• Six men in the state legislature filed a bill for the session that begins in January that would force physicians to describe to all women seeking abortions "the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the unborn child," as well as the "probable gestational age of the unborn child."

• Speaking of children, Seattle City Council member Jean Godden has been demoted from her prestigious position as chair of the council's Budget Committee. Under a new set of council assignments, Godden has been relegated to chair of the Library, Utilities, and Center committee, which is the council's equivalent of being put in a day-care facility.

• The obesity epidemic means fewer fat Americans can fit on ferries. The US Coast Guard announced on December 20 that the ferryboats will need to carry fewer passengers—some boats that currently carry 2,000 passengers need to reduce their capacity by more than 200 passengers—because the average weight of Americans has gone up 25 pounds. A source familiar with the ferries explains, "This is a stability issue." Multiplying those added pounds by 2,000 passengers would add "25 tons of additional topside weight."

• For the first time, city officials and nightlife advocates have a concrete sense of when the state will rule on extending bar hours: On May 16, the liquor control board will consider Seattle's request to let bars stay open after 2 a.m.

• A campaign to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana looks within reach of making the 2012 ballot. While the state requires 241,153 signatures to qualify, the campaign for I-502 intends to submit more than that on December 29—between 355,000 and 365,000 signatures. The next night? Campaign bigwigs are preparing for a champagne toast at a private house party.

• On December 21, Mayor Mike McGinn announced he would capitulate to federal orders to clean up problems with excessive force at the Seattle Police Department, saying he "ordered" the police chief to implement several reforms. He was responding to a stern letter earlier in the day from the ACLU that said McGinn had been giving the "impression of a reluctance" to comply with recommendations from the US Department of Justice.

• After years of scrapping school portables, the result of school closures and capital levies, Seattle Public Schools is now reportedly considering installing new portables at a number of schools to ease overcrowding.

• A small group of occupiers went to Bellevue Square on December 19 to occupy the office of Kemper Freeman. The protesters were blocked and escorted out by Bellevue police.

• In a big setback for unionized liquor-store employees, a Cowlitz County judge denied an injunction on December 21 that would have stopped the state's process of closing its liquor stores while two lawsuits challenge voter-approved Initiative 1183. "It was a high bar," admitted one source familiar with the case. Instead, the judge will hear one of two lawsuits on March 5.