Author | Lightnews

Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · 3d

It seems pretty simple to me: make sure hungry kids have food, make sure health insurance premiums don’t skyrocket, and reopen the government. It’s sad that this common sense approach seems so out of reach for Congress.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · 11d

In a tough time in our country, I’m grateful that the Mariners gave us all something to rally around and cheer on together! Congrats on a great season 💙💛

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · 26d

A second Seattle Nobel laureate in as many years! Validation for our role as a global research powerhouse. Let’s keep investing and winning the future.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

A Seattle scientist won a Nobel Prize. She thought the call was spam

Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.

www.seattletimes.com

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Oct 1

Excellent points! There is a lot to fight back against. A doubling of health insurance costs for millions of Americans is a good place to start and the lets make sure we don’t stop there.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Oct 1

Families in Washington can’t afford to see their health insurance premiums double. I’m glad Democrats in Congress have found their backbone and are standing up for affordability. Let’s protect health care and reopen the government ASAP.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 28

The continuing attacks on places of worship must stop. My heart breaks for the LDS community in Michigan and around the world. People gathering to worship and be in community together represents the best of us. This was an attack on all of us. We can’t allow it to become normal.

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Reposted by Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈

Zap Energy @zapenergy.bsky.social · Sep 24

U.S. Representative @repricklarsen.bsky.social and staff from @cantwell.senate.gov, @repkimschrier.bsky.social, @repdelbene.bsky.social, and @markoliias.bsky.social's teams visited this week to tour the labs and discuss how our nation and state can continue to lead in #fusionenergy innovation.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 24

The best way to guarantee that Jimmy Kimmel gets good ratings is to try and censor him! I tuned in last night and I’ll keep tuning in to send a message that the First Amendment matters now more than ever.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 18

This is blatantly unconstitutional and completely un-American. No president can be allowed to bully Americans who exercise their free speech rights to criticize their government.

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Says Broadcasters Risk Losing Licenses When Hosts Criticize Him

www.nytimes.com

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 11

Today, as with every 9/11, I remember Leslie Whittington and her family, who died on Flight 77. I had the privilege of working with her as a work study student at Georgetown. Violent extremism is deadly and its victims are too often forgotten.

mccourt.georgetown.edu/mccourt-even....

Whittington Lecture - McCourt School of Public Policy - Georgetown

Attend the annual Whittington Lecture at Georgetown's McCourt School, featuring leading voices in public policy and government.

mccourt.georgetown.edu

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 10

I assumed as much and also wanted to be crystal clear. A good reminder of how limiting social media platforms are to capture nuance.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 10

There is no motive that justifies political violence in a free society. You’re right that we will learn more in the days to come. In the meantime, we should all work to stop this.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 10

Our democracy won’t survive if we only protect free speech we agree with, it’s up to each of us to make our country strong and safe enough for us to disagree and still live peacefully here together.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Sep 10

Terrible news from Utah today. I agree with Speaker Mike Johnson: “Political violence has become all too common in American society, and this is not who we are. We need every political figure, we need everyone who has a platform to say this loudly and clearly.”

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Aug 26

Happy Taylor Swift Engagement Day to all who celebrate!

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jul 1

Fantastic analysis that can help us build more housing in our region.

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · Jul 1

Washington state has grown quickly, especially near transit. But some areas around stations are unaffordable for people with low & moderate incomes. How can transit-oriented development (TOD) make neighborhoods thriving & diverse?

We investigate this in new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social!

Generating Affordable and Abundant Transit-Oriented Development in Washington State

What strategies can Washington use to further increase the availability of housing, especially affordable housing, in mixed-use neighborhoods near transit? In this report, we recommend ways to get the...

www.urban.org

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jul 1

Bookmark today’s vote for that future moment when Republicans suddenly care about the federal deficit and debt. They are the ones ballooning our debt to pay for their billionaire tax cuts. They are the fiscal arsonists.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jun 29

There is a legitimate debate about what the Democratic Party should stand for, but there is zero doubt that Democrats have never and will never cut health care and food stamps to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jun 29

At a time when American families are struggling to make ends meet, Republicans in Congress want to cut food stamps and health care to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

www.seattletimes.com/nation-world...

Senate GOP tax bill includes largest cut to U.S. safety net in decades

The Senate Republican tax bill speeding to passage includes the biggest reduction of funding for the federal safety net since at least the 1990s, targeting more than $1 trillion in social spending.

www.seattletimes.com

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jun 29

At a time when American families are struggling to make ends meet, Republicans in Congress want to cut food stamps and health care to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

www.seattletimes.com/nation-world...

Senate GOP tax bill includes largest cut to U.S. safety net in decades

The Senate Republican tax bill speeding to passage includes the biggest reduction of funding for the federal safety net since at least the 1990s, targeting more than $1 trillion in social spending.

www.seattletimes.com

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jun 14

After reading the horrifying news from Minnesota about the cruel attack on two state lawmakers, it was a balm to my soul to join with hundreds of neighbors in Edmonds for peaceful, resolute and joyful protest for our democracy. No assassin’s bullet can stop a freedom-loving people’s determination.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Jun 11

The brave Americans who serve in uniform take an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people. Using them as a prop for a wannabe dictator’s birthday party is an insult to them and to the American people. We are better than this.

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Apr 9

Light rail is transforming our region! I’m committed to doing whatever we can to keep construction on schedule and connect even more communities to carbon-free, fast, reliable transit.

Olympia may offer lifeline to Sound Transit

Sound Transit has plenty of money for now. But the longer term is a worry. A bill in the Legislature could help ease concerns.

www.seattletimes.com

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Apr 1

In the midst of so much despair and hopelessness in America, Cory Booker is lifting us all up and reminding us that our democracy is worth the fight. 🇺🇸

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Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈 @markoliias.bsky.social · Mar 31

Trans people contribute so much to our communities! As politicians around the country use trans human rights in an effort to divide us, it’s more important than ever to lift up and celebrate our trans neighbors.

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Reposted by Marko Liias 🏳️‍🌈

Kirk Hovenkotter @kirkhovenkotter.com · Mar 27

The Aurora Reimagined project championed by @sr99problems.bsky.social & included in Move Ahead WA in 2022 was $50m.

Imagine one of those a year for the next 6 years.

That why this investment by @markoliias.bsky.social is transformational. Join me in saying thanks & voicing your support ⬇️

Transportation Choices Coalition @transpochoices.bsky.social · Mar 27

With an ongoing traffic safety crisis, we were grateful to see $450 million in the WA Senate's transportation spending bill to transform our most dangerous roads.

But this funding isn't guaranteed. Please urge our senators to support this critical work!

actionnetwork.org/letters/supp...

Support Bold State Action on Traffic Safety!

In 2023, more Washingtonians lost their lives to traffic violence than in any year since 1990. The good news is the Washington State Senate's new transportation spending bill, SB 5160, includes $450 m...

actionnetwork.org

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