iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

TIL that Henry Waxman, one of the architects of the infamous Senate climate bill that failed to pass under Obama, weaponized NIMBYism to stop one of the nation’s most important transit extensions for 40 (!!!) years. Thank god he’s no longer in Congress.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 12h

My kingdom for Simple Boxes with Ornament

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 13h

Ridiculous AI-generated anti-upzoning yard sign in an extremely walkable, mixed-use neighborhood in Cambridge, MA.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 16h

Why are urban designers like this?

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 23/09/2026

congressional democrats have a lower approval rating among democrats than trump being removed from power in a military coup

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 23/09/2026

A fatal crash killed a motorcyclist over the weekend on N Ash. So today, Spokane’s traffic crews deployed its first “Emergency Streets” installation—rapid traffic calming to slow drivers, close a lane, and evaluate whether street design played a role. More info: my.spokanecity.org/news/release...

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 22/09/2026

We’ve already reached 1.5º C. But I don’t know how you’d imagine us *EVER* stopping climate change without green energy abundance? California is already seeing it. This is how much their energy mix has changed in just TWO years:

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 21/09/2026

Tomorrow morning at spokanerising.com, join me as I clap back at the people who say the Spokane Complex Fires suggest we need to reopen closed debates on housing density, road widening, and the Comprehensive Plan.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/09/2026

This isn’t corporate greed. This is insurers accurately pricing in the additional risk associated with extreme weather and climate events.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 16/09/2026

still insane that he didn't go to prison for this

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 16/09/2026

Robotaxi companies like Waymo and Zoox are making a big push in the run-up to the next legislative session. We should legalize them to improve safety, with accountability in place: ✅ Regulation as a utility by UTC ✅ Tax on miles traveled ✅ Data transparency ❌ No entry for unproven tech (i.e. Tesla)

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 14/09/2026

Canadian PM Mark Carney will propose “associate membership” in the European Union in an address later this week in Strasbourg.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 12/09/2026

WHAT A GAME! That’s what you get for destroying the PAC-12, Oregon!!!!

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 12/09/2026

spokane up to incredible things as usual

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 10/09/2026

lol, people don’t like to hear this

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 06/09/2026

Apparently the Sea of Galilee is Lake Coeur d’Alene.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 06/09/2026

A former church surrounded by single-family homes becomes a 40-unit apartment building in South Perry, Spokane. (2024 → 2026)

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/09/2026

Mercer Island is actually pretty decent from a “TOD potential” perspective.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/09/2026

Always great to open a new rapid transit station, but oooof if that isn’t the worst location for one I’ve seen in a while.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 02/09/2026

the crash data in particular is wildly granular. i can think of so many helpful analytical uses for this!

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 02/09/2026

the tankies, they’re not sending their best

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 27/08/2026

To speed rebuilding after the Spokane Complex Fires, the city is working to reduce demolition fees to $28.50 (yes, you read that right) and is considering actions like: – allowing ADUs before the main building is reconstructed – “like for like” to allow expedited review

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 27/08/2026

Like seriously, you should all read this piece, it’s a blast

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 26/08/2026

Any modern phone can read this—including text from the photo itself!—with or without manual alt text.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 26/08/2026

imagine spending your retirement doing this

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/08/2026

We should reconsider zoning rules in high wildfire risk areas, like Grandview-Thorpe, Eagle Ridge, and Beacon Hill. I’m a staunch urbanist, but that means building in the CITY, not on the fringe. People should be allowed to transfer their development rights to closer-in sites.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/08/2026

The Spokane Complex Fires remind us that our region is no stranger to conflagration––even before climate change. The notorious “Big Burn” of 1910, famously the largest wildfire ever recorded, happened close by. We remember Firestorm ’91 and Valley View. Rebuilding should keep that in mind!

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/08/2026

Fourth, despite some traffic challenges during the evacuations (not surprising given 65,000 people were evacuating), once crews arrived to direct traffic, they worked well, with a very high rate of compliance. There will be concern that the evacs weren’t fast enough, but I think they were a model.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/08/2026

Third, mere hours after the fires began, officials declared emergencies to ensure paperwork wouldn’t hold up the response. They didn’t wait until the following Monday; they held emergency Zoom meetings to make the declarations. That means emergency procurement could begin essentially immediately.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 18/08/2026

First, the NWS declared a “particularly dangerous situation” more than 48 hours before the event, which is something they only do in extraordinarily rare circumstances. I’m aware of a handful of people who literally packed “go bags” when they heard about the PDS Red Flag Warning.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 15/08/2026

The SHUT UP Act would fix this.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 15/08/2026

Washington legislators, for some reason: “No! Don’t get mad at us! We still have $30 car tabs!" Also Washington legislators:

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 14/08/2026

Ehhh I’m pretty sure this is smoke from the Little Giant Fire, including what’s appearing on the radar. (Photo in OP taken from Downtown Bellevue looking east-northeast.)

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 14/08/2026

I’m pretty sure those are smoke plumes, not thunderstorms?

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 09/08/2026

In a housing shortage, we need to build.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 09/08/2026

Oh my god. Imagine living in Malden and going through this right now. 💔

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 08/08/2026

I can now comfortably say that the measure to extend a 0.2% sales tax that funds ~40% of Spokane Transit’s service hours will pass! Yes: 51,687 (51.78%) No: 48,108 (48.19%) Yes for Buses successfully overcame the third-largest “no” campaign for a transit measure in Washington State history.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 06/08/2026

After the second day of counting, the measure to extend a 0.2% sales tax that funds ~40% of Spokane Transit’s service hours, plus major capital projects like Division BRT, is still passing! Yes: 37,609 (50.55%) No: 36,240 (49.42%) I still want another couple days of counting, but I’m feeling good.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 05/08/2026

The Old Trails Fire began in one of the areas with the highest wildfire risk in Spokane County, and it spread northeast to devastate the neighborhood with Spokane’s second-highest wildfire risk.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 04/08/2026

I get that in times of crisis, people seek comfort in convenient and sometimes conspiratorial answers to existential questions, but this is just AI data center psychosis.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/08/2026

Today, one of the overriding concerns will be smoke. Air quality is very unhealthy to locally hazardous across the region right now, and is expected to worsen. – Wear an N95 mask outdoors. – Avoid outdoor activities. – Use an air purifier indoors if you can.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/08/2026

The Autumn Lane Fire is mostly burning north of the Little Spokane Natural Area, and has been moving south. Crews upgraded some evacuations last night. There will be a substantial effort today to stop the fire at the Little Spokane River so it cannot threaten North Indian Trail.

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/08/2026

Overnight, there was an active south-moving leg of the Autumn Lane Fire, which continues to be the most active of the three fires, though all three are very much still live situations. Here’s the latest fire extents from today’s briefing, from KXLY:

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Spokane Rising @spokanerising.com · 03/08/2026

From Reddit, this is a leg of the Autumn Lane Fire apparently moving south now.

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