Bloglander

HERE

Pot in Washington, pot in Spokane. Today is the first day stores can officially be open — however, it looks like only one local dispensary is ready. (Seattle Times/Inlander)

Spokane city council open to allowing more local outdoor festivals to have beer gardens. (S-R)

It wasn’t a fake prank — an actual pipe bomb was neutralized at Lakes Middle School yesterday. (KXLY)

THERE

Israel launched a major operation against the Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (WaPo)

Signaling a decline in America’s taste for the cupcake, Crumbs Bake Shop has shuttered all of its stores across 12 states. (HuffPo) Don’t worry, Sweet Frostings is still here.

As Typhoon Neoguri bears down on Japan’s Okinawa Islands, over a half-million people have been asked to evacuate. (NPR)

WIZARDRY

J.K. Rowling wrote a brand new Harry Potter short story and you can read it now! (Mirror)

Will it be Germany or Brazil for the W today? (NYT)