The last farmers market for the season is Saturday 10am-3pm, so come out for some pumpkin painting and trick or treating at the market! Photo: Yelm Farmers Market – Facebook

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM TUESDAY ***

+ Rob Molina hosts The Yelm Podcast: Rob interviewed Blogger Steve Klein about the history of water issues [Also on Spotify.]

+ The Olympian: COVID-19 infection rate appears to be slowing in Thurston County

+ The Associated Press: Federal judge rejects bid to stop Washington vaccine mandate

+ McClatchy News: No shortage of toilet paper or chicken in WA. But you may need to be patient, less picky

+ The Seattle Times: Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman resigns to join Biden administration

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM TUESDAY ***

MSNBC’s Maddow Blog: Deficit shrinks in the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency

Springer published research paper: Increases in COVID-19 are unrelated to levels of vaccination across 68 countries and 2947 counties in the United States

Salon: Virginia Democrats Sue USPS Over Delays That Could Impact State Governor Race

The 19th: Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Texas’s First Statewide Anti-Trans Bill

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM TUESDAY ***

MSNBC’s Maddow Blog: Trump keeps asking Biden to hide Jan. 6 materials. The White House keeps saying no.

MSNBC’s The Reidout Blog: How a Civil War-era law could doom white supremacists on trial for Charlottesville rally

MSNBC Opinion: Trump evading punishment for trying to steal the election goes way beyond white privilege

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, seen Sept. 15, 2020, in Olympia, reportedly has been offered a position in the Biden administration related to voter security, according to CNN. Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

+ City of Yelm: This evening, the city council will approve Resolution No. 621 to receive and utilize the American Rescue Plan Act Funds to invest in infrastructure,
public safety, and COVID-19 mitigation efforts as authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department. 

 CNN: First on CNN: Biden administration expected to name WA. GOP official who challenged Trump’s lies to key election security role

+ The Seattle Times: Report: Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman will be named to Biden administration election-security post [Ed. Note: Wyman served as Thurston County Elections Director for nearly a decade and served three terms as the elected Thurston County Auditor (2001-2013).]

+ The Olympian: Eleven percent of the troopers working in Pierce and Thurston counties chose to leave the Washington State Patrol rather than be vaccinated, the second highest number of separated employees from the agency’s eight districts.

+ Thurston Talk:  Grammy Award-Winning Artist Melissa Etheridge Coming to The Washington Center for the Performing Arts – Pre-Sale October 26 at noon; General Public October 29 at noon

+ South Sound Business: Study: State Unemployment Claims 18 Percent Lower Than Pre-COVID Levels

+ The Seattle Times via The Washington Post: CDC director encourages kids to go outside on Halloween and ‘enjoy your trick-or-treating’

+ KING-5 TV (NBC Seattle): The National Weather Service (NWS) said the pressure hit a low of 942.5 millibars Sunday, which is the lowest pressure ever recorded off the Washington coast. The previous lowest pressure off our coast was in 1981 at 950 millibars.

+ The Center Square: Washington State Legislators Locked Out of Offices Over Vaccine Rule

+ McClatchy News: Ken Griffey Jr. purchases shares in Mariners franchise

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

McClatchy News: Democrats to Biden: Start pushing back more aggressively against Trump

CNBC: Tesla shares rise after Hertz says it will buy 100,000 electric vehicles

KING-5 TV: United Nations says 2020 Greenhouse gas concentrations at new record

McClatchy News: Some American workers are deciding to quit their jobs in defiance of what they consider intrusive vaccine mandates.

CNBC: Business groups ask White House to delay Biden Covid vaccine mandate until after the holidays

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

Rolling Stone: EXCLUSIVE – Jan. 6 Protest Organizers Say They Participated in ‘Dozens’ of Planning Meetings With Members of Congress and White House Staff (included Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). [Daily Kos: Two Jan. 6 rally organizers are talking, and congressional Republicans should be nervous]

Daily Kos: Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Calls to Expel Members Who Aided January 6 Plot After Fiery Report

Daily Kos: ‘We are determined to make the fraud of 2020 the issue of the election,’ Michigan county GOP pledges

Daily Kos: Cowboys For Trump Founder Cuoy Griffin Turns on Trump. Griffin Is Mad He Was Arrested For Jan 6th.

