Natalie Fertig

Denver authorizes police to protect anti-ICE protesters The Denver mayor signed an executive order instructing local police to take deescalating action if ICE uses excessive force.

The directive to aid peaceful protesters is outlined in an executive order signed by Johnston on Thursday.

Read more: www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

The latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between blue cities and the Trump admin over immigration enforcement: Denver Mayor Mike Johnston instructed local law enforcement to “step in to detain that [federal] officer and remove them from the situation” in cases of excessive force.

Denver authorizes police to protect anti-ICE protesters The Denver mayor signed an executive order instructing local police to take deescalating action if ICE uses excessive force.

Denver Authorizes Police to Protect Anti-ICE Protesters

By Natalie Fertig

The Denver mayor signed an executive order instructing local police to take deescalating action if ICE uses excessive force.
@natsfert.bsky.social

As an Austen/Tolkein girlie who knew almost nothing about wuthering heights before seeing this movie, I have so many new questions for all those Brontë girlies in high school

For starters: who hurt you?

Fees, fines and ordinances: Cities push back against Trump’s immigration enforcement “Sand in the gears is the best approach that we have found so far,” says one local Portland official.

My latest: city officials, under pressure from constituents, are finding small ways to fight back against ICE, despite deep legal limitations.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

“The federal government must be held to the same standard we demand of our local police departments … We call on Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune to accept these necessary guardrails before the February 13th funding deadline.”

Some of the proposals they’re backing:

NEW: 8 large city mayors from Portland to Boston sent a letter today backing the demands of Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer on DHS funding and ICE reform. www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-...

It's a shift from where Washington lawmakers were this past summer: Saying there was no path to redistricting pre-midterms, so they wouldn't bother.

Fitzgibbon told me California's measure changed the impetus, as well as Trump's continued push in states like Indiana + Fla.

The bill doesn't abolish the state's beloved independent redistricting commission but inserts this trigger clause into the constitution that would let the state redistrict mid-decade **if another state does it first**

The bill is not expected to pass in this session, but Democrats tell me they've introduced it to show what they'll do if they get a 2/3 majority in the state leg this November.

They're a few seats short of a supermajority in both chambers.

NEW: Washington state Democrats change their tune on redistricting.

House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon intro'd a bill today that would put a ballot measure to voters allowing mid-decade redistricting in certain situations.

The bill: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/202...

States step into the breach as Obamacare subsidies lapse Even state governments that want to help can’t completely cover rising insurance premiums.

NEW with @natsfert.bsky.social: Some states are spending hundreds of millions to make up for federal cuts to Obamacare aid. They warn it won't be enough to stop millions of people from becoming uninsured. www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

The health care fight gets personal

Dems are seizing on Congress' expected failure to extend Obamacare subsidies for tens of millions of people. As they hammer Rs for the coming premium hikes, they're handing the microphone to impacted voters to tell their stories.
www.politico.com/newsletters/... w the great @natsfert.bsky.social

Progressive on the edge of a win in Seattle mayor race Katie Wilson pulled ahead of a moderate Democrat in a campaign that focused on the cost of living in one of America’s most-expensive cities.

“There’s a disconnect between what younger people are going through in day to day life today ... I think there’s a split in the Democratic Party about that, that we’re feeling our way through.” -WA political consultant Crystal Fincher about the Seattle mayors race.

www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

Incredible. Progressive challenger Katie Wilson now has a 91-vote lead in Seattle’s race for mayor. She had been steadily gaining on incumbent Bruce Harrell.

There are about 8,000 ballots left to count.

It's almost time.

Send me your recs for Copenhagen and Stockholm please, friends!

Especially places you discovered off the beaten path (because I've already done a lot of research), good places to read, your fav vintage shop, and the best restaurants you went to!

Denver offers to pay airport staff during shutdown to avoid cutbacks The city says airport operations are vital to the Colorado economy.

Denver’s airport is offering to pay federal employees to avoid cutbacks, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston tells me.

The airport asked the FAA for a waiver to do this, but has not heard back.

www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

Centrist Democrats see a rare opportunity in Utah House race Former Rep. Ben McAdams has yet to announce his candidacy in the redrawn Utah House district.

Centrist Democrat group Welcome PAC is urging support for former Rep @benmcadams.bsky.social in a redrawn Utah House district race, calling him "an outlier."

w/ @sambbenson.bsky.social for @politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Trump paints chaos. Portland stages comedy. The courts get to decide who's right. The administration says rising arrests and unruly protests justify federal troops. Portland says frog costumes tell the real story.

“This is also a propaganda war,” Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo told me. “We have to show that our city is not what they’re painting it to be.”

Inside Portland’s effort to keep protests peaceful and - at times - absurd. My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Why Democrats can’t match Trump’s gerrymander push Legal hurdles make it practically impossible for blue states to redraw maps before the 2026 midterms.

Legal hurdles make it practically impossible for most blue states to redraw district maps before the 2026 midterms.

www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

‘I just had flashbacks’: Portland looks to avoid repeat of 2020 protests Trump sent federal officers into Portland to quell riots five years ago. A tired city — watching events in LA — hopes it won’t happen again.

ICYMI, Portland changed a lot of things after the 2020 protests with the goal of NOT having federal agents or national guard return to police the city. I wrote about it in June: www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Top official from Oregon tells Trump she welcomes federal crackdown: ‘I hope you will come to Portland’ Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer made the remarks during a cabinet meeting.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer (former Oregon congresswoman) to POTUS about ICE: "I hope you will come to Portland, Oregon and crack down."

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Utah "can no longer use maps that carved up Salt Lake City, a Democratic stronghold in an otherwise red state, and must draw new lines using an independent commission in compliance with a 2018 ballot measure approved by Utah voters."
www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

This blue state is the first to grapple with megabill response Colorado has a roughly $1 billion budget hole to address in a legislative special session.

Colorado is the first state to call lawmakers back to the Capitol to grapple with the ramifications of the massive federal tax and spending bill.

My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

"Officials ... decided to let the fire burn for seven days — even as fuel and weather conditions repeatedly reached the brink of critical thresholds for fire risk."

Important reporting on the Grand Canyon fire from @azcentral.com:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

Minnesota assassination spurs wave of state bills to protect elected officials The push to shield lawmakers’ personal information from prying eyes is drawing concerns about public transparency.

States have been passing bills to shield lawmakers’ personal info following the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

But those laws also have been criticized for making it harder to hold politicians accountable.

My latest:

www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Spotted at the Del Ray flea

‘A disaster of a year’: Oregon farmers say 2025 is a sour season for sweet cherries Labor shortages and challenging market conditions are marring the harvest season of Oregon's fourth most valuable fruit.

Cherry farmers in Oregon are facing problems this season:

"Chandler’s season began around the time that [ICE] began targeting California farms, where many of his employees work before Oregon’s cherry season. He thinks this drove his June labor shortage."

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

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Where I’m coming from ➡️ where I’m going.

Why. 💀