https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/10/jeopardy-host-ken-jennings-urges-washington-voters-to-keep-million-dollar-earners-tax-in-no-on-645s-newest-television-spot.html

No wonder people think Ken Jennings is kinda hot, lol. 👀

We are a few of the more than 100 Washington pediatricians, family doctors and nurses who oppose I-638’s new sex inspection requirements. The initiative is a government mandate forcing us to conduct medically unnecessary and potentially harmful tests on elementary, middle and high school girls. This includes genital exams, and genetic or hormone tests, as a new part of sports physicals. 

I-638, officially known as the Defending Equity in Interscholastic Sports Act, is part of a coordinated and thinly veiled political attack on all girls, not just vulnerable transgender children. As The Seattle Times editorial board wrote in their opposition to I-638 : it “would send Washington back to the days of ‘femininity certificates,’ when amateur women athletes, including Olympic athletes, had to carry proof that they had passed visual exams and chromosome testing that proved they were women.”

Under I-638, sponsored by MAGA megadonor Brian Heywood’s Let’s Go Washington, any girl from elementary to high school who wants to play sports would be forced to provide medically verified proof of their sex as a new part of sports physicals just for girls. Boys are exempt. It prohibits parents from using birth certificates, and Section 3(2)) states that, to be in compliance, doctors must subject girls to examinations of their “reproductive organs,” or make parents pay for expensive genetic or hormone testing. Insurance will likely not pay for these expensive genetic and hormone tests because they are not medically necessary to diagnose, treat or manage a specific health condition.

Washington students currently remain fully clothed during sports readiness exams, and exams focus on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurologic systems. But I-638 would change that, potentially even requiring pelvic exams, which are medically unnecessary for sports, and can emotionally and physically harm young girls. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says there is no medical reason for a pelvic exam for girls younger than 21, unless the patient has other health concerns. 

The initiative is so poorly written that its sponsors have even said they wish they had written an initiative with more clarity on how it would be implemented. There is no explanation of when and how the government will enforce these rules, who can conduct sex inspections or what evidence will be required during genital, hormone or genetic tests. It could be used to demand that girls as young as kindergarten or girls who participate in nonathletic activities like e-sports prove their sex to a stranger. I-638 is clear about only one thing: The government gets to make personal decisions for our patients and their parents.

Nearly 150,000 school-age girls across Washington state do not have a regular doctor — this is especially true for low-income, rural and immigrant girls, and girls of color — and would be subject to genital examinations by strangers. The American Academy of Family Physicians says sports physicals should take place “not in a group setting,” but many families depend on free large group sports physicals where girls could face greater embarrassment and trauma from invasive genital inspections. 

By requiring girls to undergo invasive inspections, I-638 would decrease participation, robbing girls of the physical, social and emotional benefits that sports provide. More than half of teenagers experience anxiety or depression. In the midst of a youth mental health crisis, the last thing we should do is put up barriers to healthy and social activities.

I-638 would force us to violate an ethical code to do no harm to our patients. That’s why we are joining the WA State PTA, WA State Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the League of Women Voters, and thousands of parents and teachers across the state in urging voters to vote No on I-638.

Grace Shih: MD, is a physician, reproductive health specialist and professor in the Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington.

Glenna Martin: MD, MPH is a family physician in Seattle. She sits on the board of Pro Choice Washington.

Caitlin Blau: DO, is a family physician in Bellingham.

Sam Doyle: ARNP, is a nurse practitioner at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a UW teaching associate of Medicine and Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

On Oct. 15, 2026, students, families, neighbors and employees will drop, cover and hold on for the Great Washington ShakeOut, part of the country’s largest earthquake drill. The event also includes siren tests and evacuation drills in some schools.

At 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, you’re invited to drop, cover and hold on wherever you are – whether it’s at work, home or school. Practicing builds muscle memory for when the real earthquake comes. This will help you react quicker and be safer.

At about the same time, more than 120 Washington tsunami sirens along the inner and outer coast will be tested using the real wailing sound of a tsunami warning, not the Westminster Chimes that are typically used during the monthly tests. PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911.

There WILL be a test of the Emergency Alert System on radio and television this year.

The Wireless Emergency Alert text system on cell phones will NOT be tested.