MSNBC’s The Mehdi Hasan Show: As Dems focus on Manchin, GOP ensures coup that failed doesn’t in 2024

CNN Politics: First on CNN: Biden White House rejects more executive privilege claims by Trump

• Editor’s note: I have been asked by several readers about an appearance of a conflict of interest with Yelm Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Line Roy’s candidacy for Yelm City Council.
• Should she win, both positions would require her to be loyal to each of their constituencies: the Yelm Chamber of Commerce members, and the public’s interest in serving all of Yelm. 
• The City of Yelm has been previously warned twice in the last 15 years by the State Auditor to take all precautions to avoid conflicts of interest.
• I put this question to Ms. Roy a week ago and have received no response for publication to-date:

Jeff Uhlmeyer’s giant pumpkin escorted to the weighing platform, Oct. 12, 2021. Credit: KIRO-7 TV, via JOLT News.

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

+ JOLT News: Local Olympia pumpkin grower achieves fame and fortune

+ Thurston Talk: Take A Day Trip to the Capitol Forest for Hiking Trails You Won’t Forget

+ The Archive: Ten years ago today, ANA of Japan launched the first Boeing 787 passenger flights

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

The New York Times Morning Report: Company documents obtained by The Times revealed the degree to which Facebook knew of extremist movements on its site that were trying to polarize American voters before and after the election, but failed or struggled to address the issues.

The Washington Post: White supremacists are returning to Charlottesville. But this time, they’re on trial.

CNBC: Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey says ‘hyperinflation’ will happen soon in the U.S. and the world

Sludge: Secretive House Caucus Is Appointing Corporate Democrats to Key Committee Seats

Edward Snowden: It is crucial to bear in mind that the industry’s problem is not data “protection,” it is data COLLECTION. Mass surveillance must be recognized as a crime, not a business model.

The Hill: Sotomayor on court’s refusal to block Texas abortion law: ‘Catastrophic’

CNBC: ‘We should be concerned’: Internal documents reveal Facebook studied and knew its QAnon push

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

Daily Kos: Trump had a “Command Center” to plot his Coup and Insurrection

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow: Trump’s ‘coup lawyer’ Eastman disavows infamous memo – with an apparent change of heart by John Eastman, an attorney for Donald Trump who outlined a quasi-legal plan for overturning the 2020 election and how the January 6th attack on the Capitol could work if Mike Pence rejected Electoral College votes.

“Pumpkin Patches & Harvest Fun You’ll Fall For”

Plentiful Pumpkin Patches & Fall Farm Adventures

If you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin, or want to trek through a locally grown corn maze, our region’s farmers have you covered. Want to get out mid-week or are looking for ideal weekend adventure? With this many options, you’ll find the perfect patch for your schedule:

• Crossroads Community Covenant Church Annual Pumpkin Patch – Yelm / Monday-Friday: 3 p.m – 6 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. until Oct. 31
• Hunter Family Farm Pumpkin Patch & Festival / Thursdays – Fridays: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays – Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until Oct. 30
• Pigman’s Pumpkin Patch / Open Monday–Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 pm., Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
• Rutledge Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch / Open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m until Oct 31
• Schilter Family Farm Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze / Monday–Thursday, Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. until Oct. 31 [their fall festival turns 25]

+ Experience Olympia & Beyond: 4 Stops for Fall Farm Fun

+ Thurston Talk: 2021 Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes in Olympia and Throughout Thurston County

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM FRIDAY ***

+ Bounty For Families: It’s that time of year again! Please consider donating to help us serve families in our community a Thanksgiving dinner!

+ The Olympian: Scatter Creek Winery & Brewing in Tenino is set to close at the end of the year, the business announced on Facebook and in a message shared with The Olympian. The owners are retiring, they said.

+ Gov. Jay Inslee: Inslee and Murray announce next steps to establish solutions for salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin

+ The Seattle Times: Attorney [Tana Lin] Who Helped Fight Trump Travel Ban Appointed to Federal Bench in Washington State

+ The Seattle Times: New Estimates Show 50% Drop in COVID Infections in Washington, According to State Report

+ KOMO-4 TV: Inslee joins efforts to welcome Afghan refugees to Washington state

+ Entertainment Tonight: Amanda Knox and Husband Christopher Robinson Welcome a Baby Girl

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM FRIDAY ***

The New York Times: A dispatch from the Arctic – Climate-change adaptation can be a difficult subject to discuss

