Donald Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal for doing journalism — and not just any journalism, but the kind that had the audacity to be read.

In a lawsuit that confuses “exclusive” with “classified” and “defamation” with “things I wish weren’t true,” the former president is demanding $10 billion over a story that may or may not involve a bawdy sketch sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Never mind the facts — the real outrage is that the article wasn’t whispered to one person and burned.

As legal logic collapses under the weight of performance art, Trump’s team appears to believe that hurt feelings and misread dictionary entries are grounds for litigation. The result? A lawsuit so absurd it doesn’t just challenge press freedom — it declares war on the English language.

For decades, troubling questions have trailed Donald Trump—questions not of mere association, but of complicity. As a modeling agency owner, pageant mogul, and close confidant of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump repeatedly placed himself in environments saturated with underage girls and power imbalances. He entered dressing rooms unannounced, ran competitions featuring teenage girls in front of wealthy men, and maintained deep ties to a trafficking network that preyed on the young and vulnerable.

No court has convicted Trump of crimes related to underage exploitation—but the public record is damning. Girls as young as 14 were recruited from his clubs. Teenage models lived in his apartments. And all the while, Trump operated with unchecked access and unexamined authority. The question is no longer whether he was near the system. It’s whether he helped build it.

Today, as Trump urges Americans to “move on” from the Epstein files, we must ask: Is it because those documents expose a world he simply knew—or a world he helped create?

The LGBTQI+ Youth Subnetwork of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will shut down tomorrow, July 17, following a federal decision announced last month to end this specialized service. Since launching in 2022, the subnetwork has provided tailored support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) youth ages 13 to 24.

You’ve probably seen them: the self-declared “constitutional sheriffs” who believe they have the power to overrule Congress, ignore the courts, and singlehandedly decide which laws apply in their counties.

In their minds, they’re rugged defenders of liberty.

In reality, they’re cosplay cowboys with badges — and a wildly inaccurate understanding of the Constitution.

Washington State is facing a growing financial crisis, driven by rising costs for essentials like schools, roads, and healthcare

Amy Schwab welcomed Governor Bob Ferguson to the Power of Community event on June 18. The following are remarks that preceded the introduction.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” presents significant concerns from a Democratic perspective, particularly in terms of its impact on vulnerable communities, healthcare equity, and the sustainability of public safety net programs. This poses significant threats to the well-being of working families, the elderly, and marginalized communities.

Rep. Michael Baumgartner congratulated himself on his vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill. Included in the piece are several bullets representing--in a binary, absolutist vacuum--how failure to pass the bill would affect Eastern Washington families.

A week before increasing the federal deficit by trillions and throwing 12 million people off of Medicaid, Congressman Michael Baumgartner sent out a glossy, 8x10-inch, double-sided, full-color mailer. It prominently featured a photo of a beaming Congressman Baumgartner alongside Donald Trump, both smiling and giving a "thumbs up" in anticipation of passing the so-called Big Beautiful Bill.

Our program featured Esther Click, head of Walla Walla Emergency Services Communications (WESCOM).

On August 5, 2025, voters in Walla Walla County will consider a proposed 0.2% Sales and Use Tax to support critical improvements to the county’s 911 emergency communications system. The funding would support WESCOM, which serves more than 63,000 residents countywide.

Enjoy this video of the Power of Community Celebration hosted by the Walla Walla Democrats on Wednesday, June 18 at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. The event was attended by over 300 guests.

The speakers included

• Bob Ferguson, Governor, State of Washington

• Mike Pellioccetti, Treasurer, State of Washington

• Keynote: Charles “Chuck” Sams III, Former Director, National Park Service

Regenerative ag is the theme of the day, or decade, actually. It means everything thought to be good about farming and soil management. It comes down to four recommended practices: 1) reduce tillage, 2) integrate livestock with cropping, 3) rotate crops, and 4) utilize cover cropping. (We have already talked about #2, holistic livestock management, along with virtual fencing.)

This month, we will discuss cover cropping. The idea is to keep a crop on the ground. Around here, this does not happen much in summer, fallow between wheat crops, or in spring crops following wheat harvest.
Don Schwerin, Ag & Rural Caucus

Correspondent Scott Pelley focuses on President Trump’s use of executive orders to target major law firms he accused of “weaponizing” the justice system against him. 

The report highlights interviews with legal professionals, including Marc Elias, who compared Trump’s tactics to mob intimidation and described the executive actions as retaliatory and harmful to the legal profession. 
60 Minutes, CBS

How do we sell tax increases? We should talk about services instead of taxes. Talk about how rural counties receive more from the state than we pay – a lot more – and that cuts will hit us first and hardest.

Don Schwerin, chair, Washington State Democrats Ag & Rural Caucus

Episode Seven of the podcast “Concrete Mama” includes an eye-opening summary of new programs enthusiastically embraced by inmates, staff, and administrators at the Washington State Penitentiary.
Walla Walla County Democrats

If you eat, you should understand how your food is grown, processed, transported, and marketed. You may be shocked by the impact the foods you eat have on our environment.

Two films are now available on Amazon Prime that will help you understand this important topic: Kiss the Ground and Common Ground.
Walla Walla County Democrats