Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Club El Mundo Elegante. It gives me great personal pride and pleasure in presenting to you — umm, the Moula Banda Rhythm Aces!

Something beautiful for this day: Lantana, Yakima, Washington (September 2024). #flowers

Anna’s Hummingbird approaching the feeder, Yakima, Washington (November 2025). #hummingbirds

Friday night Justin Townes Earle. Because he was too damned good to forget.

Something beautiful for this day: Honeybee on a blanket flower, Yakima, Washington (August 2024). #bees #flowers

Sisters. #cats

This can be a hard time for some folks. Help is out there. ☮️❤️

In memory of Bruce Lee, Nov. 27, 1940-July 20, 1973. Still of the most compelling figures in popular culture.

Something beautiful for this day: Rose, Yakima, Washington (September 2024). #roses

Your Thanksgiving Moment of Zen: Hummingbird at the feeder, Yakima, Washington (November 2025). #hummingbirds

ICE is culturally illiterate.

Chimay Ale in one of my late father’s crystal beer goblets, because some traditions must be preserved. The goblets are probably close to 70 years old — older than me, certainly.

Current state of mind:

It’s Thanksgiving Eve. So here’s a great overlooked power pop song by Matthew Sweet. Enjoy!

Something beautiful for this day: Pansy, Yakima, Washington (November 2025). #flowers

A Man on the Inside, “Thanksgiving Break,” is a holiday classic — gentle, smart and funny. We’ll be rewatching this in years to come.

The new fee was announced Tuesday by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and takes effects Jan. 1. Foreign tourists also will see a sharp price increase for an annual parks pass, to $250 per vehicle. U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80 for an annual pass. (Matthew Brown & Matthew Daly / AP)

While there are several programs developed by women and trades organizations to promote a safer and more inclusive workplace, there is no real federal policy or legislation providing adequate protections, advocates say. Instead the work has happened at the grassroots level. (Jessica Kutz / The 19th)

“She was detained for no reason at all. She’s not dangerous. She’s not a flight risk. She’s not a criminal illegal alien,” her attorney said. “She’s a business owner who pays taxes and has a child who was wondering where mommy was after school two weeks ago.” (Holly Ramer / AP)

About 70% of Latinos in the U.S. disapprove of President Donald Trump’s record, with 65% disapproving of his handling of immigration and 61% saying his policies have worsened the economy, according to the report. (Ariana Figueroa / States Newsroom)

Like any other medical patient — and any other president — what Trump chooses to reveal to the public about his health is up to him. (Katie Rogers & Dylan Freeman / New York Times)

ICE practices endanger the safety, due process and civil liberties of U.S. citizens. The unlawful arrests and detention of Americans must end. A column by @raulareyes.bsky.social for the Los Angeles Times

In less than a year, the secretary of health and human services has undermined years of established science and made our society less safe. A Seattle Times editorial.

Fresh ink from Dave Whamond.

Disgusted to hear of the targeted shooting of National Guard members in DC today. All Americans should unite in condemning and rejecting this violence. Sending prayers to these victims and their families, and thankful to the responders who acted so quickly.

Same.

Something beautiful for this day: Bumblebee on a sunflower, Yakima, Washington (September 2024). #bees #sunflowers

Your guide to weekend events in the Yakima Valley, courtesy of @sararae-yhr.bsky.social at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

TRUMP: “We haven’t had a murder in six months.” THE FACTS: That’s false. There have been 62 homicides in Washington since May 25, including one last week, according to the MPD. (Melissa Goldin / AP)

The accounts were leading disseminators of some misleading and polarizing claims about U.S. politics, including ones that said Democrats bribed the moderators of a 2024 presidential debate. (Barbara Ortutay / AP)

“We were doing a lot of cultural presentations about Palestine and needed the space for these events — and refreshments,” Shahin said. “Yakima’s such a coffee town, and we wanted to bring some of those Middle Eastern flavors we didn’t have in this town.” (Joel Donofrio / Yakima Herald-Republic)

A Kirkland mother was charged with manslaughter this month after King County prosecutors accused her of letting her diabetic daughter slowly die in the back seat during a family road trip. (Catalina Gaitan / Seattle Times)

During the visits last week, five unlicensed vendors were contacted and closed. One repeat vendor was required to dispose of food. No citations were issued, officials said later. Reporting by Gloria Ibanez (El Sol de Yakima) & Tammy Ayer (Yakima Herald-Republic).

The homeowner said his dog woke him up, and he thought the dog wanted to go outside. Instead, the homeowner saw a glow from outside, and when he opened the door, fire was blocking the way. (@donaldwmeyers.bsky.social / Yakima Herald-Republic)

One big question: Will life in our region ever feel safe and normal again? A Yakima Herald-Republic editorial.

Fresh ink from Pat Bagley.

A Man on the Inside is back. This makes me happier than I’ve been in a long time.

Something beautiful for this day: Zinnia, Yakima, Washington (July 2025). #flowers

Pumpkin.

Experts attribute the high rate to mental health challenges that can be overlooked or written off as normal parts of aging. Older people are also more likely to die when they attempt suicide, largely because they are more likely to use firearms. (Taylor Blatchford / Seattle Times)

Over the last five years, fatal overdoses in Yakima County have nearly tripled. In 2024, the county coroner’s office recorded 146 overdose deaths, an increase of more than 50% from the previous year. Coverage from Olivia Palmer at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

She was 7 years old when the two-day attack began on Tulsa’s Greenwood district on May 31, 1921, after a local newspaper published a sensationalized report about a Black man accused of assaulting a white woman. (Jamie Stengle / AP)

"There is nothing 'America First' about expanding exploitative guest worker programs that undercut and displace American workers,” UFW President Teresa Romero said in a news release. Coverage from Questen Inghram at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Eligibility for the Obamacare subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people afford health care coverage, would be capped at 700% of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal. (Seung-Min Kim / AP)

Above all, the public has every right to expect and demand that taxpayer-funded law officers at all levels — including in the highest echelons of the federal government — respect citizens’ privacy and follow laws. A Yakima Herald-Republic editorial.

Fresh ink from Clay Bennett.

Something beautiful for this day: Rose petal on fallen leaves, Yakima, Washington (November 2025).

Your Sunday Moment of Zen: Hummingbird at the feeder, Yakima, Washington (November 2025). #hummingbirds

More goo to go! A classic Thanksgiving moment from the Bob Newhart Show.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Club El Mundo Elegante. It gives me great personal pride and pleasure in presenting to you — umm, the Moula Banda Rhythm Aces!