Residents of Walla Walla County are realizing that change is possible. Frustration with rising taxes, leadership missteps, and a lack of accountability has sparked a growing movement for a home rule charter. People see that our communities—whether Walla Walla, Burbank, Waitsburg, or Prescott—deserve representation that understands their unique needs. This is a chance to create a government that works for everyone and builds stronger, thriving communities.

The result of the Trump Administration and Michael Baumgartner’s stripping support away from those who need it most through the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” will ultimately lead to increased pain and suffering in the Walla Walla Valley… and beyond.

The Official Walla Walla County Voters’ Pamphlet. November 4, 2025 General Election.

The state of health care in the United States is perilous as Republicans cut funding to pay for tax cuts for the richest among us. To understand the choices regarding the threats we face, we need to dig into the issue.

A core principle enshrined in our Constitution is that the military and policing are accountable to the electorate they serve.

At the County Commissioners meeting held September 22, one of our citizen reporters learned that this principle may potentially be eroded by a proposal submitted by Sheriff Crider that would privatize courthouse security in Walla Walla County.

The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order is not merely a handshake, it’s a federal consent order, enforceable in court.

The world’s largest soybean importer, China, has not placed a single American cargo order for 2026. This isn’t just a minor hiccup, it’s an economic disaster for farmers and rural communities. Soybeans are the second largest crop in the U.S. and China has historically been our biggest buyer. With that market now gone, farmer’s silos are overflowing, prices are collapsing and families across America’s heartland are staring down financial ruin.

“Between the federal government’s heightened vetting of student visas and President Trump’s travel ban, the number of international students newly enrolled in American universities seems certain to drop — by a lot.” (nytimes.com)

In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a warning that many dismissed as hyperbole: Donald Trump could deploy the military against the American people. Today, that warning reads less like political theater and more like a prescient assessment.

Harris was not lying.

For decades, Republicans have rallied their base with a familiar refrain: The Democrats are coming for your guns. It was the go-to scare line, meant to conjure images of federal agents prying rifles from the hands of law-abiding citizens. Yet today, it is not Democrats, but the Republican-led Department of Justice, openly weighing whether millions of transgender Americans should lose their Second Amendment rights simply because of who they are.

Uprisings of laborers struggling for Freedom, livable hours and decent pay go back centuries. This article touches briefly on a few of the difficult events that led to 40-hour workweek, the five-day week, overtime, and healthcare benefits.

Most everyone I know supports the removal and deportation of undocumented immigrants with violent criminal records. However, current data belies the Trump administration’s claim that they are only arresting immigrants who are “dangerous criminals” — the “worst of the worst.”

As of June 2025, Cato Institute data indicated that there were 204,297 immigrants in ICE detention, 65% of whom had no criminal conviction. Of the remaining 35%, only 6.9% had been convicted of a violent offense.

Are Republican or Democratic presidents generally better with the U.S. economy? It’s an interesting question that brings out strong opinions from either side, but top economists have already tried to answer this question from an entirely fact based approach.

Felipe Calderon—the former president of Mexico—once said “we are living in the same building. And our neighbour is the largest consumer of drugs in the world. And everybody wants to sell him drugs through our doors and our windows.”

For years, right-wing media and politicians have pushed the idea that the lack of security on the US-Mexico border is to blame. Data from the US Sentencing Commission in 2023 showed that 86.4% of those sentenced for fentanyl trafficking were US citizens.

Jim and I paid a return visit to Norway for most of July  – renting a car in Oslo and circumnavigating the country.  We visited 12 cities.  Here’s what inspired me to continue to resist MAGA and fight fascism.

Back in 2019, top Republican lawmakers were vocal in their outrage over Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and the questionable plea deal that shielded him. They promised investigations, transparency, and justice for the victims. But something has changed. In 2025, with Donald Trump’s name surfacing repeatedly in Epstein-related files, many of those same Republicans have gone silent — or worse, they’re actively blocking efforts to uncover the truth. What happened to the promises? This article examines the sharp turn from accountability to obstruction, and why the public deserves answers now more than ever.

Housing affordability in Walla Walla has reached a breaking point. What was once a manageable entry into homeownership has become an increasingly distant dream for working families and first-time buyers. Rising home prices, stagnant wages, and mounting upfront costs have created a market that’s out of reach for many. The following case—an unremarkable, modest home listed at nearly $250,000—illustrates just how unattainable “affordable housing” has become in our community, and why urgent action is needed.

Washington is in a money crisis—and it’s not just bad, it’s unfair. While the rich get tax breaks, working families pay more than their share. Our outdated system leans on sales and property taxes, hitting low- and middle-income people the hardest. It’s time to demand a fair income tax and stop protecting the wealthy at the expense of our communities.

Justice isn’t just a political issue—it’s a holy one. When we march, pray, boycott, and speak up, we’re following the path Jesus walked. Faith isn’t passive. It’s bold. It speaks up for the laid-off worker, the immigrant family, the child losing access to education. That’s what ‘Good Trouble’ means. That’s what love in action looks like.

Our guest, Lynda Mapes, specializes in coverage of the environment, natural history, and Native American tribes. She writes for The Seattle Times and publishes elsewhere as well.

Lynda gave us a tour of the Columbia/Snake River. She sees the Columbia River at a crossroads. To be at a crossroad, of course, means that you select a path forward. This notion of choice may mean that you allow the past to push you forward in one direction, or it may mean that you imagine a quite different path. Either way, it helps to know the path we have taken to arrive at this crossroads.
Don Schwerin, Ag & Rural Caucus