Joel Connelly

I worked for Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1973 until it ceased print publication in 2009, and SeattlePI.com from 2009 to 6/30/2020. During that time, I wrote about 9 presidential races, 11 Canadian and British Columbia elections‎, four doomed WPPSS nuclear plants, six Washington wilderness battles, creation of two national Monuments (Hanford Reach and San Juan Islands), a 104 million acre Alaska Lands Act, plus the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

The New American Pope

The former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a priest for nearly 43 years, has studied in Rome and spent two decades ministering in Peru — he holds dual Peruvian and American citizenships — and lately at the Vatican vetting appointment of bishops.

Pope Donald? The Ego as Big as All Outdoors (and how to Deal with it)

How do you deal with a president of dictatorial tendencies, an outsized ego, sense of grandiosity, and the expectation of absolute loyalty? There are tested formulas.

Father Ryan Announces Retirement as Pastor of St. James Cathedral

He will be replaced by Fr. Gary Lazzeroni. In a letter announcing the transition, Catholic Archbishop Paul Etienne described Lazzeroni as “a wonderful priest who will diligently and faithfully serve you and your parish family.”

Thanks Trump: In Epic Comeback, Liberals Reelected in Canada

The Harvard- and Oxford-educated Mark Carney had never run for public office, but Canadians opted for the smartest kid on the block.

Bang the Drum Slowly: How Sen. Cantwell Gets it Done

The Senate is about relationships, and Cantwell’s collaboration with colleague Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has been fascinating to watch.

How Pope Francis Changed the Vatican

"What a breath of fresh air he was to our Church, coming at a moment when we needed him so badly,” Fr. Michael Ryan, pastor of St. James Cathedral, wrote in a letter to parishoners.

Canada’s Restless West

The political cleavage in Canada is a mirror of U.S. divisions. The Liberals are an urban-suburban party, a party of the educated but also immigrants. A trio of great cities —Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver — are bastions of Liberal support.

Jayapal Keeps Firing Away at Trump

The Congresswoman's tactics have come up short beyond Seattle boundaries and sometimes within.

British Columbia Carbon Tax was a Pioneering Tactic for Fighting Climate Change. It’s Just Been Repealed

In part, the tax is being sacrificed to national unity. Long a U.S. partner on trade and defense, Canada feels betrayed by Trump and suspects that America is no longer a reliable partner.

Trump’s China-Style Cultural Revolution: Punishing Free Speech

The autonomy of universities is no longer recognized. ICE agents are now allowed to barge into places of worship. The nation’s boss man fires the management of a cherished cultural institution.

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