Homecoming game for Bremerton's praying coach: The assistant football coach who lost his job eight years ago for leading Christian prayers at Bremerton High School football games will return to the school to coach a game this Friday after 2021's Supreme Court ruling in his favor. Joe Kennedy now lives in Florida, and he is profiting off of a book deal and a movie deal about his story while also enjoying a $1,755,000 settlement coming out of Bremerton School District's pocket, so he likely won't coach more than just this one game—but he'll definitely be praying.

Texas Supreme Court allows transgender medical ban: Last week, a lower court blocked a new law banning transition care for trans teens in Texas. This week, however, the attorney general to the Texas Supreme Court appealed that decision, overruling the court. The law, which will ban "medically-accepted treatments, including hormones and puberty blockers," will go into effect Friday. Doctors caught prescribing these treatments will lose their medical licenses. The law also prohibits health insurance from covering any of these procedures. The Texas Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the law. 

Copper thieves on the loose: Thieves cut electrical lines and stole the copper wire out of them in and around Woodinville this week. Similar vandalism and copper wire thefts have been happening around King County. The thefts interrupt internet access for residents as well as phone line function. 

The sun returns today: The weather would like to remind you that summer's not over yet. 

But, also maybe fall is here?

Bruce Harrell's wet dream: Coffee City, Texas has a population of 250 people. Its police department has 50 officers—five times the number of cops than any town its size. They ought to call it "Coffee and Donut City." Being over-policed isn't the only thing wrong with this little town, though. Over half of the officers in the department have bad records. They were "suspended, demoted, terminated or dishonorably discharged from their previous law enforcement jobs" before they found this job in Coffee City. Some of their transgressions?  "Excessive force, public drunkenness, untruthfulness and association with known criminals." The police chief says most of those issues weren't actually missteps but were the result of being "on the wrong side of agency politics." The police department is under investigation. 

What kind of free country is this? America's really gone to the dogs. I mean, you can't even take your Watusi bull out for a drive without the cops getting involved. Justice for this man and this bull, Howdy Doody, who just wants to feel the wind in his hair. 

King County's fentanyl overdose deaths keep rising: As of Thursday, King County's total fentanyl overdose deaths this year numbered 704. That's just eight deaths shy of 2022's fentanyl overdose deaths. Public officials said King County was on track to break 1,000 fentanyl overdose deaths this year.  

T-Mobile layoffs: The local phone company is laying off 5,000 employees—7% of its workforce— nationwide. At its Bellevue base, T-Mobile will cut 400 jobs. 

New Play Date: Did you read my newest column? I got all turned around while trying out orienteering. 

Barbie Botox: The Barbie movie has taken the world by storm. Lead actress Margot Robbie has the zeitgeist in a chokehold. Her good looks have prompted a weird trend—"Barbie Botox." In order to look like Robbie, a viral internet trend suggests people should inject botox into their trapezius muscles, which will result in a Robbie-like slender neck, according to the trend. This type of botox injection is usually used to treat migraines and shoulder pain. Physicians don't think people should be injecting the stuff there for cosmetic purposes.

Nebraska loves women's volleyball: 92,003 fans gathered at the University of Nebraska to watch a volleyball game. They broke the world record for attendance at any women's sporting event. I love that for them. I just can't imagine trying to watch and follow a volleyball game in a football stadium. It seems like it would be hard to see. 

This is what Republicans think abortion is: "A Florida mother allegedly attempted to hire a hitman through an online parody website to kill her 3-year-old son."

ICYMI: Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who is also running for governor, made comments in early July about how Larch Corrections Center, a minimum-security prison near Yacolt, couldn't close because her department needs the inmates there to keep fighting wild fires. Larch is planning to close in October due to declining incarceration trends. Franz said the inmates make up about 10% of the firefighters fighting wild fires this year. Her sentiment was that without this slave labor they will lose necessary firefighting resources. The comments made in July are circulating around Twitter this week:

The New York Police Department is going to fly drones over backyard parties this weekend: To keep tabs on its citizens' private lives, the NYPD says it plans to fly surveillance drones over backyard barbecues and parties. Privacy and civil liberties advocates rightfully flew into a tizzy over this announcement. However, this approach isn't unique for the NYPD. They've "used drones for public safety or emergency purposes 124 times this year." Last year, they only flew drones four times. Maybe NYC mayor and former police chief Eric Adams is to blame. Adams just returned from a trip to Israel and said he wants to "embrace the 'endless' potential of drones, citing Israel’s use of the technology as a blueprint." 

Bumbershoot is this weekend! On Saturday, a clown named Puddles Pity Party will be crooning covers in full Pagliacci clown garb. I want to see that. Here's a taste of his talent: