I'm Tracci Dial, and this is Weekly News Now.

It's a single-digit countdown to the 2024 general election.

NWPBs recent election survey turned up a lot of questions about initiatives on Washington's ballot.

One of these is I-2124.

If passed, it would allow people to opt out of the WA Cares long term care insurance program.

A full breakdown of it and other initiatives is online.

You can find it at NWPB.org/ElectionsCoverage.

Speaking of, we'll be tracking live coverage of the general election on the air election night.

Tune in for regional coverage and early results.

starting around 8:00 Tuesday night.

A Seattle Veterans Affairs staffer is alleging whistleblower retaliation.

Douglas Galuszka is the chief of logistics for the VA's Puget Sound Health Care System.

He's one of the people who spoke with NWPB and Cascade PBS earlier this year concerning a building's condition on the South Seattle campus.

He says he was suspended twice, totaling three weeks of unpaid leave.

Building 18 housed specialty clinics and office space.

Weeks after our story published, all clinics had been moved and all staff had been moved.

The building had a slew of safety concerns connected to it, with records dating back years.

The full article is at NWPB.org, along with this new one that details Galuszkas claims.

Here's Galuszka talking about his boss.

“My staff was so frustrated they began writing their congressional delegation, the senators and the congressmen.

Those were coming in a couple weeks later when those started to roll in, she got very angry and she changed the plan.

And that's the time she said, I'm going to make those people go to another location.

Rented office space at a place called the Oxbow Building down at the port.

That in and of itself is a definition of retaliation.

Where I'm geographically moving you because you dared to complain about my actions and it has gone downhill ever since.” The VA declined an interview request and did not respond to questions citing privacy law, but the agency did issue a statement.

“Whistleblowers are respected, protected and empowered at VA, and retaliation for making such disclosures is strictly prohibited.

We do everything in our power to build up and uphold a culture where employees are held accountable for misconduct, and every employee feels empowered and unafraid to raise concerns without fear of reprisal.” You can find that full story online.

Spooky season is coming to an end.

Here is a look inside the infamous haunted hospital, allegedly, in Colfax, Washington.

The haunts and hollers can be found on our website and social media pages.

Again, that's Instagram, that is Facebook, and of course on YouTube.

I'm Tracci Dial with your NWPB Weekly News Now.

Thanks for joining us.