll be tough to replace. The ’Ham was fortunate to be treated to her journalistic prowess for the past several years. Great things no doubt lie ahead for Cocoa, who is hereby granted a lifetime invite to any future CDN-alumni picnics at Hammer’s Escrow Heights compound.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Military families who depend on real information should be very concerned by these firings. Stars and Stripes is #journalism, not promotional marketing or public relations. Its reporting is required by Congress to be editorially independent. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/u...

nytimes.com

Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of Independent Military Publication (Gift Article)

The firings at Stars and Stripes also claimed a Middle East correspondent. They are the latest effort by the Pentagon to diminish the news outlet’s editorial independence.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Coda to my newsletter last week about the survey of Northwest Washington businesses struggling due to a drop in Canadian shopping & tourism: @marketplace.org reports on similar struggles by border businesses in Minnesota and North Dakota. Yup. All along the 49th. www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...

marketplace.org

Fewer Canadian shoppers leave border businesses struggling

Border businesses in Minnesota and North Dakota say fewer Canadian visitors are cutting into sales, forcing some to reduce hours, staff and spending.

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Never visit Great Falls without a housewarming gift. Especially if you’re building a manufacturing campus there that will eventually hire as many people as you currently employ in all of Northwest Washington state. Second item in Franksplaining Business: franksplaining.substack.com/p/the-busine...

While Janicki may be well known for highly technical work in advanced composites, precision machining and metal fabrication for its aerospace, defense, space and other customers (including projects involving NASA spacecraft and Boeing jets), its groundbreaking also honored home base Sedro-Woolley’s logging heritage.
During the ceremonies, the company presented the city with a roughly 74-inch tall, 57-inch wide and 78-inch long wood bison, hand carved from a single western red cedar log. The bison, described as having been finished in about 20 hours by expert carver Mark Colp, was created during Sedro-Woolley’s annual Loggerodeo competition.

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It’s been 18 months of a stress test for US businesses along the Canadian border. Now, a survey in a busy border county in Washington state finds more than half of respondents are “somewhat or definitely concerned” about #business survival. More from me: franksplaining.substack.com/p/the-busine...

The business cost of cross-border bad blood

New survey of Whatcom County’s businesses shows the toll

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

A heads up for followers both in Northwest Washington and British Columbia, #Canada. Subscribe (free) to get the newsletter first thing Tuesday morning: franksplaining.com

Photo of Canadian mall with Canadian flags and text reading:

The business cost of cross-border bad blood
New survey of Whatcom County's businesses shows the toll
Available August 11th, 2026
https://franksplaining.substack.com

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Unsolicited reciprocal shoutout to Evan at The Hamster Wheel newsletter. I don’t think anything I’ve ever done has been described as “SO GOOD!” in caps. It made my week. #Bellingham events, photos and vibes (all with a refreshing light touch) in the 3x-weekly Wheel here: www.bellinghamsterwheel.com

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The economics of being a community news reporter in Northwest Washington, working for the national Adams MultiMedia newspaper chain. Ron Judd writes about why eight local journalists at three related papers staged a brief strike, & what's at stake: ronjudd.substack.com/p/saving-loc... #journalism

On “off” days, Williams is not really off. She writes freelance pieces or works at a Cruisin’ Coffee stand, where she makes a better hourly wage — a difference even more notable because of occasional tips, which ethics rules rightfully forbid in news jobs — than she does working as a journalist.

That news job currently pays less than $20 per hour. And at most publications, the pay is for 40 hours a week at jobs that require far more. These are literally fast-food wages.

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Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Twenty bucks an hour to be a #journalist. That is a sad, sad state of affairs for local news.

Frank Catalano @frankcatalano.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Up next: a "seems like unhelpful self-promotion" button.