Common Dreams: Biden Says He’s Open to Reforming Filibuster to Win Voting Rights

ProPublica: The Oath Keepers Militia Movement Has Taken Root in the Republican Mainstream

The Washington Post: You’re not ‘fully vaccinated.’ You never will be. It’s a goal for communities or nations, not for individuals

Forbes: Dr. Anthony Fauci Received Big Pay Increase To Prevent Pandemics

The Next Web: Edward Snowden: ‘If you weaken encryption, people will die’ – Snowden has joined a campaign to promote encryption

Washington Examiner: Biden delays release of secret JFK assassination files [Ed. Note: Sad this continues to be kept from the public!]

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM FRIDAY ***

CNN: Former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, who pushed baseless election fraud claims, expected to testify before January 6 committee

The Washington Post: In a post-Trump world, these pastors are ditching the evangelical label for something new

MSNBC: Former Giuliani associate Lev Parnas found guilty of campaign finance crimes

The Hill: Judge to hear Trump‘s case against Jan. 6 committee beginning November 4

• From the Nisqually River Foundation:

In partnership with the Nisqually Land Trust, we will be planting over 4,000 native trees and shrubs this fall! These trees and shrubs will help restore critical habitat in the beautiful Nisqually Watershed. We will be planting at our Powell Creek Protected Area and Lackamas Flats Protected area from Wednesday, October 27th through Saturday, November 20th.   In order to accomplish this, we need your help!! We normally fill these dates with school field trips, but with so many districts unable to take field trips, we need our trusty volunteers to help us get all these trees in the ground!

Here are the POWELL CREEK events: Sign up for any shift from Oct. 28th through Nov. 10th on Eventbrite here!  Most days have a morning and afternoon shift!

Here are the LACKAMAS FLATS events.  Sign up for any shift from Nov. 12th through Nov. 20th on Eventbrite here!  Most days have a morning and afternoon shift!

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM THURSDAY ***

+ JOLT News: Take steps to get ‘Flood Smart’ this Flood Awareness Week – Here are some specific suggestions for people who live in flood plains.

+ JOLT News: Public invited to nominate tourism leaders – New award named for Patrick Knutson to honor “legend” of tourism

+ Experience Olympian and Beyond: Annual State of Tourism Meeting will be held at Yelm Cinemas Nov. 18

+ JOLT News: County official proposes redistricting – County district maps would have non-contiguous boundaries under a plan proposed by County Manager Ramiro Chavez

+ Prestige Senior Living Yelm: Rosemont will be holding a free webinar dedicated to answering the community’s questions on cognitive health, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Enroll for the online webinar is October 28 at 2 p.m.

+ The Seattle Times: Alaska Air Group turns its first unaided profit since 2019

+ KING-5 TV News: Impacts of another potential La Niña winter already being felt in western Washington – This would be the second La Niña in a row, which could make for a colder, wetter fall and better snowpack in the winter.

+ The Seattle Times: Western Washington’s first Black U.S. attorney, Nick Brown

+ South Sound Business: BaseHubs, a new app aimed at connecting JBLM families and veterans with local businesses, has officially launched in Pierce County to help drive the region’s economic recovery.

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM THURSDAY ***

FOX News: NIH acknowledges US funded gain-of-function at Wuhan lab, despite Fauci’s denials – Fauci has repeatedly denied that the U.S. funded gain of function research in Wuhan

The Points Guy: After telling people to stay home, Hawaii is ready for travelers to come back next month

*** POLITICAL NEWS FROM THURSDAY ***

Former RNC Chair Michael Steele on MSNBC’s Deadline White House: The Republicans would throw over the filibuster in a second if meant more power for them. The GOP counts on Dems being feckless. [start @ 5:50]

Associated Press: Texas GOP leader pays illegal voting ‘bounty’ to Democrat [poll watcher who reported illegal voting by a Pennsylvania Republican]

Daily Kos: AT&T has yet to answer for its support of OAN, and customers have had it

CNBC: Biden’s support fading fast, as CNBC survey finds concerns on the economy, Covid and inflation

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM THURSDAY ***

KING-5 TV: Which 9 Republicans joined Democrats in holding Steve Bannon in contempt? [Ed. note: Jamie Herrera Beutler of region south of Yelm in WA’s. District 3.]