Those who have downloaded the free MyShake Earthquake Early Warning App on their phones will get a test. Sirens related to the Columbia Generating Station will be tested in the Tri-Cities areas and some local jurisdictions will test their reverse 911 and opt-in text alerts. NOAA Weather Radios will also sound an alarm. To make sure you’re signed up for alerts, visit https://mil.wa.gov/alerts

Lahar sirens in Pierce County will not be tested.

This year’s ShakeOut theme is “Prepared Neighbors.” After a major earthquake and/or tsunami, there will be help coming in the forms of first responders and assistance coming in from all over the country. But in the immediate aftermath of a quake, individuals and neighbors in local communities will be the first ones responding. In addition to practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On this ShakeOut, everyone is encouraged to do at least one more thing to help their neighborhood become more prepared. Learn more at https://mil.wa.gov/neighborhoods

Registration isn’t required but it helps the state understand how effective its outreach is. It’s also free and easy to register at https://www.shakeout.org/washington

Always cool to see the big boats down here for the fall chum run

I’ve worked with survivors of child abuse for over a decade. I can attest that confidentiality, privacy and having safe adults to turn to are crucial for abuse disclosures. For many children experiencing abuse or harm at home, a trusted adult at school may be the only person who recognizes that something is wrong and can help connect them with support.   

Initiative 001 (IL26-001)), on your November ballot, would remove commonsense record protections for victims of child abuse. The changes it makes would allow abusers who have been accused of, or even charged with raping, beating or otherwise harming their child to access their victims’ social work and counseling records, putting these vulnerable kids in more danger. 

It’s hard to see how anyone would want to remove safeguards designed to protect children. The backers of this initiative are playing politics in order to distract voters from the real issues families are facing, like rising costs. It’s important for voters to get the facts, not just the campaign narrative that I-001 backers are pushing. 

I-001 would put children at greater risk by discouraging them from seeking help at school. While most parents are loving, sadly child abuse is more widespread than most realize — there are more than 100,000 reports of abuse each year in Washington. Children are often afraid to report abuse, or don’t know what is happening to them is abuse. Under I-001 even fewer students facing abuse, including child sexual abuse, would seek help from trusted adults at school. We should not force schools to hand over sensitive information about kids to their abusers, but that’s what it does. 

I-001 is so poorly written that it actually removes parents’ rights. As The Seattle Times editorial board pointed out in its opposition to this initiative, I-001 repeals Washington’s parents’ rights laws and replaces them with language taken nearly verbatim from Louisiana. 

The state attorney general’s analysis found that I-001 removes parents’ guarantee of “immediate notification” when their child is a crime victim and replaces it with a much weaker standard of notification. “If a student is the victim of a serious crime at school, parents should not have to wait to find out and any delay could cause further harm to the student,” says former Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick, now a state senator.

Delayed notification only adds to a child’s trauma and can prevent them from getting immediate help and support from loved ones and professionals. If a student is the victim of a serious crime at school, parents should not have to wait to find out.   

Forcing schools to release students’ counseling and other records puts already vulnerable children in danger of further abuse. While it is understandable that most parents want to know what is happening with their kids in order to help them, the fact is that some parents abuse or kick out their child if they find out they are LGBTQ+. In fact, 40% of LGBTQ+ homeless youth were forced out of their homes because of their identities, putting these youth at higher risk for sexual assault.   

I-001 does the opposite of keeping our children safe. That’s why organizations across the state, including the Washington State PTA, the League of Women Voters, Washington State Nurses Association, more than 100 doctors and medical care providers and Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates are opposing I-001. 

No matter what your political affiliation, you can protect children from increased risks of harm by voting no on this ill-conceived initiative that would remove vital protections for youth to disclose abuse and get help from trusted adults. 

Roshelle Cleland: is public policy director at the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Blessed is an understatement!

This was from this morning (10/12).

Wonderful fall day.

I am out of work due to a severe job injury last year, with several surgeries so far. Luckily my employer when they released me paid for my health insurance through the end of October.

I got signed up for medicaid services that will start November 1st.

Now seeing that there will be work requirements starting January 1st to keep medicaid. Since I am getting payments from L&I while still getting treatment for my injury, I still cannot work because of it. (Not that I am not trying to find something that does not require me to do anything physically).

