Washington
Proposal to limit transgender athletes' participation in sports blocked in Washington state

Washington state’s governing body for middle and high school athletics has determined that its proposed rule changes for transgender student athletes would violate state law.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has been considering two proposed rule amendments: One that would prohibit trans girls from competing in girls sports, and another that would create a third open division for trans students to compete in instead.
The WIAA Representative Assembly is expected to vote on these proposals — and 14 others — April 9-18. If passed, rule changes typically go into effect in August.
RELATED: Trans students could be banned from competing in girls’ sports in Washington state
But now, the amendments related to trans student athletes will be an “advisory vote only,” according to the WIAA website.
Sean Bessette, director of communications for WIAA, said Monday that a “legal review” has found the proposed rule changes conflict with state law — and unless the law changes, they can’t be implemented.
“The WIAA remains committed to following state law,” Bessette wrote in an email.
Since 2007, WIAA’s policy has allowed trans students to participate in sports programs consistent with their gender identity. At that time, it was one of the first policies of its kind in the nation.
But the issue has become increasingly controversial — and deeply political — in recent years, especially in light of President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” It bans transgender girls and women from participating in girls sports, and directs the federal government to withhold funding from educational institutions that don’t comply.
RELATED: How will Trump’s ban on trans athletes in girls’ sports impact Washington state?
In response, WIAA said it would wait to make any changes until it received further legal guidance.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal called the order a federal overreach that “directly contradicts” state laws banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity. He advised districts to continue to follow existing guidance from his office, which says “schools are required to allow all students, including transgender and nonbinary students, the opportunity to participate on the interscholastic sports team that most closely aligns with their gender identity.”
RELATED: Transgender sports policies at heart of federal complaint from Washington school district
In a letter to WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman March 19 that was later forwarded to all superintendents, Reykdal reiterated that stance, writing that OSPI is “concerned” the proposed amendments would violate state laws.
“We have confidence that WIAA would not implement these amendments if they were to pass in their current form,” he wrote.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Washington
Commanders could trade $68 million disgruntled star

The Washington Commanders have an unhappy star in wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
The former Ohio State wideout has one year remaining on his contract, and he wants a new deal before the start of the season.
Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox thinks the Commanders could trade McLaurin to the Arizona Cardinals for pass rusher Zaven Collins if a deal isn’t struck.
READ MORE: Commanders’ Dan Quinn shouts out Capitals coach for major honor
“The Arizona Cardinals might not seem like an obvious candidate for McLaurin because they added their No. 1 receiver when they drafted Marvin Harrison Jr, in 2024,” Knox wrote.
“What the Cardinals don’t have, however, is a top-tier receiver who can complement Harrison and help get more out of quarterback Kyler Murray. McLaurin could be that, and now could be the perfect time to add him.
“Murray and head coach Jonathan Gannon are both entering a pivotal season. Murray hasn’t performed at a Pro Bowl level since 2021 and may need help to get back to the form he had before his 2022 ACL tear. Gannon has delivered just 12 wins in his two seasons at the helm.
“Adding McLaurin could help Murray return to his pre-injury production and, potentially, help Arizona get over .500. To sweeten the pot, the Cardinals could include edge-defender Zaven Collins, who had five sacks last season but could be a potential 2026 cap casualty.
“The Cardinals could save $4.4 million this year by trading Collins, and they’ve added Calais Campbell, Josh Sweat and rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen III to their pass-rushing rotation this offseason.
“Washington could be very interested in a little edge help.”
The Commanders will hope to get a new deal done with McLaurin in the near future.
READ MORE: Commanders coach eyes growth for second-year linebacker
Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.
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• Former Commanders defender announces retirement after 10-year career
Washington
Search expands for former Army soldier accused of killing his 3 young daughters in Washington state

