How can something be so horrifying and so funny at the same time?

Something beautiful for this day: Honeybee on a Magnus coneflower, Yakima, Washington (July 2025). #bees #coneflowers

"For Lopez, lowriding is much more than custom paint and hydraulics. It’s heritage," @sararae-yhr.bsky.social writes for the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Demand for older varieties like Red and Golden Delicious and "once-newer" varieties like Fuji and Gala, which peaked around 2016 are falling, much faster than the supply has been falling. Coverage from Questen Inghram at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

"If court orders can be defied, then the president can violate the Constitution and any law with impunity knowing that there are unlikely to be any meaningful consequences," Erwin Chemerinsky writes for The Sacramento Bee.

Fresh ink from Pat Bagley.

Something beautiful for this day: Chrysanthemums, Yakima, Washington (October 2025). #flowers

The Wire is the only television series that’s ever mattered.

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!

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

Something beautiful for this day: Black hollyhock, Yakima, Washington (October 2024). #flowers #hollyhocks

Good boy, Eeyore! Story and video by The Associated Press.

Clergy must still tell authorities of potential mistreatment, but will not have to divulge information they hear in confession, under a settlement of lawsuits challenging the requirement. (Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard)

The presence of illicit substances, inadequate housing and mental illness are a few of the conditions that do not constitute imminent risk of physical harm, according to 2023 Washington law. Coverage from Loryn Kykendall at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.

When the federal shutdown began Oct. 1, officials said money for the benefits could run out in a couple of weeks. (Jake Goldstein-Street / Washington State Standard)

Trump’s crackdown on Democratic-led cities has been cheered by a cadre of conservative Seattle-area podcasters and social media influencers who frequently tangle with leftist protesters — and have reported instances of being harassed or assaulted at protests. (Jim Brunner / Seattle Times)

"What is happening in Illinois won’t stay in Illinois," writes Kansas City Star columnist David Mastio.

Fresh ink from @davewhamond.bsky.social, as seen in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Something beautiful for this day: Sunflowers, Yakima, Washington (September 2025). #sunflowers

"For the "Twin Peaks" star, fun is foundational to his creative outlets, from acting to winemaking to creating content for social media," Elise Sanders writes for the Yakima Herald-Republic.

As envisioned, it will have 160 megawatts of solar generating potential, enough to power up to 32,500 homes, according to the company website. (Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard)

It’s a victory for Democratic officials who lead the state and city and have traded insults with President Donald Trump about his drive to put troops on the ground in major urban areas. (Sudhin Thanawala & Christian Fernando / AP)

The Beattitudes come to mind. One side believes them. The other does not.

The data showed that firearms are the leading cause of death for urban high schoolers, surpassing motor vehicle collisions. (Emily Fitzgerald / Washington State Standard)

The Department of Labor estimates the new interim final rule will transfer $2.46 billion from H-2A workers to H-2A employers annually. Coverage from Olivia Palmer at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

"Detractors like Lewandowski and Johnson want to make English being Bad Bunny's second language an indictment of his patriotism, as if growing up speaking English is a criterion for citizenship. It isn't and never has been," LZ Granderson writes for the Los Angeles Times

Fresh ink from Pat Bagley.

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

Something beautiful for this day: Chrysanthemum, Yakima, Washington (October 2025). #flowers

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

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

The move by the Republican administration was widely seen as a strong-arm tactic — a way to pressure lawmakers to reopen the government, now in the seventh day of a shutdown. (Lisa Mascaro / AP)

Part III of “Harvest at a Crossroads: How immigration changes are affecting Northwest farming and communities,” a collaboration between Northwest Public Broadcasting, El Sol de Yakima and the Yakima Herald-Republic. It is funded by @poynterinstitute.bsky.social. 1/3

"Now there is no real limit on police seizures. History teaches us that people of color will bear the brunt of this policing regime, including the millions of immigrants who are already subject to police roundups, sweeps and raids," Daniel Harawa and Kate Weisburd write for the Los Angeles Times.

Fresh ink from @andertoon.bsky.social, as seen in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Something beautiful for this day: Rhododendrons, Yakima, Washington (October 2025). #flowers

The moon will pass within about 224,600 miles of Earth tonight. The closest supermoon of the year is slated for November, followed by another in December. (Adithi Ramakrishnan / AP)

Washington plans to submit an application for coverage before the end of the year. (Nada Hassanein / Stateline)

To commemorate tonight’s harvest moon, here’s Neil Young singing the prettiest song I know.

The case challenges a 2019 Colorado law that bans “conversion therapy” for children and teens. Conversion therapy is a catchall term for efforts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people. (Anna Claire Vollers / Stateline)

White Swan High School is on the Yakama Reservation. It has an enrollment of 261 students, and its student population is considered low-income, according to data from OSPI. Coverage from Alexander Banks at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

In Washington, the average number of federal workers was 79,637 for the first quarter of 2025, according to preliminary data from the state Employment Security Department. The average weekly wage for federal jobs here in this period was $2,045. (Gene Balk / Seattle Times)

According to a Seattle Times analysis of FBI data, crime overall has fallen in Portland and Seattle since 2022, with the rate of violent crime remaining stable in the past couple of years. (Lauren Girgis and Manuel Villa / Seattle Times)

"If there were a Cruelty Olympics, Trump's sycophants would all be elbowing each other for the gold," @gustavoarellano.bsky.social writes for the Los Angeles Times.

Fresh ink from @rmckee.bsky.social.

Hey, I know a research associate producer on @lastweektonight.com! Janelle Retka was the education reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic from 2019-2021 — and look at her now. I’m insanely proud of her.

Something beautiful for this day: Chrysanthemums, Yakima, Washington (October 2025). #flowers

It was a monumental weekend. To prepare for our first Halloween in the new house, I put up Ghostly Emma, 3 life-size skeletons in various poses, 4 ghoulies, 2 sets of lights and 3 cool pumpkins. Also revisited a couple flower boxes and put in a bunch of perennials. I live for this time of year.

Sisters.