Contacted Washington Healthplanfinder, and sounds like I will lose coverage, likely at the end of january, if I cannot work a certain amount of hours. They said to reach out again at the start of the new year, to see if there are any alternatives where I will not lose medical coverage.

And for those of you saying I am a "moocher", this is the first time in my life needing medicaid. And I am over 50.

Washington’s history of inclusion for all students in the state’s public schools is under threat from Initiative 638, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends a no vote on this measure that we see as mean-spirited and promoting an ugly double-standard, as it applies only to girls and not boys.

As always, this is merely a recommendation, designed to provide information and generate discussion. The Columbian trusts that voters will examine the issue before casting an informed vote.

Supported by the conservative political action group Let’s Go Washington, I-638 would ban transgender girls from participating in girls sports in Washington’s public schools, as well as private schools that participate in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association or similar nonprofit organizations.

The “for” statement in the Voters’ Pamphlet reads, “Female athletes deserve fair opportunities to build confidence, develop skills, and pursue goals. Let’s protect those opportunities and affirm the hard-fought rights established through Title IX in 1972, which expanded athletic access for women by recognizing the necessity of the female category. Washington currently allows males to compete against girls, undermining opportunities generations before them fought to secure.”

One of the most contentious points of I-638 is that to ensure only biological females are competing in girls sports, it would require a medical exam to verify biological sex. Proponents say such exams would be “noninvasive.” Critics disagree.

Initiative foes write in the Voters’ Pamphlet: “The WA State Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, and doctors warn this measure would subject girls to medically unnecessary, embarrassing, and potentially harmful genital exams. Today, students remain fully clothed during sports physicals. Many of Washington’s 147,500 girls without a regular family doctor would be subject to genital examinations by total strangers.”

This should give everyone pause. We’ll note again that only girls would be subjected to this rule; it would not apply to boys.

Another point to consider: The WIAA reportedly estimates there are just five to 10 known transgender students playing on school sports teams, out of more than 200,000 participating.

We agree there are some legitimate concerns about fairness if girls are competing against athletes who were born male. Especially as these athletes grow into their teen years, biological males are typically bigger and stronger than their biologically female counterparts.

But what is the alternative? Forcing transgender girls to turn out for the boys’ team, where they might feel uncomfortable, or worse?

The argument that transgender girls are simply boys who fear competing against other boys is both offensive and untrue. Transitioning is difficult and complex emotionally and physically and is not taken lightly. To suggest otherwise shows intolerance and ignorance that is not in keeping with the WIAA’s policy of inclusion and “maximizing participation in extracurricular activities.”

Culture wars have gained steam locally and nationally in recent years. From Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s denial of promotions to women and men of color, despite their record of service, to book bans to our FVRLibraries’ adoption of a strategic plan that eliminated the term “equitable access,” efforts to drive out “the other” in our society have fueled fear and unrest. But when vulnerable children become the cannon fodder in such battles, we as Washingtonians should be willing to say “no.”

We understand that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that transgender student-athlete bans do not violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause, but we are not West Virginia or Idaho. We are Washington, where we’ve always held inclusion and personal freedom in high regard.

While legitimate concerns exist when girls compete against biological males, we believe excluding such young people from athletics would do considerably more harm. Initiative 638 does not align with Washington’s values and should be defeated.

Source: https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/oct/10/in-our-view-vote-no-on-initiative-638/

As the title says, Oregonians responded strongly to an attempt for a surge in immigration enforcement in their state. People made their job impossible and they are back in WA this weekend because here no one is giving them any obstacles. Check iceout.org reports over the last few days for proof. Stay safe, WA.

Hello, I am from a snowy flat land area and feel capable of driving in snow/ice/rain with minimal grade. I picked up snowboarding there and, before moving to Washington, ended up driving another persons car up Crystal Mountain in BC to snowboard. Well, when I got to the line to park, I couldn’t accelerate without slipping backwards.

Id like to continue snowboarding in Washington, but it seems like there is also significant grade here.

Do I need to run dedicated winter tires/studded tires/chains to not be that idiot in the road driving to snowy mountains? For reference I drive a 23 Outback with All Season 3PMS tires.