Greg Halling

White flower blossoms with pink and gold centers.

Something beautiful for this day: Pear blossoms, Yakima, Washington (April 2025). #flowers

Weekend picks: Valentine's markets, PRCA rodeo and red wine and chocolate There are plenty of ways to treat yourself, friends or your sweetie this weekend in the Yakima Valley.

Your guide to weekend events in the Yakima Valley, courtesy of @sararae-yhr.bsky.social, Explore editor at yakimaherald.com.

A privacy breach at the IRS: Taxpayer data wrongly shared with DHS, court filing says The IRS has erroneously shared the taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security, according to a new court filing. It was part of the agencies’

The revelation stems from a data-sharing agreement signed in April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which allows ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records. (AP)

Newhouse breaks from GOP, voting to eliminate Trump’s Canada tariffs Though unlikely to have any tangible effect on imposed tariffs, the measure's House passage reflects GOP lawmakers', such as Newhouse's, discontent with Trump's trade wars.

The resolution passed the House 219-211 and would end the national emergency declared by Trump last year that underpins his increased tariffs against Canada. It is largely symbolic; if the Senate passes the measure, it is unlikely to be signed into law by Trump. (Anumita Kaur / Seattle Times)

Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace, AP sources say The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas.

One source said the laser was deployed near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, which decided then to close the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. (Associated Press)

Jobs report shows a historic stall in hiring last year • Washington State Standard U.S. jobs increased by 130,000 in January, buoyed by hires in health care, social assistance and construction. But in another sign of anemic hiring last year during President Donald Trump's second…

But in another sign of anemic hiring last year, estimates for 2025 were revised down by more than a million jobs to a level of low growth rarely seen outside of recessions. (Tim Henderson / Stateline)

Bondi clashes with Democrats as she struggles to turn the page on Epstein files furor Attorney General Pam Bondi launched into a wide-ranging, passionate defense of President Donald Trump, repeatedly shouting at Democrats during a combative hearing in which she postured herself as the…

She refused when pressed by Rep. Pramila Jayapal to turn and face the Epstein victims in the audience and apologize for what Trump's Justice Department has “put them through," instead accusing the Democrat of “theatrics.” (Associated Press)

House GOP pushes strict proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters ahead of midterm elections House Republicans approved legislation that would impose strict new voter ID requirements ahead of the midterm elections. The bill passed Wednesday is a Trump administration priority aimed at…

The bill, called the SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. . It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots. (Lisa Mascaro / AP)

Opinion: Illegal immigrants make America money America’s largest libertarian thinktank just produced a study that blows up the Trump administration’s claims about the horrible economic damage immigrants are doing.

"They’re not sucking or snatching. They’re not leeches. In fact the reverse," writes Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist David Mills.

Editorial Cartoon: Dave Whamond (Feb. 11, 2026) Click here to view this image from yakimaherald.com.

Fresh ink from @davewhamond.bsky.social, as published on yakimaherald.com.

Mike Luckovich (@mluckovich.bsky.social) This is a heavily interactive web application, and JavaScript is required. Simple HTML interfaces are possible, but that is not what this is. Learn more about Bluesky at bsky.social and atproto.com.…

Fresh ink from Mike Luckovich.

e pluribus cartoonum (@rjmatsoncartoons.bsky.social) JOURNALISM 101 – Attorney General Pam Bondi Couldn't Be More Incompetent If She Were A Reporter #AttorneyGeneral #JusticeDeprartment #PamBondi #Congress #JudiciaryCommittee #EpsteinFiles

Fresh ink from RJ Matson.

Whoa!

Pale blue pansies with ink-blue faces and yellow centers.

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

Yakima nominated for Best Beer City in the U.S. In case you did not hear, Yakima has been nominated in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Beer City in 2026, recognizing the valley’s deep-rooted brewing heritage,

"Our community is the beating, aromatic heart of American brewing industry," John Cooper writes in a guest column for yakimaherald.com.

Kid Rock denies lip-syncing halftime show, admits performance was taped Kid Rock commented on Bad Bunny's halftime performance at the Super Bowl, saying, "Like most people, I didn't understand any of it."