MSNBC’s The Reidout: Ex-KKK leader David Duke takes credit for Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson -During his recent podcast, Duke said both men stole his racist ideas about “white replacement” and made them mainstream.

Daily Kos: Rep. Gohmert asks why Rep. John Lewis wasn’t treated the same as Jan. 6 insurrectionists [Ed. note: White, Christian, Male-Dominated society’s best, eh!]

CNN: TRUTH Social: 3 reasons why Donald Trump’s new social media company is doomed to fail

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM WEDNESDAY ***

+ The News Tribune (Tacoma): ‘Bomb cyclone’ brewing off coast. What does that mean for Tacoma and Olympia?

+ International ShakeOut Day: The Great Washington Shakeout is today, October 21 at 10:21 am

+ Thurston County: This is Flood Awareness Week in Thurston County, county leaders are encouraging residents to prepare for winter storms

+ NVN: Nisqually Land Trust Looks Back on Successful Year

+ KING-5 TV: Inslee praises COVID-19 vaccine mandate as 95% of Washington employees get the shot [Ed. note: 4,774 of 59,477 did not.]

+ The Center Square: Cost to Replace Washington State Patrol Troopers Lost to Vaccine Mandate Tops $12.4M

+ Medscape: A physician assistant who runs a pediatric clinic in Washington State says he’ll fight against a license suspension over prescribing ivermectin as a cure for COVID, among other allegations.

+ KOMO-4 TV: Former WSU coach Nick Rolovich to file lawsuit against school for ‘illegal termination’

+ The News Tribune (Tacoma): Amazon on seasonal hiring spree as it continues to grow its footprint in Pierce County

Breibart: Former Washington Gubernatorial Candidate Loren Culp Angling to Unseat Republican Impeachment Voter Dan Newhouse

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM WEDNESDAY ***

The New York Times Morning Report: How can so many Americans afford not to work? And will it last?

Bloomberg: Senate Republicans vote unanimously to block the Freedom To Vote Act

David Corn of Mother Jones: SCOOP: Manchin Tells Associates He’s Considering Leaving the Democratic Party and Has an Exit Plan – He could pull the trigger if he doesn’t get his way on the Build Back Better bill.

The Los Angeles Times: Can TSA vaccinate enough screeners before the Thanksgiving travel rush?

Daily Kos: ‘Nightmare scenario’: Substantial majority of Americans don’t trust Supreme Court, want reforms

ABC News: Senate Republicans expected to defeat voting rights reform bill for the second time this year

CNBC: Koch network spends big to lobby against Biden agenda while supporting other Democratic plans

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM WEDNESDAY ***

NBC News: Why the GOP should take Trump’s new blackmail scheme seriously [Ed. note: 4-10% of Republicans may decide not to vote because they believe in the “Big Lie” of election fraud. They can’t win losing those voters.]

MSNBC Opinions: Trump’s 2020 election lies are even worrying Marjorie Taylor Greene – Greene is doing the once-unthinkable: departing from the Trump line. “roughly 10 percent of Republican voters expressed a serious lack of confidence in the security of Georgia’s elections, with 4 percent saying they did not think elections were secure in Georgia and would not vote in future elections, and 6 percent saying they were unsure whether their votes would be counted.”

Business Insider: The Trump Organization is facing another criminal investigation in New York over its golf course’s financial dealings, report says

CNN: Donald Trump (yet again) proves there’s no bottom with his Colin Powell statement

Washington Examiner: [Trump favorite in GA.] Senate candidate Herschel Walker rejects Trump’s election fraud ultimatum [Ed. note: Ought oh, is the firewall breaking?]

MSNBC’s Morning Joe: A majority don’t want Trump to run in 2024, polling shows, 58 percent of voters do not want former President Trump to run again in 2024.

Business Examiner: Steve Bannon not cooperating suggests Trump may have been ‘personally involved in the planning and execution’ of the January 6 insurrection, Liz Cheney says

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow: The oligarch raided by the FBI and how Mitch McConnell got the ‘Moscow Mitch’ nickname [Ed. note: This history is important to keep in context!]

Newsweek: As Donald Trump’s 2024 Chances Increase, Mitch McConnell Sounds the Alarm – Washington Examiner: McConnell signals it’s time to move past Trump ‘rehash’ of 2020 election

Politico: Opinion | Trump’s Post-Mortem Roasting of Powell Could Burn Him in the End