Why you should have candles and be a good neighbor: Today So Far

• Four attacks on electrical substations have happened across Oregon and Washington state recently.
• Washington state officials are finally figuring out how to implement a voter-approved gun measure from 2018.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 8, 2022.

As I consider next year's resolutions and things to personally work on, checking in on my neighbors, helping people beyond our differences, and generally being prepared are quickly rising to the top of my list. Why?

KUOW and OPB have uncovered a total of four attacks on electrical substations in Oregon and Washington in recent weeks. Two attacks involved firearms. The four incidents span the Bonneville Power Administration, Portland General Electric, and Puget Sound Energy.

Update: After publishing this newsletter, KUOW learned of two additional attacks on substations in the Northwest.

If this sounds familiar, that's probably because there were recently similar attacks at two substations in North Carolina. This also happened in 2013 in Coyote, Calif.

The FBI isn't saying anything about the local attacks (which is pretty normal), but all the Northwest electric utilities say they are cooperating with the FBI. CNN has further reported that the FBI issued recent warnings about extremists and antigovernment groups targeting infrastructure like substations. It is unclear if that warning is at all related to the local incidents. What is clear is that the attacks are intentional.

I'm sure that such groups are aware that we've all heard of candles. So, as the FBI has previously stated, the goal here is to create civil disorder and violence. Or perhaps these groups' perception of the general public is so low, they think that if we cannot stream the latest season of "Firefly Lane" we will collectively lose it.

The potential threat is more serious, of course. Consider the ramifications if power is lost around a major hospital or an emergency service provider. At home, we can just read the book "Firefly Lane" by candlelight, but it's more risky for people who need X-rays or simply need heat during cold weather. This might be the lingering punk in me, but it seems worth it to stock up on candles, get to know your neighbor, and find ways to support each other during disruptions just to spite extremists.

Read the full local story here.

In 2018, Washington voters approved a handful of firearm regulations. Some have already gone into effect, but one approved measure has proven difficult to implement.

Specifically, the the state was tasked with figuring out how to run background checks on current handgun and semi-automatic rifle owners to find out if they are legally allowed to possess such a firearm. Apparently, state officials have concluded that they have no idea how to do this. So they've effectively shoved this effort into a box and stored in the back shelves of some garage in Olympia ... until now. The governor's office and the Washington State Patrol have restarted the effort. But it's going to take more than creating a new system for background checks. It's going to take new laws to make it legal. Read the full story here with Soundside.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

There are many things that inspire people to write songs, and for musician Tom Dyer it was his hometown of Olympia, Washington. He was so inspired that he wrote not just one song about the state capital, but 40. They make up his latest album, "Olympia - A True Story." Dyer shared an account of the album’s genesis and creation with KUOW’s “Soundside.” (Courtesy of Tom Dyer)

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

What does the Respect for Marriage Act do? The answer will vary by state.

Today, the Respect for Marriage Act got one step closer to becoming one of very few federal laws expressly protecting LGBTQ Americans. It's expected to be signed into law by President Biden soon. But even when it is signed, the legality of same-sex marriage will still rest on the the 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which found that same-sex marriage is constitutionally protected.

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