Users on social media noted Rock’s performance of “Bawitdaba” during Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show appeared to be lip-synced. (Adam Graham / Detroit News)

Grand jury refuses to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with illegal military orders video A grand jury in Washington has refused to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders,” according to a person familiar with the matter.

A grand jury has refused to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged military members to resist “illegal orders.”

Trump administration plans to hold back grant money from some Democratic-led states President Donald Trump’s administration plans to withhold public health and transportation funds from several Democratic-led states.

The approach has become a familiar one for the administration, and this time focuses on frequent targets: California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. (Geoff Mulvihill / AP)

Buddhist monks' 15-week walk for peace ends in Washington, DC A group of Buddhist monks has finally reached Washington, D.C., after completing a 15-week trek from Texas that captivated the country. The monks say their aim is to promote mindfulness

In their saffron and maroon robes, the monks became fixtures on social media as they made their way through the southeastern United States, along with their rescue dog Aloka. (Tiffany Stanley & Deepa Bharath / AP)

Trump administration takes down a rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument The Trump administration has stopped flying a rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument. That's angering activists who see the change as a symbolic swipe at the country’s first national…

The park service said it’s simply complying with recent guidance that clarifies longstanding flag policies and applies them consistently. A Jan. 21 park service memo largely restricts the agency to flying the flags of the US, the Department of the Interior and the POW/MIA flag. (Jennifer Peltz / AP)

Gov. Tim Walz says federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota could end within days Gov. Tim Walz says the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota could end soon. He spoke with top Trump administration officials, including border czar Tom Homan and White House chief of

“It would be my hope that Mr. Homan goes out before Friday and announces that this thing is done, and they’re bringing her down and they’re bringing her down in days,” Walz said. “That would be my expectation.” (Steve Karnowski / Associated Press)

How the head of ICE responded to questions in Congress over Trump's immigration policies The heads of three Trump administration agencies have appeared before Congress to discuss immigration policies. The hearing follows the shooting deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis, which sparked…

Asked if he would commit to making his officers take off their masks and requiring them to wear “standard uniforms with identifiable badges,” Lyons answered with one word: “No.” (Associated Press)

A throughline of racism in the White House Our nation's attempts at understanding ourselves are continuously undercut by the denial that for some single-issue voters, race is their single issue.

The latest from Los Angeles Times columnist LZ Granderson.

Trumpstein Files New Sack Cartoon—-Namedropper

Fresh ink from Steve Sack.

Editorial Cartoon: John Cole (Feb. 9, 2026) Click here to view this image from yakimaherald.com.

Fresh ink from John Cole, as seen on yakimaherald.com.

Mike Luckovich (@mluckovich.bsky.social) This is a heavily interactive web application, and JavaScript is required. Simple HTML interfaces are possible, but that is not what this is. Learn more about Bluesky at bsky.social and atproto.com.…

Fresh ink from Mike Luckovich.

UAW: Ford worker who heckled Trump kept job, 'no discipline' on record The United Auto Workers union said TJ Sabula remains employed and called out the president for making an obscene gesture toward the worker.

More than $810,000 was raised through two online fundraisers for Sabula — a GoFundMe titled "TJ Sabula is a patriot!!" and another headlined Support Ford Worker TJ Sabula during suspension — as of Jan. 14, the day after Trump visited the Dearborn plant. (Detroit News)

Gold upturned daisies with brown centers.

Something beautiful for this day: Denver daisies, Yakima, Washington (July 2024). #flowers #daisies

Firefighter bear-hugs terrified deer on icy lake in rescue near Spokane Daniel Poleschook Jr. looked out of his window at Washington state’s Loon Lake, north of Spokane, and saw something unusual: A deer was stranded in the middle of it.

Firefighter Gavyn Gallagher managed to lasso the deer with a rope, then splayed his body on the ice and hugged her from behind, holding on tight. On his signal, the team on the beach pulled them toward shore. (Maggie Penman / Washington Post)

Breaking down the symbolism in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show transformed the field in Santa Clara, California, into a vibrant tribute to Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican superstar infused the set with island symbols

Here’s a breakdown of the Easter eggs hidden in plain view during the 13-minute set. (Ricardo Zuniga / AP)