SEATTLE — Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters.
Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls – 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker – were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth.
The girls’ mother reported them missing the night of May 30 when Decker failed to return them to her home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit.
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Friday night that he was ordering the state’s National Guard to help with the search, saying “we will be providing helicopter transportation for law enforcement as they search in remote areas.”
“The brutal murder of these young children has shocked our state,” he added in a statement on social media. “I’m committed to supporting law enforcement as they seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia.”
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that there were more than 100 officers involved in the search, which covered rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington, and more than 500 tips had poured in from the public.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have been given notice to, and are working in conjunction with our surrounding counties in the event Mr. Decker moves through the forest into their jurisdiction,” the statement said.
Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing.
“He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better,” she wrote. “I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all. … But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men, or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.”
Authorities warned people to be on the lookout for Decker and asked those with remote homes, cabins or outbuildings to keep them locked, to leave blinds open so law enforcement can see inside and to leave exterior lights on.
It was unclear if Decker was armed, but the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said he should be considered dangerous. A reward of up to $20,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest.
An online fundraiser for Whitney Decker raised more than $1 million, and friends Amy Edwards, who taught the girls in a theater program called “Short Shakespeareans,” and Mark Belton thanked supporters during a news conference Thursday.

Undated photo of Travis Caleb Decker who the police are asking the public for help in locating the Washington state father who is wanted for murder.
Wenatchee Police Department via AP
“Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us,” Edwards said. “They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts.”
Edwards and Belton said Whitney Decker hopes the tragedy prompts changes to the state’s Amber Alert system as well as improvements in mental health care for veterans. The night the girls were reported missing, Wenatchee police asked the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert but it declined, saying that as a custody matter without an imminent threat, the case did not meet the criteria for one.
The patrol did issue an “endangered missing person alert” the next day, but those do not result in notifications being sent to mobile phones.
As searches expanded for the girls last weekend, a sheriff’s deputy found Decker’s pickup in the area of Rock Island Campground, northwest of Leavenworth. There were two bloody handprints on the tailgate. The girls’ bodies were discovered down an embankment nearby with evidence that they had been bound with zip ties, according to an affidavit filed in support of murder and kidnapping charges against Decker.
County Coroner Wayne Harris said Friday that his office was awaiting pathology results to determine when and how the girls were killed.
Authorities issued closure notices the previous day for that camping area, which lies in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, as well as for a large swath of rugged territory to the north. That included trails and campgrounds along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, and around Stehekin, at the northern end of Lake Chelan.
Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Washington
Washington lottery player hits $7.4 million jackpot. See where the ticket was sold

Biggest Mega Millions win of all-time, Publix grocery store in Florida in 2023
The biggest Mega Millions win of all-time is $1.58 billion, won in Florida in 2023.
Another multimillionaire is born.
One lucky player in Washington state won $7.4 million after hitting the jackpot in the Lotto game, Washington’s Lottery announced in a June 6 news release.
The player, whose name was not released, purchased the ticket at the QFC in Enumclaw at 1009 Monroe Avenue for the May 14, 2025, drawing, the release said.
The retailer gets a selling bonus of $74,000 and intends to donate $20,000 to the Enumclaw Food Bank, according to the release.
“It’s not every day a winning ticket is sold in your store, and our team wanted to do something special,” Brent Stewart, president at QFC, said in the release. “Donating to the Enumclaw Food Bank is the perfect way to live out our purpose to feed the human spirit and help people in our community.”
The win comes after a Mega Millions ticket worth $2 million was sold in Washington for a drawing in April.
What is the Lotto game?
Lotto is a Washington state jackpot game, according to Washington’s Lottery.
The cost of a ticket is $1, and players pick two sets of six numbers between 1 and 49. Alternately, players can have numbers selected for them with the Quick Pick system.
Jackpots start at $1 million and grow until a player hits all six numbers.
Can lottery winners in Washington remain anonymous?
Washington’s Lottery is a public agency subject to the Washington Public Records Act, according to the agency’s website. The names of lottery winners may be revealed through public records requests, even if a trust is established.
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