Equal Rights Washington says that that the wellbeing of the states kids is too important to elect a candidate for superintendent who has a significant amount to learn about LGBTQ issues.
Equal Rights Washington says that the wellbeing of the state's kids is too important to elect Erin Jones (right) as Washington's next superintendent of public instruction. The group says Jones still has a significant amount to learn about LGBTQ issues, so it's endorsing Chris Reykdal (left) instead. Chris Reykdal/Erin Jones

Alarming Comments on LGBTQ Youth from the Person Who Wants to Be Washington State's Top Education Official: Erin Jones took the lead in the primary race for state superintendent, but Equal Rights Washington, the largest group advocating for LGBTQ rights in the state, is endorsing her opponent, Chris Reykdal. (Disclosure: The Stranger Election Control Board, of which I'm a member, voted to endorse Jones.) But Jones, who could be the first African American woman to hold statewide office, has stumbled on questions related to LGBTQ youth too many times, ERW says.

Lord Voldemort Is Rallying in Everett Today: National embarrassment Donald Trump is coming to Everett for a giant fundraiser today, and, according to KOMO, local Republicans really, really wish he wouldn't. "[Political analyst Ron] Dotzauer says local GOP candidates will effectively freeze their campaigning during Trump’s visit, and could be hurt if they associate too closely with Trump given his unfavorable rating and Snohomish County’s political makeup," KOMO reports.

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Washington Tribes Demonstrate in North Dakota Against Dakota Access Pipeline: The movement of indigenous people fighting to protect their water from an oil pipeline that would traverse four states and snake under the Missouri River is growing. Representatives from Yakama Nation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Lummi Nation, Puyallup Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and Hoh Tribe arrived at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota yesterday. These nations have also fought off massive fossil fuel projects like pipelines, coal export facilities, and crude-by-rail facilities in recent years.

For Everyone Congratulating the University of Chicago on Eliminating "Trigger Warnings": A "trigger warning" is not something designed to alert regular students who might feel "uncomfortable" with certain concepts—it's an environmental factor that stimulates a panic attack, flashback, or nightmares for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a physiological and psychological condition experienced by rape survivors, combat veterans, and more. Not a scourge of PC culture; it's a humane response to, and acknowledgement of, students who have survived some pretty horrible things. Thankfully, the president of Evergreen State College breaks down what these terms actually mean over at the Seattle Times.

He Says: "Imagine a rape survivor entering a class in which sexual violence is the subject of academic debate," George S. Bridges writes, "or a veteran just returning from a combat assignment suffering from acute post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety or depression in a classroom where accounts of a war are disputed." He continues: "Indifference to such traumas diminishes a student’s likelihood of success." (Alas, if you've never been a rape survivor suffering from PTSD who is sitting in a freshman philosophy class in which your classmates debate what rape even is, maybe shut up about trigger warnings for a bit?)

The Program Is Moving On, So Here's a Baby Sea Otter: His name is Rialto.

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Alaska Airlines Passenger Tried to Open the Hatch Door Mid-Flight: A flight from New York to Seattle had to divert to Minneapolis when a passenger tried to open the door, which is impossible during flight. The passenger was taken to a Minnesota hospital.

King County Jail Reduces Use of Solitary Confinement: Disability Rights Washington reports that the jail has reduced the number of inmates sent to solitary by 60 percent. They did it by creating additional resources for people with mental illness.

KUOW Traces What It's Like for a Burmese Refugee to Land in Seattle: The radio station has a remarkable story following Tu Tu, a 21-year-old Burmese refugee who lands in Seattle and must learn English, find housing, and find a job immediately.

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Watch How Animals Will Migrate Under Climate Change: The University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy have created an interactive map showing how mammals, birds, and amphibians will move as global temperatures rise. One of the most interesting parts of the map is showing how man-made structures limit their movement—and how the Appalachian mountains could become an animal super-highway.